We’re back into the swing of all things school, church, music, and sports — needless to say, our “Fall life” is just a tad busier than our “Summer life” and that’s ok.
I don’t mind short busy seasons if the end is in sight — which it is for our family.
We have 2 more weeks of “busy” and then we’ll slow way down again… just in time for the holiday season!
In the meantime, I will continue to ‘man’ the homefront — having breakfast ready and lunches packed when they wake up, planning dinners around our various afternoon and evening activities, and doing as much as I can during the weekdays to allow for slower weekends together at home.
I’ve always been a homebody, but the fact that I can work from home and work around my errands, volunteering, church commitments, meal prep, cleaning, and laundry is one of my most favorite things in this season of life.
Here are a few more of our current favorites!
Favorite Moment = Clara is 7!
We celebrated Clara’s birthday over the weekend… I can’t believe she is 7 already, and yet, she seems so much younger than Nora at 7!
We usually just have grandparents over for dinner, but this year, Clara’s birthday happened to fall on a week when the boys had back-to-back home football games. So we invited grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins to the football games and then back to our house for food and gifts.
It was a fun and busy day, but she was SO excited to get a party.
(And because I know someone will ask, we don’t worry about keeping it “fair” with the other kids… they likely will not get parties this year, and I don’t think they will care.)
Favorite Routine = Yearly Measurements
I recently shared the DIY Wooden Growth Chart I made when Nora was a baby… and that got me thinking about how much everyone enjoys our “tradition” or “routine” of measuring all the kids on each birthday (which we just did again for Clara).
It only takes 2 minutes to measure them, mark it with a Sharpie, and snap a picture, but they all look forward to it so much — I can stick with traditions that are quick, easy, and free!
All throughout the year, the kids regularly check how much they’ve grown compared to their previous birthday markings, so it’s not just a source of enjoyment once per year.
It’s also fun to compare different kids’ heights at different ages — so far, Nora has been 2-3 inches taller than every other child at the same age.
If you’re planning ahead for the holidays, a growth chart could be a fun, clutter-free gift for someone expecting their first baby — or even new grandparents!
RELATED READING: How to make your own growth chart.
Past Favorite = Ninja Toaster Oven
We’ve had our Ninja Foodie XL Air Fryer Toaster Oven for about 18 months now… and I honestly use it almost every day (often multiple times per day).
I hardly even use our regular oven anymore — only for large cuts of meat or big batches of bread.
The Ninja can easily bake a cake, a single pan of muffins or rolls, 2 loaves of bread, a pizza, a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish, or 2 trays of 6 cookies… perfect for our family.
We use it for all our toast and bagels too — we can do 8 full slices of toast at one time, and it comes out perfectly!
The Ninja Foodie is probably my most-used small appliance (although it’s not actually that small!)
I suppose if I didn’t have a nice cabinet for it to slide into, I wouldn’t love it sitting out on my counter — but we do have the perfect hiding place for it.
It’s not cheap, but maybe you can ask for it for Christmas — I know you’ll love it!
Favorite Clothing = Ratchet Belts
We revamped Dave’s wardrobe over the summer — including new belts, which he badly needed due to the stretched-out holes in his old belts.
We purchased this black/brown 2-pack of “Ratchet Belts” and he absolutely LOVES them.
These belts look very nice with both dress pants and jeans… and they fit him perfectly because they utilize a “ratchet” system that allows you to tighten the belt to the exact right fit without worrying if there’s a belt hole in that spot.
Dave has already said that if he ever needs another belt, he wants me to buy him this type again… but hopefully he won’t need a new belt for a few more years.
Favorite Books = War Novels
If you get my weekly emails, you know that I’m on a “war novel” kick right now.
I’ve recently read:
- An Eye for Glory (Civil War)
- The Paris Housekeeper (WWII)
- The Italian Ballerina (WWII)
- Canary Girls (WWI)
They were all very good and I would recommend them if you also enjoy war novels!
Also, lest you think I just sit around all day reading, I should mention that 3 of the 4 books were audiobooks that I listened to while cooking, baking, folding laundry, gardening, taking the dog for a walk, etc.
Audiobooks are one of my favorite ways to “multi-task” when I’m doing mundane chores around the house — it’s amazing how many books I can plow through every month!
