Happy Halloween! Are you celebrating tonight?

I’ve mentioned before that Halloween and scary stuff aren’t really my cup of tea but I sure enjoy the ingenuity and creativity of some... Halloween stuff aside, here’s the recap of this month and the way it unfolded.

This past month was intense and exhausting, with plenty happening behind the scenes. Read on for a glimpse of our October.

WHAT I/WE DID

It got overwhelming at some point and I decided to deactivate my Instagram to focus on my wellbeing and turn off the noise. My main goal was to prioritize my mind and recenter myself. To take a different approach to the constant doom and gloom thrown our way. And I’ve had some breakthroughs…

We disconnected when we needed to, observed in silence, and some days, even turned to comedy to shut down our minds. It helped.

In a nutshell, I read two incredible books (both left me with a lot of thoughts and feelings), took advantage of the short-lived fall weather and spent time in nature, discovered a few great shows, spent time with family, and visited new-to-us places in the Tampa Bay area.

October BLOG POSTS ROUNDUP

We got a taste of fall this past month, and consequently, fall fashion and fall mood prevailed on the blog. But I also shared a skincare product I found and am loving, as well as some other finds and thoughts.

Here’s a roundup of the blog posts I wrote and published in October:

Thoughts and ponderings. Reading one specific book opened my mind to new ideas and ways of thinking while reinforcing some of my values and beliefs. With everything going on right now, I wanted to share some insights, in hopes that they help some of you who may also be feeling overwhelmed.

Retinol & Swertiamarin Contour Cream for Face and Neck. A new to me skincare find that I purchased with one specific purpose in mind, and ended up loving and adding to my regular skincare lineup.

Fall style finds under $50. I found lots of beautiful and affordable fall fashion finds that I had to share.

Always a classic: the vest. I have finally embraced this trend and shared several kitted vests and ways to wear them.

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, where the main focus was on items we own and love using [almost] every day.

Fall style: the sweater edit. Because sweater weather is here, even if on and off in the South…

Jewelry refresh. I found several pieces that were too good not to share!

5 things that bring me joy this week — I continue to lean into the little things in an increasingly unstable world.

WHAT I BOUGHT

This continued to be a month where I made some great purchases offline. Among some of my online purchases were:

These earrings. They aren’t heavy though a bit bigger than I initially thought, but they’re so pretty!

This pearl choker and I adore it!

This double-sided belt that I love.

A few more silk scarves, because, why not...?

This contour cream. Obviously.

This arnica cream and arnica gel. They work like a charm in relieving muscle pain, aches, and bruising, and I confidently recommend it.

Click on the image to shop.

What we watched

Only Murders in the Building. This show has been consistently great and season 3 is probably my favorite so far — could it be because of Meryl Streep?

Barbie. We watched it via Redbox, and of course, enjoyed it. To think that this movie caused an uproar sure makes one wonder…

Ghosts. The UK version, to clarify. What a delight this show is and it made it to my all-time favorites list — it’s that good! And yes, we will be watching the US version at some point.

The Oxford Murders. I quite enjoyed it.

The Golden Girls. Some days you just need some humorous sarcasm, and this old show does the trick.

What I read

The Second Mrs. Astor: A Novel of the Titanic. Call me blind but I did not see the word Titanic on the book cover. Thus, this novel, at first, made me think of giving it up (it started as a full-fledged romance — not really my thing these days), then sucked me in, and finally, left me heartbroken. As in, left me in tears, as you can imagine once you do see the word Titanic on it.

“Perfect for fans of Jennifer Chiaverini and Marie Benedict, this riveting novel takes you inside the scandalous courtship and catastrophic honeymoon aboard the Titanic of the most famous couple of their time—John Jacob Astor and Madeleine Force. Told in rich detail, this novel of sweeping historical fiction will stay with readers long after turning the last page”. There, the name of one of my favorite authors, Marie Benedict, is mentioned in this description, so, yes, I had to read the book. It’s marvelous, and haunting.

How to Own Your Own Mind by Napoleon Hill. The book that inspired this post should be a must-read for everyone, of that I’m convinced. I found myself exclaiming “Yes, yes” more times than I can count… Isn’t it interesting that examples that were relevant 60-70 years ago are still relevant today?

Song of the month

I’m a long-time [casual] fan, and this song got under my skin this past month…Other songs of theirs I love are, of course, I miss you, California, She’s Out of her mind, etc.

WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE ON THE INTERNET

The 23 Scariest Places on Earth.

43 Most Haunted Places in the World, From Underwater Graveyards to Sinister Theme Parks.

Wildlife Photos That Will Make You See Animals in a New Light. You gotta see these!

The Funniest Wild Animals In Photos: 24 Finalists Of Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

'I've never seen anything like this': Death Valley gleams with water, wildflowers and color. After visiting the deserts in bloom when living in California, I can promise you that they are a sight to be seen — absolutely stunning! I wish I saw this with my own eyes.

Goodbye October… Hey, November!