September Favorites

Thanks for your well wishes on Friday. The plastic surgeon thinks I’m going to get to avoid surgery and thinks my scarring shouldn’t be too severe (YAY!!!). It was a pretty uncomfortable weekend, so in an effort to avoid thinking about my face, I’ve been trying to focus on happy things. Seems like the perfect time for a favorite things post! 

1. My Slow Cooker.

I always love my slow cooker, let’s be honest. I just think that most slow-cooker recipes feel much more fall/winter to me. Chili, soup, stew, pulled pork… so many great recipes made from real ingredients. My slow cooker has worked really well for me. If you’re in the market, this one is awesome.

My favorite feature? The lid clips. No more accidental sloshing sauce all over your car when you’re carting something to a potluck, chili cook-off, or friend’s house

2. Pushing Daisies.

It’s very important to me that if you haven’t seen this series, you make time to. We make an annual pilgrimage through it in the fall. It’s one of the most beautiful, charming, funny shows of ever. Plus, there’s, like, a LOT of pie. And cute dresses. And an amazing cast. Are you watching it yet? Start.

p.s. Also consider this your annual reminder to watch You’ve Got Mail once this season. Always a great movie, but best enjoyed in the fall, with a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils.

3. An Ok to Wake Clock

Sophie has a lot of trouble sleeping at night. It can take her hours to fall asleep, then she’s often up in the middle of the night and up early for the day. She was coming out of her room so much that I started hunting for solutions, since nothing we were trying (and we tried a lot of things) was working.

I thought these were a nice idea but over priced. Then things at our house got desperate and that $26 didn’t seem so over-priced. The OK to Wake clock has a soft green glow when it’s okay for kids to get out of bed. You set the clock and the “ok to wake” time, then the clock will change color when it’s okay to get up.

I was worried it would provide too much light in Sophie’s room at night and interfere with her sleep, but it hasn’t at all. She’s a rule follower, so we’re fortunate that this is easy to reinforce. She can come out of her room when the light is green. She might still be up before falling asleep, in the middle of the night, and up early for the day, but she knows she can’t come out till the light is green.

4. The Day Designer.

The August edition came out last month and made me grateful all over again for this planner. It’s the most expensive planner I’ve ever purchased, but I LOVE it and plan to buy it again next year. Pre-orders are next week, and I’m hopping on the list.

The Day Designer has a spot designated for your top three tasks, other to-do’s, your daily schedule, a few slots for reminders (financial, due dates, menu, etc.) and even a spot for a daily gratitude or happy thought. I’ve been using the “Top 3” mentality described in The Art of Less since January and it’s made a huge change in the way I look at my day.

If you’re not sure if you’d actually keep up with it or like the way it’s laid out, you can print free individual planner pages and give it a try. They also have lots of other free printables to keep you organized.

5. Gorgeous fall polish.

My favorite polish ever is this coral-y red Enuf is Enuf by Essie. I also picked up Essie’s Bahama Mama polish at Target a few weeks ago and I just LOVE it. It’s a perfect plum hue that’s somewhere between deep red and purple (which is, I suppose, the definition of plum). Feels very fall-ish. Sophie’s fall polish of choice is Smokin’ Hot, which looks extra gorgeous with her olive skin.

p.s. I’m no beauty expert, but to help avoid chips I’ve been using this Essie Gel Topcoat. Lots of you have recommended the Sally Hansen one, which I plan on trying as soon as my Essie one runs out.

What do you love lately? 

This isn’t a sponsored post. For your convenience, I’ve included a few Amazon affiliate links. These affiliate links will never change the price you pay for any product purchased through Amazon.