Monthly Recap- October 2022

Grab a seat and take a minute for yourself while we catch up on October 2022.

Recent Buys

For Myself

• Some of our bags got ruined on the day Ellette was born, so I was in the market for a new weekender bag and this one hit the mark. Plenty of space and the price was right. Honestly, I’m not in a space to spend a lot on investment pieces for many categories right now. The kids seem to pull, bite, or play with everything recently and I know I would be frustrated if something got ruined. My time will come for quality things, but right now I’ll take my good deal bag.

• This lip mask is amazing! I love having it as part of my Friday night routine because I always wake up on Saturday morning with the softest lips. It brings so much hydration which will be perfect as we head into winter. Seriously, buy this for yourself!

• This new deodorant scent is just right for fall and winter. I’ve been using this brand for over a year now and love it.

For the House

• We needed new smoothie straws (someone has been biting our favorite ones which are now out of stock), so we tried a new brand. This set comes with a cleaning brush which I absolutely love!

• Brain Butter is a new favorite snack in our house, plus it is a great protein option for on the go or to take to school.

• Ryan got this Nespresso machine for himself recently because his old Keurig bit the dust. I don’t drink coffee, but he has been raving about the delicious coffee this makes.

• This humidifier got delivered at the exact right time because we have all been sick and running it every night. Very quiet, unlike our other older ones.

• Ryan and I have started a Monopoly tradition, but only had the Baconopoly version. I got the classic game so we can stop picking up cards like Bacon Air Freshener and Cheesy Bacon Popcorn. My family always wrote the winner of every game on the underside of the lid, so Ryan and I have now started that tradition in our house. Before we were married, I only won Monopoly twice in my entire life. I usually win when the two of us play, but he won for the first time recently and will be the first to announce that he smoked me.

• I wanted to test this out a few times before including this electric lighter on the blog. We’ve had it for a few months now and it is safe to say it’s pretty cool. Charge up the lighter and it gives you a flameless and windproof light for up to 30 uses without fluid.

For the Kids

• Pencil sharpeners are all the rage at my house right now, but we only had one. I got this pack on sale and it has solved some of our squabbles.

• Brinley wanted a whistle for her Halloween costume, so I got this set of 3. I’ll probably use the other ones for Easter baskets so they can be used outside in the spring.

• Vaila needed some white pants for her costume, but I was worried leggings would be too chilly. These sweatpants are so cozy and fit her nicely. She also got this oh so comfy jacket and it is perfect for chilly days or riding in the car.

• As the temps cool down, we have been needing our hats, mittens, and gloves. I honestly love buying the multiples in a set- the kids get to pick a color when they arrive and that eliminates hunting for items or arguing over who gets what color when we are trying to get out the door.

This month on the Blog…

Here are some of the recent activities from the blog this month. I hope you find inspiration and try one of these ideas this month.

Family Happenings

October did not go according to our plan, but we still had a lot of fun together as a family. Let’s debrief.

• We took a mini vacation as a family of 5 to Lake Michigan. When we went with my side of the family in June, it included my mom, stepdad, G-ma, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew. The sunset at that time was around 9:30pm and my kids start melting at 7:20pm, so we kept an early bedtime while away. We wanted our children to see a sunset over the water because it is beautiful and wonderful memory I have as a child. We rented a house in Muskegon, but unfortunately, the weather didn’t get our memo. It rained or was completely overcast just about the entire trip. We still walked near the beach, saw some parasailing peeps, and watched the sunrise over Muskegon Lake on our last morning. We will have to try for a sunset again next year.

• We had our first conference for Brinley’s school and I felt way too young to be a parent at parent-teacher night. She’s awesome and loves learning. She works hard at school and is always eager to show us the 37 pictures she draws each day!

• Vaila has had 2 days of not crying at school drop off! 2 months into the school year and she’s finally not hysterical and tugging at my heart strings. She was previously only in daycare for less than 2 months as a baby and the pandemic came before she was 1, so it was a huge transition for her to be out of the house and away from mom and dad. I’m so proud of her and love hearing how proud she is of herself.

• Ellette. I finally understand the part of the I’ll Love You Forever book when the 2-year-old is up to all these wild antics and the mother is going crazy. This sweet child of mine gives the best kisses, but only after knocking down a lamp, playing in the toilet, and moving a chair to stand on to see what I’m cooking at the stove. She gets into things lightning fast and loves to eat everything! I love having her at home and would simultaneously like to sit down for 1 full minute.

• The last 3 weeks of this month were not really what we expected because everyone was sick! We’ve had food allergy reactions from two of the kids, our first experience with COVID, and so many sleepless nights. Instead of a true pumpkin patch, we could only muster the energy to head to a farm stand 1 mile from our house. We didn’t carve pumpkins until the day before Halloween, and we didn’t pick apples or go to a cider mill this year. It’s definitely no fun having sick kids, but I got sick the last few days of the month and could not function. It felt like our household just wasn’t functioning and I spent all my reserves caring for everyone else in the weeks prior. I’ve had to prioritize one tiny remaining shred of sanity and go to bed when the kids do instead of writing my normal number of blog posts. I was not prepared for 3 weeks of sleep deprivation and all the germs. Thanks for sticking around. I’m hoping to get back to my normal posting schedule within the next week or so if we can all stay healthy for a few days.

Make it Monday

We’ve been relying on some quick and easy recipes lately. Here is what we’ve been whipping up in the kitchen this month.

• 10 Minute Banana Bread via The Fresh Loaf. I make this in only one bowl and it gets high reviews from everyone in my house.

• Hawiian Ham and Cheese Sliders via Eating on a Dime. These sliders are perfect for game day, a warm lunch on a chilly day, or an easy dinner. We come back to these over and over again.

• Sheet Pan Pancakes. I saw directions on the back of our Kodiak box, but Audra’s Appetite does a great job of explaining the process. These are perfect to prep for the week or serve a group.

• Hot Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls. I usually make up my own version, but if you are a direction person, Fresh Simple Home has a nice post outlining how to make these.

Check back next month for the recap of some of our go-to recipes or follow along on Instagram where I share our weekly favorite every Monday.

Looking Forward to November

As much as I love everything about summer, Thanksgiving and the lead up to Christmas is a great time of year. I love traditions and cozy time at home, so I try to cherish every year with the kids. I know it will all change before I am ready, so we try to videotape throughout the year love watching what we’ve captured this time of year.

I know it can be tough to squeeze in activities or crafts with the kids, especially if you don’t have the supplies on hand. Here is a sneak peek at some items we will be using next month. Hopefully this makes it easier to follow along and less stressful for you.

• foam or paper shapes

• contact paper

• cotton swabs or cotton balls

• leftover Halloween candy

Shop the Site

I have created digital downloads for some of the projects and activities from the blog! These are available to purchase from the online store. I’ll add and update items regularly, including birthday and holiday products. If you don’t see what you are looking for, let me know by sending me a message.

Here’s what we added this month:

• Kids Fall Activity Bundle part 2- this has been another fun printable for the kids! 14 pages of fall themed items including coloring pages, dot marker pages, opportunities for fine motor practice, matching, and puzzles.

• Thanksgiving Gratitude Paper Chain Printable- we love sharing our gratitudes as a family, especially in November. It is a wonderful habit to build with children and honestly can help shift my perspective on hard days.

The teacher, sunshine, and rainbow unicorn trio above had a blast on Halloween! Hope your October was lovely and cheers to a great month ahead!

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