I get all my books for free through the Libby or Hoopla Apps but I’ve also utilized the free Audible subscription numerous times — if you’re interested, you can get 2 free audiobooks (to keep) when you try Audible for free for one month.
Favorite Pet Item = FurMe Grooming Kit
After paying for Buster to be groomed 2 times, I decided I needed to learn how to do it myself.
I watched a few YouTube videos and stumbled my way through, and am now saving myself $50 every 6 weeks on pet grooming (that’s over $400 a year!)
This past summer (after a year of grooming on my own) I found the FurMe Pet Grooming Vacuum — and although I was initially skeptical, it has been a total game-changer for me!
It’s essentially a tiny canister-style vacuum with various grooming tools that attach to the hoze — which means it sucks up ALL the hair while you trim the dog.
I don’t have pictures of me using it because Buster does not stand nicely for me (yet) but this grooming vacuum works SO well and makes my job significantly easier and less messy.
I can easily trim Buster’s black hair on our cream carpet and you’d never know because the vacuum sucks it up.
The FurMe isn’t cheap (between $150 and $200 depending on where you buy it) but if you’re serious about grooming your pet at home, or if you have multiple pets, it will quickly pay for itself.
Favorite Subscription = Pestie
We have lots of bugs in and around our home… and I was tired of it, so I did a little research and found Pestie.com.
We are now faithful subscribers to Pestie’s Smart Pest Plan, and SO happy with the results.
The process is very straight-forward and easy — you fill out a brief questionnaire when you sign up (they customize the spray to your location, environment, and specific bug issues). Then they ship you a concentrated solution 4 times per year at the best time to apply it in and around your home.
Simply dump the bottle of concentrate into the provided bag, add water to the fill line, attach the rechargeable sprayer, and you’re ready to go.
We’ve noticed a massive difference in the number of bugs in and around our home (we literally had ZERO BoxElder bugs on our front porch this year!) I’d say that’s a win!
RELATED READING: Natural Pest Control Ideas
FAVORITE RECIPE = Chicken Salad
I’ve been on a chicken salad kick lately, making big batches of it and enjoying it for lunch throughout the week.
I eat it plain, on toast, in a lettuce wrap, in a tortilla, or on a bed of salad greens — whatever I’m in the mood for that day.
My recipe allows you to customize it based on your taste preferences or the ingredients you have in the house — and it’s always yummy!
My “secret ingredient” is sweet curry — it really boosts the flavor!
TRY THE RECIPE: Chicken Salad – my make-it-your-way recipe.
FAVORITE QUOTE = JOMO
A friend texted me this picture over the weekend, and YES — this is me!
I don’t know if I “disconnect” for self-care or just because I sometimes like to be a rebel and go against the norm — either way, I love the idea of JOMO and I might just need to find ways to start using it in my everyday conversations!
FAVORITE ARCHIVED POST
A few years ago, I shared a post with 50 spaces you could better organize in 10- minutes or less… and I’d love to circle back to that post as I know many of you are struggling with little pockets of clutter throughout your home.
Choose ONE space to work on each day, set the timer for 10 minutes, and do what you can!
Read the full posts here.
That’s all for this month. 😆
If you’re interested, you may scroll through all my Favorite Things posts HERE!
Maria says
Thanks as always for sharing your favorites, I always get so many great ideas! One quick question – do you have a recipe for the delicious looking cookie cake that Clara is holding? I did a search on your site and didn’t see it but I may just be missing it! Thanks in advance!
Andrea says
Hi Maria — the cookie cake is just ANY of your favorite cookie doughs (homemade or store bough) pressed into a tart pan and baked! it’s SUPER easy and my kids love “cookie cakes”!
Rhonda says
I have a different Ninja oven (it looks like a pizza oven, but it flips up against the wall for storage). I also use it way more than my regular oven. It heats up so quickly and the “air roast” feature for vegetables is quick and they come out tasting great.
I have a friend that has the pet grooming device that she uses for her cats, and loves it.
We have a labradoodle that requires frequent grooming, and I have a good Oster hair clipper I use for him. It’s nice just to have for trimming up his head/face hair and paws/legs (and rest of the body…but with a 50 lb dog it’s a bit more challenging so I do end up having him professionally groomed about every 12 weeks.)
