October Favorites

Isn’t autumn a beautiful time of year? I love the crisp fall air, the rosy cheeks, the colorful leaves…. wait, I live in Florida. Nope, we’re still enjoying 80 degree weather and lots of sunshine. Even though I miss the autumn that I grew up with in upstate New York, I certainly can’t complain about being warm and sunshine has a way of boosting spirits, so there’s no way I can be grumpy. I may sound like a broken record by now, but I am SO thankful to have my health back and every day I just think about how great it is to be alive and feel GOOD.

I like to share a few of my favorites each month with all of you. I share all kinds of things – cooking tools, household items, baby things and anything else that makes life easier and I really enjoy. Some of my monthly favorites aren’t things at all. I hope some of these reviews will help you find products that are helpful to you, as well as saving you money on trying multiple other products, like I did. If anything, you can just read my thoughts and see if it’s something you would be interested in. I would also love to hear about your favorite things, so please share. 

1. Roasting pan

   Nothing says “fall” more than getting out your roasting pan. I use mine all the time. Sergi gave me this roasting pan for Christmas one year and it’s a workhorse in my kitchen for sure. It’s so sturdy and well constructed you can use it for years. I’ll never forget buying a cheap roasting pan one year and throwing it out after just a few uses because the coating peeled, the thing buckled and was just a waste of money. It would have been better to just buy a disposable aluminum one. This one is a dream. I can make simple Roast Chicken dinners with potatoes (one of my favorites), Roasted Leg of Lamb, Roasted Duck and even a turkey to feed a crowd. With Thanksgiving coming up very soon, you’ll want to have a good roasting pan for it.

2. Pasta bowls

   These bowls get used so often in my kitchen I have a dedicated spot for them in my dishwasher. They are the perfect size to for breading things. I set up a station with flour in one bowl, eggs in another and breadcrumbs in the third. They are also great to use when I need to grate some carrots or cheese. I love that they are wide and shallow. Of course, they are also great to serve pasta, salads and soups in them.

3. Footed Fruit Bowl

   I found this bowl a few years ago at Home Goods and it’s still one of my favorite kitchen decor items. The color of this bowl is so beautiful and it goes perfectly with my new kitchen, even though I bought this when we still lived in our apartment. I keep it on my counter for decorating purposes, but it is very functional too. I always store fresh fruit and some vegetables in it, most often apples, bananas, lemons and avocados. On that note, one of my other favorites from the month of October have been these gorgeous red and green beauties – Empire or McIntosh apples. They remind me so much of NY. We used to go to the apple orchard in NY and buy apples by the bushel and these were one of my favorites. They are just the right balance of crispness and sweetness, with a hint of tartness. Every week I buy another bag. It’s my go-to snack.

4. Angelcare Baby bath support

   I’ve been using this for Nathaniel since his very first bath. Even though he’s getting too big for it now, it’s one of my favorite gifts that I received at our baby shower. It’s designed very simply, and that’s what I appreciate about it. After the baby is done with his bath, I just let the water drain off and dry and it’s so much nicer than the ones made from mesh material. I have a huge kitchen sink, so it is my favorite place for the baby’s bath. I don’t have to kneel or crouch and there is so much less water to waste.

5. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

   Sergi and I read this book and took Financial Peace University in 2011 and it completely changed the way we handle our finances. I can honestly say that it changed out life, because we make decisions differently and that impacts so many aspects of our life. We would highly recommend both this book and the course to everyone.

Bible Verse:

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105 It’s amazing to me that we have God’s word, the Bible, to guide us, to give us comfort, strength and wisdom in our lives. It’s the absolute truth and is always constant and never changing. Throughout the ages it has changed lives and is still relevant in my life just as it was for so many people throughout the generations.

Highlights of the Month:

• Family Visiting From NY

My parents came for a short visit followed by my sister, Karina and her family visiting a week later. We always have such a great time together. There is nothing better than spending time with loved ones. It was so much fun playing with both of our babies with my sister.

• For King and Country concert

This band is our favorite. Music has a way of speaking to your spirit in a very special way. While I was having a really rough pregnancy and recovery, so many times when I was too discouraged to even pray, I would just play their songs over and over again, and they would comfort me and give me strength. My all time favorite song is definitely “Shoulders“. We were absolutely thrilled that they had a concert just 10 minutes from our house! Both Sergi and I enjoyed it so much.

• Connect Group in church

Another big highlight of this month was our small group in church. As I’ve shared before, Sergi and I led an 8 week group for couples that have been married 10 years or less. It was so fun (and challenging and very time consuming) to record all the videos. It made us talk about so many topics together as a couple and we got to know some really incredible people in our group. (If you’re interested in watching any of the videos, you can see them HERE.)

• Nathaniel learns to crawl

Yes, our 8 month old is now mobile. It was so cute watching him learn to crawl, but once he figured out the concept, he quickly became a pro. His favorite activity of all is definitely going outside. Nothing makes him happier than the moment he realizes that we are headed towards the door. He loves the park, the swings and of course, the grass.

I hope you all have a lovely October. What were some of your highlights?

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post. This simply means sometimes I recommend a product or service and if you choose to purchase that product or service from my recommendation, I will get a small referral commission. Of course, this is at no extra cost to you but it does help to pay a tiny bit for the work I put in to creating recipes and sharing tips with you. I really appreciate your support. Thank you. The main intent of this post is to simply share my experience with you, so if you happen to find a great deal on a product I recommend at a garage sale, anywhere else online, or at a store, by all means, take advantage of it:). I won’t be mad, I promise.