Finally, the horrific heat at the beginning of October has given way to cooler temperatures. For me, that means breaking out all of the cozy gear to ensure that I feel in the season. I’ve rounded up the things I’ve been loving this October, which are one part obsessions and one part yearly favorites.
Living
Since the beginning of the year, I have been toying with the idea of a bit of a redesign to my bedroom. I wanted to paint and just make it a little cozier. At the end of September, I got an alert from Wayfair that an item I had on my wishlist went on sale. That item was the perfect reading chair for the bedroom redesign I have in mind. The chair is so comfortable. Remington and I curl up on it nearly every night so that I can do a little reading before bedtime. I also added my TBR cart, as well as some items that make the whole area a cozy little reading nook. Now, every night before bed I spend at least an hour in that chair reading and relaxing.
Staying Healthy
I switched over to an Apple Watch two years ago. I absolutely love it, but the one thing I missed about my Fitbit was step challenges. I am a very competitive person and those challenges really kept me motivated. When my friend texted me letting me know that the new watchOS update included competitions I was ecstatic. These competitions have kept my friends and I so motivated all week long. I find myself moving more and making it a point to go to the gym every day. I frequently struggle to stay active throughout the year. After a long day at work, all I want to do is lay on my couch and relax. These competitions have really kept me up and on my feet, which can only benefit me in the long run.
Reading I
When I reach for books in the fall, I tend to reach for high fantasy. I don’t know what it is about that genre but it feels perfect for cooler weather. After starting the Mistborn Trilogy toward the end of September, I fell in love. I am reading it slower than I read some of my other books because I am really trying to savor it. The story has quite a few subplots. I have not encountered a similar magic system before, and the world building is beautiful. This is the first Brandon Sanderson that I am reading, but I imagine I will be investing in all of the Cosmere. Thank you Prime Day for a great deal on this boxed set.
Watching
I cannot stop watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I tried watching it when it was first released 6 years ago, but I just could not get into it. After it was canceled by Fox and subsequently picked back up by NBC, I was intrigued. I sat down, wrapped up in my comfiest, coziest blanket (another fall must) and began watching it on Hulu, and I haven’t looked back. It is laugh out loud funny, I am OBSESSED with Terry and Rosa, and Jason Mantzoukas is one of my favorite humans ever. Thank you, NBC for picking it up. I cannot wait to see what else happens.
Drinking
On weekends in the fall, there is nothing I like to do more than spiking my morning coffee with a little Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream. To my knowledge, you cannot buy this heavenly drink outside of Kentucky. As such, it tends to be a gift I bring to friends and family whenever I come home. Similar to Bailey’s, Bourbon Cream is a cream liqueur made with Bourbon instead of Irish whiskey. If you ever get a chance to try it, I could not recommend it anymore. It adds the perfect kick, and personally, I think it ups the coziness factor by 10 points.
Reading II
An amazing human in my life bought me Belong as a “Congratulations!! You passed the bar exam!” gift. I had never heard of Radha Agrawal before I got it in the mail. This book is something special. As I approach thirty, I have found myself becoming more and more of a solo person. I don’t go out to bars or parties. Mainly, I stay at home with my dog. I read, I talk to friends and family who live all across the country, but I still stay in the house. It’s not that I don’t like the people I’m around, but is hard to make friends when you are a transplant, workaholic, dogmom. I hope that Belong helps me cultivate the community I want to be surrounded by.
Listening
I am still obsessively listening to Potterless. I started it back in July and it quickly became one of my favorite things. Since I probably looked insane laughing out loud on a bike, I no longer listen to it at the gym. Unfortunately, I caught up to the recording schedule. Now, I have to wait two weeks to hear Schubes talk about Blueskidooing into places, hating on Quidditch, and mocking himself for his Ludo Bagman theory. Nothing says fall quite like the Harry Potter series, and this podcast does a great job at poking a little bit of fun at a beloved series. Schubes has pointed out so many things that I had forgotten about, plus the plot holes he points out are perfection.
Using
This year, I attempted to find a holy grail drugstore mascara. I failed. I don’t have great lashes, and drugstore mascaras are just not cutting it for me. They either clump, don’t hold a curl, flake, or wear off and I end up looking like a raccoon. Finally, I decided to save up my money and go back to the two mascaras that make my lashes look gorgeous, Benefit’s RollerLash and They’re Real. Unfortunately, I’m not great at saving money, so instead, I bought the travel sizes of them. They are still absolutely fantastic. I am absolutely obsessed with how wide open my eyes look after using these two.
