HEY HEY HEY! It’s fall AND it’s October! Welcome to my month, yo!!
Can you tell that I’m currently happy & enjoying this time of year?
Linking-up with Kristen for the best month’s edition of What’s New With You?. This is a long one…
Today I am currently:
Celebrating… my little Enzo! Today is his 5th birthday! I can’t believe our puppy baby is already 5. It hurts my heart and my head and my soul to think how little time we get to spend with our fur family. Good thing Enzo is living until the rip old age of 80. He’ll be putting me in a home some day.
Grateful… that my September challenge is over. I tried- I really tried. I am not a morning person. UGH. I think I’ve settled on a wake up time of 6:30am (most days). I was attempting to wake up at 6am every work day last month. I failed soooo hard. Yikes.
Moving on to… October’s challenge! This month I am not yelling or raising my voice with Lylee. Y’all… she is freaking stubborn and way too smart and incredibly defiant. She’ll still have to follow commands and be disciplined (inevitably), but I’m not going to raise my voice. (Lylee is a dog for anyone who’s new here.)
Working on… filling out my 2019 planner. I know many of you don’t think I’m nuts, but my husband & coworker give me quirky looks when I tell them that I order a planner/calendar/work planner for 2019. I don’t care- I love it.
My personal planner is from Plum Paper 🙂 (no affiliated links- I just thought I’d share pics)
(This is my third year with Plum Paper. Would anyone be interested in a planner post? Just highlighting how I like to use it?)
Reading… the last two books for Erin’s 9.0 Book Challenge! One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake and After Alice by Gregory Maguire.
Watching… all my tv shows that are back! The Good Place, Superstore, and The Voice are all back on tv! I typically catch the comedies on Hulu a day or two later. K and I watch The Voice together each week.
Listening to… Ben Rector’s new album Magic & Thomas Rhett’s album Life Changes. We just saw Ben Rector again (for the third time) two weeks ago and he was as fantastic as he always is! His music is very appealing and relatable for late 20- & 30-something year olds.
Planning… our Halloween party among other things. This year the theme is famous people- real & fictional. (So you can’t just say you’re a dog or a ghost, you have to be Scooby Doo or Casper.)
Paying for… our builder to come back and add on to our back porch. We also *finally* brought in painters and our kitchen, living room, foyer/hall, bedroom, and master bath are PAINTED!
Wearing… all the jeans, all the sweatshirts, all the cool weather clothes. Last spring I bought myself a pair of lace up Vans (these) and last month I got a pair of Chuck Tailors (these). I honestly didn’t realize how badly I needed these shoes. I either wears my Vans or my Chucks almost every dang day.
I also recently bought these jeans from ON (I LOVE THEM) & this lounge sweatshirt from ON (so dang comfy!).
And also I just got my hair done last night!
Looking forward to… meeting K’s cousin’s new baby, my birthday, a fall trip with my loves, our Halloween party, celebrating birthdays, a business trip in November, and Williamsburg with the family over Thanksgiving!
Eating… as many fall things as I can get my hands on. Soups, Halloween candy, fall flavored donuts, caramel apples…
Drinking… lots of fall flavored coffee in the morning and relaxing tea at night ❤
Praying about… the world. It’s infuriating. Lack of respect, equality, common sense, and human decency are not a part of this Christian’s agenda. (Don’t get me wrong, in addition to praying I’m also voting, making calls, and writing letters.)
Thinking about… how I love this month and hate the world right now. How being an adult looks easy when you’re young, then you arrive and it’s like shit. How much I love my friends and how fortunate I feel to have *real* people on my side and in my corner at this stage in life. How K might be springing a last minute company cookout on me this weekend, lol.
Donating/Ditching/Regifting… hundreds of items around my house for the #MinsGame! And tracking it all on Instagram.
And that’s it. That was a long-ish post. If you made it through, thanks! Tell me what you’re currently up to!
Life as Louise 
Happy Birthday to Enzo! How cute is that jacket he is wearing!
Yes please do a planner post! I’m still looking out for my 2019 diary/planner. The one I love is by Peter Pauper Press and difficult to get in South Africa. So I’m asking bookshops and holding thumbs!
Sounds like you have a busy Fall season ahead – enjoy.
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Thank you! I love that little sweater on him 🙂
I will definitely do a planner post- the people have spoken!
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Happy birthday to Enzo! That photo is adorable. And I love that you had to add Lylee is a dog. 😉 Ooh yes, do a planner post! I love them so much. Plus, you can link up with Keep It Together (third Thursday of the month – we’d love to have you). I’m so happy it’s Fall and October – my favorite season and month too. I just need to the weather to cool down a little more so I can really bust out all my layers. I also need to head to Old Navy and get some new pants. And I’m with you on how the world is basically a fire pit; it’s so heartbreaking/infuriating, and I need good, decent things to start happening!
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.nete
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Thanks! Haha… I wasn’t sure if people would pick up on the fact that she’s a puppy-kid.
I will definitely link up with you guys next week for a planner post!! Thanks for mentioning it! I think the back half of this week is supposed to cool down and I’m SO excited. Old Navy has the BEST fall stuff!! I love it all!
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I want to see a post on how you use your planner! 🙂
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Lots of people agreed! I’ll get started on that!
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You know I’m all for a planner post! I’d love to see. Your planner has the cutest cover!
