Have you been missing the 3 little things list each week? Just so you know, this feature didn’t go away…it just moved over to my newsletters each week.
I know your time is precious and our inbox can get overloaded with a lot of newsletter junk. What I want you to know though is that I’m REALLY proud of the newsletters I craft each week and I include loads of shows, podcasts, books, and items we are loving in our home each week.
Sign up is super quick over here. I will even send you some free printables that you can put to work in organizing your home for the holidays.
Today I wanted to share what you might have missed this past month in one big giant happy list!!
My November Happy List
Anybody else love the smell of freshly baked goods, but don’t really have the time to bake them? I moved my diffuser into my office and discovered this bakery oils set that I can diffuse while tackling things on my working to-do list.
With smells like gingerbread, coffee cake, and pumpkin pie, with my faux fireplace blazing, it is feeling deliciously cozy down in my office.
I was a big fan of the show, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and excited to see that Netflix was revisiting the Sabrina theme.
In case you didn’t know, this is not the same story of Sabrina really at all. Archie Comics released an Archie Horror series in 2014 that was about Sabrina in the 1960’s with much darker themes.
In fact, it is so dark that they are being sued right now because some of their elements are feeling just a tad too authentic.
This show is not one I would watch with my kids, but has been a good escape in the evenings with my hubby.
He does not enjoy horror AT ALL, but he has been loving this series as much as me as Sabrina figures out if she is a good witch or a bad witch…or if she even wants to be a witch at all.
Since this series is done by the same folks who produce Riverdale, I have enjoyed finding the easter eggs they have hidden for their Riverdale fans within this season. You may also recognize the lead actress from her Mad Men days! Wasn’t she the best in that show?
The one thing on my fall clothing bucket list that I REALLY wanted were these faux leather leggings that I kept hearing people rave about.
Although I’m not arguing that these make you look and feel slimmer, they were more appealing to me because of their compression aspect and how much better my whole body feels with any type of compression on it. In fact, a lot of people with my condition wear compression garments under their regular clothes for pain.
I mean, how can my husband argue with me that these are a sound investment when it helps with pain management. #iplayedthatcard
In all seriousness, I could not love these more and how much they dress up an outfit while still being, technically, black leggings.
They have a little shine to them, but not the ’80’s aerobic shine. Just a faux leather-y glimmer that makes these feel a step above the rest.
Paired with a couple of well-chosen items I got in my Stitch Fix box, I feel like these will be my holiday go-to.
Warm Matcha Drinks
I am not a breakfast eater, but I do love a warm drink in the morning. I have been combining 1 teaspoon matcha powder with a 1.5 cups of almond milk, a tablespoon of this, and a scoop of vanilla protein powder.
I just blend it all in a pot on my stove with my trusty handheld blender for my morning pick-me-up.
Haven’t tried matcha before?
Here is why it’s such a great coffee alternative!
Looking for a cooking show that will also get your wanderlust heart going?
I had no idea how enraptured I would be with this beautiful 4-part Netflix series and how much it would make me long to explore more dishes and places in the world.
Based on Samin Nosrat’s best-selling book, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is the essential guide to the basic elements of good cooking and the hostess couldn’t be more charming. Check out the trailer and indulge in this one with your family.
Socks For Cold People
I love ballet flats and booties, but, dang, those tiny baby socks offer no warmth at all. When fall hits, I switch to these because they do a better job of insulating my legs from the Midwest cold. Even better? They don’t slip off, thanks to their perfectly designed length.
When I was in college, Adam Sandler came to Purdue and my hubby (then boyfriend) and I got the opportunity to catch his show. I have loved this man ever since.
When it was my night to pick our show for the evening (do you take turns at your house too?), I selected Adam’s new special and laughed and laughed and laughed until I cried.
He has all new original music throughout and, at 51 (!!!), a whole new perspective on life as a father and husband.
I didn’t expect to be so choked up at the end though, but he brought out all the tears with a touching tribute to Chris Farley and to his fans. I wasn’t the only one raving– critics are digging it too!
For those that have been turned off by so much political banter with comedians, you will find that Adam doesn’t dive into that once and just brings the laughs we need right now.
I had about given up on Stitch Fix because I wasn’t really loving the quality of the items that were being shipped and I didn’t think any of the items felt like they were worth the prices they were charging…well, until this month.
