Friday Favorites #32

November is upon us! Cynthia Rylant is one of my favorite children’s authors and her book In November describes all the cozy feels this month brings so perfectly.

In November, people are good to each other. They carry pies to each other’s homes and talk by crackling woodstoves, sipping mellow cider. They travel very far on a special November day just to share a meal with one another and to give thanks for their many blessings – for the food on their tables and the babies in their arms.”

Cynthia Rylant, In November

We had a very fun, busy week over here! The boys celebrated Halloween at school with a parade and party. I volunteered for Lucas’s party which was a very good time. Owen doesn’t go to school on Tuesdays, but he tagged along in his costume.

The library was having a special Halloween event for kids, so Tails still had Halloween fun even though he wasn’t in school:)

We experienced both fall and winter on Halloween day! Keep reading for more details about that and my other favorite things this week. Have a wonderful weekend!

New Holiday Tradition: Halloween Eve Dinner

A while back on Instagram, I saw the idea of having a “Fall Dinner”. It inspired this idea for a spooky, Halloween Eve dinner. I love making new holiday traditions with my boys and I think this one will stick! It was a typical Monday night dinner with a Halloween twist. I bought a cheap tablecloth and some Halloween plates and napkins. I didn’t buy any new decorations–just used what we already had around in the house. I looked to Pinterest for Halloween dinner ideas and found this easy eyeball spaghetti recipe. I also made this mummy garlic bread which was a little bit of a Pinterest fail haha. However, this new little tradition really wasn’t much work and the boys loved it!

Halloween!

Halloween was definitely the big highlight this week! Like I said above, the day started with a parade at school and helping out with Lucas’s class party. After taking Owen to the library, we decided to get some brunch at The Omelette Shoppe downtown, one of our favorites. We ordered way too much food though haha.

With full bellies we decided to take a short walk down Sixth Street, where we would be trick or treating later that evening. We could take in all the decorations without the crowds. The sun was also shining even though it was pretty chilly.

Next, we went to the Halloween store (Owen’s been asking all season) and then to a famous neighborhood haunted house. This was a big failure on my end–Owen got so scared! He usually loves scary, Halloween things. I felt so bad!

Ryan said he would get Drew and Lucas from school, so Owen and I headed home. I let him watch a little TV while I caught up on some chores around the house. Once Ryan and brothers arrived home, it was time to get ready in our costumes!

We have so much fun doing a family costume each year, and this year’s was Sonic themed! Gotta go fast!

Trick or Treat begins at 5pm and like I mentioned, we love going to Sixth Street. The beautiful Victorian homes go all out with their decorations, and it has such a nostalgic, magical feel.

Ryan is always the biggest sport every year, love him so much for that!

It was still fall from about 5-6 then it started to snow! I only snapped a video when it started snowing, wish I would have taken a few pictures though. The boys didn’t last long after the snow started but they still came home with a good candy haul.

The Tiffany Girls by Shelley Noble

The genre and setting of this book are right up my alley: historical fiction, 1899 in New York City. While this isn’t a gripping novel that I couldn’t put down, I did really enjoy this one. Typically, historical fiction revolves around war, but this book had a unique plot centered around the famed Tiffany Glass Company. It takes us into the lives of the women behind the scenes producing the gorgeous, well known Tiffany glass. It is a story of friendship and women empowerment. The book is well researched, and the author describes the glass art in a way you can really visualize it in your mind. It also led me to further research online and I appreciate when a novel allows me to educate myself on a piece of history. There were some slow parts, and the ending left a little to be desired, but I would still recommend this novel.

Amazon Mom Bag

I am well beyond needing a full-on diaper bag, but with Drew not fully potty trained, a small purse doesn’t always cut it. I saw this bag on a flash sale for half off last week so decided to give it a go. It’s the perfect size where it still feels like a purse but big enough to hold some pull ups and a package of wipes. I like the neutral color and the material is also “wipeable”. The quilted design is on trend right now (I think haha), so it has that going for it plus lots of little pockets for phone, wallet, water bottle, etc. If you’re ready to graduate from a diaper bag but still need some storage this may work for you! I think it would also be great for travel and it comes in olive green too:) Maybe it will go on sale again!

Memorial Christmas Ornament for Nala

A few weeks ago, I saw a Facebook ad for these memorial pet ornaments from Wander Prints. I thought it would be special to have something on the tree this year to remember our Nala girl. It arrived yesterday and I really love it. Nala is missed SO much, and I know this first Christmas without her is going to be hard. She’ll be with us in spirit, and I’ll be sure to put this ornament front and center. Owen is already asking for a new dog for Christmas, but I just don’t think we’re there yet. Maybe someday but losing her is still so heavy on our hearts.