October Favorites

Every month, I share 10 favorites from the month – a mix of activities with friends & family, toddler favorites, personal favorites, and more. I hope these monthly lists help you reflect on your personal highlights from the month, and maybe even spark a fun new idea or two.

1. Favorite activity with friends & family – The weather is cooler and our son has come to an age where he can safely be around a fire pit  – which means we can enjoy fire pit nights outside with friends & family! It’s such a surprisingly easy and fun way to spend a night. When it’s just the three of us, my husband and I will sit by the fire as my son runs around the yard. We’ve even occasionally popped open a tent as extra entertainment for him. We recently had family over and we had a great time sitting & chatting by the fire while my son played and ran about. So great to find an activity that both kids and adults like!

2. Favorite toddler toy – Bristle Blocks! These have quickly become something that’s used almost daily at our house. Not only does my son like it – but it’s surprisingly fun for adults. Of all the toys my son owns, this is definitely one of my favorites, and I don’t seem to be the only adult that likes them. If you’re looking for a twist on your every-day blocks, these are a fun choice.  

3. Favorite fun read – I was looking for something fun and enjoyable to read at night after some challenging parenting days (sick kid with growing pains, etc.) and Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between) [Amazon, Bookshop] was perfect! Such a fun & quick read. I loved reading about filming Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life and Lauren Graham’s writing is so funny – such a treat after a long day! 

4. Favorite memory – It’s been a nice month, and I’ve had some great moments (lunch with my best friend, a dinner date, walks with my SIL…)  and one special memory was a family dinner we hosted as part of a new monthly tradition. We had my brother’s family, my mom, and my uncle over – and we sat outside on a beautiful, crisp afternoon on our deck for a nice meal together (I made my go-to jambalaya recipe and this crowd-pleasing cheesecake recipe). It was so fun and lovely. Although I see my family pretty regularly, we just started this new tradition of monthly family dinners as a way to regularly get together – and I especially love that my son gets this special time with them. One of my favorite new traditions! 

5. Favorite bargain buy – I’ve been on the hunt for a super cozy robe for fall… and I found a cute and soft robe at T.J. Maxx for a great price! It’s a deep blue Calvin Klein robe for $24.99 – which is by far the best price I’ve found for a nice, soft robe after some searching online. They actually had a pretty good selection of robes in store, so if you’re on the hunt for a cozy robe that won’t break the bank, definitely recommend checking them out. 

6. Favorite outing as a couple – a last-minute dinner out with my husband. It’s been a while since we’ve gone on a date and at least for us, it’s harder to fit in with a toddler – but I’m always happy when we do. We found a restaurant with a cute outdoor patio and the weather was beautiful. We had a long dinner chatting about all the things, and it was such a sweet & relaxing time. Nights like this remind me that once our second baby comes next year, I *really* want to make an effort from early on to get out with my husband (hopefully) once a month or so.

7. Favorite blog & Instagram posts – 1.) It’s that time of the year when many of us are looking for great recipes, and it was so fun to read through people’s most beloved recipes in “What Crowdpleasing Recipes Do You Know” by Cup of Jo. It has over 300 comments – lots of great ideas in there! 2.) If you’re looking for an uplifting post, this Insta post by Emily Ley (owner of one of my favorite planner companies) is full of some gems. So many sweet and meaningful comments in there. 

8. Favorite way to earn extra money – In the last month and a half, I’ve had good results selling clothes on Poshmark. I sold 3 used items (2 dresses & 1 pair of sneakers) over the last 6 weeks and made about $60 pretty easily. Though it’s not something that earns me a ton of extra income, I really like selling on Poshmark when I know there’s a piece of clothing I don’t want anymore & I think will sell relatively easily. (In my experience, any name brand item, item in very good condition, or in season item sells best). If you have any clothes/shoes/accessories you’re trying to declutter, highly recommend checking them out. (It’s convenient b/c you mail your sold items in Express Boxes from USPS, plus you can schedule a free pickup from home instead of going to USPS for drop-off. So simple!) 

9. Favorite household purchase under $10 – This cord clip (which holds our laptop charging cord on the media console when it’s not in use) has unexpectedly been such a good purchase. It’s solved the annoying problem we had of the cord constantly falling behind the media console when we went to charge our laptop, making it a pain to rummage through a bunch of other cords behind the console while awkwardly crouched over. This little clip totally solved this! I ended up securing the clip to the back of the console near the very top to keep the surface of the console clutter-free and undamaged. Super handy for any cords you want to keep in place (phone chargers, baby monitor chargers, etc.) on nightstands, consoles, etc.

10. Favorite parenting hack – In October, the weather was gorgeous and my husband & I started eating dinner together outside several nights a week. Like a lot of parents, it often feels impossible to *calmly* eat together on a regular basis – so I’m excited we found a way to squeeze in some nice dinners together. Basically, we would play my son’s favorite show (Paw Patrol) in the living room and watch him through the glass door from the deck while we’d eat uninterrupted for a few minutes. Admittedly, this only works because our son is old enough to be on his own for a few minutes – but this could also work with littler ones if you put a pack-n-play outside near you with some favorite toys, etc. I’ve been loving the combination of sitting outside and enjoying a peaceful meal with my husband – even if only for a few minutes. 😉

(BONUS) Favorite thing I’m looking forward to – The release of the Lazy Genius’s upcoming book The Lazy Genius Kitchen: Have What You Need, Use What You Have, and Enjoy It Like Never Before (Amazon, Bookshop). I’m not sure if it has to do with the fact that we will soon be feeding 4(!) people a day at our house – but I’m really feeling the urge to lean in and find all the tips & recipes I can find to make cooking at home easier, more varied, and more frequent. I heard the Lazy Genius’s interview on the Best of Both Worlds podcast and I knew immediately this book would be a great fit. It’s about how to set yourself up for easier, more enjoyable, and more frequent at-home cooking – and I can definitely use all the tips on that!

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As always, thank you so much for reading Confetti & Sunshine! I have 2 special projects I’m working on behind-the-scenes … and I’m very excited to share them hopefully in the coming months. Stay tuned!

Hope you had a great October & wishing you a wonderful November!

More posts you might enjoy:

• Exciting Baby News + First Trimester Update
• June Favorites
• Baby Registry Essentials List
• 5 of My Favorite Blogs + a Favorite App