October 2026 Goals

Happy Monday! It's finally October, and I'm so excited for this month! As you may know, October is one of my favorite months. September was an absolute whirlwind of a month, which was a little surprising because I thought we would only have a week or two of busy days. The second half of the month was especially busy, which really caught me off guard.

Although we were very busy in September, we did have fun. We celebrated John's birthday, and it was fun celebrating all month long. We celebrated early and went to the Smyrna Market Village. We stopped by Ruby's Sourdough Pizza for some different slices of pizza. We also tried some of their treats and coffee. 

In September, I tried the Little Debbie X Crumbl cookies and loved them. I also tried RYZE's Pumpkin Spice latte sticks, which are a new current fall favorite. I visited the farmer's market almost every week and even went to the Upper West Market, which one of my favorite vendors recommended. 

We all went to Spirit Halloween to check out the animatronics and costumes. We're still unsure what we're going to dress up as, and this year Halloween may look a little different for us, especially since I have two teenagers. I started making a list of spooky movies and shows I want to watch in October. 

This month, I'm looking forward to all things cozy and spooky. I plan to make a lot of hot chocolate topped with Dandies marshmallows (a new favorite). I'm looking forward to movie nights with John and the boys. I'm looking forward to a spooky festival with my family and, of course, Halloween.

Since September was such a busy month, I'm surprised that I actually remembered some of my goals. I'm anticipating October to be another busy but fun-filled month. However, I do hope to work on a couple of goals and cross off a few things on my Fall Bucket List. Since I mentioned goals, let's quickly recap my September goals and look at my new goals for October.

Recap of September Goals

• Read 2 books I borrowed from the library: Raphael and I read a lot of fall and Halloween themed books in September. I also read Love, Creekwood by Becky Albertalli and Address Unknown by Kathrine Kressman Taylor. For such a slim and quick read, Address Unknown was absolutely fantastic.

• Read 2 books I received from NetGalley: I did read several books I received from NetGalley, but only finished one of the books. I read Love and Frida Kahlo: an anthology of art and poetry edited by Cheryl Robson. This was an amazing biography and anthology. 10/10 highly recommend.

• Try 1 new-to-me recipe: I made a delicious rice bowl using pork loin strips. I'll definitely make this again. It was seriously so good. 

• Watch or stream a movie and a show: So I didn't watch anything new in September. I just didn't make any time and still couldn't decide on what to watch.

• Work in my journal: I didn't work in my journal. I really hope that I make time to work in journal in October. Most importantly, I really hope that I get over this fear of messing up my journal/sketchbook and perfectionism.

October Goals

• Read 3 books I borrowed from the library
• Read 1 fall/Halloween themed book
• Read 2 books I received from NetGalley
• Watch or stream a new-to-me movie and a show
• Work in my journal

What are your goals for October? How did you do in September?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by erica steeves on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Saturday! This was such a busy week, but I was so excited for Friday! It was a really great day, especially after having such an unexpectedly busy week. 

1. Can you believe it's already October? I'm beyond excited for this month. October is one of my favorite months of the year, and I can't wait for Halloween. 

2. After having such an incredibly busy week, it was nice to have an easy day at work on Friday. My colleague and I were incredibly excited about how easy the day went. 

3. May we all have a gentle October.

4. This Atlanta By The Coffee art print is amazing! Now I want to visit every single coffee shop listed. I also love that so many people mentioned other coffee shops in the comments. I added a few more to my list.

5. We finished setting out our fall and Halloween decor, and I can't stop smiling every time I pass my little haunted house and mini witch figurines.

6. On repeat: Fill the Void by The Weeknd, Lily-Rose Depp and Ramsey

7. A new favorite drink: Popwell's Blackberry Lime

8. Coffee + Crumbs final collection is live! Every piece was great. I especially loved Molly Flinkman's Forty Somethings.  

9. John and I went to Trader Joe's, and I bought so many new-to-me things. Lots of snacks, treats, and a few things for different meals throughout the week. I'm so excited to try a new recipe.

10. The mornings have definitely felt like fall. We've even started wearing our sweaters! I really hope the afternoons get cooler soon.

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Svitlana on Unsplash

September 2026 // A List

1. Oh, September. It was another busy month, especially in the second half of the month. It was a month full of appointments and meetings. But there were also a lot of celebrations and fun events.

2. We celebrated John's birthday, and since his birthday was actually on a weekday, we did a lot of celebrating over the weekend. But we kept the celebration going all month long. We also did our usual birthday traditions, which are always a blast. How lucky we are to celebrate another year.

