this little life of mine

Good afternoon, everyone! The Favourites List is something I've been doing for most of my life. Starting back in grade school I would send lists of my favourite colour, season, song, actor, TV show, etc., to pen pals, and receive their lists back, excited to see what things we had in common (and silently judging their juvenile taste in pop music or cute little boy actors because I was WAY more "mature" and basically a big, fat snob!). So, I noticed a while ago some folks online were doing Favourites Lists on their blogs and YouTube channels sharing what books, movies, cosmetics products, or special moments they've enjoyed over the preceding month.  Periodically I've done my version here on my blog, but like most things with my blog, I've let it slide. Well, it's back for Holidailies, at least! So without further ado, here are a few of my favourite things for the month of November 2017. Enjoy!

The best part of November was over the Veteran's Day Holiday when I took an awesome trip to Las Vegas to hang out with some of the coolest people on the planet. Obviously seeing some of my favourite people in the whole, wide world is the biggest, bestest part of the whole thing, but just to sweeten the pot, here's 5 favourite moments from the weekend:

This amazing vegan grilled cheese and pesto panini sandwich from Simply Pure. Honestly, I don't know how you make not-cheese taste like cheese, but this stuff really tasted like cheese!

This fabulous Sigma Derby casino game. In the end I totally lost on this game, but it's addictively fun to watch and play.

This hilarious statue of "Manneken Pis" outside the D Hotel.  The original is in Belgium, and is from the 1600s (or something like that), but apparently the owners of the hotel were on vacation, and loved it so much, they bought a replica to put in the fountain in front of their hotel.

The fascinating Mob Museum.  Seriously, you guys, this was SO cool! There's tons of displays, films, interactive experiences, and more! You really need to set aside several hours to really experience it! I'm totally planning to go back when they've completed the Speak Easy in the basement!

And, the super fun karaoke. Loved the intimate, private room!

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, my mom and I refinished our kitchen cabinets. Now, we didn't go all out and take the doors off, and sand them down and re-stain them or anything nuts like that. We purchased some McFate's Restorz It wood finishing, and cleaned and degreased the cabinets (with a McFate's cleaning product), then gave them several coats of the wood finishing. Now, our cabinets are clean and glowing! All that's left to do in the kitchen now is get some new tile!

Okay, so those are all the things I liked, now, here's a couple things I didn't like so much:

The D Hotel where I stayed in Las Vegas didn't have a coffee maker in the room. While this is a really minor thing - the room itself was very nice, and the hotel itself is nice, too - it was annoying. Every morning I had to get dressed and go down to the lobby to buy a cup of coffee from the kiosk (delicious coffee, btw), when I would have preferred to just have a cup of coffee in my room in a bathrobe whilst getting ready for the day. Also annoying was the fact that my room was right above one of the stages on Fremont Street, and the bands played until nearly 2AM. Now, I know it's Vegas, and I'm an elderly woman, and all that, but, dang, can't you kids keep quiet after midnight?!?

So, that's it - lots to love about November, and really not that much I didn't like! Here's hoping December is just as much fun! Cheers! 

I'm running a bit late with my monthly favourites for September, but better late than never, right? Anyway, here's what I loved (and didn't love) last month:

My #1 favourite cosmetics item ever is the Too Faced Mascara Melt Off! It's made the list several times, mostly because it's amazing and works quickly with very little effort! You simply brush the oil-based formula on your lashes as you would mascara, let it soak a minute or so, and wipe it off. It even takes off heavy-duty waterproof mascara with ease! How I ever lived without it is a mystery!  

And, speaking of mascara, right now my favourite mascara is the Covergirl LashExact Waterproof mascara. Because my eyes water constantly (Why? I don't know. Allergies? Probably.), I have to have a waterproof mascara, and as much as I would like to try some of the exciting-looking offerings from the high-end cosmetics companies, they rarely, if ever, offer a waterproof formula. Drug store brands, however, pretty much always have waterproof mascaras, and this is one of the best, imho!

My next two favourite cosmetics items are from Benefit and are part of their new brow line: the Gimme Brow Volumizing Eyebrow Gel and the 3D Browtones Eyebrow Enhancer. My brows have gotten sparse and really pale (i.e. grey) over the past few years, and these products are some of the best I've tried for easily making my brows look darker and thicker.

