HOW is it already November guys? October is one of my favorite months of the year between the fall activities, cooler weather and football season being in full swing! But let’s be real… now that Halloween is past and the holidays are upon us I am in full Christmas mode. Anyone else??

It’s safe to say that this past October exceeded my expectations for a fun fall-filled month. We stayed completely busy and fit in so much!

Two big highlights from the month are two trips I took. Mid October my husband Casey and I flew to Baltimore to visit one of my best friends Kiley and her boyfriend Chris. It was both me and Casey’s first time in Baltimore so we spent the weekend exploring the city, eating delicious crabs, drinking fresh orange crushes and catching up with one another!

My other trip was a wonderful 3 night girls trip to Charleston the last weekend of October. Two of my best gals from college live there now, so all 6 of us crashed at her beautiful apartment. The first night was my friend Elise’s 25th birthday so naturally, we went out for wine and cheese to celebrate at Avondale Wine & Cheese. The following two days had the most gorgeous 80 degree weather so we got to soak up the sun at Folly Beach for two whole afternoons!

Friday night we went to dinner at Little Palm in Downtown Charleston which had a really cool upscale, beachy vibe. We ended the night dancing at Henry’s!

Saturday night we decided to be festive and dressed up for Halloween. I’m not huge into Halloween, so my friend Julie and I threw on a green dress and a brown dress and were a margarita and an expresso martini LOL. No one knew what we were all night, but at least we had fun!! We spent this night out at Shem Creek (Red’s, to be exact) which is always a must visit for a Charleston trip.

LAST but not least, I have to update you guys on actual Halloween night! As you know it was on a Tuesday, so around 5pm we headed over to Casey’s aunt and uncles house who live down the road. Casey’s parents came for the evening as well to experience Blakely’s third Halloween! Blakely looks up to her little “cousins” so much (they’re 8 and 10!), and she had the best time trick-or-treating with them.

Casey’s dad had texted in our group that costumes were required so going along with Blakely as Elsa, I was a DIY Olaf and Casey was Sven. Hilarious! When we showed up at Caseys’ aunt’s house she just so happened to be dressed up as Anna from a costume she had worn a previous year!!! Such a fun coincidence!

I could go on and on from this crazy month of FUN, but those two trips and Halloween were definitely my favorite highlights to share to recap October. Without further ado… let’s get into this month’s favorites below! Thanks so much for reading! <3

1.) READING…

Ahhh we officially only have two months left to hit our yearly reading goals. Have you reached yours yet? My goal for 2023 was to read 30 books (6 more than I read in 2022) and I currently stand at 22 books. I better get to reading these next few weeks! Getting through the 600 page ACOTAR books is slowing me down a bit LOL. They’re so good…. But so long! Let me know in the comments if you guys have any must read books I should check out before the year ends!

October Books I Finished:

None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell ⭐⭐⭐⭐ STARS
A Court Of Mist & Fury (ACOTAR #2) by Sarah J. Maas ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 STARS

GENRE: Mystery/Thriller

SUMMARY: Popular podcaster Alix Summer is out celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub when she crosses paths with Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday and they quickly bond over being birthday twins. Alix and Josie later bump into each other again outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie tells Alix she herself might be an interesting subject for her podcast as she is about to make great changes in her life.
Although Alix finds Josie unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep interviewing Josie for her podcast. As the podcast episodes unfold, Alex starts to see that Josie has been hiding some very dark and twisted secrets, and has weaseled her way not only into Alix’s life, but her home too. I don’t want to give away too much, but this book will reveal the main question: who IS Josie Fair??

REVIEW: Highly recommend the audio-book on this one as I felt like I was listening to the true-crime podcast in real time as it was unfolding. It’s fast-paced, intriguing and is full of questions and unknowns that had me hooked until the end. The whole time it had me questioning this unreliable, strange character of Josie Fair and wondering what were her true intentions. I took off one star because at times it felt a little too far fetched and unrealistic, but still made for a page turning story. A few trigger warnings to be aware of too – child abuse, pedophilia, & domestic abuse. But definitely one to check out if you are a fan of fast-paced thrillers!

