10 Things Vol. 9

Hi! I hope you’re having a good week so far. Today I’m sharing a new 10 Things post. I can’t believe the last one I published was back in May but it’s been a busy summer! Here’s a little catch up post as we head into fall, though I’m probably forgetting a ton of things that happened in the past couple of months.

1) I just had to rearrange my whole post so I could put the most important news at the top- my brother and his wife had a baby!!! I got to see him in the hospital and then again last weekend.  I can’t stop looking at photos of him. He’s the cutest little guy! He came 3 weeks early and on my brother’s birthday! It’s so wild that my brother is a dad now, but he and his wife are going to be the best parents.

2)  At the end of September I realized that I’ve read 144 books so far in 2023.  For me, this is a LOT! I usually read between 100-130 for the whole year.  There is one year in my reading history that I managed to read 200 books (and one other where I read 187).  This is relevant information because I decided to go for 200 again this year! That means I have to read about 18 books per month in October, November and December in order to complete my goal (but realistically, I’ll have to read a little more in October/November since December tends to be pretty busy).  I think I can do it and I’m excited to try knowing that it’s within my reach, but I’m not going to beat myself up if I don’t make it.  However, it would be really exciting!

3) I caught up on all ten seasons of Vanderpump Rules this year and when I tell you that season 10 is some of the best reality tv ever, I kid you not.  If you use the internet at all, I’m sure you’ve heard of #Scandoval and the insane… I wanted to say plot twist but these are real people.  I felt so many emotions as I made my way to the finale and the reunion shows are officially my Roman Empire.  I can’t wait to watch the next season as it airs and see how all of the fallout plays out.

4) I’m so glad that fall is finally here! Summer has left me exhausted and restless and I’m so excited to enjoy the cooler weather and hit some new state parks to appreciate the colorful foliage.  I’ve had exactly two pumpkin drinks so far which doesn’t feel like nearly enough. I started doing some preliminary fall fashion perusing and I can’t wait to cozy up in sweaters, boots, blazers and tights.  Andrew and I already rewatched Over the Garden Wall, and I’ve already started a list of films to watch on our annual Halloweekend.  We have a pumpkin picking date planned with friends, a Hobbit party feast, and our fall decorations are up around the house.  I am so ready!

5) Oh, here’s a big update for you.  After 20 years of being a vegetarian… I stopped. I had been toying with the idea of eating meat again, but I can finally say that I’ve done it. I started eating chicken again in June.  I had the smallest bite ever while we were in the Poconos since I was nervous about getting sick but thankfully I had no adverse effects! I’ve been eating a lot more chicken now, and I’ve also had a couple of pieces of shrimp, a ton of foods made with marshmallows (rice krispie treats, mallomars, Ben & Jerry’s Phish food ice cream and a real roasted by the fire s’more!), and turkey sausage with breakfast.  It’s so weird, I truly feel like I’m living in a whole new world. Never in my adult life have I been able to go to a restaurant and have so many options to choose from on a menu.  It continues to blow my mind every single time I go out to eat.  And I keep thinking of all of these foods I want to try again. It’s been so much fun!

6) You may remember that in my last 10 Things post back in May, I talked about all of the flowers that Andrew and I planted around the house.  As it turns out, we are terrible with plants!! I’m pretty sure everything we picked up is dead and my dad had been telling me that our hydrangeas could probably come back but upon seeing those poor potted plants, he immediately rectified his opinion and said there is no hope for those. We shall see if we get any better at gardening for next spring.

7) I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I think I want to go back to being blonde. I’ve been looking up inspiration photos online and toying with the idea of getting a dramatic haircut.  My hair has gotten so long and it’s driving me crazy.  I love having long hair and anytime I cut it, I usually end up regretting it just a little, but once it’s passed a certain length into the “this is just annoying” area, I can’t help but want to chop it all off.

8) I’m realizing that I really need to start being more selective when it comes to special editions. I do feel like they’ve finally sprung out of control this year and it’s been tough trying to keep up! I always prefer to buy a special edition of something I’ve read and know I enjoyed, but I get major FOMO when it comes to new titles because what if it ends up being a favorite book and I missed out? Alexa and I have been trying to read some books that are available and getting the special edition treatment soon to ease our wallets, but again, it’s become extremely overwhelming! Life would be so much easier if I were one of those readers that only liked one genre, but alas, I’m cursed with loving all of the genres (or most of the genres anyway).

9) One thing that Andrew and I have been doing lately that I absolutely love is that we’ve been prioritizing time to play board games together.  Usually after breakfast on the weekends we’ll play 1-3 board games together and I’ve really been enjoying this quality time with one another.  Our go-to games are Splendor (my favorite!), Takenoko and Catan.  We’ve also been having monthly board game days with two of Andrew’s college friends (and my now good friends!) and it’s been a blast to hang out, catch up and try out new games together.

10) We’ve had a bout of broken things pop up in our house and I’m really hoping it’ll quiet down soon.  On the Fourth of July, we had to get a new stove (the igniter in our old one stopped working and it was almost as expensive to replace the part as it was to flat out buy a new stove).  Then right before Labor Day, our freezer stopped working and we had to buy a new refrigerator.  On Monday morning when I went to pick out my outfit for the day, half of my hanging clothes were on the floor. The oak bar in my closet supporting said hanging clothes must have snapped while we were out on Sunday so that’s a project for this weekend.

11) BONUS! I went to the Ren Faire last month and it continues to be my favorite place on Earth. Most of our group dressed up and we got to see our favorite shows, eat our favorite foods, and just enjoy being transported to a different time.  We went to some new shows this year, like the falconry show, and Andrew and I got a tarot card reading which was awesome! So far, our reader has been correct about a couple of things and I’ve been keeping his advice in my head since our reading.