A Day in the Life - November
I haven’t written one of these types of posts in over three years. And I’m not honestly sure why, as I really enjoy doing them. They’re my favorite posts to do. I let time be an excuse - eh, I shouldn’t do that.
If you follow me on Instagram, it’s pretty easy to keep up on what’s going on over here, but try as I might, I’m just still too a little old-fashioned for some of the social media trends. Have you seen my TikTok??? I’m dead. I like being able to write as much as I want to, to share things the way I want to, and to just let it be. Can I check how many people visit this page? Yes. Do I? No, as I’m actually not even sure how. (I’ll learn. I think I did learn once, I just forgot.). Basically, video is not my thing. I’ll keep trying until I get better, but just not yet my thing.
You’ll notice that I’ve changed websites, format, lots of things. I’m even going to finally start getting those little recipe cards on my recipe posts so you can print out the recipes. How fancy is that? But as for me, well, I’m still just me. So, here’s what I’ve been up to lately.
Morning Routine: The last time I wrote one of these posts, Elie was still pretending she was grown and old enough to not move to NY with her parents. That was way before Selena was ever even remotely on the horizon, so the biggest change I’ve had in my morning routine since the last time I wrote a post like this is helping get our granddaughter ready for the day. Other than that, it’s still basically the same as it’s always been. Brush my teeth, shower, skin care, get dressed, put on deodorant and perfume, journal, make the bed, clean the bathroom, throw in laundry, hair & makeup, jewelry (if I’m wearing any), get Selena dressed, clean the cat’s litter box (ewww….), feed the pets, fill my Stanley, make coffee (also brew tea, if needed), make breakfast, vacuum, review my planner as a reminder of what’s in store for the day, share my morning social media posts, check the deal blogs, throw some homemade bread in the bread maker, water the plants, start a candle or simmer pot, empty the dishwasher from the night before, clean the half-bath, start the crockpot (if needed), go through my email, and do the fresh baking for a la mode for the day. It seems like a long list, but it actually goes pretty quickly. The big goal is to always have it done by 10 AM. If you do not have a morning routine, please let me know so we can chat about how I can help you create one!
Listening: This playlist gets me through the fall. It’s so peaceful and it just helps me relax, stay in the moment, and practice gratitude.
Breakfast: I usually make a pretty basic breakfast of over-easy eggs, toast, and fruit. It’s not fancy, but it’s a great M-F morning meal because I don’t have to think about it (decision fatigue is real, friends). Saturdays, Dan always makes smoothies and Sunday, I made chocolate chip pumpkin bread that tasted amazing, but fell apart. I also brewed an Apple Almond fruit tisane that is super yum.
Snacks; I made vanilla cupcakes - I overfilled the tins and there was nothing good that happened - except they tasted bomb, so that counts; English toffee - absolutely to die for - this isn’t my recipe, but it’s pretty close, so check it out here, and these fun Thanksgiving treats.
Drinks: I’m on a juice kick so I made this one the other night and it was soooo good. I juiced a pear (cored), couple stalks of celery, two cucumbers (peeled), a bunch of parsley, a 1” piece of ginger, and 1/2 an orange (peeled). I loved it. The girls, not so much, but they were obviously wrong.
I also made my traditional Glühwein (mulled wine) that I make every November.
Family Time: Monday, I had coffee with Ysa, as I do on Mondays. Dan and Selena watched the Chiefs game. I fell asleep. Thursday, I had coffee with Elie. Friday was my mom’s birthday. Saturday, I had coffee with Joe and played with Jasper and Selena all day! The family watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and enjoyed quite the feast of popcorn, jelly beans, pretzels, and buttered toast (and pizza). Check out little Jasper in the background. I love that kid’s hair.
Sunday, I had coffee with Bizi and then Dan and I slipped away to the antique mall for a little while where I grabbed some of my favorite apple dishes, some Martha Stewart magazines, a super cute vintage Fiestaware creamer and sugar bowl, and this:
To which, I might add, THE Danny Wood messaged me “cool” when I posted it on Instagram. Ten-year-old me would have died, but I just wrote back “haha thanks” because I didn’t want him to know I thought he was cool. Duh. And I totally took a screenshot because um, he’s cool.
Dinner: Monday: Chicken Noodle Soup, Tuesday: Pumpkin Soup, Wednesday: Nachos, Thursday: Dan grilled, Friday: Leftovers, Saturday: Charlie Brown menu, Sunday: Leftovers. Favorites were the chicken noodle soup and pumpkin soup. Obviously not the popcorn and buttered toast from Saturday.
Evening Routine: You can read it here. Other than helping with Selena’s bath and getting her ready for bed, it’s still pretty similar to what it’s always been. Prep tomorrow’s dinner, do the dishes, wipe down the counters and stove, sweep, read Selena a story, lay out tomorrow’s clothes, fill out tomorrow’s planner, plan tomorrow’s yoga practice and gardening tasks, put on pajamas, skin care, brush my teeth, fold and put away and laundry still in the dryer, journal, read, and go to bed at a decent hour.
Evening Reading: I’ve been working more than I should, so I haven’t been able to read as much, but I’m currently going back and forth between Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange and Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One by Dr. Joe Dispenza.
What I’m Watching: The Diplomat (loved the first few episodes, but it got a little icky for me - I’m not huge on nudity and whatever the hell started going on), Martha Stewart Living, Nobody Wants This (I’ve watched one episode and so far, it’s cute), and Just Go With It (because I’m a 90s girl and when Jennifer Aniston & Adam Sandler come to Netflix, we make time for it). I’m trying to make more time in the evening for watching some TV and movies, but it’s a little hit and miss.
The Last Word: If you’ve read this far, I can’t thank you enough. Sometimes, life is like a current, just sweeping us along and all we can do is hold our breath while we go, hoping to just stay above water. And then, all the sudden, we’re washing up on shore, shaking our head and wondering how in the hell we ended up there. Where exactly was that turning point that swept us up? And how do we find our way back, as we obviously can’t go back the way we came. It doesn’t look the way I thought it would look, but it’s looking pretty good. Thank you for joining me.
