Oooh, it’s cider + sweaters + puffy jackets + blanket scarves + colorful socks season! I cannot tell a lie. October was a blur. So all that cider? I barely drank any. Sweaters? Do sweater cardigans count? Blanket scarves? Bought one. Haven’t worn it yet.
Sometimes you’re just needed elsewhere, and the cute socks have to wait. Family members were ill throughout the month, and our foursome prioritized that over pretty much everything else. Ooh, and because nothing says “good decision” like adding more to an already full plate, I signed up to be a substitute teacher associate at the girls’ school. The teaching programs I have taught are currently on hiatus. But the pull to work with students was still there. So, here we are. I’m heading back into the classroom as needed. And even though I have taught for over 13 years, I still don’t quite know what to expect.
Even teachers get first day jitters.
But now that it’s a wrap on October, it’s time to settle in and discuss what happened on a lighter-hearted front. Like food, DIY body butter, and travel. Always with the travel. Or at least, whenever we can sneak a weekend in somewhere.
So, grab a cuppa somethin’ good, settle in, and let’s dish!
WHAT WE’RE EATING
We have gone nuts for Chocolate Chunk Crinkle Cookies. It took us several tries to get the recipe right, and it’s still a slightly more delicate recipe than we usually see on the blog. But how can you even pass up cookies full of cocoa, chocolate chips, and chocolate chunks?
Also, once you’ve made these a few times, friends, the process is like a dream. A dream, I tell you. If cookies can be a dreamboat, then these cookies are sailing on by. 2DIE4.
FAVORITE HOMEMADE BODY BUTTER:
Fall is officially here, which in the Midwest, basically means winter is around the corner. Also officially here, though? Chilly temps and dry skin. So I turned to one of our family’s favorite non-food recipes, homemade Lavender Body Butter. It’s thick, it’s moisturizing, and it’s decadent.
But you should know one thing about this, maybe two. A little bit goes a long way. This body butter is made with olive oil, coconut oil, beeswax, and glycerine. So if you apply it like you would a store-bought lotion, you will be one big GREASEBALL, and that’s not overstating the situation in the slightest.
If, however, you’re in the market for an amazing, low-cost body butter recipe, then this is yours for the taking. Put it in your recipe tin and call it good.
WHERE WE WENT:
We spent a weekend in Iowa City for homecoming. While K-Hubs performed on Saturday, the girls and I went to our regular haunt, the Museum of Natural History on the University of Iowa campus.
We also went to Iowa Old Capitol, which sits at the heart of the campus, and happens to be right next to the museum. Okay, to be fair, it isn’t as difficult to take the girls out and about anymore. They are old enough to handle most elements of whatever we’re doing.
But I will take an easy path when one is presented to me. So if two museums are right next to each other, my energy bank is all “hell yeah, we’re doing this.” And so it came to be.
Also, we got approximately 3 hours of sleep on Friday night. So that totally balanced out the success of our museum hopping.
In other news, the following weekend was my birthday. K-Hubs and I plotted a night out just the two of us. But the girls had other plans, and how do you even turn down a 6-year-old and a 9-year-old? You can’t. We couldn’t. And so the girls planned a day of activities for my birthday.
Bless. It. All.
Because we had gone to Iowa City the previous weekend, they insisted we visit Ames. They also promised to find the best leaf piles for me to jump in. Friends, this is perfectly reasonable, expected even, because Iowa State University is a land grant school with an incredible green space between two of its main buildings, Beardshear and Curtiss. The leaf piles did not disappoint
And neither did the Brunnier Art Museum located on campus. Oh my heart, the girls went nuts for Jennifer Steinkamp’s art installations. And when I say “girls”, I really mean all four of us. We would (and will) go back to Brunnier again. So incredible.
If you get tired from minding your manners, there is an atrium complete with chandeliers for taking a rest. Who can blame a girl for wanting to absorb all that shimmery light?
And that’s a wrap on October, folks. Goals for next month include getting in some blanket scarf time, a few more sips of cider, and generally trying to keep perspective when life gets busy. Cute socks might help with that.
So, tell me, what have you been up to? Where did you travel in October? What did you sip? Comment below and let me know!
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