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October 31, 2017

Currently: October 2017

Currently October 2017 on Shutterbean.com

Currently: October 2017

Today is Halloween! There’s a chill in the air. We turned on our heater the other morning and it made me so happy. I love a cozy house. I also love soup weather. BRING ON THE SOUPS. They’re the perfect accompaniment to crusty french bread.

This month was a heavy month! A lot of scary stuff has been happening with fire! Earth! For about a week of the month, we were indoors due to the heavy smoke from the Napa/Sonoma County fires. Unexpected disasters throw everything out of whack.  I am so grateful we/our friends up north were safe.

The end of October means we’re so close to the holidays. Are you freaking out too??! How can we make things easier on ourselves this year?

Let’s think about it.  I just remembered that I wrote a whole post about Self Care During the Holidays.  It’s a good to arm yourself during this time of year.

My Everyday Life: Week 41 on Shutterbean.com

This Month’s Spread

Written in my journal with some of My Favorite Writing Pens + Watercolors

Currently October 2017 on Shutterbean.com

THINGS THAT HAPPENED THIS MONTH:

  • Nugget Market Tour
  • Chabot Space Center Field Trip
  • Whole Foods Thanksgiving Preview Party
  • Cherry Bombe Conference
  • A sleepover at my house with my friend Nicole
  • Cooper had baseball every weekend
  • Casey and I are working on some stuff around the house
  • We had a lot of playdates
  • My brother & sister-in-law came to visit!
  • COOPER TURNED 9!

My Everyday Life: Week 41 on Shutterbean.com

Inspired by:

This month we experienced devastating fires close by in Napa/Sonoma counties. My heart breaks for the families who lost their homes. This month I was inspired by my community! People really came together and helped- whether it be with their time or donations. Makes me feel hopeful in humanity!

Watching:

We’ve been slowly working our way through House of Cards. I think we have a few episodes left. THAT SHOW IS INTENSE. And now Kevin Spacey is in the news….oy.

Also sad to see Flipping Out end this season. I love seeing the progress on their houses. Sad to see Zoila gone, but FINALLY. She’s freeeeeee.

We were going to start season 2 of Stranger Things but then we watched the season recap and were like…..WAAAAIT. We gotta start watching this over. I forgot allll about this and that oh and THAT TOO. All this to say that we are prolonging the magic for as long as possible.  Modern day life!

Nom Nom Paleo's Cracklin' Chicken is weeknight staple! Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

Reading:

As you know, I always have a few books in the rotation. This month I’ve been reading:

Everyday Cook by Alton Brown  (This cookbook is close to how I cook)

The Power of Time Perception  (maybe it’s more Albert Einstein research…)

Smitten Kitchen Every Day  (Deb does it again!)

Weekday Weekend   (a good combo of healthy & indulgent recipes)

Ready or Not!   (so many good weeknight meals!)

My Everyday Life: Week 41 on Shutterbean.comThinking About:

Doing another lady craft day. I can’t seem to find a day that works with some of my friends….I’m working on it! I think it would be fun to have a letter writing group at my house. A few of my pen pals (who I need to write back!) have told me that they are part of a letter writing club and I am so intrigued by that.  Are you part of one? I think it would help me write letters. I need accountability!

The holidays are coming up. I found my TO DO List from last year’s Thanksgiving and I realized that I basically have my template already figured out. Yay past Tracy. Thanks for being so organized.

I can’t wait to decorate for Christmas. Here’s what our house looked like last year.

 

Listening to:

I made a Spotify mix called- October 2017 (if you wanna check it out!)

I was also on my friend Whitney’s podcast called Reality Reality. Check out episode 5!

realityreality

Here’s what we talked about. I made notes!

Currently October 2017 on Shutterbean.com

Dream Life:

Pieces of my dreams keep coming back to me randomly. I know I am still in the camp/Oregon realm. But there’s also a new hill (possibly in SF?) that I keep finding myself on in my dreams. Sometimes I think I am reliving my past and future in my dreams. Definitely having good sleep right now. Waking up a half hour early every day and cuddling with my cats instead of getting out of bed. It’s SO DARK.

Drinking/Eating:

And to think I was contemplating doing the Whole30 this month. Pssshaw!

This month I made Pork & Scallion Wontons for the first time!

Forget takeout! Make Pork Scallion Wontons at home. They're so easy! Find the recipe at Shutterbean.com

There was a cheeseboard situation I made for my parent’s Fleet Week Party.

