currently: tricks & treats edition

 

coordinating: Halloween costumes for the boys because after last year's Ash + Pikachu cuteness, how could I resist a new pairing, especially while Hendrik is still into the idea. He's also forever into Calvin and Hobbes... how cute will they be in this striped tee (plus spiky hairdo, he's most excited about that part, haha) and tiger suit? 

celebrating: no more braces! Hendrik's birthday in mid-October was great and all, but almost as exciting for him to celebrate was removal of his braces just in time to be able to eat allllll the Halloween treats, with no more orthodontist restrictions on gummies and nuts. I also need to track down a caramel apple for him - I really don't think they're great (such a mess, so much less satisfying than you'd hope!) but he got in his head that not being allowed to eat one was quite a travesty.

switching: my Ruggable doormat to the fall version. I love seasonal doormats, but I didn't like how worn they would get, and how it felt wasteful to buy new ones each season. So I was excited about getting Ruggable $$ for Christmas last year, and invested in the doormat base with changeable tops. They've held up super well and are washable, so I can return to them each season rather than buying new. I have a cheery hello for summer, and I just peel it off and for the colder months replace it with a more sophisticated design. Great trick, eh?! (*Might* still need a Christmas doormat cover in the collection though.)

swapping: sweaters with a friend after both getting color consults done and identifying things in our closets that didn't suit our colors but did suit the other's. I made out quite well with a gorgeous fair isle in my light spring palette - not only cozy and cute but also gets me more excited about being "stuck" with spring colors in a season when the heart wants to wear the traditional rusty/deep fall things. Also branches me out of my neutrals tendencies in such a fun way. (You should totally get a color consult done, it's so great - and then there are lots of other fab fair isles if you're interested in embracing your colors: bright reds, vibrant greens, brilliant blues, vivid purple.)

adding: to my books read in 2023 by utilizing some good tips & tricks to get more into audiobooks: listening on 1.2-1.3x speed to help me stay more focused (aligns better with my usual reading speed), using fully wireless earbuds so I can easily walk around with just one in while trailing Freddie's meandering lawn mowing around the block, pairing with an activity like jigsaw puzzling to keep my hands occupied and motivate me to listen longer, and picking some books that are totally made better by the narration experience (As You Wish was a 5-star one, and XOXO Cody was fun too while I did this super cute puzzle; more roundup here.)