(still) RUNNING | in shorts over here, although I’ve gotten out the long leggings and fuzzy socks last weekend.
TRYING | to take advantage of some of the beautiful fall weather to get outside, but also
LOVING | the rain. We finally, finally got some rain this last weekend. I found it rather cozy hearing steady rain outside for an extended period of time. Ok, it didn’t have to be a bomb cyclone, tbh, but I guess we can’t be picky around here. We desperately need the precipitation to extinguish wildfires and fill reservoirs, but then again, we’re also hoping for only minor flooding and no landslides of any significant size. Why does it always have to be feast or famine?
WEARING | double-socks for the first time again this fall. It’s been getting kind of chilly at night (but we’re not using the heater yet).
ENJOYING | the Halloween decorations in our neighborhood. I am not much a Halloween-person, but I do love seeing creative decorations in front of people’s houses. I’ll share some pictures next week.
CELEBRATING | Jon’s birthday with this beautiful (and so easy to make) apple cake.
EATING | all the soups! I have been looking forward to the cooler season for the fact alone that we don’t need excuses to cook all the soups and stews again.
DRINKING | tea lattes with extra thick milk foam. My new obsession.
ORDERING | another 25 lbs. bag of rye flour. My bread baking game is still strong over here.
EXPLORING | a variety of different focus flow post-workout yoga classes on the Peloton app.
READING | Caste: The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. Oh boy, a MUST-READ. Settle in for some uncomfortable truths.
WATCHING | Red Sox baseball (well, for as long as it lasted. They didn’t have a great season, pulled themselves out of the rut to beat the NY Yankees in the Wild Card game, and then played an incredible postseason against the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros. Unfortunately, they didn’t make it to the World Series. Would have been fun.)
BUYING | the first Christmas presents. I read somewhere that we’re supposed to start extra early this year. Are you on it already?
LOOKING FORWARD TO | the holiday season. I mean, it is my favorite time of the year, but it’s also been coming around a bit too fast for my liking. Just me?
EXCITED | to participate – or should I say keep carrying the torch? – for NaBloPMo again, starting next Monday. It’ll be my 16th year. Call me committed. Have you decided yet if you’ll be joining me? Come on, you know you want to!
What is currently going on with you?
Jenny
October 27, 2021 at 12:03 pmYes! San, I am totally doing NaBloPoMo with you. Do you have a list of other people who are doing it? This will be your 16th year and my first! Very excited to join you.
San
October 27, 2021 at 12:55 pmJenny! That’s amazing! I love it. I am looking forward to reading along! If you click on the link, I’ll be adding participants to the list under “NaBloPoMo 2021”! :)
Tobia | craftaliciousme
October 28, 2021 at 3:24 amOh that apple cake looks so good. I would take a piece. Also please share how you do your foamy milk teas. I drink lots of earl grey with milk but haven’t tried any other fancy things. As you know I will join NaBloPoMo and I actually decided to work on my blog today as I have 2 hours of sudden time (canceled meetings) during this work day.
San
October 29, 2021 at 4:57 pmMy foamy milk teas are very simple – no secret to share ;) I just make the tea and froth the (soy) milk. I don’t even add any sweatener (for some reason, the foam makes it so creamy that it almost tastes “sweet”. I am sure you can add a drizzle of honey, or cinnamon, if you feel fancy, but it’s pretty delicious as is.
I am so excited that you’re tackling NaBloPoMo with me again this year! <3
Nicole MacPherson
October 28, 2021 at 3:53 amCaste was SUCH a good read. I really like the author’s writing.
I started my Christmas shopping this week, and I should be all DONE by next week! I hope.
Hope you don’t get flooding, although it will be a relief to get some precipitation.
San
October 29, 2021 at 4:57 pmI absolutely agree – Isabel Wilkerson has a great voice. I want to read her previous book!
Elisabeth
October 28, 2021 at 8:30 amI am NOT on top of Christmas things this year. I’m trying to be even more minimalist with my buying (I already try to keep it pretty simple, but with two kids…that can be tough).
That apple cake looks amazing. Like Star Baker on the Great British Baking Show!
I’ve been loving homemade chai with oat milk. Have you ever tried bulletproof coffee/tea. I haven’t bothered lately because it’s more work, but boy they are delicious. I use coconut/oat milk, coconut oil, vanilla, a touch of cinnamon and a bit of butter (sometimes). So filling and rich!