Okay, on to something that doesn't have to do with make-up, but does have to do with wine: the quarterly Atascadero Wine and Art Stroll was held September 9th, and had plenty of delicious offerings to try. Some of my favourites were from Nichol's Winery, Bristols Cellars & Lone Madrone, Vintage Cowboy, Barton Family & Grey Wolf, and August Ridge. As well as the delicious wines, there were some awesome art displays, food, and as always, it's just fun to wander through some of our quirky downtown shops. I even found an awesome handmade necklace at Local Love. I can't remember the artist's name, unfortunately, but I got a discount on this piece because the necklace part had broken. I'm sure I can find something in my collection, or even just buy a strip of leather or suede at Michael's to make a low choker.

And my final favourite is maybe a bit odd (and possibly gross!), but I've been using this item for a couple months now, and LOVE it! I have been sleeping so much better, and I swear part of the reason is that I can breathe so much easier. This is the Sleep Right intra-nasal breathe aid. I used to use the Breathe Right nasal strips that stick on the outside of the nose. Those worked okay, but sometimes they didn't stick very long, and occasionally they stuck TOO well, and took a bit of skin off with it! This device goes inside your nose to open up the nasal passages so you get more air in, and it removes simply and you just clean it with soap and water.  Best. Thing. Ever!

 The one thing I didn't like so much in September was something I actualy bought in August, but didn't try till last month, and that is the OPI Put a Coat On! base coat that came in the Tru Neon Minis kit.  It might have just been my own sloppy attempt to use it, but since it's actually just a white nail polish, it shows around the edges where the coloured polish doesn't hit, as opposed to the clear base coats. I'm not explaining it very well, but basically you end up with a bright nail polish colour with a white boarder, and it just looks bad. I love OPI, in general, but I'm just not a fan of this item.

Okay, that's it for the month of September! Did you have any awesome finds last month? Or maybe find something you thought would be great, but just wasn't? Let me know in the comments! Have a great weekend! Cheers!

I was bad in June and did a LOT of online shopping, so I actually have a LOT more Faves than Not So Muches this month, so let's get started:

1. First and foremost: my new car! I got a 2016 Kia Soul and named her Roxanne, or Roxy for short. She's delightful, pretty, and a joy to drive. Plus Bob and Dave at San Luis Bay Motors Kia were fantastic to work with!

2. And to go with my new car, I got a new license plate frame from my alma mater: Central Washington University!

3. Tarte x Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen palette and lippies. I ended up getting both the lippies as well as the palette even though I rarely wear anything on my lips other than Blistix. I really like the neutral Texas Toast colour, and the Swamp Family (bright red) is gorgeous, although I have no idea where I'd ever wear it!

4. I also purchased a clip-on ring light from Flawless Lighting for my iPhone and I think it really does make my pictures look better!

5. Periodically I get coupons for free items from Shutterfly.com (usually through Vons), and this time it was for a set of 4 coasters. I chose to go with an ocean/water theme for them, and they turned out gorgeous!

6. And this last item is one of my all-time favourite nail polishes: OPI's classic Day at the Peach nail polish. It's discontinued, so it's hard to find, but I got a bottle, and fully intend to use it to the very last drop!

And, now for a couple things I did NOT like in June:

Another broken tooth. Gah! That's the third tooth I've broken in about as many years. It's another one that had a large filling in it, so that's probably why it was weak. It also has had a small chip for the past three or five years or so, so I figured it was just a matter of time before it broke off. Luckily it doesn't hurt, although there are some sharp edges, so I have to be careful not to rip my tongue up too much, but for now, I'm not in a hurry to call the dentist.

The weather: Lord, but it's been hot! We've had the use the air conditioner a LOT during the month of June, and I'm not looking forward to getting THAT bill! Gah!

 And, there you have it! Hope you all had a great June, and have a fantastic July! Cheers!

Welcome to my monthly favourites post - also known as A Few of My Favourite Things (and a Few Not So Much!). Sorry, I don't have any pictures to go with this post, but I will link each item so you can go check them out at your leisure!

1.  Shoes!! I bought FOUR new pair of shoes from Modcloth.com in May and I love them all!

    First is a pair of flats (well they're ALL flats!) from T.U.K. called Doe a Deer Flat. (Modcloth comes up with its own cute and clever names for stuff, so don't be surprised if the names don't match!)

    Second is another pair from T.U.K., and they are called Sophistakitty flats.

    Third pair is by Latigo and they are awesome, open-toed flats with a gorgeous light olive green colour in the front and some amazing beading on the heel. They're gorgeous! I'm     obsessed!