Here is what I have learned, you MUST be specific in the notes section to your stylist because that is what they will really use to select your box. I made specific requests this time like, “I would like a black romper that can be worn for many seasons and is made for a petite pear-shaped girl. I would like a wool car coat preferably in a neutral or blush tone.”
Making specific requests made an enormous difference in my box and I’m having a hard time selecting items this go-round.
If you haven’t tried it before, here is $25 to spend to have a stylist select a box of pretties for your fall wardrobe. Keep in mind, they style for men, women, and kiddos now. I am thinking of giving my hubby a box for Christmas this year.
Did you know that GoodReads offers giveaways to their readers ALL THE TIME. I won the latest releases from Diane Chamberlain, Jodi Picoult, M.O. Walsh, & Taylor Jenkins Reid this past month.
Although I am able to get a lot of books for free from online review companies, I then am required to give a review back to keep receiving them.
Giveaways are a no pressure way to secure copies of books I am wanting without the pressure of getting reviews up right away.
Check the GoodReads giveaways page for current giveaways and always follow your favorite author profiles so you are notified when they share a giveaway with their readers. I am REALLY excited to be diving into this book this week.
By the way, you can follow what I’m reading over here, if you are interested!
Greenwashing is such a big thing right now and I can’t tell you how many products and services I have been told to buy since I got sick that I had no clue if they really had any merit or value.
If you love Alton Brown and his food science lessons, you are going to have a big ol’ crush on Timothy Caulfield as he debunks a lot of the fake science that we are being sold in the wellness industry.
It is sure to get a few people pissed off, but we are being sold a lot of snake oil these days. I learned so much!
I am sure it goes without saying that this has been a rough time for many when it comes to politics. I try to be a distraction from that and share my opinions around the dinner table, but I was looking for a little salve for my soul after the recent headline news.
For our family night, we indulged in the new Hulu RBG documentary.
If you are unfamiliar with the original Notorious, it is time to get acquainted with this insanely gifted woman.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg has developed a legacy and icon status unlike any other judicial figure. And for good reason. This documentary follows the life, challenges, and accomplishments of everyone’s favorite 85 year old.
It is super family-appropriate and gave us a lot to chat about.
Like, um, how lazy I felt after I watched it.
This woman is IMPRESSIVE.
Burning the candle at BOTH ends and still hitting the gym like a boss.
Don’t have Hulu? No worries! Check out Hulu for free, on me for your first month. And while you have it, enjoy The Handmaid’s Tale while you have your freebie activated. It’s AH-MAZING!
In an effort to cut down on waste, I have really been pushing that the kids take reusable water bottles to school. With the stainless interior, I worried about scraping up these while washing them and didn’t feel like shaking a little water with soap in them was really getting them clean enough.
Enter this amazing gadget and our water bottles have never been cleaner.
Narrow enough to get to the bottom easily and a perfect addition to getting those wine glasses clean too without scratching the glass up. It’s a win-win for ALL the hydration in our house and under $5.
Did you know that ALDI is offering grocery delivery now?
SERIOUSLY.
I am the happiest girl in the world right now.
Although, there are some fees (obviously) with delivery, I have more time to think/plan/add/remove items so that I feel like we may actually be doing MUCH better budget-wise. You can check and see if they are delivering in your area over here.
And I have one more reason to REALLY love Aldi.
They launched a low fat ice cream line that rivals my favorite Halo Top ice cream. It is SO good and it is a mere, $3.59 a pint. You can’t beat that for a treat that feels indulgent. One spoon please!
I have discovered that I can enjoy podcasts while I am doing some of my busy work on the website and consumed all seven episodes of Uncover: Escaping NXIVM in a single day. If you are an HSP (highly sensitive person), I wouldn’t recommend this one, but if you can handle it…this is a REALLY fascinating one.
Cults have always fascinated me and, perhaps, that is why I was drawn to this podcast. You may have read that Smallville actress Allison Mack was arrested on sex trafficking charges as a result of being a member of this group. The original pitched intention of the group was to gather like-minded people to help them attain personal growth and fulfillment through expensive courses they sold.
Yeah, another pyramid scheme.
Yet, behind the scenes, their leader Keith Raniere was crafting courses that sought to belittle and humiliate the women in the group as much as possible. It is quite astounding the ways they are belittled especially since these women are incredibly intelligent and gifted leaders.
