Happy October, friends! Though the pandemic has canceled several of our fall favorites, we’re still feeling the cozy vibes over here. Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, apple cider scones, new soup recipes, hiking through colorful leaves, crisp afternoons playing outside with neighborhood friends, and this weekend – a bit of decorating inside and out! My tiny sidekick is pumped :)
On my calendar this month: — Decorating for fall, including making ghosts with June per her request — The fifth (fifth!) anniversary gathering of Articles Club — Our family fall trip to the mountains
What I’m loving right now: — John and I recently watched the first two seasons of Cobra Kai, and I have complicated feelings about it. The first 8 episodes of season 1 were THOROUGHLY enjoyable and refreshing – surprisingly, the characters kept making the right decisions. Things took a turn from there, though, and for some reason I took it very personally, ha! In honor of Johnny and Mr. LaRusso, we’ve been listening to this playlist and it is deliciously 80’s – great for cleaning or bopping around the house. — My parents-in-law gave me this Gathre tablecloth in the Stars print recently, and I am in love. Made from leather, they are not inexpensive, but the ease of clean-up after meals is amazing with little kids. Maybe a good thing to put on a Christmas list or to scout on Black Friday! — This set of 20 linen hair bows is a steal of a deal. We’ve been having fun adding them to the ends of June’s braids!
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!
What I read in September: — Adopted for Life | I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this book wasn’t it. I enjoyed the Biblical depth he offered for the underpinnings of adoption, but I think I was hoping for something more practical. — 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You | I have read many books on our digital lives at this point, and so far this one is middle of the pack. Similar to Adopted for Life, he’s less focused on the practical and more on the big picture… and I guess I like the nitty gritty :) The “change” that has stuck with me the most, though, has really stuck with me: “we ignore our flesh and blood.” I think about it every time I’m tempted to pick up my phone while driving.
Revisiting my September goals: Film Sheptember, Volume 2 Read a marriage book in honor of our anniversary (didn’t get to this, but I think I’m going to choose How to Fall in Love with Anyone on the recommendation of reader Sarah!) Complete our upstairs bathroom renovation (“complete” was a little ambitious, but we definitely made progress! Walls painted, mirror down, new bathmats and shower curtain installed!) Complete four more Advent ornaments(tree, candy cane, heart, and present!) Ride 50 miles on our stationary bike or out in the wild (48!! So close!) Add plants to the master bathroom Begin family “by-laws” in a Google Doc Adjust the styling of EFM’s H1 headers so I can use them! (sent an email to my web folks, so this is underway!) Send a care package to a former babysitter who’s a college freshman
October goals: — Design our family Christmas newsletter and order Christmas cards — Edit Sheptember, Volume 2 — Complete four more Advent ornaments — Ride 50 miles — Wallpaper the upstairs bathroom — Switch out lighting in the upstairs bathroom — Finalize family mission statement — Finish garage reboot, including hanging our bikes
Also fun to note: 2021 PowerSheets launch this month! Even in a really unusual year, I’m so grateful for the progress I’ve made on the goals I share here each month – things that really matter to me – and my PowerSheets are a big part of that. If you’re ready for a fresh start next year, I hope you’ll take a peek at the collection on October 14th!
Hello to my favorite month, September! It’s when we got married, that back-to-school freshness is thick in the air, and the weather in New England is my absolute favorite (it’s not too shabby in NC, either!). August was wonderful to our family, and there’s so much to look forward to this month, too.
On my calendar this month: — The first day of fall! We’ll bake apple cider scones for our family and June’s teachers, a tradition we started four years ago. — Our annual camping trip with the Rays — Our eighth wedding anniversary!
What I’m loving right now: — I don’t have a ton of seasonal decor (even for Christmas!), but these wicker pumpkins (one more size here) were too good to pass up. — I’m late to the party, but John and I watched The Last Dance (on Netflix) while on vacation in Connecticut and it was excellent. It might be my Enneagram 5 showing, but give me a well-done look at almost any subject and I’m hooked. Michael Jordan is a FASCINATING human, the storylines are compelling, and the editing is so good. I’ll dock a few points for strong language but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed it. — We aren’t beyond the realm of full-on parental supervision yet with the ages of our kids, but I’m glad that there are a growing number of options to help facilitate the kind of “free-range childhood” many of us grew up with. This article lays out several of them.
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!
What I read in August: — The Giver of Stars | This came highly recommended (and was my August EFM book club pick!) but I thought it was good, not great. The characters felt a little two-dimensional all the way through, and Alice’s husband and father-in-law were so awful that the first half of the book was kind of hard to read for me. — The Paris Wife | This novel was enjoyable, but knowing only a little about Hemingway and his first wife, I felt a general sense of dread hanging over me the whole time I was reading, knowing that I didn’t know what was going to happen but that things wouldn’t end well. If I had known Hadley’s life turns out in the end, I think I would have perked up a little :) Also, I assume the more Hemingway you’ve read, the more interesting you’d find this book! (I’ve read very little.)