GENRE: Fantasy

SUMMARY: Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she’s now been granted powers, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and all the terrible things she had to do to save her love. Now, her marriage to Tamlin approaches, but Feyre’s hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different people: one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. I again don’t want to spoil too much here because there is a major twist in this one, but it follows Feyre’s journey as she navigates a complicated web of politics, passion, power, and ultimately what she truly wants.

REVIEW: THIS SERIES IS AMAZING YOU GUYS. This is book #2 in the ACOTAR series. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I never thought I liked fantasy novels but this series is addicting, thrilling, seductive, fast-paced and mesmerizing. Everything from the well-developed characters to the fictional world feels real. This book took me by storm and surprised me with an unforgettable twist, slow burn romance (If you thought the first book was steamy get ready for this one!!!🔥) and gripping story-line. I was literally yelling out loud as I was reading the ending with Casey beside me giving me strange looks hahaha. You will get fully invested!!! I highly recommend exploring this series!

2.) LISTENING TO…

My top 3 podcasts/podcast episodes of the month are:

1) WORK FROM HOME ROUTINE | Manifest With Tori Desimone

LOVED this episode for all the practical work from home tips. As I’m a little over a month into my new job I needed all the tips on how to stay focused and plan out my day to make the most of my time.

2) INTERVIEW WITH COLLEEN HOOVER | Books, Beach & Beyond

Loved this in depth interview with Hoover who is one of my favorite authors! I learned so much about her personal story, how she got started writing/self-publishing, and her journey getting to where she is today that I didn’t know. We also get a little inside scoop on her thoughts on one of her books going to the big screen. Definitely a must-listen if you are a fan!

3) IMPROVE TASK SWITCHING & PRODUCTIVITY | Huberman Lab (Ask Me Anything)

Another helpful quick 30 minute episode for fellow work from home people… or anyone! I found this one to be super informative and educational on the way our brain works and processes when switching tasks, as well as how to best navigate that to improve overall productivity.

3.) WATCHING…

The Golden Bachelor: Still so obsessed with Gary! Love how uplifting and kind the women on this show are- I can’t wait to see who he ends up with! I’m team Faith!
Bachelor In Paradise: My guilty pleasure show – give me all the juicy drama!!!
Dancing With The Stars: Forever and ever team Harry and Riley!! Love that they have made it this far into the competition!
Special Forces (Season 2): This show is sooo good! 14 celebrities go through intense special forces training to see what they’re made of and if they can last until the end. It’s addicting!

4.) CURRENTLY LOVING…

1. FRASIER FIR THYMES CAR SCENT… the scent of the season! Such a great price point too to have your car smelling like holidays + nostalgia this winter.

2. AMAZON PUFFER VEST... will be wearing this sleek black leather vest until further notice!! It’s so cozy and I love the oversized feel to it.

3. LULU ALIGN JACKET… the go-to athletic jacket I’ve found to make anyone look SNATCHED! Now the only questions is… which color to choose!?

4. CLASSPASS… thinking about making the switch from working out at the gym —> to classes on classpass! This is the perfect platform for someone who like all kinds of workouts and wants to try various different studios to see what you prefer.

5. BAREFOOT DREAMS BLANKET... this is a work from home staple and a great gift idea for your mom, grandma, or the homebody in your life!

5.) EATING…

My favorite recipe I made this month was definitely these EASY single serving ham & cheese sliders on Hawaiian sweet rolls! I just loaded them up in a glass storage container, baked them and voila! You have a quick, delish 10 minute lunch.

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cut Hawaiian rolls in half, put Mayo on both insides of the roll, and add ham & cheese (I used Colby Jack) + a dash of salt and pepper.
Put the rolls in a glass storage container (without the lid on).
The butter sauce: mix melted butter, onion powder and everything but the bagel seasoning to a bowl and pour on top of the rolls.
Cover with tinfoil and bake for 10-12 minutes covered, then take off the tinfoil and bake for 2 more minutes to crisp up the top. Ready and serve 🫶🏼