Morning Routine: You can read my full morning routine here. I usually wake up around 5 a.m., so I have been making time to watch the sunrise every morning. So relaxing and a great way to start the day. A new part of my morning routine is driving Bizi to school in a neighboring town, so podcasts that I used to only get to enjoy occasionally have now become a very important part of my day. Two hours on the road is not my cup of tea, but it gives me extra time with Bizi, so that’s nice, as well. My favorite podcast right now is And That’s Why We Drink, which is a paranormal and true crime podcast that my friend Taylor introduced me to a couple years ago.
Breakfast: We kept it pretty simple this week. I really wanted to go to brunch at Mullers Cider House, but I just couldn’t find time. So, we mostly ate scrambled eggs and toast. Cream-filled Donut Day was earlier this week, so I grabbed a donut for Dan just for fun.
Coffee: There is the coolest Starbucks down the road from us. We stopped in the other day to get our annual pumpkin spice latte, but ended up trying out the pumpkin cream cold brew instead.
Homemaking: I have been working on some fall decor, but it’s not quite done, so I’ll share it next week.
Shopping: Here’s how you know I’m old. I bought this today:
It’s not just that I bought this AMAZING XOX Softworks Pop container, it’s that I was sooooo excited about it. I have other containers from this collection, but this one? Fits spaghetti. I have a thing with leaving food in my pantry that isn’t in a container of some sort. Cereal boxes, bags of chips, and – above all – opened boxes of pasta make my skin crawl. I have no explanation for my weirdness. I just really really wanted to share my new spaghetti container with you all.
We also spent some time in TJ Maxx today, but for once, we walked out with NOTHING. We have to move again in a month and it’s making it easy to leave new clothes on the rack for once. Something about a very recent move from halfway across the country may have exhausted us a little bit. Super excited for our new house, but want as little moving as possible!
Snack: My most requested recipe ever: my banana bread. I made some the other day and decided to share the recipe with you all.
We also celebrated National Guacamole Day by getting some excellent guacamole at Maria’s. I admit, I really really missed Roja. But Maria’s was good. It wasn’t home, but it was good.
Drinks: I made this Fireball Cider Float. Perfect for fall, so easy, and super yum! Feel free to leave the Fireball out, if you’d like, but I’ll tell you it’s honestly not that great without it. That cinnamon flavor really makes the drink.
We also tried out Knucklehead Brewing where we enjoyed a flight of really good beer. My favorite was the Blueberry Cobbler.
Family Time: Matthew turned 24 this week!! This was the first one of the kiddos to have a birthday since we moved that we weren’t able to go back home for. Ysa turned 19 last month, but we were able to see her the day before, so it wasn’t quite as hard as this one. They grow so fast.
Supper: We celebrated National Cheeseburger Day at Sager Beer Works. Holy smokes, the burgers!!!!
For our weekly meal plan, I used a lot of my favorite old standbys for dinner: Taco Salad, Garlic Mushroom Mac, Chicken Noodle Casserole over Mashed Potatoes, and Meatloaf.
Evening Routine: You can read my full evening routine here. I know I’ve mentioned the benefits of this Origins mask that I’ve been using for at least 20 years, but I’ll mention it again because it’s so amazing. I’ve used it every Saturday night since I bought it for the first time from Dillard’s in Gateway Mall during my sophomore year. I’m guessing I may have missed a Saturday here and there, but they have been few and far between! I do use other face masks – love sheet masks! -but never instead of this one! (Just on a different night!)
What I’m Reading Now: Currently reading Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman. The Practical Magic series is one of my all-time favorites. The fourth and final installment, The Book of Magic, comes out October 12 (look here for the review!!) and I still haven’t finished the third one. So, I’m reading (and loving!) Magic Lessons right now. Alice Hoffman is such a talented writer!
I also finished America and Clockwork Orange this week. (Click the links for my reviews.)
I have also rediscovered The New Yorker, which I read religiously my sophomore year in high school (that was just a really good year for finding cool things, I guess?). Once we move, I’m getting a subscription.
What I’m Listening To: Other than the podcast referenced above, I’ve really enjoyed The Goon Sax’s new album, Mirror ii. It’s indie pop, which typically isn’t my kind of music, but it’s growing on me. I really like this one.
The Last Word: As you may know, Norm McDonald passed away this week. I grew up loving Norm McDonald. From watching him on SNL’s Weekend Update, to my entire family quoting his characters from multiple Adam Sandler movies, to just cracking up at the way him and Rob Schneider were the perfect comedic couple. What an incredible loss.
And that’s a wrap, folks.