I love a #minsgame challenge! I’ve wanted to do it for so long, but haven’t given it a go. I do truly always look for stuff to get rid of-but I’m sure the pressure would help me part with stuff I may not have otherwise. Happy October!
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I love the coffee cups. I wanted the book theme cover but the blueish-teal on it is my LEAST favorite color so I went with coffee cups! I will definitely so a planner post!
I have been LOVING the #minsgame. I think that means I had too much crap around my house. I haven’t struggled yet! You should try it!!
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The world definitely needs our prayers – that’s for sure!!!!
I GOTTA get my planner ordered. This is the latest I’ve ever waited.
Happy Birthday to your big boy! Harvey turned 5 in July & I was so sad too – feels like it goes so fast & I try not to think of how many years are left ahead.
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So. Many. Prayers!
Get that planner!!
Thank you! I know… Our Lylee Bear is SEVEN and I just can’t even believe that. Sigh.
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I’m so excited to have my fall shows back too! The Good Place and Superstore are so funny!
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I thought both of their premiers were perfect!! I laughed so much 😀
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Hell yes to a planner post! I’m never used Plum Paper but they’re very similar to the Erin Condren, and I have used that. I’m in a classic Happy Planner for now and through 2019 and I like it enough. I love the size but hate how heavy than can be.
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Everyone seems to be in agreement about a planner post. I’ll cook one up for next week!
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Happy Birthday to Enzo! How handsome he looks in his sweater. It always makes me sad how short our fur babies lives are. I love the idea of planners but I was always, always terrible about using them. But I like them, if that makes any sense at all. I watched the first episode of Good Place and felt somewhat meh about it but now I feel like I need to give it a second chance. The world is so frustrating that it just exhausts me to no end. I just want a day – A DAY – where nothing crappy happens. The world exists peacefully with one another.
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Ugh. Dogs’ live spans are the WORST part about them. And I’m saying that after spending my Monday cleaning poop, blood, and vomit out of my carpets and dropping $$$ on a vet visit for Lylee! (No worries, she’s ok. Just some go troubles from stress and inflammation.)
I will share my planner post soon. I’ve been doing the same thing for 3 years and love my system.
I think The Good Place really picks up halfway through the first season. It takes a minute to fall in love with all the characters. Janet is the hands down best!
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I love planner posts! I don’t have a 2019 planner yet, and it’s starting to bug me. Ha.
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You need to get one!! I’m planning to share a planner post next week 😀
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I soooo share your love of the season. Holy crap. Also I need to know this urgently: what are your feelings on candy corn? And how do you eat them?
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Freaking. Love. Fall.
Freaking. Hate. Candy Corn.
Hahahaha. I don’t eat a lot of candy and I don’t really like honey (except to cook with it) so I think that’s why I dislike cc. That said, I have a big bowl of it at my house for guests to nibble on… I also break it in half and give it to my dogs sometimes. LOL
If I DID eat it, I’d do it in three bites. One bite per color.
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Happy Birthday to Enzo! Love his sweater. 🙂
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Thank you!! ❤
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happy birthday to Enzo! don’t be too hard on yourself with getting up early, sometimes we are just wired the way we are wired. good luck with this month’s challenge, i’m sure you’ll rock it! i have my 2019 planner in my cart but i’m trying to wait for a sale lol. i love seeing how people use their planners, so post away! i also use plum paper and have for 3 years too! you’re doing so great with the mins game!
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Thanks!
I think 6:30am is the sweet spot for me. I still don’t like it, but it lets me get up and get ready plus accomplish a small chore or two. That’s perfect for my morning schedule.
Planner post coming at ya next week 🙂 I think I get my planner WAY early during a sale. Definitely smart to wait for a sale!!
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Awe your sweet pup. Love that pic. I would Totally enjoy aplanner post. I love Planners! Yes to hoodies and Halloween parties. Great theme- can’t wait to see pics. Enjoy your weekend girlfriend!
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Thanks, Emelia!!
Planner post coming your way next week 🙂
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Sooo much I could respond to here, but most importantly: BEN RECTOR’S NEW ALBUM. Been listening on repeat and I love it so, so, so dang much.
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SO GOOD!! I love seeing him live. He’s so great!
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Aw Happy Birthday Enzo!! I love my Plum Planner. I have been using one for about 4 years now. I totally need that ON sweatshirt. Looks so comfy. I am also loving and eating all the fall foods!
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Thank you!
Plum Paper just works so well for me! And I love all the optional pages!
That olive ON sweatshirt is awesome. I wear it all weekend long and LOVE sleeping in it.
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Wow, September was busy and it looks like October will be too!
I used to get up for work at 6 when we were still living in Germany and even after 5 years I never got used to it.
This is usually my favourite time of the year but obviously not this year.
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September was busy and November will be insane. I’m *praying* that October is a calm kind of chaos 😉 6am was just way too early for me…
Totally ok to not being in a happy or festive mood right now. ❤ Thinking of you.
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awww sweet baby enzo, growing on up! i totally feel the same like you “love this month, hate the world.” it’s so hard not to feel discouraged and disgusted at how many people in our country are truly supporting terrible people. it’s so sad.
i’m currently trying to get over jetlag stilllll (because a toddler totally makes it last 2x longer with those 3:30am wake ups)!
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Ughhh. I can’t understand how people grow up to be so stupid and blind and hateful. Like, who taught you to be this terrible?!
I hope the jet lag is slowly melting away!!! Yikes!
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