My Everyday Life: Week 40 on Shutterbean.com

COOPER turned NINE!!!! We went out to dinner to celebrate.

My Everyday Life: Week 40 on Shutterbean.com

We also made Joy the Baker’s Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies three times this month.

Cooper can’t get enough of them.

(I put marshmallows in the ones for school)

My Everyday Life: Week 40 on Shutterbean.com

This Spiced Brown Sugar Pound Cake was shared with neighbors!

Spiced Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Rum Molasses Glaze is the perfect way to build community! Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

Breakfast sandwiches are back in the rotation.

I’m craving one of my Ultimate Breakfast Sandwiches, though!

My Everyday Life: Week 42 on Shutterbean.com

Added to our meal rotation: Cracklin’ Chicken.  IT’S SO GOOD.

Nom Nom Paleo's Cracklin' Chicken is weeknight staple! Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

These are cheesy stuffed baked potatoes I styled/photographed for Tillamook.

THEY WERE SO GOOD.

My Everyday Life: Week 43 on Shutterbean.com

I’m hoping to get more salads in my life in November. Or at least some soups that are green like this Cream of Spinach Soup.

Self Portrait for October:

with the helo of my friend Nicole!

My Everyday Life: Week 42 on Shutterbean.com

Goodbye October, Hello November!!!

My Everyday Life: Week 42 on Shutterbean.com

How was your October? Feel free to share!

  • Elizabeth

    Haha! We started watching Stranger Things 2 and the entire time we were like, “wait, is that his dad?” “why are they dating?” “who is that person?” “did she really die?” We should have totally re-watched number 1!

  • Kelsey

    My wife feels the exact same way about Joy’s brown butter chocolate chip cookies. I baked 200 of them to give away as favors at our wedding!

  • Laurin Werner

    Tracy, your blog posts — and Instagrams — and Instagram stories! — always offer up such beauty. They’re like a hug. Thank you for your attention to detail and for sharing what strikes you with an artist’s eye!

  • Hillary

    October was intense, wasn’t it?

    Watching: The Americans. Stranger Things season 2 is next!

    Reading: Lincoln in the Bardo. So good.

    Listening: Well, to your Spotify mix next. Yay!

    Eating: homemade bread, brown butter rice crispy treats, coconut macaroons dipped in chocolate and dutch babies.

    Drinking: half a beer each night.

    Thinking: About how winter is nearly here. The cold. The dark. Brainstorming ways to embrace it and make it through with two small children.

  • Jenna

    LOVE the playlist!!!! Brings me back to my youth. ❤️❤️

  • Paula

    Do you listen to “The Lazy Genius” podcast? From now until Christmas she is doing an episode every Monday that will help you prepare for the holidays and really enjoy the season. Definitely worth checking out if you are feeling overwhelmed with everything that comes with the season.

    Ugh there is so much good TV right now that I am thankful I am on maternity leave so I can catch up during naptime! Currently watching Real Housewives of OC and Jersey as well as working my way through the last season of Wentworth which is so so good! Also Project Runway is having a really good season.

  • Shawna

    I’m so jealous you have the new Smitten Kitchen book! I’m waiting until I see her at Book Passage this month. It’s KILLING me to wait! LOL

    You should totally do Whole30 in January and then we can all do it with you. I keep trying to start a long juice fast and then it started getting chilly and now all I want to eat are sweet potatoes with Maldon Salt and America’s Test Kitchens Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup.

  • Sarah

    Your Spotify list is my jam! That is exactly what I listened to in high school. Also, I am in a pen pal group. It is through Facebook but there is an event with a writing prompt (different each month), then we join the event if we choose to participate. The organizer will pair writers. The first person writes before the 15th and then other person responds. It is super fun and I don’t feel obligated to always participate. Love reading your blog, it gives me the creative nudge that I need.

  • Megan

    Kick ass playlist, Tracy!! We are currently having a great (and reminiscent) dance party while trying to keep the mini humans happy before dinner. I also impressed myself that I still knew all the words to Fiona apple ‘criminal’ – I remember my angsty teenage self sitting in the backseat of my moms car listening to it on my discman, head phones in, and obnoxiously singing out loud.

    • Tracy

      Oh yessssssss. Fiona Apple makes me feel all my feelings! My husband is like OH GOD NOT AGAIN WITH THE FIONA APPLE. HAHAHAHAHAH

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