November 2021 // A List

November was a month full of gratitude.

November mainly was an unproductive month.

November was full of mixed emotions.

November was all about standing up for myself.

November was all about caramel brulée lattes, white chocolate mochas, and hot chocolate bombs.

November was the beginning of getting into the holiday spirit.

I found myself in nature again, and it was so needed. 

November felt like a cozy, warm mug of hot chocolate while wrapped up in a comforting hug.

November was a month of lots of family walks.

November was a little bit worrisome, but with an overwhelming (and much needed) amount of hope.

November was a slow month, yet it went by so fast.

November was just what I needed.

Goodbye November. You were a much-needed month. I'm glad it was a good month.

Hello December. I hope this year, it really is the most wonderful time of the year for everyone.

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link up. Last week, I didn't post a happy/thankful list, so this week's list will be a combined list of things I've been grateful and happy for over the past couple of weeks.

1. New books (Target has had some great sales on books)

2. Frozen Hot Chocolate from Auntie Anne's

3. Sticking to what's on my list

4. Red Cup Day at Starbucks

5. Spending time with John

6. Thanksgiving with my family

7. Going to the Silver Comet Trail

8. Finding new songs (Currently listening to No Quiero Saber by Natti Natasha on repeat)

9. Hot Chocolate Bombs

10. Sleeping in

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link up.

1. Rainy and foggy mornings

2. My take on this month's One Little Word prompt

3. Bad Child by Tones and I

4. Words by Amy Turn Sharp

5. Wide Awake by Anna Fury 

6. Cuddles with my boys

7. Popcorn and cheese dip

8. Working on my Project Life album

9. Reading holiday stories

10. Warm blankets during chilly nights

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Target Finds

Happy Wednesday! It's time for another Target Finds! I've found so many great things at Target over the past few weeks. Most of the items were things that we needed, but a few things that I bought were things that I wanted to try. 

Let's check out my current favorite Target finds. 

Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Hand Mixer with Case

I had to buy a new hand mixer because I couldn't find the attachments to my old one. This Hamilton hand mixer works very well. I really love that it came with a case, so at least now I won't lose the attachments (and no, I still haven't found the ones for my old hand mixer). This hand mixer came with several attachments, including standard beaters and a whisk. I've already used this hand mixer, and it works very well. If you're not really into baking but need something for days when you decide to bake, I highly recommend this hand mixer. It's inexpensive, easy to use, and the quality is excellent.

Rael Beauty Miracle Acne Pimple Patch Invisible Spot Cover + Spot Control Cover Duo

I randomly saw this on sale and noticed a deal on the app, so I decided to buy these. I was really intrigued when I saw that it was an invisible spot cover. I've never tried this brand before or a blemish/acne patch spot cover. Hopefully, it works. I'll probably post a review on this soon.

FLTR No Contact Infrared Digital Forehead Thermometer

I decided to buy a forehead thermometer after the boys got sick a few times. This thing is handy, and it's so much easier to use, especially on younger children. It's accurate, and I love that it's easy to read. Overall, it gets the job done.

Lotus Biscoff & Go Cookie Butter and Breadsticks

This little snack was delicious! I am now hooked on Biscoff Cookie Butter. I'm not even sure what made me want to buy the Biscoff Cookie Butter and Breadsticks, but I'm so glad that I did. 10/10 would recommend. The jar of Biscoff Cookie Butter is a bit pricey, but I think it's worth it. 

Overall, I found some great things at Target. As usual, I saved on all of my Target Finds by using the Cartwheel app and buying items on sale.

What are some of your favorite Target Finds?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

If You and I Had Coffee

If you and I had coffee...

We'd probably meet up at Starbucks and order one of their seasonal drinks. I love the Caramel Brulée Latte and the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha. The seasonal hot chocolates are also so good. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I'm looking forward to the holiday season. I love that the stores have their holiday displays out. I've already started my holiday shopping. I'm hoping to be done with that by the end of this month. I just want to relax for the rest of the holiday season. I'm also looking forward to getting some matching Christmas pajamas. We bought our last ones at Target, and hopefully, we can find some nice ones there again. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I've been working on my memory-keeping projects. I'm actually almost done with my Autumn 2021 travelers notebook. I'm currently working on my One Little Word album. I've been taking an Instax every day. It's been a great way to practice using my Instax Mini 90 camera and a fantastic way to document something good every day. 