Revisiting my August goals: Begin reading Mark with John Book our camping trip for this fall(Now just praying for good weather!) Sort through my SCC secretary responsibilities and make an easy-to-follow yearly checklist Watch Just Mercy with John now that I’ve finished the book(The movie was great – but the book is 1000 times better. I think I’m going to write a post about both to convince any of you who haven’t dipped your toe in yet to do so! :)) Buy a new handbag(Done! Went with alllllmost the same thing, just with a longer strap and in navy.) Edit June in June, Volume 5(Done! Worldwide premier coming soon!) Complete four more Advent ornaments(FIVE! The ball ornament, mitten, stocking, tree, and star!) Post all three parts of my photo organization guide(Parts one and two are live; part three will post later this week!) Clean out downstairs craft supplies once kids go back to preschool(Oooh I am SO HAPPY to have this done! Here’s a before and after.) Do something fun with at least one friend couple(With two, actually! :)) Mock up a design board for our upstairs bathroom(Not only mocked up, but progress is underway!) Ride our stationary bike Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (This experiment helped me ride more than last month, but sometimes I used the excuse of it not being a M, W, or F to not ride, which was counterproductive. Trying something new this month!)
September goals: — Film Sheptember, Volume 2 — Read a marriage book in honor of our anniversary — Complete our upstairs bathroom renovation — Complete four more Advent ornaments — Ride 50 miles on our stationary bike or out in the wild — Add plants to the master bathroom — Begin family “by-laws” in a Google Doc (more to come on this!) — Adjust the styling of EFM’s H1 headers so I can use them! — Send a care package to a former babysitter who’s a college freshman (ideas for that here!)
Alright, let’s hear it: who wants to fight me on The Giver of Stars? :) Otherwise, I’d love to hear your favorite month of the year (and why!)! OR your favorite marriage book!
As you’ll soon see, July was not the most illustrious month for my goals — BUT. But but but but but. While I did not complete many of the goals I set out to do, I did make MAJOR progress on a 2020 goal that was dead in the water up until a week ago. Drumroll, please…
YES! I MADE THOSE! While we were in Connecticut, I completed five whole ornaments from my Advent calendar kit (2020 goal no. 6!). You may remember that I opened the box early in the year, looked at the instructions, and quickly closed it back up, wildly intimidated. With some very kind encouragement from reader Carly (who is working on the same kit!) and a few tutorials from my wonderful mother-in-law, I was quickly sewing up a storm at nap times and in the evenings while on vacation. I’m still kind of in shock, but here we are! Just goes to show that goal progress doesn’t have to happen like you think it will to be really wonderful :)
On my calendar this month: — Both kids head back to preschool. I have lots of thoughts about this, obviously, but I’m excited to make it a great transition for everyone. — Otherwise, it should be a quiet month after lots of travel! Looking forward to digging into a few projects, catching up with friends, and getting back into some good rhythms.
What I’m loving right now: — I hesitated to recommend this podcast episode, because at the end of the two hours, the conversation does not tie up neatly in a bow. But if you are newer to these voices and curious about nuanced solutions to the current racial crisis, I think it’s worth a listen. Plus, these are just some really smart, interesting black intellectuals and academics to have on your radar. — We completed these DIY keychain kits on Team Cultivate in honor of our new office keys, and they were so fun! They’d make a great gift, and I love supporting another small business. — I’m not usually your girl for makeup tips, but this under eye brightener is MAGIC! Turns out it’s the key missing ingredient in my very minimal summer/COVID makeup routine. I use it in place of under eye concealer and it is perfect – brightens, doesn’t crease, doesn’t make you choose from an array of 20+ colors (I always choose wrong). Highly, highly recommend!
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!
What I read in July: — Eligible | I picked this up while we were in Maine and it was an ideal vacation read! Funny, well-paced, and with very short chapters that made it perfect for picking up and putting back down :) The story is based on Pride & Prejudice, but because it’s been years since I read P&P, it had to stand on its own for me, and it did. — Bet on Talent | Almost done with this work-related pick from my 2020 reading list. It’s interesting (always love hearing more about CFA), but I’m not sure I’ve read anything really Earth-shattering in it yet!
Revisiting my July goals: Because I completed SO few of my July goals and many will be moving to my August list, here’s the quick update: I sold my chairs (yay!), had a walking date with my new neighbor friend (yay!), chose a song for June in June (yay!), and have part one of my photo organization guide ready to go up later this week! (YAY!)