    The fourth and final pair are a pair of white sneakers with a beautiful floral print.

    They are all really comfortable and cute and I'm looking forward to wearing them all summer (and beyond)!

2.  A couple make-up faves: First is Two Faced Mascara Melt Off. This is fabulous! You just brush on this oil-based product on your waterproof-mascara-coated lashes, wait a few minutes, then wipe it off. It makes removing waterproof mascara SO much easier! Next is the Benefit Cosmetics Dandelion Brightening Baby-Pink Blush. I've used this colour before, and really liked it. It's a really light pink with a faint shimmer which I think will be perfect for spring and summer! Also, it comes with it's own super soft brush, which I like as well.

 3.   The next one is a hair product: Living Proof Timeless Pre-Shampoo Treatment. Basically it's a hair conditioner you use BEFORE you shampoo! I understand this is a thing now, but this is the first product I've tried, and I really liked it. Basically you put this conditioner on your dry hair, let it soak in for about five minutes (I use this about the same time as I use the Two Faced Mascara Melt Off!), then shower, shampoo, etc., as per usual. I do feel my hair is coming out of the shower in better condition then when it when it when in.

4. My final Fave is actually a gardening tool: the Ryiobi grass and hedge trimmer combo. It's battery operated - which I love because, yay! no cords! And also, it works SO well! It took out my overgrown grasses like they were nothing, and trimmed up my rosemary bushes so cute! It's the best thing ever!

 And, now some things I didn't like so much in May:

1.  Being sick. I was sick all March and April, and was just starting to feel better the beginning of May, but caught ANOTHER cold, and was down for about two and a half to three weeks. I only this past weekend started feeling closer to 100% better.

Hope you had a great month of May! What were a few of your favourite things? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!

One feature I've been attempting to do on this blog on a monthly basis is my Monthly Favourites, which is basically a list of things such as cosmetics, music, movies, books, food and drink, etc. I particularly enjoyed during that particular month, and wish to share and recommend. I'm not always successful getting this entry written every month (and sometimes a whole month goes by where I really just don't like anything, so there's nothing to write about!), but November was a pretty good month. So, here are a few things I was really enjoying in November:

 1. Thanksgiving dinner! I love the traditional Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, potatoes (yams and/or scalloped potatoes), and pumpkin pie! And while I really could make these dishes any time of year, waiting for November makes the meal all the more delicious!. This year I was lazy and bought the stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and scalloped potatoes already prepared in the deli section of my supermarket, and the pie in the frozen section. The only thing I really had to cook was the turkey, and I was lucky enough to find a package of turkey thighs for me, the dark meat lover, and turkey breast tenderloins for my mom, who only eats white meat, so we each got what we wanted, and didn't have a whole lot of stuff left over. Truly, it was a perfect Thanksgiving!  

2. My Retro TV has been airing classic Doctor Who episodes for a while now, and while I've enjoyed getting caught up with Doctor's 1, 2, and 3, now we're into #4's adventure, and I'm so excite because 4 was my very first Doctor! I love them all, but 4 is my fave!

3.  I have been really enjoying the Ready Pac pre made salad bowls. They are perfect to take to work for lunch as everything is premeasured and precut, so all I have to do is throw it all together in the bowl it's packaged in, mix it up, and eat it. They're not cheap, but the convenience makes them well worth it!

4.  I believe I mentioned having just finished the Love Story perfume I have been wearing and loving every single day for at least the past month. If I didn't already have three full perfumes I need to use up, I would immediately run out to Ulta to buy another bottle, I love it that much!

5.  For football games this season I have been enjoying Blue Moon Belgian White Ale, though I have yet to try it with an orange slice. Has anyone else had an orange slice with their Blue Moon? If so, how did you like it? Let me know in the comments!

6.  Cosmetically speaking I have recently been using up a lot of stuff I bought on shopping sprees to Sephora and Ulta in an effort to clean out my make up drawer, and make my AM routine quick and easy. However, I have noticed that my go-to mascara has been Maybellene's Volume Express "The Falsies" Waterproof mascara. I used up all my super expensive Diorshow, Urban Decay's Perversion, Benefit Cosmetic's They're Real, Two Faced's Better Than Sex, etc., mascaras and found myself going back to the drug store mascaras like Maybellene and Cover Girl because  a) they all come in a waterproof formula which I need, and b) they work better, in my opinion, than the expensive ones. And, they're less expensive, so win win!