3. We also celebrated my niece's birthday and had a pool party on Labor Day. It was so nice to spend time with family and see the kids all together.

4. I found so many new-to-me products that I absolutely love. Some are treats like Dandies marshmallows (and they're vegan!), Miils (my absolute favorite right now), and CVT soft serve ice cream. 

5. There were many trips to the farmers market for crimson apples and apple cider. I went to a new-to-me indoor market, the Upper West Market, which was recommended to me by one of my favorite vendors. 

6. I celebrated fall's official arrival by lighting a candle in the morning, making a pumpkin spice latte, and completing some physical therapy exercises before the boys woke up. 

7. Although most of the month was extremely hot, fall is definitely coming out to play. The mornings have been so much cooler, which has been much appreciated. 

8. I devoured an outrageous amount of s'mores in September. It was my go-to dessert for the month.

9. Raphael and I have been reading so many fall and Halloween-themed books. We still have a bunch more on hold at our library. I can't wait to get them all. 

10. Physical therapy has been incredibly helpful. I still can't believe I waited so long to actually go. 

11. Fall break was great, and I was so happy we didn't have to go to work or school. Although Raphael and I were feeling under the weather during the weekend, it was still a great week. 

12. This month was full of good food. I made a fantastic rice bowl with pork loin strips and veggies. It was so good. Mami also made us a feast when she realized that Raphael and I were sick. There's nothing like Mami's homemade food.

13. The state of the country and the world is still frightening. My heart is breaking for the young female student at Cornell. I'm at a loss for words and don't even know where to begin. My heart goes out to this young woman.

14. We went to check out Halloween costumes, but we still don't know what we'll dress up as. I think this Halloween will be a little bittersweet. My older sons don't really want to trick-or-treat this year (they're teens, so I guess that makes sense), but still...it hit me a bit hard at the realization that they really are growing up.

15. So long, September. You were an eventful month. A month full of lessons. There were a few rough days, but the good days definitely outweighed the bad. Hello, October. I'm so excited for you. I have such high hopes. May you be a month of peace, healing, and all things cozy. 

Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Sunday! This was such a great week, especially since we were on fall break. I'm so sad that we have to go back to school and work tomorrow. 

1. It's officially fall! I celebrated the first day of fall by lighting a candle, making a homemade pumpkin spice latte, and doing some of my physical therapy exercises before the kids woke up. 

2. I've been devouring s'mores. It's been my dessert after dinner for a few days. Also, I highly recommend using Hershey's milk chocolate bars with caramel candy to make s'mores. They are amazing!

3. "Librarymaxxing: The Secrets Librarians Wish You Knew." This was such a great article. 

4. Sometimes social media (Instagram) can be useful. I discovered a new-to-me artist, Cheryl Andrey, and love her work. 

5. On repeat: Catch Me If You Can by Allegra Jordyn

6. I kept hearing about Fat Bear Week and had no idea what in the world this even meant. After Austin Kleon mentioned it in his latest Substack article, I finally looked it up and was surprised it's a competition. You can learn more about it here.

7. Current Favorite: SmartSweets Candy Salad. This was an impulse buy at the grocery store, and I don't regret it. I love the mix of sweet and sour candy. It was a nice little pick-me-up.

8. We went to Spirit Halloween to check out costumes. We're all not sure what we're going to dress up as, but I was pleasantly surprised to see more costumes this year than last year. 

9. Must-watch: Air Wick Mexico's Día de los Muertos commercial had me in tears. 

10. It's almost October, and I'm so excited. It's going to be a very busy month, but I'm so excited for all the fun events we plan to attend. 

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Hà Nguyễn on Unsplash

Fall 2026 Bucket List

Happy Tuesday and First Day of Fall! As always, I'm so excited that fall is officially here! This morning, I started my day with a pumpkin spice latte and some physical therapy exercises before the kids woke up. I also lit a candle and played some fall and Halloween-themed songs.

We're on fall break right now, and I'm so excited for our plans(and the fall season). I plan to watch a couple of spooky movies or a show, finish one of the books I'm currently reading, and go to the fair. I plan to start decorating our home for fall, and I need to switch out my mugs.

In honor of the first day of fall and continuing with one of my favorite fall seasonal traditions, it's time to share my fall bucket list. As always, I've kept my usual fall favorites and traditions on the list, but there are a few new things I've included. I can't wait to start crossing things off my list, and I may just return to add some things to the list. 