Andrea says
wow — that’s cool that your oven slips against the wall! Very space-saving!
Lauren says
I wanted to save money on our dog’s grooming expenses and tried an inexpensive clipper set last year. Unfortunately, it didn’t handle our dog’s fur (she’s a labradoodle with fur that looks similar to Buster’s) at all, which I was later told was because I would have needed to purchase more expensive clippers. I’m super intrigued by the FurMe … maybe I should make the short term investment for the long term savings?
Always love reading your monthly favorites!
Lauren
Andrea says
yes, I also tried using the clippers I use on Dave and the boys but it didn’t work well on the dog.
If you already feel somewhat confident about cutting your dogs hair, then I think it’s safe to invest in a FurMe (or something similar — there are other brands). Plus, there’s a 90-day return policy!
Debbie says
I may need to check out the mens belt. I have such a hard time buying gifts for my hubs. Our air fryer is the most used appliance in our kitchen. Love frying things without all the mess of oil in the frying pan and stove.
Andrea says
you (and your hubby) will like the belts!
Shelly Smith says
I love audiobooksfor the same reasons you shared and I also use Libby and Hooplas through our library. Just recently I noticed a “new” service that our library offers for audiobooks, also free, called Blackstone Unlimited (totally unrelated to the cooking device called Blackstone!) The tagline used by this free service really hooked me: “Our unlimited plan is similar to Netflix, but instead of movies, it’s audiobooks, and instead of monthly fees, it’s free from your library.” I’m still exploring and learning about it but wanted to share in case you or other readers might want to check it out too!
Andrea says
interesting — I’ll need to ask our library about this Blackstone Unlimited! It sounds amazing!
Chris says
Our library has something similar – it’s called Hoopla. And it’s free!
Jean C says
I find Hoopla to have a smaller selection than Libby -and very few newer titles. Libby is my fave.
Chris says
Thank you! I noticed a lot of books I look up are unavailable.
Andrea says
One thing I’ve noticed is that books have a certain number of checkouts per day — so if you do it right away in the morning (or just after midnight) you have a better chance of getting the more popular books.
Andrea says
yeah, I use both Hoopla and Libby for different things. Sometimes I can’t get a book with one but can get it with the other.
Suzanne says
Great stuff here, Andrea! Thanks for being such a motivating encourager. I love the JOMO expression/idea! And 10 minutes of decluttering somewhere every day goes a long way toward getting rid of lots of unnecessary stuff in the home.
I have Canary Girls waiting on my nightstand as my next read, with Swithboard Soldiers on tap after that. Glad to know you liked Canary Girls – now I’m anxious to get to it! Have a great October.
Andrea says
I think you will really enjoy the Canary Girls book — and I’m excited to reach Switchboard Soldiers next!
And yes, 10 minutes of decluttering DOES make a difference over time.
Jennifer says
Have you read Switchboard Soldiers, by Jennifer Chiaverini. I read it a couple summers back and it was fantastic read from a viewpoint I hadn’t read before about WWI.
Andrea says
Jennifer, this is the next book on my list! So fun!
I haven’t been able to find it as an audiobook (at least not for free) so I might just need to read the physical book 🙂
Jennifer says
Does your library give you access to Hoopla or Overdrive? Ours has it available on both of those.
Andrea says
Yes, I think our library has both Hoopla and Overdrive — I’ll need to check this out!
Ashley says
The pet grooming vacuum is something that I would look at as “gimmicky” but with your recommendation it’s something I’ll be looking into! There’s a $20 of coupon through Amazon right now.
Andrea says
It looked gimmicky to me too (and definitely not a necessity). There was a 90-day, no-questions return policy when I purchased, so I figured I could use it 2 or 3 times before making my final decision. if there’s a coupon, even better!
Mary says
Questions about the air fryer:
–Do you use 2 levels for air frying or only the very top rack?
–Do you use any kind of liner to make clean up easier?
–Do you put any parts in the dishwasher?
Thank you!
Andrea says
Hi Mary,
I usually only do 1 layer for air frying as it goes a lot faster, but you can do 2.
I almost always line all my baking pans with tin foil or parchment paper (I’ve done this for years, even with my regular oven).
You can put all the trays in the dishwasher.