October Favorites

Hello, hello! It’s that time again – the beginning of a new month!

And it’s another chance for me to lament over how fast time is going.

I am the most broken of broken records, I know, but sheesh. Time is a-flyin’! I can’t believe it’s November. I can’t believe Finn turned 8 months old this week. I felt like I JUST had him. This past month was a busy one.

Not only did we have the anticipation and fun surrounding the festivities of Halloween, but we also had some fun school stuff going on with Kieran, including our first parent-teacher conference. Eeep. Those sorts of moments make it feel oh so real that he is actually in real deal school now. So crazy.

We were so hesitant about putting Kieran in kindergarten because he has a late September birthday and wouldn’t be turning 5 until well after school started. He made our school district’s cut off by 4 days or so, which means that he would most likely be one of, if not THE, youngest in his grade.

But he was showing plenty of signs of readiness. His pre-K teachers said they thought he would be bored in another year of pre-K, and others told us that it is better for kids to do two years of kindergarten instead of an additional year of pre-K just because kindergarten is so much more educational. So, we went for it.

And to our relief, he is doing great! His teachers told us that he is keeping up with his classmates, some of whom are an entire year older than him, and that he is adapting well to the new, more structured classroom routine. He absolutely loves going to school. He wakes up every morning and asks if it’s a school day.

They have started teaching the kids the fundamentals of reading, and he is recognizing so many words on his own now. Every chance he gets, he asks how to spell various words, which means that he’s interested and engaged. He has always gravitated towards math and numbers (thanks to Dan!), and his teachers confirmed that he is excelling in this area.

He already knows some basic addition and subtraction (we taught him because he would always ask us about it), and can count well past 100. As long as he’s happy and engaged, I’m thrilled (and relieved). He is a very high energy kid and does struggle with listening sometimes, so to hear that he is doing well makes my heart so, so happy.

OK, enough bragging. I’m just so proud! We were SO on the fence about kindergarten, and it’s great to hear that it was the right decision for our Kieran Bug.

Finn has been making leaps and bounds of his own as well. He is days (maybe weeks) away from crawling. He rolls over onto his tummy every chance he gets and immediately pushes up and back on his knees. He rocks back and forth, and you can see the concentration on his little face. He wants to move SO badly. He just hasn’t figured it out quite yet. I’m sure it will happen very, very soon. He is desperate to follow Kieran and the dogs around, and this will provide more motivation than anything else, I’m sure.

He is still the most pleasant, easy-going baby, even through his first cold and two teeth popping through this past month. He was still giving us the biggest, warmest smiles and belly laughs and…ugh, he’s just the sweetest. I think he’s going to be my sensitive, more pensive kid. Kieran is very sweet natured and affectionate as well, but he’s definitely a stereotypical BOY. Like, he doesn’t always have time to give me a hug, or is too busy destroying Lego buildings and shooting Nerf bazookas to stop and smell the roses. Hah.

We’ll see! Watching the two of them develop into their own little people is everything.

That was a rather long-winded introduction for my monthly favorites, wasn’t it? I have some fun things to tell you about this month. Here’s what we’ve been loving lately.

1. These Parm Crisps. OMG, they’re so delicious. They’re basically the same thing you would make yourself on a silicone baking sheet at home, but without any fuss. They taste great on their own or crunched up in salads. Big fan.
2. I got back on the kombucha train this month. I took a break from it while I was pregnant for obvious reasons, but I treated myself to a bottle or two here and there once I had Finn. I had to be careful, though, because Finn was a nursing BEAST (no, really) and I had to carefully monitor what I was eating and drinking because he basically wanted to nurse around the clock for the first 5 months of his life. The caffeine in kombucha would upset his tummy. Now, he has finally backed off a little bit, thanks to real food, and I can have kombucha again. I still only buy a bottle here and there because I like it to feel like a treat. My two newest favorite flavors: the Healthade  California Grape and GT’s new fall flavor. Both are so delicious.
3. One of my biggest vices lately has been sugar. I have never had a big sweet tooth, but ever since having kids, I want sugar all the time. I have been going a little overboard lately, so in an effort to cut back, I tried out this new oat milk coffee creamer. I like sweet and creamy coffee and it has been a really hard thing for me to compromise on. I feel a LITTLE bit better about it when I’m using a more natural, less sweet creamer. I loved this snickerdoodle flavor! I know it still has sugar in it, but it’s less than what I usually use and makes me feel like it’s a slightly healthier choice first thing in the morning.
4. Last year, I bought several pairs of these fleece-lined leggings for the colder weather, and I was obsessed. They’re super cheap, yes, but they have held up for an entire year and through many washes. I put them on again this past week (it got chilly here!), and they are just as good as I remember. Perfect for wearing around the house or out to do errands. So comfy.
5. I also have been LOVING this skirt from Loft. I bought it a few weeks ago in the plum color, have worn it out a few times, and I get compliments on it every time. It’s super comfy, too, which I don’t always find with skirts. It runs large. I ordered down a size and it fits like a mini skirt, but in an age-appropriate way, haha. I pair it with sweaters, black tights, and black booties. A fall wardrobe staple that is a little fun and funky!
6. As far as skincare goes this month, I haven’t started any new products because I’ve been loving my routine lately. I am still obsessed with Good Genes, Dr. Dennis Gross exfoliating peels, and Biossance squalene moisturizer and eye cream. And once I’m done breastfeeding, I’m looking forward to using some retinol products again.

 

And that’s it! A short list this month, but we’ve had so much going on, I haven’t been exploring new products much. I’ll report back in a month with a longer list, I’m sure!

Happy November, friends! Xoxo!

 

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