The series is hosted by Joshua Bloc, who happened to have a childhood friend who had been a member of this group for twelve years. She gives listeners an inside look into what attracted her to the group and how quickly it turned.
The psychological games of cults are always fascinating and one can see how these groups prey and breakdown these women.
I have finally got my house all decorated for fall. I’m pretty sure that I have more bins for fall than I do for Christmas. It is, really, my favorite season. While I decorated, I listened to this autumn playlist I made.
I just wanted to share it with you today because it is one of my favorites.
I happen to know that it pairs quite well with a good cup of coffee.
I finally took the plunge and bought a Cricut. After looking at all the options, the original Cricut Explore Air and the newest version only had a difference in how fast it could crank out my project.
People, if it is cheaper, I will wait all day for it to crank out!
I ended up getting this one with the bundle package and that has been the best way to try out all the different materials and get to know my machine for a fraction of the price of their newer version.
It turns out that everyone in my family is moving (except us) so I have been cranking out some housewarming gifts this week. The first thing I attempted to try was making painted signs. As soon as I posted a picture of my first sign, I got SO many responses from people that they 1) never took it out of its box or 2) were too intimidated to try painting signs.
You know I was feeling REALLY smug, but also had NO CLUE that this wasn’t where people normally started. It took me two days to make this sign, there may have been cursing, but I was SO proud. I decided to pay for the access to their graphics and these two signs were made and then personalized from these files.
Once I get the hang of it, I promise to share a tutorial with you.
I spent way too many hours reading tutorials and watching YouTube to count before I actually put the paint on the signs. It has a learning curve, for sure, but I think it is going to be worth it for holiday gifts.
A girlfriend had texted me to share about a show on Netflix she thought we would enjoy. It’s called Atypical and I have been absolutely loving it.
This story follows Sam, a boy who is on the autism spectrum, and his quest for love and dating that ends up putting the entire family on their own individual quests of self-discovery.
With a child on the spectrum, I have loved seeing how these parents work with their child and help guide him through his teen years.
I also identify with the mother who is figuring out her new place when she is not needed as much at home.
This show has heart and humor, while showing the challenges and beauty in raising a child on the spectrum.
It did receive a lot of criticism on its first season for not being as informed as it should have been with the creation of Sam’s character. It seems they tried very hard to right some of those wrongs as they approached their second season.
It isn’t perfect, but it has been a really great escape.
I posted a picture on IG and someone was like, “Where did you find a grownup papasan chair?” and I had to share that I, actually, had dragged my outdoor chair in to read.
This giant chair makes me SO happy and has been a great way to take pressure off some of my old lady joints. I only mention this because I noticed they dropped the prices considerably and this cushion makes it look like it is an indoor chair rather than for its intended outdoor use.
When I was a kid, I would have died and gone to heaven to have one of these cool chairs in my room. My sister was the same way and rushed out to get one for her new place and we both have deemed it the perfect reading chair.
My only trouble?
Staying awake in it!
I discovered these pajama jeans and I am in HEAVEN. The online reviews were so stellar that I had to check them out and these are my new favorite go-to pant. I bought the light and dark washes and have worn them every day since I got them.
They come in a variety of colors too although, personally, I would stick with the black and jean rinses because the others seemed to highlight my figure flaws. Although I would normally wear a small, I sized up one since they are cotton and they fit me well without being too tight.
I can’t rave about the comfort of these enough so if you need a little break from your leggings this winter, these look like real jeans, but are as glorious as maternity pants and your favorite pajamas. Do get them!
And if you need to suck it up one night, these are almost as comfortable and oh-so-figure flattering.
Our personal happiness this month was two kids really rocking their report cards, working really hard on a campaign for the holidays that I’m super proud of, joining Junior League (and meeting incredible friends), my hubby discovering the South Bend tennis table club, and finally seeing someone who I’m FINALLY making some medical progress with.
High fives all around this month for that stuff.
I hope my month of happy brings a month of happy to you too! If this post doesn’t convince you my newsletter is fun, I’ve got nothing. Sign up over here to get this fun weekly in your inbox.
*this post may contain affiliate links- I only recommend what I love though. Check out past editions of It’s the 3 Little Things!