Our family has had a wonderful fall so far — lots of sunshine and warm weather, meaning lots of time spent outside.
Football and Cross Country seasons ended, and Basketball starts this week for the boys. Clara will also do a little basketball league at school.
We had a fun couple of weeks preparing for our Toy Story-themed trunk, and all 4 kids trick-or-treating with friends who apparently live in very generous neighborhoods (I think they came home with more than 30 pounds of candy between the 4 of them)!
I haven’t started thinking about Thanksgiving or Christmas yet… but I do have a few tips and resources for those of you who are planning ahead (just keep reading).
Fall is my favorite, and I’m soaking in every minute of it — raking leaves while listening to Christmas music!
I’m sharing more favorites today!
Favorite Moment = Ordinary Days
Clara took this picture of me working in the kitchen last week. She and James have enjoyed using the “cartoon” mode to take pictures of things around our house… and I thought this picture accurately depicted my favorite ordinary days at home.
Dirty dishes waiting to be washed, something cooking on the stove, more food being chopped (so much chopping going on in our kitchen), and Buster waiting for anything that might drop to the floor.
It often feels like the majority of my waking hours are spent in the kitchen… which I mostly like. It’s a cozy room with lots of windows overlooking the front yard, with views of most of the main floor, and within earshot of the upstairs and basement.
When the kids are home, someone is always in the kitchen with me — which I also mostly like. ☺️
We’ve got around 10 years left with at least one child at home, and while I know every new season has its pros and cons, I do think the “ordinary days at home”, in my kitchen, making so stinkin’ much food for people will eventually be what I miss most when the kids and their friends aren’t around every day.
Favorite Routine = Earlier Evenings
I LOOOOOOOVE the end of Daylight Saving Time — which, if you don’t observe it, just happened this past Sunday morning.
It’s so nice to have an “extra” hour of sleep, and I personally prefer when it gets darker earlier in the evenings.
We eat dinner super early most nights (sometimes right when the kids get home from school and before evening activities), so more darkness in the evenings just makes it easier to get to bed earlier. I feel like it works with my natural circadian rhythm much better.
I love what I call “hushing the house” every evening after dinner — turning all the tiny lights on, lighting a candle (just broke out my holiday candle for the year) and enjoying how cozy everything feels.
RELATED READING: Hushing The House
Past Favorite = Big Griddle
Because our family enjoys pancakes, French toast, and other hot breakfasts nearly every morning, I use my griddle A LOT!
I went through a few griddles earlier in our marriage… until I found the Presto Big Griddle, and I’ve never looked back. I plan to buy a second Presto Griddle for our outbuilding kitchen (I’m hoping for a Black Friday sale).
This griddle fits perfectly in the cabinet above our refrigerator and is the largest cooking surface we have (other than our Blackstone).
It’s such a time-saver on busy school mornings because I can cook so much at one time. And I often leave it on “warm” so people can grab and go as they are ready to eat.
RELATED READING: English Muffin Egg Sandwiches (pictured above)
Favorite Hair Removal = Waxing
For the first 40 years of my life, I was too chicken to try waxing… until my cousin encouraged me roughly 8 months ago.
I was complaining about shaving (specifically the underarm area) and the fact that my body hair is apparently “too blond” for laser hair removal.
She said I should try waxing, but I wasn’t sure.
Now 8 months later, I can confidently say I wish I had tried waxing 25+ years ago.
It hurt like crazy the first time, but ever since, it has not been nearly as painful.
I only need to do it about once per month, I don’t have any irritation or ingrown hairs, and the hair that has grown back is almost invisible and super soft.
This is the kit I purchased (I still have plenty left 8 months later).
If you hate shaving, if you get lots of irritation (even when using “sensitive razors”), and if you don’t want to pay for laser hair removal, you might consider waxing.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the fantastic results!
Favorite Book = Mad Mabel
My friend recommended Mad Mabel to me a few weeks ago, and I could hardly “put it down”.
The storyline pulled me right in, and the narration was fantastic. There are a couple of major “twists” at the end — which shocked me so much that after finishing the book, I went right back to the beginning and listened to the entire book a second time, with this new information in mind.
READ (or listen to) THE BOOK: Mad Mabel
Favorite Media = Common Sense Media
I’m regularly asked if we keep a list of all the movies we’ve watched for movie night… and unfortunately, I never did.
It’s been close to 10 years of weekly movie nights for our family, so that means we’ve watched roughly 500-ish movies, documentaries, and TV shows (and enjoyed who knows how many snacks and treats!)
I’m sorry I don’t have a great list for you all, but I do have a good resource that might help you “vet” your media choices — Common Sense Media.
From what I can tell, it’s completely free (I’ve never paid anything), and it has really helpful tips to help parents (and teachers) choose age-appropriate media and guide our children in healthier ways to use media.
I get their emails with movie suggestions and helpful tips, but you could also just visit occasionally if you want to look up a specific movie, book, or video game.
RELATED READING: More Blog Posts on Technology
Favorite Holiday Tip = Curb Consumerism
It’s officially November, and based on how quickly this year is flying by, Christmas will basically be here in 2 weeks!
Some of you have likely started your holiday shopping already; many of you (like me) really haven’t given it a thought yet.
Wherever you are on the holiday shopping spectrum, it might be helpful to consider some simple tips to curb consumerism before you get too far into the holidays!
Some of my favorite tips are to:
- Limit your shopping (obvious, and surprisingly effective!)
- Change your language related to holiday shopping
- Revamp gift-giving traditions
It’s not necessarily “easy” to change your holiday traditions, but if you’ve felt convicted that your holidays are becoming too consumerist, or if you’d like some advice to help lower your gift budget this year, my tips are very simple and doable (I promise!)
READ ALL MY TIPS HERE: Tips to Curb Consumerism
Favorite Recipe = Meatloaf
Despite warmer-than-normal fall temperatures here in West Michigan, I’ve added in several “cozier” recipes — like Chicken Pot Pie, Beef Stew, and my Easy Meatloaf.
This past week, I used my new-to-me USA Pan Meatloaf Pan for the first time (I’ve always just used a bread loaf pan). It was so nice to quickly drain off the grease and continue cooking the meat.
The meal was a hit, and I enjoyed leftovers the next day for lunch!
If you’re looking for a cozy fall recipe, try my easy meatloaf!
TRY THE RECIPE: Meatloaf
Favorite Archived Post
Many of you likely have several people in your life who are very difficult to buy for.
Instead of buying them another item that will eventually turn into clutter, try one of these ideas — easy, clutter-free, and perfect for the person who already has everything! 🎁
Read the full post here: Gift Ideas for The Person Who Has Everything.
That’s all for this month. 😆
If you’re interested, you may scroll through all my Favorite Things posts HERE!
Leave a Comment