• Read 8 books
• Read 5 spooky books by October 31
• Participate in a Fall or Spooky book challenge
• Read 2 books on my TBR list
• Watch a new-to-me scary movie
• Go to a Fall festival
• Donate clothes and other items
• Document fall
• Go to the fair
• Make s'mores
• Work in my sketchbook/journal
• Work on 1 crafty project
• Make caramel apples in a cup
• Go to the farmer's market
• Go to the Upper West Market
• Make a fall simmer pot
• Publish a photo essay
• Drink apple cider
• Go for a walk on the Silver Comet Trail
• Visit Oakland Cemetery
• Buy Halloween costumes
• Carve a pumpkin
• Roast pumpkin seeds
• Go to the spooky festival
• Decorate the house for fall
• Go see the I SPY! Walter Wick's Hidden Wonders exhibit at the High Museum of Art
• Visit a pumpkin patch
• Watch The Haunting of Hill House
• Go for more evening walks

What is on your fall bucket list?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Sunday. This was a busy week filled with meetings, appointments, trainings, and a massive to-do list. This weekend, I wanted to just relax, and I'm happy to say I did. And now, we are on fall break, which I'm super excited about.

1. I finally found the Poppi sour apple flavor, and it's so good! This will probably be another go-to fall drink for me. 

2. Currently Reading: I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of  Love & Frida Kahlo: An anthology of art and poetry, edited by Cheryl Robson, and I'm really enjoying it.

3. A new cat species was discovered in Bolivia

4. This game of Duck, Duck, Goose. I used to love this game when I was a kid.

5. On repeat: See You Again by Roosevelt

6. I was so excited to find crimson crisp apples at one of my favorite vendors at the farmers market. I bought a medium-sized bag, and I'm pretty sure the woman gave me a few extras, which is much appreciated. I plan to snack on these and maybe use a few in a recipe.

7. I've been drinking RYZE Pumpkin Spice lattes all week, and I love it! I think this may just be one of my fall go-to drinks this year.

8. Homemade food made by Mami. Raphael and I were feeling a little under the weather, so Mami made us all a feast. Comfort food is the best, especially when it's made by Mami.

9. Fall is almost here! It was a cool 70 degrees this morning, and it felt glorious! I can't wait for fall to officially arrive this Tuesday.

10. Did I mention Fall break is here, and I'm so excited? We don't have any big plans, but it'll be nice to have a week off work and school. 

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

September 2026 Goals

Happy Monday! How are we already halfway through September? August flew by, and September seems to be doing the same.

August marked the start of the school year and the return to a routine. Although we had to go back to school and work, summer is still in full swing. We are continuing to take advantage of the last few weeks of summer. We went to the pool a few times and the Marietta Square to check out some shops and go for a walk around the area. Throughout the month, I went to a few different farmers' markets, tried new drinks and treats, and shopped at a few small businesses. My favorite Barnes & Noble bookstore permanently closed in mid-August, so I made a few trips to take advantage of the amazing sales before the last day of business.

This month, I'm looking forward to a slower month. So far, it's been less hectic than August, but I did have a couple of busy days. This month, I'm looking forward to celebrating John's birthday, going to a few fall events, reading a few books on my TBR list, trying a new recipe (or two), and eating so many different seasonal foods.

Since it's a new month (and we're halfway into September), it's time to share a quick recap of my August goals and check out my goals for September.

Recap of August Goals

• Read 1 book I borrowed from the library: I read You & a Bike & a Road by Eleanor Davis and thought it was an interesting read. It also made me want to read more graphic/comic style books. Raphael and I also read a lot of books together, and we are currently reading lots of fall- and Halloween-themed books.

• Read 1 book I received from NetGalley: I read Safe Harbor by Nicola Yoon, and it was a nice, quick read. I love a good novella, but I think the book would have been better as a novel. Safe Harbor reminded me of The Breakfast Club film, which I loved. The novella is also part of a short story collection called The Edge of Everything.

• Try 1 new-to-me recipe: I didn't try a new recipe. To be honest, I've been stuck on which recipe to try. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. 

• Work in my journal/art journal: So this didn't happen (I know, I know). I blame it on how busy the past few weeks were. I'm really hoping to work in my journal soon. 

• Watch or stream a movie or show: I didn't watch a movie or show in August. I honestly couldn't decide what I wanted to watch. Although I have a ton of shows to catch up on, I'm on the hunt for a really good movie or series. So please feel free to share your recommendations.

September Goals

• Read 2 books I borrowed from the library
• Read 2 books I received from NetGalley
• Try 1 new-to-me recipe
• Watch or stream a movie and a show
• Work in my journal

What are your goals for September? How did you do in August?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Mia Baker on Unsplash