 That's really about it for my November favourites. Did you absolutely love anything special last month? Anything new you discovered and now can't live without? Let me know in the comments! Have a terrific Monday!

Good-bye, July, and hello, August! About the only exciting thing I did during the month of July was hang out with two of my BFFs on 4th of July. We had a great time visiting, and enjoyed great wine, food, shopping, and bevvies! The other fun thing was hanging out with my family for a BBQ one lovely Sunday afternoon where there was also great food, fun conversation, and delicious wine. The rest of July was a continuation of tidying and organizing, and, of course, yard work. You could say I was in a bit of a rut. Every time I though about spending a Saturday in, say Cambria or Pismo Beach, some project or other came up. Kind of a bummer, but still, it's nice to get so much stuff done!

So anyway, here's a few other things I enjoyed during the month of July: 

Cosmetics: I started using L'Oreal's Youth Code Skin Illuminator Tinted Moisturizer instead of foundation, and I love it! It comes out of the tube white, but quickly changes colour to match your skin tone. It's creamy and smooth and blends beautifully! It's magic!

Fragrance: I'm still really enjoying Live Joyously by Philosophy. Back in June, I planned to switch back to the remainder of the Jean Paul Gaultier Classique Summer from a few years ago, but I just keep grabbing Live Joyously instead!

Fashion: I got into a massive rut fashion-wise last month, pretty much wearing the same five or six tops the whole time as well as the same few pairs of black pants and basic blue jeans (Fridays only, of course!). But I couldn't help it! I love my floral and coral and red tops! They're T-shirt style, so they're super comfortable and go with everything! And black pants just always look professional.  I am trying to mix it up a bit more in August, however, by wearing more maxi-skirts and dresses, white pants and jeans, and some different tops I've found in my closet. Wish me luck!

Book: I spent the majority of July reading Walden by Henry David Thoreau, and I really enjoyed it! It's a beautifully written book with a lot of details and descriptions. It was a tough read, though, because of those very things (and because, let's be honest, I'm used to reading lighter, fluffier fare!), but it was so very worth it! I highly recommend digging into a lovely piece of classic literature every once in a while!

TV: Loving SyFy Fridays: Defiance, Killjoys, and Dark Matter - three awesome shows! Also found cleaning and organizing inspiration from marathons of Hoarding, enjoyed new show The Whispers, and loved returning favourites The Last Ship, Rizzoli and Isles, Major Crimes, Falling Skies, and Under the Dome.

 Other stuff: If you're a regular reader, you already know we had a fabulous thunderstorm in July which gave us nearly three inches of most-welcomed rain! We don't get these kinds of storms often here, so it was kinda fun!

Well, that's about it! I hope everyone had a wonderful July, and that August is shaping up to be pretty awesome, too! Cheers!

I really didn't do or buy much during May (as I'm trying my best to get RID of stuff!), so my list this time will be pretty short! Here are a few random things I liked during the month of May:

This awesome banana container! There's nothing worse than commuting with a banana in your lunch bag - it always ends up horrifically bruised and gross.  This fantastic plastic container protects your banana and keeps it blemish-free for your lunchtime enjoyment. According to the link I found, it's $3.50 on Amazon, but I found one at my local Dollar Tree Store (where everything's $1.00!).

Chloe Love Story perfume. I've been wearing this perfume for about two or three weeks, now, and I've received several complements on it. It's a nice light, subtle floral fragrance that I think is perfect for spring/summer.

Philosophy Live Joyously perfume. Before Love Story I was wearing this bright floral fragrance. I say "bright" because not only is the bottle a super bold pink, but the fragrance itself is very strong and lasts a long time. I'll probably continue alternating between these two for another month or two.

The Paso Arts Festival. This is the second time mom and I have gone to this, and this time was just as much fun. I love looking at all the different types of art and artists there are, and I usually end up with some ideas as well!

Sargento Balanced Breaks. I saw an ad for these a while ago, but only recently discovered them at my local Von's, and snagged three of the almond and cranberry one. They are delicious and so long as you don't have any allergies, I highly recommend them!

 And, finally, one of my favourite things for May (and pretty much all the time) is my backyard! Mom and I recently put up two reed fences along our fence where the boards were not so close together, and when we were sitting on our back patio, we could see the neighbours on the other side when they were sitting on their back patio. It was a bit uncomfortable, but it looks so much better now! We also trimmed some of the grasses and cat mint (though it's growing    again already!), and put out our chairs and tables! We're all ready to enjoy a glass of wine on a Friday night!

