five things Friday: October favorites edition

One great thing about doing a monthly recap in the form of favorites? Focusing on those instead of some not-favorites (I'm looking at you, not having a kitchen sink for most of October, and the last week of nonstop rain). So here, instead, are 5 good things!

favorite Etsy find: I found a few great handmade items this month, like this for a Halloween costume and this for a new nursing job gift, but my favorite find was Hendrik's I'm 4! birthday tee from Ahoy Amigo. It was perfect for his party!

favorite hometown shop: writing a "live like a local" post about my town for Kait's blog, and a corresponding overview of all of the fun stuff to do downtown made me even more excited about living here. As did a little wander through our local candy store for some treats...

favorite outerwear: though I loved it that this month was so unseasonably warm that jackets weren't necessary on many days, it wasn't so bad when the temperatures dipped because I got to pull out this new one. I wear my downtown jacket a TON, so adding a warmer version to the collection was a no-brainer.

favorite freebie: I received The Windfall, a fun comedy of manners type read, from Blogging for Books, which I enjoyed reading last week. In this story, the Jha family has come into a financial windfall after Mr. Jha sold his website for big bucks, and they are moving from their cramped middle-class apartment in a Delhi neighborhood to an upscale one - where the neighbors turn out to be just as zany, especially as Mr. Jha starts up a keeping-up-with-the-Joneses type rivalry with their new neighbors. I liked that in addition to the comedy, there were a few sympathetic characters (especially Mrs. Jha, and also a sweet romance between widowed neighbors) to take it beyond just caricatures and also allow the story to address some interesting topics of family, social status, pride, and modern love - both in the Indian culture in which the story takes place, and in general. Kevin Kwan (Crazy Rich Asians) and Jade Chang (The Wangs vs. the World) both blurbed this one, which was very appropriate - this read definitely made me think of their books in tone and themes, so if you enjoyed them, check out The Windfall.

favorite fall fun: there was apple picking and pumpkin decorating, sure, but my favorite fall fun was getting outdoors under some blue sky and riding down gravel roads lined with fall foliage, thanks to my new gravel-ready bike. Best way to enjoy a fall day!


All that good stuff, and we still have more fun to come in the last couple days of October... I've never been big into Halloween, but with a 4-year-old around, it gets fun. This weekend we'll kick things off with some festivities at the local museum, just down the street from us - can't wait to dress him up in his cute t-rex/dragon vest. What are your Halloween plans?