I'm still trying to decide which format I'm going to use to document December. There are just way too many options, and I have so many supplies. I love the idea of making a mixed media mini album with some binder rings. I could add photos, ephemera, paint, etc., and not really worry about bulk.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I'm already starting to plan for next year. Most of the planning is related to my blog and writing for Atlanta Mom. I'm thinking about submitting work to some other blogs and magazines. I'm also planning to take some art classes as well. I've been really interested in Laura Horn's art classes. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I'm so glad that we were able to meet up and chat. It's always great to catch up. I hope you have a great day and that you are excited about the upcoming holidays. I hope you accomplish your goals and wish you nothing but the best and good vibes. 

What would you tell me?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link up.

1. I'm not a Braves fan, but I'm happy that they won. 

2. Everyone's excitement over the Braves winning the World Series. 

3. Starbucks Peppermint Mochas

4. Warm and cozy pajamas

5. Workin on this month's One Little Word prompt

6. Taking Instax photos

7. Moth To A Flame by Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd

8. Journal pages by Jil Larson (@reson8ed)

9. Getting ideas for blog posts and articles

10. Reading

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

November Goals

Happy Wednesday! It's November, and the year is almost over! And I'm still processing 2020, but this year has been way better than 2020, so I'll take it. October was an interesting month with some good days and bad days. There were some tears but so much joy as well. It was definitely an emotional rollercoaster, but I learned so much. 

In October, we went to the Stone Mountain Pumpkin Festival, Still Family Farm, and celebrated Halloween. I was so happy that we got some trick-or-treaters this year. Michael and Gabriel dressed up as ghostbusters, and Raphael dressed up as a dalmatian. They looked adorable. We still have tons of candy.

This month, I'm hoping to take an Instax photo a day as a part of my One Little Word project. I'm also hoping to finish up some other memory-keeping projects like my 2020 Christmas travelers notebook (yes, I still haven't finished it). I'm also hoping to work on my journal.

Recap of October Goals

• Read 5 books: I accomplished this goal. I think I actually read more in October than I did in September. I think I read about 40 books in October. Most of those books were short stories and books that I needed to review for Netgalley. I do count short stories as part of my reading goal, which is why I usually have a large number of books read in a month. My favorite reads of the month were Welcome to the Grief Club by Janine Kwoh, Murder Book: A Graphic Memoir of a True Crime Obsession by Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell, and Midlife Halloween Shift by J.L. Wilder, 

• Read 3 books that I need to review soon: I reviewed 5 books in October. Most of the books were really great. I'm still working through some more books that I need to finish reading and then review.

• Catch up on my One Little Word project: I am finally caught up with my One Little Word project! I'm really excited at how chunky my album is getting, and I'm pleased about this month's prompt. November's prompt may just be my favorite prompt from the project. 

• Post 2 personal pieces on the blog: I only posted one personal essay on the blog. I'm not counting my usual pieces like my "If You and I Had Coffee..." and monthly goals. You can check out the essay that I posted here.

• Try 2 new recipes: I can't even remember if I made anything new, so it's safe to say that I most likely didn't try any new recipes. I really need to get it together.

• Work on my Christmas travelers notebook: I didn't work on my Christmas travelers notebook, but I did work on my Autumn Moments travelers notebook. I plan on working on my Christmas travelers notebook this month, and I'm hoping to complete it before this year ends.

• Catch up on my Project Life album: I worked on my Project Life album, but I still need to catch up on my album. Thankfully, I only have a few layouts to complete.

November Goals

• Read 5 books

• Read 4 books that I need to review soon

• Post 1 personal piece on the blog

• Try 1 new recipe

• Work on my Christmas travelers notebook (Bonus if I actually complete it this month)

• Work on my Autumn Moments travelers notebook

• Work on my One Little Word album

• Catch up on my Project Life album

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

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Alexa Williams on Unsplash