The spookiest all the things is here!
Welcome my version of a monthly recap post that lands here on the final Friday of each month. In case you missed any of the previous months, be sure to pop over using the links below!
- All The Things | January 2026
- All The Things | February 2026
- All The Things | March 2026
- All The Things | April 2026
- All The Things | May 2026
- All The Things | June 2026
- All The Things | July 2026
- All The Things | September 2026
We are getting closer and closer to full holiday swing! Christmas coffees, twinkling lights, and all the yummy baked goods are well on their way. BUT FIRST, coffee…and then second, we still have the October goodness to chat about. I told you last month that I hoped this month would bring a lot brighter things than September and I’m so happy to say it did!
Grab your coffee (or fave beverage!) and let’s dive into all the things from October!
Life Lately
This section is always a mix of personal life, blog life, and everything in between — the real behind-the-scenes of the month.
Power of Prayer
We had two big prayers answered for loved ones this month! My uncle was scheduled for a biopsy on his lung and it turned out that it shrank so much, they didn’t even need to take a biopsy! Then my FIL had his scans after doing CAR T-cell therapy earlier this year, and it showed a more complete response than even his last scans, so we are praising the Lord for these answered prayers. Neither are anything short of miracles!
Tops’ Shadowbox
I mentioned last month that my mom’s cat passed away, so she wanted a dedicated space to keep some of his things in along with a photo. I ordered this one from Etsy. I think it turned out really nicely, and my mom really enjoys being able to look at it in her living room. I still miss him so miss him so much!
P.S. My mom made me straighten his photo after I took this picture. I was going to for a collage-type look and she was not, haha.
Halloween Movie Night
Since Halloween will fall after this post, but still within the month, I figured I’d go ahead and include it here…even though it technically hasn’t happened yet, haha! While I don’t watch many scary movies these days, I do enjoy revisiting my childhood and watching some of the Disney spooky movies! So, I’ll be watching Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown for sure, and having some yummy snacks! If you need some ideas, you can check out my Ultimate Halloween Movie Night blog post!
Little Joys
Small moments that made this month feel warm, cozy, or meaningful.
Remembering Pebble Beach
It’s wild to think around this time last year, we were in Pebble Beach! In case you missed it or just want to look through all the pretty pictures again, you can check out my first recap post here and then the other posts are linked to that! It is still my favorite place I’ve ever been on a trip and would go back in a heartbeat. And funny enough, my What to Wear in Monterey & Pebble Beach post has become one of my most popular since then!
My New Cozy Blanket
My hubby surprised me with this beautiful UGG blanket! I love it so much. It’s heavier than any other blanket I’ve owned (and I’ve owned A LOT!) and just so well made. I couldn’t put it in the dryer, so I had to wash it and lay it across the washer and dryer for a few hours, but it was worth it! Turns out our fur baby loves it even more because she stole it!
Sourdough Starter Activated!
I began this little labor of love earlier this month, thanks to Carrie for getting my all the things I needed to get started! It has been a little tricky for me, I still haven’t managed to get it to double in size. She’s barely rising and few bubbles, so hopefully I’ll be able to report next month that I have this sorted out, haha. I think we’ve narrowed it down to the temperature in the house since the warmest it gets in here is around 70-71 degrees. Perfect for us, but apparently not for my little starter to get going!
I’ve moved her to the sun, I’ve even put her near my heater in the office, I even tried boiling water in the microwave to get it warm and then sitting the starter in there, and she still is giving me some fits. I am determined to get it to work somehow though! Carrie recommended I grab a fresh sourdough starter, so I may do that so I can get this bread-baking going! 🙂
New (to me) Sauce from Aldi
I ventured out of my comfort zone a bit with this pumpkin butternut squash pasta sauce, but I am SO thrilled I did because it’s incredible! Thank you Lauren (My Something Beautiful Life) for the recommendation! In case you’re like me and a little concerned it will taste like a whole lot of pumpkin, it truly doesn’t. It just tastes like a well flavored, savory sauce. My husband doesn’t even like pumpkin and he had no idea it had pumpkin in it, he really liked it too! I used the Aldi tri-colored tortellini with the sauce and it just made a delicious meal. I added garlic breadsticks, but would also be yummy with Red Lobster biscuits!
Cultivate Corner
Think intentions, small habits, new collabs, and routines.
How to Pick Your 2027 Planner YouTube Collaboration
When I tell you I was floored when Lauren reached out to me about doing a collab, I mean it! She and Kristan Kremer were planning on doing a collaboration and were so incredibly kind to ask me to join in. Of course I said yes, even if I was a little nervous because these two ladies are seasoned pros and just beyond phenomenal!! I was really honored to be part of this collab.
