Behind the Screen: Fall You Are My New BFF

Happy October to you friends!  I have been limping through the last part of summer just waiting for the cooler weather.  It was a hot one this year in California and the yard and my hair could really use a break from the triple digit heat.

Do you have a few minutes to chat?  I hope so because it has been awhile!  Let’s get hot apple cider and we can sit inside in the air conditioning and give the 90 degree weather outside the side-eye.

I am hard at work this weekend on three recipes- plus a fun Halloween project with Lowe’s Home Improvement.  That should be up on the blog next week.

I have started on Thanksgiving recipes already (in real life this is early but in blogging life I am actually behind.)  Anything that you are looking for this holiday season as far as recipes or DIY?   How can I help you this holiday season?

So what has been going on with you?  Fall sports or activities?  Have you made it to any pumpkin patches or apple orchards yet?

I just made the slow cooker applesauce the other day with some amazing apples we picked up at the local apple farm. The girls had a minimum day at school so we took advantage and played hooky and went to visit the local apple orchards and farm stands.  So fun to spend time with friends and kick off fall on a very positive note.

I packed one of the jars of applesauce in our cooler yesterday for a marathon soccer day (5 games between 2 kids and one Daddy) and the kids were actually fighting over it.  Major fist pump action from yours truly guys as my little, big girl normally never touches applesauce.

We started Nutcracker rehearsal this year which is always so fun.  Both of my girls dance in the show and I can’t encourage you enough to look into local productions in your area.  I started taking my little, big girl to the Nutcracker when she was 4 and she was completely riveted.  Last year we went to the San Francisco Nutcracker (magical), Sacramento Nutcracker- (twice!), plus the youth ballet production that my girls dance in.  We love it.  (And PS:  I hope some of you are Nutcracker fans because I am thinking ahead to a few Sugar Plum Fairy treat ideas for Christmas…)

And its football season.  Which means ESPN is not on 20 hours a day but 24 hours a day.  We also had fantasy football drafts recently which was a nail biter.  Bosley is of course a Seahawks fan as is Daddy but my big, little girl is a Rams fan and the other big, littler girl is a ‘9ers fan like Grandpa.  Things get rowdy in this house.  And Mommy?  Well This about sums it up…

So let’s see what else…

Well I finally watched the Season premiere of This is Us and what?  Just what?   Seriously NBC.  Way to scare the dog with my abrupt sobbing right before bed.  Have you seen the Jimmy Fallon sketch about behind the scenes at This Is Us?  So funny.

And you guys know how much I love historical fiction, so when my friend Shellie recommended I watch Outlander I was all over it.  Have you checked out this series on Starz?  It is about a woman that travels back in time from just after WWII in England to 1745 in Scotland.  Don’t worry about the time travel part- I am not much for sci-fi personally but get ready to be riveted by the characters and the stories and the sets.  Sadly I finished the marathon and am all caught up to season 3 but this is one I might watch again from the beginning.  (Please note season 1 has a lot of adult content so this isn’t a show I watched while on the treadmill at the gym. 😀 )

Another historical series that I thought was captivating was Victoria on PBS. I think I was able to watch this through Amazon Prime for free and it was so well done.  Really enjoyed this show and can see watching this one again with my daughter when she is just a little older.

PS:  If you do like this series, you might pick up the book by Daisy Goodwin.  I read it ages ago and enjoyed it.

As you guys know I just love a compelling podcast and I have enjoyed Jen Hatmaker’s podcast, For the Love, lately.

I also listened to her new book, Of Mess and Moxie, on audible and enjoyed that.  It seems lighter and more upbeat than her last book, For the Love.  I got a lot of encouragement out of her book and the big takeaway I always get from Jen Hatmaker is to treasure the people around you (especially girlfriends.)  Girls that like other girls are always my favorite.  I never got that whole “oh I don’t really like girls, I prefer to hang out with guys” mentally. Thank goodness you aren’t like that.  Yuck.

So I hope you enjoy your October my friends!  This is a great month to read Anne of Green Gables  with the kids because well…. how many of these have popped up on your Insta feed today?  😉