Currently #70

Hello everyone!

Happy Wednesday! I hope you had a great weekend.

Here’s how I spent mine! I got to go to a close friend’s wedding. I also soaked up lots of time outdoors and I did some baking!

We are nearing the end of October. I can’t believe that Halloween is this weekend. Wow-the month flew by between celebrations, fall fun, and the changing of seasons. Today, I’m catching you up on life lately in case you missed something from this past month.

A look at the beautiful leaves changing this fall

Let’s dive in and look back on October 2025.

What I've Been Up to: 

Since we last caught up, I have been busy savoring the warmer fall weather before it got too chilly. 

Beautiful morning walks

I went on lots of fall walks and runs.

Up with the sunrise

One of the best parts about getting outdoors is seeing the changing leaves and the changing seasons.

Taking a moment to savor it all

My mom and I took a day trip at the start of the month and did some shopping and picked up some sweet treats along the way.

This entire display was made out of chocolate

My pup really enjoyed the outdoor time too, does it get any better than fresh, fallen leaves and sunshine?!

I love seeing houses all decked out for fall and the holidays on my morning runs.

My mom and I had a Sunday day date to see Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. We absolutely loved it and it was the perfect send-off to characters we have loved watching for years.

I went to sweet bridal shower this month and the day was blooming both with flowers and love!

The favors were so cute too!

Everyone got to build their own bouquet and take it home! How fun!

I went to our Farmer’s Market store and picked up some pumpkins. I love all the fun and colorful pumpkins.

We started to decorate for fall too!

I enjoyed a perfect fall day with a bonfire, hot apple cider, and a homemade apple crisp.

I also enjoyed some beautiful leaves during an outdoor run.

A fall day spent by the water is always a good idea!

I got some bonus time with my family for an extended fall break and we went apple picking!

A bag full of apples!

Some of the orchards!

A perfect apple!

A look at our picking!

Plus we had to enjoy some cider donuts!

The leaves were changing which meant time for leaf picking!

I love this time of year!

I went to Trader Joe’s when I was out of town recently and picked up some fall finds. We don’t have one near us, so it’s always a treat when I get to go.

My family and I enjoyed a fun appetizer night to welcome in the fall season!

I love to run, but getting up early and running in the cold can be hard sometimes, but these views make it worth it!

Even with rain, the leaves were still looking extra pretty!

Fall is showing off!

We are in peak leaf season!

What I’m Wearing:

I have been leaning into pants for cooler temperatures, but adding a pop of color of course. 

I also have been leaning into the neutrals with lots of browns and creams.

But we did have some days of gorgeous weather, so I got to break out short sleeve dresses!

Back to blazers for chillier weekends.

I broke out my pink suit for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

What I'm Reading:

I started the month off with some palette cleansers for books. 

100 Ways for a Chic and Soft Life-  This is one of Fiona Ferris’ books on ways to live your best life, it’s called 100 Ways for a Chic and Soft Life. It’s a book filled with 100 practical ways to approach life differently, more relaxed, and peaceful. I loved all the nuggets of advice tucked in the pages. This would be easy to read in one setting or a little bit each day.

How to Be a Wildflower- Katie Daisy’s How to Be a Wildflower can be used as a coffee table book or read in a one sitting. It’s filled with beautiful artwork, quotes, and outdoor inspirations. I got it as a gift and think it would make a beautiful decor item that you could page through at your leisure.

Half Baked Harvest- I checked out some cookbooks to get some inspiration for fall cooking including Half Baked Harvest for Every Day cooking by Tieghan Gerard. I have heard about this cookbook author for years and couldn’t wait to browse some of her recipes. I saved a lot of them for future cooking.

Martha Stewart Cookie Perfection- Christmas baking season will be here before we know it and I needed some inspiration for new cookies and I got it from Martha Stewart’s 100 Cookies book. The flavors and level of difficulty vary in this book, but I got lots of ideas and I even started baking some up already! This would be a perfect hostess gift too!

My Bookstore- I picked up My Bookstore by Ronald Rice on a whim at the library because the concept of authors and writers sharing their favorite independent bookstores seemed fascinating to me. I loved how detailed they were about places that made them feel most at home. I learned a lot about different writers and dozens of independent bookstores found through the country. The only downside is that I didn’t know a lot of the authors and wish I recognized more of them. But it did give me lots of new authors to check out.

Awake- This was my first book by Jen Hatmaker. I devoured Awake. I listened to the audiobook version and loved hearing Jen tell HER story in HER own voice. She talks about her divorce, healing, and new beginnings. I loved all the lessons she shared and how she grew from this experience. Such an enriching book. It may be one of my favorite books of the year!

