Life Lately // October 2020

In October’s installment of life lately, I’m talking about moments from last month. From our family beach trip to what I’m reading, watching and wearing, here is a deeper look at our life lately in October 2020.

Reading and Watching Lately

Reading // Another month has come and gone where I’ve not read as much as I would like! The lack of reading is not due to a shortage of books since I’m a Book of the Month Club member. The stack of books is high next to my bed, but I find myself watching mindless t.v. instead of reading at night.

Watching // With all that’s going on in the world I find it easiest to wind down at night zoned out in front of a show. Since October is particularly spooky, I chose shows in the scary category. Here’s a list of what I’ve been watching lately:

1. Grand Army: an easy to binge gritty graphic teen drama addressing one too many relatable topics. Grand Army is a great show, but I’m disappointed there may not be a Season Two.
2. The Queen’s Gambit: quite possibly one of my favorite mini series in 2020. This fictional story about an orphaned chess prodigy and her quest to become the world’s greatest chess player is alluring, and entertaining. I also find Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon enamoring.
3. American Horror Story: The Coven: I’m late to the AHS game but the 2013-2014 season about New Orleans witches was great. Be prepared for graphic unsettling (sometimes disturbing) scenes with a surprise guest appearance by my beloved Stevie Nicks.
4. The Haunting of Bly Manor: I really liked this mysterious, supernatural, and haunted house mini-series. Normally I’m not into scary shows but Bly Manor was too good to not watch.

Wearing Lately October 2020

Aside from the week at the beach, October was spent wearing my fall favorites. I love to wear fall hats (wrote about them here) and spent a lot of time in my rain gear from Joules. My go-to flannels this season are made by Grayson, a female owned company. Grayson flannels are lightweight yet cozy and designed to flatter every woman’s frame.

Don’t miss out on these exclusive CHB coupons:

Grayson – $25 off your purchase
Take $25 off your first Dudley Stephens purchase
Joules – Take 30% off with code FAMILY
Take 40% off your first WINC Wine Delivery Order

Our Family Beach Trip

This year we had to cancel a few trips South to visit my husband’s family due to my health and our state’s travel restrictions. After weeks without any serious post-Covid episodes, we were able to travel. We met Brandon’s parents and brother’s family at a private home on the beach in South Carolina. The trip was one big memorable reunion filled with moments we will never forget. Annabelle’s Grandpa taught her how to swim underwater, the cousins bonded, and we watched the sun rise every morning.

Connecticut has very strict travel restrictions, so we were tested for Covid once we returned home. We stayed in quarantine until we received our negative test results. If you plan on leaving the state via plane, the airport offers testing on site!

Halloween October 2020

Our plans to have a safe Halloween with my family in our neighborhood was a true success. There were tables set up for safe trick or treating every few houses and the girls had a wonderful time. Even though it was really cold, the kids were all bundled up and stayed warm with candy treats.

More Moments from Life Lately in October 2020

Soccer: The girls finished up their soccer season at the end of the month with some chilly practice/games. Ailey and her cousin Sloane played together for the first time – which was adorable. It was Annabelle’s second season and she really loved running with a team.

Vermont Girls Trip: I snuck away to Vermont for two nights with some girlfriends for a blog related trip. We spent our time creating a lot of the content you’ve seen here over the last few weeks! This was my first trip of the kind and it was so fun. Claire and I had the most fun hanging out without our kids and laughing til our sides hurt.

Jewelry Transformations with Chrissy B at Baribault Jewelers: Over the last few months I’ve been working with Chrissy at Baribault Jewelers to transform some of my old jewelry into new wearable pieces. I picked up the most gorgeous sapphire and diamond necklace last week. It’s made from a diamond necklace from Brandon and a sapphire ring from my Grandma – two pieces I haven’t worn in a long time. Chrissy is so talented!

Celebrating 11 Years of Marriage: I can’t conclude our Life Lately post without mentioning Brandon and my wedding anniversary on October 17th. We celebrated 11 years of marriage quite casually – first on the airplane back from SC and then at home with the girls. We didn’t snap a photo, but here is one of my favorites from a past wedding anniversary.

Looking At November

November is already here, promising a weekend of decorating for Christmas and Thanksgiving celebrations. I’m looking forward to sharing a holiday home tour once we’re done turning the house into a winter wonderland. Carefully curated gift guides will be gracing the blog later this week, as well as a fun Mommy and Me launch! Until next time… CHB