August goals: — Begin reading Mark with John — Book our camping trip for this fall — Sort through my SCC secretary responsibilities and make an easy-to-follow yearly checklist — Watch Just Mercy with John now that I’ve finished the book — Buy a new handbag — Edit June in June, Volume 5 — Complete four more Advent ornaments — Post all three parts of my photo organization guide — Clean out downstairs craft supplies once kids go back to preschool — Do something fun with at least one friend couple — Mock up a design board for our upstairs bathroom — Ride our stationary bike Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (trying something new to get me back in a good rhythm!)
Taken all together this list looks a little intimidating, especially given the month I just had (ha), but I’m hopeful that the lack of travel and the return to routines will give me a fighting chance!
Happy July, friends! This middle-of-the-year month is always sweet: I get to celebrate some of my favorite people (we have 6 birthdays in 6 weeks between our family, siblings, and parents!), I usually get to spend time in some of my favorite places, and I get to enjoy some of my all-time favorite things… peach desserts, homegrown tomatoes, blueberry picking, swimming holes, and boat rides, to name a few.
No matter what your calendar holds — whether it looks like any other July or totally new — I hope you get to enjoy a few of your favorite things this month, too!
P.S. I mention this below, but feel free to sign up for the new EFM “newsletter” right here! It’s just a simple email alert every time a new post goes live (and the formatting is admittedly wonky), but it’s something many of you have asked me for for years, so I’m happy to finally deliver!
On my calendar this month: — The birthdays of my two best guys! Looking forward to celebrating them both. — Road trips to Maine and Connecticut! I can’t wait to spend time in two of my favorite places with some of my favorite people.
What I’m loving right now: — If you’re still in need of a mask (or need to add to your collection), this one shipped super fast and is comfy! June and I also have a matching blue floral pair :) — I have used whitening toothpaste for years, but never really felt like it made much of a difference (I’m also a wimp and can’t stand the sensitivity from things like white strips). This toothpaste has made a noticeable difference in the last month with NO sensitivity – highly recommended! — Right now, growing the faith of my children is the weightiest and most intimidating responsibility in my life (thank God I’m not doing it alone!). I really appreciated this episode from Nancy with encouragement and a few simple ideas.
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here – including the recipe for that delicious peach and blackberry crumble up there!
What I read in June: — A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | I have been talking about this classic with Lisa for years, and I’m so glad to have finally experienced it! As she joked, it’s a book where nothing really happens — and yet, you grow so attached to the characters. — World Without End | The massive sequel to my favorite fiction read of 2019. It did not disappoint, though many people who’ve read both told me they prefer this one, and I think I enjoyed them equally! The plague is a major plot element, which made for interesting reading in this season. — Just Mercy | I am three chapters in and know this is going to be an incredibly impactful read. If, like me, you have grown weary of the hot takes, gleeful shaming, and educational oneupmanship that has accompanied June’s racial justice movement on social media, you might find it equally refreshing to be educated by such a wise, compassionate expert in long-form.
My library just reopened for grab & go books, so I’m excited to get back on track with my 2020 reading list as best I can!
Revisiting my June goals: Add more diverse faces to our family library (Our latest additions have arrived and been thoroughly enjoyed!) Finish reading Matthew with John Set up a simple email newsletter for EFM(Yes! You can sign up here! It’s still a little wonky, but this is a really simple way you can be notified of new posts if you don’t use a service like Feedly. Enjoy! :)) Write some entries in our COVID-19 family journal. (Did not get to this!) Photocopy favorite recipes from cookbooks to round out our recipe binder Book our camping trip for this fall (Confirmed a date but have not booked yet!) Have a little three-person game night every Friday this month with June, after Shep goes to bed. (She and I spent time coloring our gigantic print from Camp Castle instead! Planning to try this goal again in the future!) Use the Peloton app to move every day this month on days we don’t ride our bikes or otherwise exercise.(Yes! This was a huge success!! Loved doing 5-minute arms and a stretching session almost every night with John – having him onboard was a game changer. Will continue with this as a daily goal in my PowerSheets!)
July goals: — Begin reading Mark with John — Hang artwork bulletin board in the loft — Book our camping trip for this fall — Sort through my SCC secretary responsibilities and make an easy-to-follow yearly checklist — Watch Just Mercy with John after finishing the book — List chairs for sale — Buy a new handbag (more on this soon…) — Edit June in June, Volume 5! — Have a walking date with my new neighborhood friend Elaine — Post my photo organization guide (!)
Keeping things (fairly) simple for this month with lots of travel! I’d love to hear: what’s your absolute favorite dessert? John always chooses an ice cream cake for his birthday, and I’d say I’m split between the peach and blackberry crumble above and homemade chocolate cream pie… yum!!