Those Empty Eyes- Charlie Donlea’s book, Those Empty Eyes was recommended to me by Emily Ley. I love a good suspenseful book that has a thriller twist to it. It’s all about a young girl whose family is murdered. Years later, she is trying to solve their murder while also being caught up in some unusual happenings including blackmail, murder, and money. There’s a lot of different storylines that take place and a lot of different characters, but they are all tied together. One of the biggest shocks happens on the last page. I really got hooked with this book and now I want to read more of Donlea’s books.

Husbands- Husbands by Holly Gramazio came recommended from several blogs that I follow. It’s all about a woman who experiences life with different husbands through her life. Anytime a husband goes up into her attic, a different one comes down. Some husbands she likes, others she does not. It’s all about the different lessons she learns from them. I think the concept was cute, but the storyline fell flat for me. I would start to like a character and then he would leave. I wish I could have gotten into it more, but it wasn’t my kind of book.

Class Mom- Laurie Gelman’s Class Mom has been on my to-be read list for ages. It’s all about a kindergarten class mom and all the antics she deals with between the parents, teacher, and kids. There was a lot of classroom and parent humor. Plus, a little bit of adult drama mixed in. So many lines had me laughing out loud. This was definitely a fun book for any parent.

What I’m Watching:

October was truly the return of fall tv for me. A lot of my favorite shows were back and I made my way through recent binge-watches too.

Special Forces World’s Toughest Test: One of my favorite competition/reality tv shows returned on Fox, Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test. There was a twist this season as there were some couples competing including Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East and Jessie James Decker and Eric Decker. I love seeing the different challenges they must endure, there’s no way I could do half of the obstacles.

Gilmore Girls- I loved following the Gilmore girls this fall as I wrapped up the series. It’s such a good fall show and I wish I started it sooner. I loved the storylines and the setting and how charming everything is. Definitely something I will be rewatching again.

Only Murders in the Building- My mom and I were on the hunt for a new show and found it in Only Murders in the Building. I know it’s been around for a few years, but I am just getting into it. I love the casting, the writing, the setting, and the storylines. It’s such a different show and I am here for it. I can’t wait to make my way through the series.

The Diplomat- Season three of The Diplomat came out this month and my mom and I finished it in less than a week. I really loved the storyline of this season as Kate balanced a new job and title. Plus, there was a West Wing reunion and lots of international drama too! If you are looking for a new show to watch, this may be it!

What I'm Cooking:

We are in the midst of fall which means lots of warm and hearty meals. 

Chicken Tortilla Soup- I kicked off the month by cooking Emily Ley’s tortilla soup. I love the spice and heartiness that comes with a tortilla soup and this didn’t disappoint.

S’mores Cookies- Nothing says fall like S’mores, I made these S’mores cookies from Martha Stewart’s cookbook. They were a hit and tasted like fall. I will definitely be making them again!

Oven-Fried Eggplant Parmesan- This was a recipe from Half Baked Harvest. It was a more filling meal compared to just eggplant parmesan. I loved the flavors and how well it paired with salad and pasta. It was a perfect fall dish!

Apple Crisp- Nothing quite says fall than a hot apple crisp! Yum!

10 Can Chili- Another soup for the win! I made Jessie James Decker’s 10 Can Chili and it was a hit especially on a cold night!

Hot Crab Dip from Brunch with Babs was part of our appetizer night.

Pumpkin Chili- This was such a hearty meal especially before Halloween. I got the recipe from Jessie James Decker’s cookbook.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins- This was so tasty too! I loved the sweetness of the muffins and I love anything with chocolate. I got it from Mix and Match Mama.

What Inspires Me: I’ve been so inspired by the changing seasons and leaves.

But here are a few quotes I have been loving.

A good reminder for the changing of seasons

Daily desk inspiration

Early morning sunshine has left me feeling inspired and calm especially when stress starts to take over. I crave my sunlight and time outdoors every day.

Fresh flowers and sunshine leave me inspired

I don’t love the cold, but I do love the leaves!

The changing leaves and time outdoors always leave me feeling inspired.

What I Accomplished:
I got to spend time with and see so many family members and friends which was such a treat.

It may not seem like it, but my pup enjoyed having all the visitors home!

I also got lots of fall fun!

So much beauty!

Goals for this Month: 

I have big plans for the upcoming month including Election Day, a trip to New England, Thanksgiving, Christmas decorating and so much more.

It will be a busy month, but I’m ready for it.
Goals from Last Month:

I accomplished nearly everything on my fall bucket list

Embracing the changing seasons has been a must for me!

No filter on a beautiful fall!

That’s a look into life lately. What have you been up to for the month of October? I would love to know! See you back here for a Halloween edition of Friday Favorites!