Did you have any favourites for the month of May? Did you go anywhere fun, or buy something fabulous? Let me know in the comments! Cheers! 

Well, hello, and welcome to my January fav ... uh, hey, wait a minute! What happened to January?? I swear I was just watching The Twilight Zone marathon on SyFy and the Rose Parade on HGTV yesterday, and now, all of a sudden, it's February!! And I'm doing my January Favourites!!

O. M. G.

O.K. Deep, cleansing, yoga breath in ... and out. Time is flowing faster than ever, but it's gonna be okay. It has to, right?!?

Anyway, okay, enough of the shock of turning over the calendar already, and on to some of the things I found, liked, loved, and enjoyed during the month of January. Enjoy!

Cosmetics: I've been using L'Oreal Paris' Infallible Pro-Matte foundation in #102 Shell Beige, and pressed powder in Porcelain for the past month, and really quite like them. The foundation colour I chose seems a little dark, but for whatever reason, actually blends in with my natural skin colour really well. Also, really like the Almay Get Up and Grow mascara (in Black Brown waterproof formula). To take it all off at night, I'm using the Neutrogena make up remover wipes, and yes, they really do remove waterproof mascara as well!

Fragrance: While I was cleaning out my cosmetics drawer, I found a couple sample tubes, and used them the past couple weeks. Unfortunetly I don't know what they were, but at least one of them was really nice. Pity. Also, I found a sample of Lilly by Stella McCartney, and really liked the nice, fresh, floral scent. Not sure if I would buy a whole bottle of it, though.

Fashion: The only shopping I did in January was to pick up a few tops from IGIGI. I was going to write up an "Un-boxing" post, but didn't get around to it. Also, on Thursdays when I have Ballet Yoga at 6:15 PM, I've been wearing my yoga leggings under a maxi skirt and a sports bra under a tee-shirt or sweater for work, so I don't have to go all the way home to change. I can just slip into the bathroom at the studio, and step out of the skirt and switch out my shirt for a work-out one, and I'm ready to go!

Book: I spent most of January reading The Curiosity by Stephen P. Kieman. As I've mentioned several times, I really really loved this book and highly recommend it.

Music:  This is more of a dislike and a bit of a rant: My favourite radio station - KLIFE - changed its format (and its name) at the beginning of the year, and I'm not sure I like it. Sure they still play Christian music, but I miss The Wally Show in the morning and Durban after work, and when Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant come on I cringe. And, I have yet to hear some of the edgier music they used play like tobymac, Skillet, Lacrae, or Stellar Kart, who are some of my favourite artists that I discovered through KLIFE. Granted I only listen during my five minute commute to the bus stop in the morning and back at night, so I'm not listening all day, so it's entirely possible that Durban is on the air at a different time, and they still play cool music at some other time of the day. But it just feels to me like KLIFE is no longer the fun, edgy, high energy Christian radio station it used to be. It's like it went from being 24 years old to 60 overnight.

TV: Galavant was fun, and it looks like there's going to be a second season! Sweet! 

Food: Nothing really spectaular. Hopefully I'll be able to do some more cooking in February.

Beverages: I was watching a marathon of Bar Rescue and during one they made a drink with spiced rum, orange soda and bitters. I've been enjoying a rum and Coke occasionally on the weekends, and thought this was worth a try. After all I love orange soda, and I'd already purchased some spiced rum that I planned to make hot buttered rum drinks with over Christmas, but never did. So, I tried this drink at home, and loved it!

Well, I think that's about it! What did you use, or discover in January that you really liked? Or maybe didn't like? Let me know in the comments! Hope you January was fantastic, and that February is awesome! Cheers!

I know I'm running a little late with my  Favourite Things post,  and I'm SO terribly sorry, but things, you know, they happen. Anyway, here's my list, enjoy!

Cosmetics: I'm very excited to report I found TWO bottles of got2be Smooth Operator at CVS last month! I was afraid I would still have to trim the ends off my hair because they looked fried, but after using Smooth Operator for a couple weeks, the ends are much smoother and softer, so I might not have to. At least not right away.

Fragrance: I wore Burberry Brit Sheer almost exclusively throughout December. It's a nice, light fragrance that I've grown quite fond of.

Fashion: I loved all my fun sweaters from Lane Bryant, and pretty much wore them once a week all December long (and will probably continue to if this cold continues!). My only disappointment was with the fox sweater - the threads caught on everything and I ended up with tons of pulls to fix every week.

