Hello, friends! I hope your October has been a great one!
At the beginning of the month we made a trip to New Hampshire to visit with family (to celebrate a wedding!) and enjoy the gorgeous fall foliage. It was our first time traveling with both girls and it went about as well as it possibly could have. We have traveled with Sophie since she was about 3 months old so the three of us are all pretty familiar with our airport / flying routine by now… it was a bit different with our new addition, but thankfully we have a bit of experience to draw from. Sophie and Chloe did as well as could be expected of children their ages, but I’m glad to be taking a break from traveling for a while. 😂
We have had some great seasonal fun this year — apple picking, visiting a pumpkin patch, baking two types of [easy] festive cookies, and Sophie even got to wear her Halloween costume to dance class this week (which she LOVED!).
Today’s Five Things are items that have piqued my interest or things that have been on my mind / going on in my life recently!
INA GARTEN MEMOIR
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been a huge fan of Ina Garten. Her personality on her Food Network tv show has always been so comforting and I feel like I’ve known her for forever. She’s so charming and she manages to make cooking, baking, and entertaining look so easy (activities that typically make me feel intimidated and overwhelmed). She’s become such an icon to me that I have collected many of her cookbooks and even went to see her when she came to Seattle on her “Cook Like A Pro” book tour!
When I heard that she was publishing a memoir “Be Ready When The Luck Happens”, I can’t tell you how quickly I raced to checkout for a preorder and I have been eagerly awaiting the book’s arrival! I couldn’t resist also buying the audiobook because Ina is the one reading it, which I love because you can hear all of her Ina-isms and inflections, etc. and I can actually “read” the book while doing other tasks because I can’t remember the last time I was able to sit down and actually read a book! I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Ina share her story and plan to listen again with my husband (and probably re-listen over and over because I find Ina so comforting!); if you are also a Barefoot Contessa fan, I highly recommend this intimate look into her life to feel like you have a [highly coveted] seat at her dining table!
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BATH BOMB WAND
How CUTE is this wand for littles to play with bath bombs in the tub?
You could totally use it for regular bath time, a playtime reset with some fun water lights (on those days that are just 🤪), themed sensory play in a water bin (“painting”, creating a “potion”, etc.), or even use an aromatherapy bath bomb inside the wand when your kiddo is sick and needs some of those warm bath vapors. So many possibilities!
This would be a fun thing to introduce for Halloween play, but you could also totally save it for a Christmas gift!
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BOMBAS SLIPPER SOCKS
It’s Slipper Season!!
I originally bought this pair of slipper socks to wear around the hospital when I had Chloe this past summer, but I’ve really been putting them to work recently now that the temperature has cooled down.
I’m already a big fan of Bombas socks so buying a pair of these slippers felt like a no-brainer. I love the slight cushion in the sole so there’s more there than you would get with just a sock, the little silicone grippies on the bottom, and the fact that they’re washable! Having sweaty feet means that I am constantly ruining traditional slippers and those styles are often not washable, so they get discarded and that makes me feel super wasteful — this is the perfect solution.
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TINTED MOISTURIZER + SPF
Liz Adams shared about this product on her Instagram Stories recently which intrigued me enough to order! I’m not a huge foundation person, but I love some sheer coverage, moisturizing action and, of course, SPF sun protection.
I was a bit skeptical by her “whipped consistency” description (having Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse flashbacks), but that was the best way to describe it and this product couldn’t be more different from the Matte Mousse… in the best way! I wear Shade 4 – a medium / fair with neutral undertones.
I’m not a makeup girlie, so if you are, this may not be for you, but if you’re a Makeup Minimalist like I am, this may be worth checking out.
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COOKIE BAKING
These soft M&M cookies couldn’t be easier and Sophie & I had so much fun baking them together. It’s a perfect (and yummy!) festive activity to do with a preschooler! We’ll probably make them again around Christmas with seasonal M&M’s because Sophie loved these so much.
*Full Disclosure: this baking activity was only fun for both of us because I measured out all of the ingredients beforehand. #RecoveringTypeAPersonality 🫣😬
You can find the recipe here.
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Wishing you a truly wonderful Halloween weekend, friends!
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie