What's Up Wednesday: October 2026

I'm finishing writing this post as I watch the Brewers take on the Rays in Game 4 of the World Series. Even though my Jays aren't playing in it, I'm still soaking up all the baseball I can while it's still being played.

Answering these questions monthly helps me reflect on the past month and I really appreciate having a record of what we've been up to. The questions come from Shay at Mix and Match Mama and Sheaffer at Sheaffer Told Me Too.

image from here

 

What we're eating this week... We got lots of amazing fall veggies in the last weeks of our CSA so I made a couple of different kinds of squash soup, cabbage rolls, and we've discovered a really yummy stir fry with Napa leaf cabbage (aka Tokyo Bakana). It's been a delicious month of eating around here. Tonight Rachel is making supper and she likes to experiment with recipes she finds on Instagram so we'll see how that goes...

making cabbage rolls with Sam

 

Also, when I was in New York with Janice, I picked up a bag of cinnamon crunch bagels so Rachel and I devoured those this month. Yum!!! 

What I'm reminiscing about... Well, almost a year ago, our big renovation started. This time last year we were packing rooms up, making tons of trips to the thrift store and our storage unit, and getting ready for chaos. After all is said and done, I can say, it was so worth it!

last meal in our playroom, October 2025 

packing up the basement, October 2025; renovation begins, November 2025

   

What I'm loving... All the fall colours. They've been amazing this year and I've just been really trying to notice them this year.

our backyard tree at various points this month 

What we've been up to... October started out with a bang as I took a couple of days off work and Janice and I enjoyed a trip to New York City. We saw Hadestown, walked all over lower Manhattan, had an amazing tea time at a chocolate cafe, and discovered tiny art prints. It was so much fun!

 

After that, we had a quieter month, and I haven't actually taken all that many pictures. We had a very quiet Thanksgiving weekend but Dave and I did go on a hike in the woods.

Rachel and I participated in a readathon...

We read at Starbucks for a bit after walking to the library.

  

We celebrated our church's 40th anniversary this past weekend and Dave and Sam sang in the choir. And we've had a lot of time to relax and have naps after our very full start to the fall.

We also had time for S'mores on the deck.  

What I'm dreading... I need to read my inspirational book from last year, How to Winter by Kari Leibowitz, because I'm already dreading winter. As the days get darker and the temperature gets colder, I need to remember how winter can be really beautiful.

What I'm working on... I'm still working on sorting my office and hanging pictures. I'm just not very motivated to deal with things in my office so it's taking a long time. We've also been starting to do some winter yard clean up. This week I'll probably be raking leaves.

 

This has also been a week of self-care for me. I took advantage of the beautiful weather and walked home from church on Sunday, I had a massage earlier this week, I had a nap yesterday after work, and I'm going for another walk with a friend tonight. So I'm also working on taking care of myself.

What I'm excited about... Currently, I'm excited that the Brewers are likely going to win the World Series!!! I've definitely been cheering for them this post-season and they've been playing some amazing baseball.

I'm also excited about making Applesauce Jumbles, drinking Cranberry Tea, and watching holiday Hallmark movies. And, as you'll see below, under "what I'm wearing", I'm also excited about my matching set!

What I'm watching/reading... As I mentioned above, Rachel and I did a readathon a couple of weeks ago and I read This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page. I cried my way through it and I LOVED it. It's a love story but also about a love of books and bookstores and how reading can change your life. It was soooo good!!! This book is divided by months and each month, there is a list of suggested books for that month. I took pictures of each month's suggestions and I will definitely be reading some of those over the next year or so.

As I mentioned above, I've been watching World Series baseball. I've also been watching the tree in our back yard change colours. Our bedroom window looks out over the tree and it's given me a whole new view of it! Hahaha!!!

What I'm listening to... Sam is still teaching himself guitar so I've been hearing a lot of guitar playing coming from the basement. I love it! Also, I've been paying attention as I walk and enjoying hearing the crunch of leaves underfoot. Additionally, after seeing Hadestown in New York at the beginning of the month, I've been listening to that soundtrack over and over.

What I'm wearing... Rachel convinced me that watching Hallmark movies would be way better this fall if we had matching sets to wear. I've been wearing mine for the past two weeks straight and, honestly, I might have to get another one because I'm loving mine.

 

What I'm doing this weekend... I'm helping to host a Jr Youth event, I might be supervising a sleepover for Rachel and her friends, and Rachel and I will probably get ice cream so we can take advantage of the October flavours at our favourite ice cream shop. Dave and Sam are headed out of town (with the car) for the weekend so whatever Rachel and I do, we'll probably be walking a lot!

What I'm looking forward to next month...We're going to a concert which I'm really excited about! Other than that, November will be a lot of being cozy at home as it gets darker and colder outside. November will never be my favourite, but I've learned to embrace it (a bit.)

So that's what's up with us this last Wednesday in October. Thankfully things have slowed down a bit for us, even if does make for a less interesting blog post :)

Savouring August (Friday Favourite Moments)

I'm writing this post on our deck while three loads of laundry are drying on the line, I'm drinking a cold Coke, and Rachel is deep cleaning our car. Life is really good right now!!! Here are the ways I savoured August this past week. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, go read this post here where I explain what I'm trying to do this month.)

1) Sunset Session in downtown

 

Our local business association hosts free outdoor concerts each Friday night in the summer. There are always two acts and the acts are a surprise until they start playing. It's called Sunset Session and I've always wanted to go to one. My family had agreed to come check it out with me and then the kids decided they were too tired. So Dave and I went on our own. One act was an indie punk rock group and the other was a solo artist who does Afrobeats. Neither of them was a concert I would have intentionally decided to attend but Dave and I had so much fun!!! Part of it was how random the music was! We really enjoyed the music, even if it was outside of our preferred genres, and it was a fun, unexpected, date night.

2) Starbucks with the girls

 

Rachel invited her best friend over for a sleepover on Saturday night. We walked uptown to get Starbucks, inspired by the Unicorn Frappe, and I had a lot of fun talking with them.

  

3) Sunday with our best friends

 

Sam headed off to camp again on Sunday and our best friends' kids gave him a ride up. He had to be at their house at 7:15. So we hung out with Tim and Janice and enjoyed tea together. Then we made a plan to meet up for the afternoon. We played disc golf, watched the inaugural Worlds Pairs Disc Golf championship, ordered pizza together, and ended the evening with a really fun game! It was just an organic, hanging out, day and we loved it!

 

4) Time for yard work

I really love doing yard work but it can't be too hot, or too dry (too hard to weed), and I have to have good energy. I especially love having time to do yard work on a Monday morning when I don't have to wake up early!

Left: our front yard tree on Saturday; right: our front yard tree on Monday morning.

So much better!

 

5) CSA salad

 

I invented a random salad a few years ago to make when it's bean season for our CSA. I boil the beans (then cool them down) and then add tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado (if we have them), feta cheese, and balsamic vinagarette. It's so good and such a great way to use up a lot of beans. This past week, there was basil at CSA so I threw that in too and it was delicious!!!

6) More games!

 

On Sunday when we were playing games, Janice mentioned another game they had, and then invited us back to play it later in the week. So on Wednesday night, we ended up back at Tim & Janice's playing Blank Slate. It was really fun!

7) Drive-in movie

Our neighbour mentioned a drive-in theatre in a city not far from us so last night we went out for supper, wandered along the riverside, watched planes take off and land at a small airport, and then saw Spiderman:  Brand New Day. It was really fun!!! Although we did discover that it's hard to watch a driveiin movie from the back of our car!

 

As you can see, sometimes we go and have an experience to savour August and sometimes it's just noticing the little joys at home. This intentionality has really helped me change my mindset about this month. Here's hoping I can keep it up next week when I'm back at work!

Savouring August (Friday Favourite Moments)

So can I be honest here for a moment? I've been a bit of a grumpypants for the past few months. It seems that Dave and I sailed through the renovation process with very few hiccups, but this post-renovation process (unpacking, settling in, cleaning -- oh, the cleaning) has pushed me over the edge and I've been frustrated and irritated. So I decided I needed to change my attitude and I am bringing back my "Friday favourite moments." I think we are all happier when we notice the good things in life, whether they be major things or small things. If I'm looking for something good every day, I know it changes my mindset.

In my Hodgepodge post a few weeks ago, I shared a quote from Kate Bowler about appreciating the good in August, rather than just rushing through to September. So for the past week, and for the rest of this month, my "Friday Favourite Moments" posts are going to focus on one (or two!) thing I've done every day to "savour August." Then in September, I'm going to try and get back to writing weekly favourite moment posts to help me focus more on gratitude, rather than all the minor irritations that pop up.

 1) Time to read

Sam and I arrived home from Saskatchewan at 3:45am. I was exhausted but didn't sleep well. So that afternoon, I sat in the sun, on our deck, drinking water, and reading a book. I did very little else and it was so lovely to not feel like I had to do anything.

 2) Outdoor movie at the farm

When Tessa invited us out to their farm to watch Mamma Mia! on the side of the barn, we were all in! I loved watching the sun set over the corn field and dancing along to Mamma Mia! It was so much fun!!! 

3) Homemade ice cream sandwiches

Rachel asked if she could bake chocolate chip cookies and then we made homemade ice cream sandwiches and ate them under the solar lights. They were soooo good!

 

4) Evening in uptown

We all walked uptown to help our friend label books for the Little Free Diverse Library project she has been running since 2020. She was inspired by someone in Washington, DC to start this. She has a big book drive every June (Pride month and her birthday month) so we were helping to label the books for the various libraries. Then we caught a bit of a concert in our square and picked up Starbucks for the walk home.

 

5) Peaches and ice cream and flowers  

I picked up a lovely bouquet of flowers at CSA and Dave and I enjoyed fresh peaches on ice cream after supper.

 

6) Visits with friends 

I didn't take a picture while we were visiting, but a friend who I hadn't connected with in awhile came over and we sat on our deck and talked for over two hours! I've reconnected with quite a few friends this summer and it's been so good.

 

7) Fresh corn on the cob and Uptown Night Market 

We got corn on the cob from CSA and it was delicious! Then Rachel, Dave, and I walked uptown to the library to check out the weekly Night Market. We ran into a few people we knew and visited. We also sampled some food and played cornhole for a bit. It was a really fun evening!

 

So that's how I  "savoured August" this past week. It really has helped change my outlook this past week and Dave said it's helped him appreciate this last bit of summer more. Let's see if I can keep the momentum going once I'm back at work next week!

Friday Favourite Moments 2025 #26 On A Monday

Last week was probably the second most stressful week I've ever had at work, compounded by the heat wave our area was experiencing. In addition to all that, I was so stressed that I woke up around 3am a couple of nights in a row and absolutely could not fall back asleep, which didn't help matters any. All that is to say, by Thursday night I had no energy to eat, let alone write a blog post. Thankfully, I finished all my work for the school year (!!!) by Friday at 4:30 so, except for keeping an eye on email today, I'm officially done for the summer! Whoooo hoooooo!!! I'm currently blogging from the back yard, with a cup of coffee-hot chocolate and life is seeming pretty sweet right now :)

However, even in the midst of one of the most stressful weeks, I still kept my awareness out for "favourite moments" and I have a few to share. Looking for these moments definitely helped switch my perspective on some of the hardest days.

1) Biking to supper with Sam and Dave

A couple of weekends ago, I did a tour of the "Art on the Edge" displayed on patios in our downtown. Thanks to that tour, I learned about a few new restaurants and decided we should try and visit them. While Rachel was at a sleepover, Sam, Dave, and I biked downtown to try a ramen place. It was so good!!! And the biking was really fun :)  

 

2) First CSA meal

 Our CSA has started for the year (whoooo hooo!!!) and I got to enjoy my favourite kale salad, some steamed bok choy, and a veggie burger. This meal will be on repeat all summer long and I LOVE it!

 

3) Workout with Rachel

 

I've been trying to keep up with "30 in 30" for June and I've been pretty successful most days. On Sunday, Rachel and I did a walking video in the basement as it was too hot to do anything outside. It was fun to do with her! I did a lot of these videos during Covid.

 

4) Ice Cold Water!!!

 

On Tuesday, when we were under a heat warning and the heat was blowing all day in our office, my co-worker had to run home at break. She asked if I needed anything, and refilled both my water bottles with ice and cold water from her house. I was so thankful for some really cold water to help combat all the extra heat. (See, even on the hardest days, there are not-so-small moments to be thankful for.)  

 

5) Last Days of School

 

Sam had a few extra days of schoolwork to do after the last day of classes but he finally finished everything! Whooo hoo! Peace out Grade 10!

 

Rachel graciously allowed her "last day of school" picture to be taken a few days late so I could get in to work early (and stay late) on the last day with students. There are many benefits to working in schools but not being there for your kids' first and last day moments is a downside :( 

 

6) Lilies blooming

 

After keeping a watchful eye out for the past few weeks, one of the lilies from my parents finally bloomed! I was so excited to see it and sent a joyful text to Mom and Dad! And the first of the day lilies also bloomed. I think our colder than usual spring delayed it all a bit.

7) Flower share

I'm doing a flower share again this year and the first bouquet went to Rachel for her birthday so I've been enjoying this week's bouquet on our dining room table, a little extra, this week!

 

So those were my favourite moments in a stressful work week. I'm extra thankful for them given how the rest of the week went. I already have a feeling that my current moment will be making it onto this week's round up. I hope you're also finding some favourite moments, whatever your week holds.

What's Up Wednesday: June 2025

I'm writing this as we're on the second day of a "heat warning." With the humidex, we've been reaching temperatures of 44C (111F). To add to the fun, today (Tuesday evening when I'm writing this) the system in the school office got confused between January and June and was pumping out heat. Yes, you read that correctly. Whenever staff came in, I greeted them with, "Welcome to hell!" because our office is technically in the basement and it was so brutally hot. Anyways, we have two days left of school with students (including today) and I may not survive :) Okay, with that out the way, on with this post...

Answering these questions monthly helps me reflect on the past month and I really appreciate having a record of what we've been up to. The questions come from Shay at Mix and Match Mama and Sheaffer at Sheaffer Told Me Too.

image from here

 

What we're eating this week... Our CSA has started so we're eating all the veggies!!! And since it's a heat wave, we're also eating all the cold food -- popsicles, lemonade, and cold pasta salad. We're not cooking in this weather.

I'm so excited because my favourite kale salad is back in season! Whooo hooo!!!

What I'm reminiscing about... Well, as I mentioned on the blog in an earlier post, our family is hitting Europe again this summer. So I've been reminiscing about our first family trip there in 2022. I'm sooooo excited to make some new memories together!

Left: Our family at Notre Dame (Paris, France); Right: having tea on the Kensington Palace grounds (London, England)

What I'm loving... My parents have been travelling with their best friends and they've been sending us daily photos. I'm absolutely loving these glimpses into their trip, especially when it includes fields of lupines!!!

 

What we've been up to... June was a very full month, with a lot of it focused on Rachel! We started off with a 50th Anniversary Gala for Rachel's dance studio.

The next weekend, it was time to start preparing for Rachel's Grade 8 grad and her birthday. She got her nails done and was thrilled with the outcome.

Her free Starbucks drink on her birthday got upgraded to a "trenta" and was as big as her head! 

And Grade 8 grad happened, followed by a birthday sleepover.

 

As for Sam, he has been plugging away at finishing all of his Grade 10 work. We thought he had finished this past Sunday but it turned out he had a few assignments left so he's either finished as I write this post, or will finish later this morning (Wednesday). Grade 10 has not been the best year for Sam so we're excited to leave it behind and look ahead to a fresh start for Grade 11.

 

What I'm dreading... Honestly, I'm dreading if the temperature in my office isn't fixed for today. I'm at the point where I don't need air conditioning, but I do need the heat to stop pumping out. Also, I'm kind of dreading these next few days of work -- I have so much work to do and everyone else is having fun doing karaoke, going to the park, and generally hitting summer mode. This is always one of my least favourite weeks of the school year.

What I'm working on... I've been working on getting my annuals planted. I still have a few left to go but it's just been too hot to be outside these past few days.

I've also been working on the "30 for 30" challenge with Mix and Match Mama. She challenged her readers to join her in 30 minutes of activity for each of the 30 days in June, I've been doing fairly well except for a few days where it was too hot or I was too busy with Rachel's birthday/grad. I've been really happy with the variety of activity I've gotten from walking with Janice to playing disc golf with Dave to playing soccer with Sam to biking with Sam and Dave to doing an indoor walking video with Rachel. It's been such a fun challenge!

  

What I'm excited about... I went on a walking tour in our downtown and it featured the artists from the new "Art on the Edge" installation. Artists were commissioned to paint murals for patios in our downtown. The walking tour I did introduced us to the artists and to the restaurants. Sam, Dave, and I checked one out for supper last week and Dave and I are going to another one this weekend. I'm excited to check out more art and more local restaurants.

What I'm watching/reading... A few weeks ago, there was a pair of geese and their three goslings hanging out on my favourite path so I was watching them for a few days. Lately we've had some huge frogs in our backyard (one of them really likes one of my planters). And a couple of weeks ago, Rachel and I saw a deer on one of our walks at the soccer field. So I guess I've been watching wildlife! Hahaha!

I was also watching a few games of the Stanley Cup Final but I don't want to think about that since a Canadian team didn't bring home the cup. Blah.

 

As for reading, I can't even think about what I've been reading. It's been too hot to read and I'm too busy this week to read. Next week at this time, I will be on summer break so I will get a ton of reading done then. 

What I'm listening to... Right now I'm listening to our air conditioner running at home and appreciating it a little extra :)

What I'm wearing... It's been a month of dressing up. From my dress for the 50th Anniversary Gala to matching Converse with Rachel for her grad, I've worn a few more interesting things this month. When I'm not dressing up, I'm wearing t-shirts and skirts and flipflops to work in an attempt to stay as cool as possible. Dave has been driving me to work and back since it's been too hot to walk, so flipflops are helping me stay cool.

 

What I'm doing this weekend... Dave and I are celebrating 17 years of marriage on Sunday so we have a couple of special evenings planned. I'm excited about our anniversary celebrations this year :) We're also having our annual "strawberries and ice cream for breakfast brunch" to kick off summer this weekend and I can't wait!!! This is seriously one of my favourite summer traditions.

What I'm looking forward to next month... Summer break! Summer vacation! Summer!!!

 

So that's what's up with us this Wednesday -- it's hot, hot, hot, and we're just holding on until summer break. We're nearly there...