Happy Friday! And Happy (early) Halloween!
I am switching gears from doing regular "Friday Five" posts to a monthly roundup post of things I loved throughout the month. This will be the first and I think it will be much easier to keep up with!
Life:
Life has been busy as ever this month. We have been busy wrapping up outdoor projects as winter creeps ever closer. We finished a secondary pasture for the horses, expanded the chicken coop with an outdoor run, built a fenced area off the back porch for our dogs and have been trying to keep up with the massive amount of leaves. It's a lot of hard work but my husband and I love being outside, working hard to make our little homestead as perfect as possible.
This was the first full month we have had the horses on the property. It has brought me so much peace to have horses in my life daily again. I love the methodical pace of daily feeding, stall cleaning and visiting with my beloved mares. To many, cleaning up poop and carrying water buckets would sound like torture but to me, it is work that grounds me and brings me peace. This is the work I did growing up, it is work that brings me closer to my deepest passion and it provides me many hours to settle my mind and think deeply. My husband and I have worked out a really nice routine with the barn chores and we are both just loving that aspect of our life.
I completed my "Masks for Justice" project and sold out of my scales of justice fabric. I am so thankful to everyone who ordered and supported this endeavor! Now that it is complete, I will be making a sizeable donation to a local legal aid organization.
We went Apple Picking and to the Pumpkin Patch this month and got to enjoy all the Apple Cider donuts.
Other than that, I have spent lots of time enjoying my hobbies. I have kept busy sewing face masks, reading, baking lots of fall flavored goodies and decorating my house with all the Fall things. I also have some fun things in the works... I have taken a pretty large step back from my creative pursuits and in that time, I have been able to find some new inspiration. Stay tuned!
What I have been loving this month:
TV
1. Jane the Virgin
I needed something new to binge while I am doing chores and sewing so I gave this a shot. So far, it is cute and entertaining. I am only halfway through season 1 but I think I will keep it up!
2. The Bradshaw Bunch
So fun fact: I show horses with Terry Bradshaw's daughter. Thus, we felt that watching this was necessary. So far, it is very entertaining and we enjoy how often horses are popping up. I am not usually into reality TV but I am here for this one!
3. New Girl (re-watch)
This show will just never get old. We completed a full re-watch throughout the month and I laugh just as hard the second time around!! Now I need to find some people to play True American with me once the pandemic is over...
Movies
1. Holidate
SO stinking cute and entertaining. It's kind of like a Hallmark movie with a bit of bite and edge. It's streaming on Netflix!
2. Hubie Halloween
My husband and I LOVE all Adam Sandler movies so we had to watch this. Honestly, it was stupid silly and utterly cheesy but I also laughed SO hard. It's also streaming on Netflix and is well worth a Saturday night watch.
3. Greyhound
On the heavy end of our October watches, this is the story of a WW2 warship crossing the Atlantic and encountering u-boats. It was a bit slow and heavy but very interesting. It stars Tom Hanks, king of WW2 movies and history nerd, and you can find it streaming on Apple TV.
Books
After watching the musical Hamilton on Disney+ this summer, I have been 110% obsessed with Hamilton and the whole story. I listened to the book My Dear Hamilton which is told from the point of view of Eliza Hamilton, wife of Alexander Hamilton. She lived an extraordinary life and I thought the book was very well written. I very much enjoyed it and would suggest it!
This was a historical fiction novel loosely based on Amelia Earhart and the female pilots of the golden age of flying. It was SO captivating and interesting and I couldn't put it down! I would highly suggest if you like a bit of history and mystery mixed together!
Products (click the colored links to shop)
1. TV Lights
We put these up to backlight our TV and we love the effect! It is just the perfect little bit of light. For $11, you can't go wrong!
I have always struggled to fall asleep at night and for years I have relied on Melatonin vitamins to assist. I have always had to be really careful though because Melatonin sometimes leaves me groggy in the morning. I tried this new brand, Natrol, and it is a gamechanger- I have had absolutely no morning grogginess, I fall asleep easily and I am sleeping so much better!
3. Faux Mums
I have killed my fall mums every other year so this Fall, I decided to go faux. I purchased these from Walmart and I am SO impressed with how they look. You really can't tell they are faux unless you are looking right up close. I love that I don't have to water and I can reuse them year after year. In time, I think these will save me lots of money.
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| See? They look perfect! |
I drink hot tea almost every day in the Fall and Winter. I have always used a plain stovetop kettle in the past but our new house has an electric stove not gas and the water is so slow to heat up. I broke down and invested in an electric kettle and it is AMAZING. It works so quickly and doesn't take up space on my stovetop. If you are a tea drinker like me, this is worth the investment!
I didn't need this, but in a much more real sense, I absolutely did. 2020 has been so unpleasant, I am embracing all the holiday cheer. This dress is just so aggressively cheery I had to have it! I will wear it to work leading up to Christmas and for Christmas Eve.... and I am sure it will be a holiday fashion staple for me for years to come!
Recipes
1. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
I have made these every Fall for a few years now and they are SO good. I substitute the butter for applesauce for a slightly healthier option.
2. Chili
We have been having Chili at least once a week all month long. It is just the perfect, simple autumn meal. I have linked my recipe above!
Have a good Halloween tomorrow, stay safe and healthy and be thankful as we move into November!
Electric kettles are a game-changer for sure.
ReplyDeleteGreat recommendations!