Also, as a random aside – I love the formatting on this post. A really fun way to summarize life lately :)
San
October 29, 2021 at 4:59 pmOh, homemade chai with oatmilk sounds wonderful… and bulletproof coffee. It’s been a while since I tried that. Thanks for the reminder! :)
Haha, thank you for the compliment about the cake – it’s an old family friend’s recipe and she kept insisting how easy it is (and it is!), but looks and tastes so exquisite! You should make it sometime.
Lisa of Lisa's Yarns
October 29, 2021 at 8:10 amCaste is my book club’s December read. I need to start reading it as I’ve heard it takes time to digest and isn’t something I can read at my typical speed!
We do very little Christmas shopping so I haven’t done much but did send the boys’ lists to the grandparents in case they wanted to start early. I ordered a bunch of books to wrap and open during Advent – excited for those to come! We are going to get Paul a refurbished iPad for Christmas. It’s not something he’ll use a lot but it will be nice to have on hand for car and plane trips, etc. And I’ve heard about great educational games so will let him do those on the weekends occasionally. It will be the first iPad we’ve owned in our family! I am such a late adopter of technology. Ha.
San
October 29, 2021 at 5:01 pmCaste is definitely a book that you have to “fully take in”, but I got through it fairly quickly… just because Wilkerson’s writing style is really fluid! I am curious what you think!
I think I remember you were doing the book-thing during Advent and I love that. There’s nothing better than instilling a love for reading at a young age!
If it makes you feel better, we still don’t have an ipad in our house… LOL I feel like I can get most things accomplished between my laptop and my iphone just fine. But I can see how the ipad will come in handy for the boys!
NGS
November 1, 2021 at 1:25 pmI think I’m done with holiday shopping except for one gift card and whichever niece and/or nephew we get in the drawing for the kids on my husband’s side. I’ve even ordered our yearly holiday ornament. I’ve never been this on top of it, but I got really freaked out by all the warnings about supply side issues and delayed shipping. I haven’t ordered holiday cards yet, but I guess I should put that at the top of my to-do list for this month!
San
November 1, 2021 at 5:27 pmSounds like you’re on top of things! Good for you :)
ShootingStarsMag
November 2, 2021 at 4:33 amGood luck with blogging ahead! I love that you keep doing it. I’ve been buying Christmas gifts for a few months now, but I’m hoping to get all of it done this month. It’s definitely good to do it early this year, for sure.
San
November 6, 2021 at 9:28 pmYep, it’s great getting an early start :)
Stephany
November 2, 2021 at 2:51 pmI haven’t started my Christmas shopping but I should get on it! I already know what I’m getting my brother and older nephew – I just need to get it done. I’m a little worried about shipping delays but I think I should be fine as long as I start early enough. Hopefully!
NaBloPoMo is going to be so much fun!
San
November 2, 2021 at 5:54 pmI am so excited you’re joining us!
anne
November 6, 2021 at 2:18 pmSorry about the Sox. I was just hoping for Anyone But The Astros, so the Atlanta team had my vote (despite their name and their stadium chant…). On to basketball!
What foamer (is that a word?) do you use for your coffee? That looks wonderful. I use pea milk but figure it should foam up just fine.
I shall put Caste on the (very long) TBR. I would get so much more reading done if I could just, you know, not work. Or maintain the rest of my life. :)
And – I just love that season where it’s chilly out but you don’t QUITE need the heat yet, as you can get by with fuzzy socks and flannel pants. We’ve moved into heat season now, so it’ll be a bit before I can do that again, but I try to make it last as long as possible. :)
San
November 6, 2021 at 9:30 pmOh, do you watch Basketball in the winter? I used to but haven’t followed in ages.. maybe I should get back into it!
I have a Mixpresso Milk Foamer (from Amazon), but one of those handheld frothers will easilyl do, if you don’t want to spend a lot of money. How do you like pea milk? I’ve never tasted it. Is it creamy?
Haha, I hear you… I’d get so much reading done, too, if life wouldn’t keep getting in the way LOL
anne
November 8, 2021 at 4:26 amWell, I don’t *watch* b-ball, per se, since I don’t have a TV. But I do keep up with it through clips that I see on the TV in the apartment gym, and I also listen to some sports radio and podcasts. It’s my brain candy. :) I also like American football, but there are so many things about it that I don’t like. Then again, I think there are problems with every sport, at every level, so…
I like pea milk! I buy the Ripple unsweetened and it’s great for putting in my tea and coffee. It has more protein than the almond and oat milks that are out there, which I like.