A Day in the Lifestyle - September
Morning routine: You can read my full morning routine here. I just started using this new morning moisturizer from First Aid Beauty, which is one of my favorite brands. It's also a primer, so I don't use it unless I'm putting makeup on shortly afterwards, but I do like it.
Tea - Dan is basically the best human invented. He ran to Target the other night and got me a surprise - one of my favorite teas! Tazo's Pumpkin Chai Tea is AMAZING and I only drink it in fall. I don't know how he remembers these things.
Homemaking - I've made these pumpkins for the apartment. Just a tiny little home decor craft project to make it feel a little more like home.
Shopping - Saturday, we took a little road trip over to The Dog Eared Book, which is a bookstore I've been looking forward to visiting for MONTHS.
I was lucky enough to purchase a signed copy of Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune, which is one of my favorites!
Snack: We canned applesauce this week, which turned out sooooo good. (Make your own: Peel, core and slice six pounds of apples. Fill a very large dutch oven with water and bring to a boil. Add apples, cook for about 10-15 minutes, and drain the water. Place 1/4 of the apples in a blender and blend just until smooth. Then open the little spout on top to get the steam out and don't burn yourself. Continue until all your apples are blended. Make sure you take the time to let that steam out after each addition and don't add in more than I recommend. BE CAREFUL. I don't want people's blenders out there exploding. Alternatively, return the apples to the pot after draining and use an immersion blender or even a hand mixer. I've done both with great results - a little chunkier than the blender. We actually used a hand mixer this year because of the whole apartment thing. When your apples are blended, add in 3/4 c. sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon and blend again. Pour into four pint size jars, making sure to leave an inch of head space if you are planning to can your applesauce. I processed mine for 20 minutes in a water bath, but if you are going to eat it all within a week, you can just put it in the refrigerator. It's up to you!
I also made these butter pecan cookies, which were soooo good, as well as a Pumpkin Pecan Lava Cake that is one of our family favorites.
Drinks: I made a Pumpkin Spiced Rum, which is basically a pumpkin spice latte with Rumchata (very good).
I also made some Jello shots for the Chiefs game, but didn't put in any alcohol so Bizi could enjoy them, as well.
Check out that gnome that my step-grandma made! Isn't it cute??
And finally, Dan and I enjoyed a date night at Whichcraft Brews, a local brewery.
Supper - I've been rotating in some of our old quick and cheap favorites to cut down on our grocery budget and provide me with extra study time. This week, we had pancakes with eggs and toast, grilled cheese with tomato soup, sloppy joes, goulash, and a baked potato night. I am working on a post with easy recipes for all these old standbys - should be up soon.
Evening Routine - You can read my full evening routine here. I'm currently trying out this recovery cream from 111Skin, which so far, I've been really impressed with. It's a little pricier than my old e.l.f. go-to (which I still LOVE), but it's worth it.
Reading - In 2019, I read Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman and absolutely FELL IN LOVE. Then, I read the Rules of Magic and loved it, as well. These two quickly become books I recommended any time anyone asked for suggestions. Last October, I got Magic Lessons, the next book in the series, but hadn't had a chance to read it until this week. I was also blessed enough to receive an ARC of The Book of Magic, the final installment in the series, in return for my review. So bittersweet to see the series end, but I can't recommend it highly enough.
Watching - I watched Chez Jolie Coiffure, a documentary about women from Cameroon who have immigrated to Belgium. Very eyeopening.
The Last Word: If you have the time and inclination to do so, please check out this hotel in Salem, MA and tell me all about it. I want to go so badly, but have no time left this year! It's supposed to be absolutely amazing (and haunted!).
Also, check out this adorable article about good people doing good things. I love stories like this. It reminds me of how much good is still in the world.
And that's a wrap, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me and have a wonderful day!