Full honesty, I’m not sad to turn the page on this month. It began sad with the passing of my grandpa, but thankfully we were able to follow it with celebrations like Aveline’s 4th birthday and then hosting family for Thanksgiving.
BOOKS I’VE READ
- No Exit by Taylor Adams– Darby is on her way home to her ailing mother when is stranded in a blizzard at a remote rest stop with 4 other people. Then she stumbles across a little girl locked inside one of their parked cars and realized one of the other 4 people there is the kidnapper. I read this for November book club (it had to have ‘no’ in the title). Honestly I kind of wish I had never read it at all. The story was designed to keep you at the edge of your seat, but it’s pretty violent and a bit much. I doubt I will read anything else by this author. 1/5
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – When unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant is chosen by movie Icon Evelyn Hugo to write her biography, Monique is shocked. But as Evelyn shares her life, more and more truth comes out. I’ve been hearing about this book for ages and was excited to finally read it. It’s definitely worth the hype and I really recommend it! 5/5
PRODUCTS I’VE TRIED
- Vegamour- I was thrilled to try a couple of Vegamour products including their biotin gummies and scalp detoxifying serum. The GRO Biotin Gummies taste really good and my hair is starting to look shinier. After trying the scalp serum a few times prior to washing my hair, I must say, I am impressed! My hair is definitely shinier after use. And after a few days I notice less oil. I used to get the occasional flakes, especially in the dryer air during fall and winter, but haven’t seen any! Vegamour’s goal is to create safe, vegan, high-performance products to help improve visible hair growth, help reduce fallout and repair follicle damage. The products I was able to try seem to live up to their claims on me and the prices of individual products are mostly $60 or less. Considering the value, quality, and results, I have to say I recommend this line!
- Washland Laundry strips– I was able to try these out for free, but I am thrilled with them. They are no mess, no fuss and work really well. These strips dissolve completely in any temperature of water and the packaging is biodegradable so easier on the environment. The Washland company created these strips in order to help reduce plastic waste, but in the process they made laundry just a little easier, too.
- Evergreen waffles– We received quite a few bags of these to try through minisocial. All of the different flavors they have are so fun and they even have a lot of fun recipes and ideas on how to eat them. They are far more filling than your typical waffle and healthier, too! They are a wonderful snack or breakfast option.
- NassifMD v. No. 7- I tried two different skincare lines this month including Dr. Nassif and No. 7. I received the NassifMD through minisocial and the No. 7 through influenster. Although it’s a bit like comparing apples and oranges, I have to say the No. 7 eye cream is really good, and I noticed a decrease in fine lines and my dark circles. However, when I used all the products in this line after a few weeks, it ended up being too drying for me. There is a thing as too much retinol. I am using their products only one at a time and far more sparingly now. The NassifMD line made my skin feel much more luminous and hydrated. They both have their uses.
Recipes I’ve Made
- Irish Apple Cake– This took a little extra time to make, but was well worth it. The custard sauce on top made it perfection!
- Air Fryer Cod- Matt actually made this one and it was superb!
- Crackers and ricotta- This doesn’t even need a recipe, it’s only crackers with a bit of ricotta cheese, thin slice of apple, and drizzle of honey. Claire and I love this snack.
Currently
- Decorating– I have to go with the obvious on this one. We decorated the day after Thanksgiving and finished up on Sunday with a few odds and ends. There are always a few changes we make in our Christmas decor and this year I wanted to change the ribbon, tree, skirt, and star on our Christmas tree so it took a few days to receive them after ordering.
- Feeling- Honestly, I am feeling a bit stressed and anxious. I think I worry a bit too much about getting things done instead of trying to enjoy the moment this time of year. Matt is traveling a lot so getting things wrapped, cards sent, and gifts ordered falls a lot on me and it’s hard to balance it all.
- Sending– We have our Christmas cards purchased and I have all of the stamps so it’s time to address and send them. Hopefully they get in the mail in the next week or so.
- Smelling- I love to make bread from Thanksgiving leftovers like sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce. I did that yesterday and the entire house smelled delightful!
- Wrapping- How early do you wrap your presents? I typically wait until we have all of our gifts then do it all at once. We just wrap them all in brown paper then add fun ribbons.
- Family update
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- Me- I’m not going to lie, I’ve had better months. But at least we ended on a high by hosting Thanksgiving with family. The 8 mile race I did last month went so well! I ended up getting first in my age group and took 30 seconds off of my pace since the last time I ran it 2 years ago.
- Matt- You guessed it! Busy again with work and travel. Poor guy took Aveline to an open gym session she got free for a birthday gift and was chasing her around when he slipped and fell, breaking his leg…the day before Thanksgiving. Thankfully, it is a small break and he doesn’t need a cast for it, just an air cast for a few weeks until it heels. His dad was able to help him get the turkey in the smoker the next day for Thanksgiving and hopefully all is well soon!
- Claire– Claire and Aveline started gymnastics and they are loving it. I mostly love that their classes are the same time. Convenience is key! Claire was really helpful this month getting ready for the party and Thanksgiving. Santa has her on the nice list for sure! She also got her first Covid vaccine and will get her second next Monday. Yay!
- Aveline- We have a 4 year old now! I’m not sure who said it is the terrible 2s. I think 4 and 5 year olds are rough because they just want to argue and refuse to listen. Haha! She had a wonderful Skye birthday celebration with quite a few friends.
NOVEMBER GOALS Recap
- Go to Amazon Fresh- Done. It’s ok, but not really different from any of the other grocery stores around.
- Order a bookshelf for Claire’s room-I did try, but couldn’t find anything I liked. It was either really cheap looking or really expensive.
- Make a trip to Goodwill- Done!
- Order Christmas cards- Done!
December Goals
- Sign up for a race- I was going to sign up for the Insane Candy Cane 5K I ran 2 years ago, but it is postponed until next year. It would be fun to get another race or 2 in this winter.
- Read all my magazines- Unfortunately my 1 magazine subscription often gets unread and builds up on our coffee table. I enjoy reading them, but there isn’t often time. My goal is to get caught up this month!
- Try a new Christmas cookie recipe- It would be fun to try a new one this year.
- Organize kitchen utensil drawer- I organized a few of our cabinets and drawers in the kitchen this past weekend, but there is one drawer I need to work on: the miscellaneous drawer. The one with cork screws, measuring cups, garlic presses, and more. All those smaller things that don’t quite fit anywhere else.
LINKING UP WITH ANNE & WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY
