September & October Favorites

What another whirlwind time September and October were!

In September, we had SO much going on. School starting, birthdays, baseball, and all the day-to-day business made last month just fly by.

Kieran started second grade (!!!) at the beginning of the month, and it took us a good week or two to get into a good groove and morning routine.

Three days a week, on top of Kieran going to school, Finn goes to a preschool toddler program, and getting both boys ready and out the door on time put a little stress in my step. Haha. But we finally nailed a routine, and everyone is thriving! Especially if mama has had her two cups of coffee before we head out the door.

Lucky for me, both my kids are easy going in the mornings, and Kieran is proving to be super helpful. I couldn’t be more grateful for that. They make my life pretty easy!

We celebrated my birthday early in the month and Kieran’s at the end of the month. I can’t believe he is 7. I feel like 6 is the last of the little kid years. Now, he’s just A KID. Like, a real kid. Haha. I know, I sound ridiculous. But parents probably know what I mean.

Kieran’s also played baseball like crazy. We had two practices during the week, a weeknight game here and there, and all of our weekends were spent at baseball games and tournaments. It’s been so fun. His team won their first tournament one weekend, and his face says it all. Priceless.

Finn is loving his toddler school program. He gets super excited every time we get in the car in hopes that we are going to school. He talks nonstop these days, which is a relief because he was a little slow to start. Now, it’s constant. He is still such a snuggler and ADORES his big bro. He is such a sweet, sweet boy.

I could just eat him up!

October was more of the same. Lots of hustle and bustle of normal life, with a wonderful trip for Dan and me thrown in. We took our first solo trip in over three years – to Napa!

Prior to Covid, we always tried to do at least one trip a year separate from the kids, just the two of us (or with other couple friends). So, when I had Finn in early 2019, we held off that year while he was an infant and I was breastfeeding (hindsight tells us we should have gone somewhere!), and then, well, 2020 happened.

So yeah, this trip was VERY overdue.

We’d been to Napa a few years ago and fell in love with it then, and it proved to be just as magical a place this time around. We went with very good friends and had just the best time. Ate amazing food, drank incredible wine, and discovered so many wonderful wineries.

And when we got home, I couldn’t have been happier to be reunited with my boys. They are just the best.

One last picture for you: the cutest trick-or-treaters in all the land.

It’s a busy season of our lives, but it’s also an awesome one. My kids are growing like weeds, and I’m trying oh-so-hard to cling to these fleeting moments! I realize I say this every month, but it’s so true. It’s my mantra these days!

In spite of our crazy schedules at the moment, I was able to try out a bunch of new things these past couple months, and I quickly became obsessed with them all!

1. First up: the Blood and Ash book series. OK, first, I must preface this with: THESE ARE NOT MY KIND OF BOOKS NORMALLY. I don’t really do anything fantasy or supernatural in my reading. This series, though. WOAH. I saw several people on Instagram talking about how good the books were, and I bought them on my Kindle blindly. Didn’t look into what they were, what they were about…just bought them on a whim. Once I started the first book, I was like “uh oh, I made a mistake. This is not my kind of thing.” Soon after that, I was completely hooked. I read all three books in RECORD TIME, like two weeks for all three books? I could not put them down. It was shocking. The last book doesn’t come out until March and I cannot WAIT. The story is just TOO good. It’s like vampires and werewolves meet Greek mythology meet Fifty Shades of Gray (again, not my usual cup of tea). It sucks you right in!
2. My favorite cleanser from Murad was discontinued, and I’ve been on the hunt for a new one ever since. I’ve had some real duds along the way, but I picked this one up at Target recently, and I like it. It gets the make up off without totally dehydrating my skin. I’m going to keep using it and will report back.
3. I received this Yummly meat thermometer for my birthday, and I have to say, it’s a total game changer for cooking meat. It is SO easy to use. You insert it into whatever cut of meat you’re using, plug the info into the app on your phone, and then start cooking. The app monitors the internal temperature of the meat the entire time, and it alerts you when it’s perfectly cooked. I can’t wait to use this with my Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas roasts! It would make for a great holiday gift for someone who loves to cook!
4. In an effort to eat more veggies each day, starting with breakfast, I started getting these flavored cauliflower rice cups. They are DELISH. The Baja flavor is my fave. I pop them in the microwave and top them with avocado and fried eggs and eat it all right out of the cup. They are quick, easy, and nutritionally pretty sound. The only problem? They’re really hard to find! My local grocery store sometimes has them, but it’s a crapshoot every time. When I do find them, I stock up, because they really are so convenient. I don’t even have to think about breakfast when I have these in the freezer.
5. In an effort to take on cold season head on, I started giving my kids these vitamin D gummies. My kids are super picky about gummy vitamins, and they love these. I also get the adult version for Dan and myself. They taste great and give an added layer of protection against cold and flu (and the other big C word). They sell out of stock quite frequently, so I often buy a few bottles at at time when they’re in stock.
6. I still focus most of my exercise on strength training, and when I’m doing lower body work outs, I use resistance bands constantly. I recently upgraded to these bands, and they are SO awesome. They’re soft and stretchy, comfortable around my legs, and feel sturdy. Bonus: they’re very affordable. Love, love, love!
7. As I move into my 38th year, shorts are becoming more and more problematic. Any other almost-40 women out there agree? Most shorts are 3-inch inseams or 8-inch inseams. It’s REALLY hard to find a good pair of 5-inch inseam shorts, which for this mom, is a more attainable and attractive look. This is true when it comes to exercise clothing as well. I discovered these shorts on Amazon and FELL IN LOVE. They are amazing. SO comfortable and flattering while still giving me some modesty. The waist is soft and high-rise, which I love. No tight elastic digging in anywhere. I bought them in four colors. I run with these, and they never ride up or cause any thigh chafing. Highly recommend!
8. Dan got me the newest iPhone for my birthday (I was LONG overdue!), and it’s gigantic. Like, impossible for me to hold in my hands like a normal phone. Hah. I needed to get a case with a grip assist on the back, so I could hold it with one hand. I tried out the Loopy cases, and didn’t love them. Then I found the OhSnap grip and my life was changed. This thing is awesome. Not only does it adhere to any existing case you have, but it makes holding the phone SO much easier, AND allows you to prop it up any which way you like. Seriously, just watch the vides on their website – it does everything they say it does. LOVE IT.
9. One of my favorite things about this time of year is the chilly evenings. We love snuggling up under huge blankets on the couch and watching TV or a movie. This blanket has been our new favorites. We all fight over it! I’ll probably get a few more. It’s SO soft and heavy. Love it.
10. For our Napa trip, I bought this backpack to have as my carry-on for the plane and to use when going from vineyard to vineyard. It’s SO perfect. It’s big enough to hold everything I needed (and then some), without being super huge or heavy. Plus, it’s cute!
11. Along those same lines, I bought this toiletry bag for the trip and loved it. I always have a hard time with toiletry bags, especially ones that promise to deliver everything you need. Well, this one held EVERYTHING for me. It’s big, but it kept everything tucked away in one spot. And the hanging feature is great once you’re at your destination.
12. Last but not least, the Chocolate Toffee Perfect Bars! OMG. I could only find them at Trader Joe’s – they’re not even listed on the Perfect Bar website – and they are a seasonal special item. So freaking good! I love a Perfect Bar as a on-the-go breakfast or a quick mid-day snack.
    

And that’s it for this monthly faves! So much good stuff. Happy November, guys! Xoxo.

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