Lauren Lately | October 2017

Posted October 16, 2017 / Features, Lauren Lately, Wrap-Ups / 2 Comments

header-llBecause my Bookmark Lit Bulletin wrap-ups got out of hand, I wanted to break up my monthly wrap-ups into two posts: one personal and one bookish/bloggy. I created Lauren Lately here to highlight all of the personal happenings in my life: events, activities, shows I’m addicted to, things I’m obsessing over, recipes I’ve loved, and goals for the next month. I decided to space them out so this wrap-up happens around the mid-point of the month and the bookish one happens at the end of the month.

✨ Check out my most recent bookish and bloggy wrap-up HERE ✨


life-of-lauren

September week home | We ended up coming home for a little over a week in September. We wanted to help Jen out around the house while Chris’s parents were in Vietnam. We also had a wedding that corresponded well with the trip, so we decided to make a week of it. It was a very stressful but productive week home. I saw a lot of people and really kind of wore myself out. I think it’s partly because Chris and I really don’t see anyone but each other when we’re up in Maine. When we’re home, we see EVERYONE. I won’t bore you with the millions of errands I ran, but there are a few photos above – Abby on her throne, some delicious pho and Vietnamese iced coffee, and a wedding selfie of us.

Chris’s surgery and laziness | So I honestly don’t have much to report since our week home. Chris got surgery on his foot so we have been incredibly lazy since September 28th. It’s fine because I really needed some time to chill. It’s hard now that he’s semi-mobile but still can’t do anything though. We love to hike and do a lot of fall activities, and most of them are majorly on-hold until he can walk more. He has a boot but it’s not like he can walk through a pumpkin patch for an hour or go on a hike lol. We’re working up to other errands, like Target or grabbing sandwiches at a little country store. When we’re home, we’re keeping up with our usual shows and football! We have to be crafty for Monday Night football (above) because it takes place at the same time as RAW. We usually do the double screen action.

media-addict

TV Shows & Movies

You can see a full recap of TV shows and movies here! (Don’t worry – this spot will usually be filled with information, I just felt the need to do a big roundup and then be lazy here today.)

Podcasts & Music

Image result for accused podcast

Accused | The second season of Accused is here!! I really enjoyed the first season and they’re taking on a new case for season two. I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for this ?

Dirty John | I think I saw a random article somewhere about this podcast and then noticed it trending in the podcasts app. I usually listen to true crime or sometimes comedy, so this one was slightly out of character for me. It does involve crime in some ways though? Basically this woman was completely conned by someone with the nickname Dirty John. He was manipulative and lied about everything. So far, it’s the story of her learning the truth, trying to fix things with her family, and working on getting out of the relationship. I have a feeling some twists or craziness will happen by the end. This one is currently in progress and I’m not sure how many episodes there will be, but I know it’s a limited run story. I can’t help but shake my head at the stupidity of some people, while also realizing just how horrible this guy was. It seems very easy to fall into his traps if you’re one of his victims. Overall, I’d recommend this one if you’re looking for something addictive and fascinating.


obsessed

Food & Drink

Crockpot soups | Tis the season! My crockpot is always my favorite thing, but I especially love using it in the fall for soups or stews. We made this Chicken Enchilada Soup the other day and have this chili coming up soon.

Cookie Dough Cafe | The reason we grabbed sandwiches at that grocery store (toward the top of this post) was because I learned they had Cookie Dough Cafe cups. It’s edible cookie dough that you can eat plain or with ice cream. It’s VERY sweet, which helps to pace out eating it, but still delicious.

Apple Crisp | I’ve attempted to make this twice. The first time, I made it from “scratch” using flour and sugar, etc. to make the crisp part. It came out very wet instead of crumby? I found a little Apple Crisp mix in the grocery store the next day and bought that. Same thing happened! I keep thinking I used too much butter and that’s why it stays sticky?? I’m not sure. If anyone has a good, crumbly apple crisp recipe for me… hit me up.

Purchases & Addictions

None! We really haven’t bought anything aside from groceries, eating out/takeout, and necessities.

Around the Blogosphere

My Guest post on What Sarah ReadI wrote a post for Sarah’s Fangirl Friday feature about how much I love Portland. I think it’s a very underrated city that more people would love if they came to visit. So many people were confused when we said we were moving to Maine and I hope this clarifies why this state is so awesome.

Creating a Capsule Library on Alexa Loves Books, Belle of the Literati, So Obsessed With, and Hello, ChellyI love the idea of capsule wardrobes but I admit that I would never be able to do it! These ladies made some fun posts about capsule libraries that I think you should check out.


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Since Last Time…

1. Enjoy seeing people while I’m home, but don’t overbook myself | MEH | It’s hard to give myself a pass or fail here because I did enjoy seeing people at home… but I completely overbooked myself. I was stressed most of the week and it was horrible. I need to be better about managing my time. I have this thing where I feel like I need to see everyone every single time I come home, which equates to once a month. I didn’t even see certain people that often when I LIVED at home!

2. Hike a few more times while we still can | FAIL | We didn’t do much hiking or anything before Chris’s surgery, which is okay. I didn’t think we would. Hopefully once he has a normal shoe on in early November we’ll be able to do some light hiking/ long walks.

3. Plan a fall trip to Vermont or New Hampshire | IN PROGRESS | I’m actually currently in the process of looking into this. I wanted to find a nice car trip we could take to check out the leaves and stuff for Chris’s birthday this week but we’ll see what happens. In progress, for sure!

Goals Until Next Time

1. Read physical books to bring home | It’s bugging me that I can’t get myself going on owned books. I keep reading borrowed ARCs, library books, egalleys, and ebooks. I NEED to blitz through some of my owned books. I really hope to at least bring 2-3 home at the end of this month.

2. Explore a new town, park, trail, etc.? | Around this time next month, Chris will be out of the boot and in a sneaker. I hope we can start exploring again before it gets too cold out. In the meantime, I would love to see some other parts of the state (and maybe New Hampshire) while the leaves are changing.

3. Spending ban ASAP | I did treat myself A LOT for my birthday and I need to stop spending money. I saved up some money during that time but I really want to keep my savings intact. I am done buying clothes and other bullshit starting now. I’m thinking of getting a few little notebooks to use my Faux Dori again but I’m not sure. That’ll be the last splurge I’ll have.


Talk to meeeee! What’s new?

2 responses to “Lauren Lately | October 2017

  1. I totally get the social burnout! Every time I visit home, it feels like an endless stream of people and social interaction, and even though I have a great time I always end up feeling drained. It sounds like you guys have gotten some solid relaxation time in lately, though! I definitely have to check out Dirty John. Also, omg, COOKIE DOUGH CUPS??? THAT YOU CAN EAT ICE CREAM OUT OF??? That sounds like my dream!

    Madalyn @ Novel Ink recently posted: Non-Bookish: Fall-Themed Q&A!

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