We each shared our unique perspective on how to choose your 2027 planner, so if you’re still on the hunt for the one that’s meant for you – this might be your sign to check these videos out! Please be sure to pop over to their videos as well! They are linked in my YouTube video description!
Ashowner Nails
One of my collaborations for this month was Ashowner, a brand that offers press-on nails that are super easy to apply (and take off!) and have the prettiest little details. If you’ve been here before, you’ll know I’m a simple girl, so I’m not much for bold or over-the-top colors. When they reached out to me for this collab, I requested a french manicure and they were so kind to send those over to me to share with you!
You can catch my Instagram reel here in case you missed it, but I wanted to share some photos here on the blog too!
You can use my discount code ASHOWNER10 at checkout to save 10% and it stacks with their BOGO sale, so you can save even more!
Aesthetic Gmail Theme
I actually shared this on my Instagram stories the morning I found it, but it was too good to let it just disappear for forever over there! You can see that my Gmail background now matches my new Laurel Denise dashboard insert and it is so cute! Laurel Denise has several wallpapers that you can save, upload to your Google photos, and then in your Gmail settings you can select from your photos and choose one of those wallpapers. I adore it!
You can also do the very same thing with any other photo you have that has a pretty design you’d like to have on your Gmail inbox!
Currently Reading, Watching & Loving
Things I’ve been loving, watching, reading, or reaching for lately.
FALLing for Gilmore Girls
We did it, Carrie (Curly Crafty Mom)! We officially wrapped up Gilmore Girls with the Fall episode of Year in the Life on Netflix! As this is such a big accomplishment, it deserved a celebration (and maybe a few tears now that’s over!) with a yummy fall coffee. I got a drink called Fireside Pumpkin from my local coffee shop, you can see the description below. I also added caramel walls. It was SO good!
This is right up there with my all-time favorite shows! I think it was extra fun because we got to chat about each of the episodes together and it was fun trying to figure out who the best guy for Rory was – and that seemed to keep changing along the way, haha! SO much happened in the show and I think Rory herself changed a ton too throughout the seasons. I was a Jess fan from the very beginning, I felt for him because he obviously had a rough upbringing and that influenced how he treated others so much, but at the same time, was NOT a fan of that treatment for a bit. As he gets older though, it is very apparent to me he would be the best man for her! And he is definitely the cutest too, not that it should matter, ha ha ha!
We also did a super fun gift exchange after we finished the show, and Carrie got me the CUTEST things! I’ve been using my Javasok on the daily, it’s got so many fun Gilmore Girls-coded things on it. I think there was even a big backorder on these because they’re so popular!! I also can’t wait until it’s time to start my advent calendar! I’ve actually never had an advent calendar of any kind, so this will be extra exciting!!
THANK YOU so much my dear friend, I absolutely love these and truly appreciate you so much!!
Gold Rush
This is Kyle and I’s favorite show to watch together, I’m so happy it’s back! Per usual, Rick is a mess at the beginning and hasn’t even started mining yet, but I’ll still be rooting for him along the way.
College Football
I feel like Lindsay (Lindsay’s Sweet World) may smile at this one! I don’t know how I did it, but I really got into watching football last year with Kyle. I am mainly in it for the yummy food, but I’ve learned a few things and enjoy watching our Buckeyes play, especially. Sadly our quarterback got hurt, so I’m not sure how long he will be out this season. I always feel so bad for these kids when they get hurt, no matter what team it is, life is so fragile and you know their mommas are worried sick when they see things like this happen on the field.
That’s a wrap on this month’s all the things, sweet friends! There wasn’t a ton going on, but sometimes that’s not a bad thing around here. 🙂 I hope this month has treated you well and wishing you the brightest November!!
Yay for sourdough!! It’s such a fun journey. Lots of learning along the way, but I’ve found it’s not as tricky as it seems. It’s the perfect season to get into it.
Thank you Kristen!! I appreciate it so much, I have a feeling it’s a lot of trial and error in the beginning and then will probably get much easier. I think the temperature is just throwing off mine for now, with just getting started. But so excited to keep going with it! 🙂
Sourdough is something on my list to try this winter. That Ugg blanket looks so warm and cozy! Our pets steal our favorite blankets too. Your nails look beautiful!
Jill – Doused in Pink
I just know you’ll have some sourdough baking soon, friend. That starter business is INSANITY, but I know you’ll get there. Gilmore Girls was one of the highlights of my summer/early fall, it was so fun to watch. I’m excited for the documentaries, whenever they’ll be out. Thanks for doing a gift exchange with me! It was SO fun (literally jumping up and down, ha ha!). I can’t wait to get back to Aldi’s!! And that Ugg blanket looks so lush!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com