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I honestly can’t believe that October is over. Cannot comprehend. But it was a good one. A really good one. I celebrated my birthday with my favorite people, spent quality time with friends and family, and really was just much more intentional than I’ve been in the past and it made all the difference.

I tried some new things this month, and some of them have been game-changers. Some of them weren’t, but we don’t write about stuff thats no bueno. Here’s a short and sweet list of the must-try’s that have been introduced to my life this month and I hope never leave.

Craft Shows. FYI, I am not a crafter. I do not appreciate glue or glitter and I just don’t like making things. But, I was invited to a craft show by my craft-loving bestie, and I LOVED IT. I bought some Christmas gifts, and some presents for me (because my birthday is three weeks long and you can’t tell me otherwise). Anyway, it’s fun, you find things you can’t find anywhere else and you’re supporting someone else’s dream. All. Good. Things.

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream. I have terrible skin, and therefore, I have tried SO. MANY. creams. I have the ever-annoying combination skin that cannot get it together, no matter what I do. I got this cream as a Sephora birthday gift, and it is just heavenly. It goes on like butter, doesn’t feel heavy, and my skin doesn’t feel greasy later on (well, not AS greasy, and that is HUGE). You can get it here.

Hot Apple Cider. Yes, I’ve had hot apple cider before. But this was the first time I made it myself at home. I don’t know why I thought that “hot” apple cider had a completely different chemical makeup than cold apple cider, but I did. I warmed a pot of cider with two large cinnamon sticks in it and let it heat up slowly for an hour, and then added some spiced rum. It was lovely, and the whole family enjoyed it. Next time, I’m going to mix in the rum earlier, but it was a winner all the same.

Throw Pillow Covers. When I was decorating for fall, I needed a pop of orange in my living room, so I looked up throw pillows. Then I discovered that you can order the pillow inserts and have different covers for seasonal decorating. It was brilliant. Kudos to whoever invented this idea. I ordered a fall set of covers (and the pillow inserts, of course) with solid orange counterparts, and I have already picked out my Christmas covers. The 4-pack of covers was around $15 on Amazon, and they don’t take up nearly as much space as actual throw pillows. It’s an affordable option that also saves space. YASS.

Setting A Timer. Again, not rocket science, but I’ve started setting a timer for my morning gratitude journal and devotion time. It’s so nice to be able to be fully present in my intention-setting time. I am able to relax and enjoy my coffee without constantly checking the time or seeing how much time I have left before I have to get ready. It makes a huge difference and I am going to try to start setting timers for other times that I want to be fully present.

Outlander. I know its a popular TV show, but if you’re at all into historical romance with a hint of magic, then these books are your jam. They’re well written and LONG (disclaimer), so if you don’t like long books, then maybe not. But I’ve been enjoying the stories about the Highlands of Scotland long ago, so I’m gonna keep on keeping on.

LED Pillar Candles. They’re pretty, they’re affordable, and you don’t have to worry about your dogs knocking them over and setting the house on fire (or is that last part just me?). If you leave them on, again no fire hazard. Really, it’s all about not starting fires and having cute decor. I got mine for my birthday and I am such a big fan. So. Many. Ideas. Here’s the first idea I threw together with the books we keep around all the time and a basket from HomeGoods. You can see my throw pillow covers too!

Start Today Journal. I’ve been doing this practice for about a month now, and I’m truly enjoying it. I get up about an hour early every morning and I have my coffee and write down 5 small things I’m grateful for and then 10 dreams that I want to make happen. It’s a Rachel Hollis thing and if you want to learn more, you can at the Hollis Co. It doesn’t take long, and you don’t have to buy the pretty journal, you can do it on any notebook paper you have laying around. Strongly recommend.

Well, that just about wraps up October, the best month of the year!! This has been one of the best Octobers to date, and I’m SO looking forward to November and all that is in store as we enter the holiday season. Ugh, I love the holidays. So. Much. Excitement.

Enjoy these somewhat awkward photos of the fam-bam and I doing the most fall things, including, but not limited to, apple picking, corn mazes and general tomfoolery.