October looked NOTHING like I had planned! I really hate to be secretive, but something kind of huge and unexpected happened in a very short amount of time, throwing a lot of our plans and intentions to the wind. I am excited to share it with y’all in a few weeks, but in the meantime, please bear with me and my vague reasons some goals definitely didn’t get done ;) Let’s jump in with an extra-long favorites list to hopefully make up for that!

October Favorites:
1. This cardigan might be one of my favorite purchases of the year! I sized up to a medium with the intention of wearing it through pregnancy and well into next year when I’m nursing. I love the bobble details and the slouchy fit that feels fun and special without being too bold. My fingers are crossed that they restock it, but it also comes in a cute blush pullover version here.
2. Okay, this is really random, but I recently switched toothpaste brands for the first time in…maybe a decade? I’m legitimately loving this Burt’s Bees one :) Bonus: it’s 25% off through tomorrow with Target Circle!
3. I’ve been exploring some more Montessori resources and this podcast has been one of my favorites so far. The host makes the whole philosophy feel very approachable, informative, and not overwhelming, which I appreciate!
4. We made a 24-hour trip to Northern Virginia for our nephew’s baptism this month and Charlie had his best road trip ever, thanks to this lacing toy, this book, and these “quiz” cards. All were birthday gifts and to say we were grateful for the givers during those hours is an understatement! Highly recommend if you have toddlers and holiday travel coming up.
5. I asked for maternity leggings recommendations on Instagram recently and these were the overwhelming favorite, so I think I’m going to bite the bullet on them! Other top-recommended styles were these, these, and these.
6. So excited the weather is finally cooling down so we can add this stew back into our repertoire! It is the BEST–we make it almost weekly during the cold months and never get tired of it.
7. I’ve been wearing a white eyelet headband I grabbed at Anthropologie over the summer multiple times a week, and am on the hunt for a velvet version for fall/winter. This one might be the winner.

October Goals:
1. Complete 33 Days to Merciful Love, and then add reading St. Faustina’s diary back into my daily prayer routine.
2. Carry out our October feast day celebrations. (We had the best of intentions that all seemed to be derailed on the day-of–ugh.)
3. Join in with the Ashley Brooke book club for the month. (I finally got off of the wait list at the library for American Royals–a past Ashley Brooke book club pick–so I switched to that so I wouldn’t miss my chance. Enjoyable so far!)
4. Redo our laundry closet.
5. For real…three workouts a week! (Not always strength training, but definitely at least three walks, so I’m happy about that.)
6. Spend an hour this week mapping out some upcoming blog/social media content.
7. Finish curating 2017 photos and design album.
8. Plan our babymoon!

November Goals:
1. Add reading St. Faustina’s diary back into my daily prayer routine.
2. Prepare for an intentional Advent.
3. Enjoy our babymoon in Asheville!
4. [This goal is a secret for now, but stay tuned :)]
5. Focus on simple, healthy meals during what promises to be a crazy month. Suggestions appreciated!
6. Work on a Something Pretty redesign! I’m essentially merging the blog with my Lisa Kirk Writing site and branding, since I’m hardly taking on any copywriting clients anymore. I am still obsessed with the branding With Grace & Gold created for me and am excited that they’re bringing everything to one place under that design. Hoping to launch around Something Pretty’s ninth (!!) birthday this December.
7. Finish curating 2017 photos with the intention of designing the album in December. We decided not to order the albums yet this Cyber Week, which takes some pressure off.
8. Order Christmas cards!