Book: I started reading The Curiosity in December, and really, really love it! It's an interesting concept, interestingly written, and filled with interesting characters! It's also, like, 400 pages long, so I'll be reading it for a while yet!

Music: Christmas music FTW!

TV:  SyFy's show Ascension was pretty darn good (except it didn't really END, did it?!?), as was TNT's The Librarians.

Food: Gingerbread cookies, Aplets and Cotlets, and peppermint bark.

Beverages: Eggnog!

Okay, that's it! At least that's everything I can remember enjoying in December. Did you have anything that you really loved last month? Are you still enjoying it now? Let me know - I'm curious! Cheers!

Good morning, and welcome to December, the final month of 2014! It's a little scary to be faced with only, what 28-odd days until 2015, isn't it? Still, this is a magical, inspirational month, and I'm looking forward to it. However, before I get on with December, let's look back at some of my favourite things in November shall we?

Cosmetics:  I love how Got2be's Fat-tastic Thickening Plumping mousse and Smooth Operator Smoothing Lustre Lotion have made my hair feel so soft! Unfortunately, I'm out of the Smooth Operator, and I can't seem to find any ANYWHERE! I've checked Rite-Aid, CVS, Walgreens, Sav-on, Von's, and Albertson's, and can't find it. So sad! I'm going to check a couple other places that might carry it, but as a last resort I'll order some online. That's how much I love it!

Fashion: I recently discovered that both Torrid and Lane Bryant offer a free ship-to-store option, and both their outlet stores at the Pismo Beach Outlet Center were included. Cool! I thought. I can order some stuff, and then mom and I can take a trip to Pismo. I can pick up my stuff, then we can go downtown, have a nice lunch, and a stroll along the pier/boardwalk. So excite! I put in an order for both stores a couple weeks ago, and last weekend both orders were available so I went out to pick up the purchases. Unfortunately it wasn't as much fun as I'd hoped. For one thing, neither mom nor I are feeling terribly well right now, so I just went on my own. Next, I've grown used to having plenty of time and space to try stuff on. Also, I'd have a chance to try things on with stuff I thought it might go with to start with! And, finally, while being able to return unwanted items right there at the store is pretty awesome, in the end, running to the post office on a Saturday morning really isn't that big of a deal! Anyway, I did end up getting several awesome pieces that I hope to blog about soon! And discovered I much prefer having my orders shipped to my house! I also discovered that the new Torrid outlet store is really super nice, and I'll definitely be travelling down there periodically to shop!

Book: Best book I read in November was Evergreen by Rebecca Rasmussen. I'm usually not a fan of the multi-generational novels because I become so attached to the first group of characters and dislike not being able to follow them all the way. I'd never been able to finish This Family of Women by Richard Peck or Sarum: The Novel of England by Edward Rutherfurd for this very reason! However, with this book I quickly became invested in the newly-introduced characters - sons and daughters of previous characters - and enjoyed their stories just as much.

Music: It's after Thanksgiving, so bring on the Christmas music! Love it SO much!

TV: The Walking Dead kicked my emotional butt this past Sunday, but it was fantastic as well. So well acted. So unexpected. Some conclusions I've been able to predict from an episode or so off, but I didn't see this ending coming at all! Also, loved Forever, Master Chef Junior, Project Runway All-Stars, and Project Runway: Threads.

Beverages: I've been enjoying a Full Moon Seasonal Collection Harvest Pumpkin Ale with my Packers games so far this football season. Now that it's December, though, maybe I'll look for a Christmas-themed ale instead. I always liked Pete's Wicked Winter Ale, but I haven't found it since moving to California. Still, I imagine either Full Moon or Sam Adams will have some Winter/Christmas/Seasonal brew out soon.

Other stuff: The Marpac Original Sound Machine. Between the occasional rumbling, crashing train, the almost constant rumble of traffic, the noisy auto repair shop across the street, the rain sloshing down the downspout followed by the drip, drip, dripping like a Chinese water torture device after the initial downpour, and finally Barky McBarks-and-Howls-a-Lot moving in over the back fence neither mom nor I can get an uninterrupted good night's sleep. So, I ordered this sound machine to see if it might drown out some of the more annoying sounds and help us sleep better. You see, during the summer I use a small fan to stay cool, and found the sound is soothing and masks a lot of the annoying sounds outside the house (as well as using the oscillating fan setting on my white noise app on the bus). However in the winter, it's already cold, and I don't wish to make it any colder, so this was the next best thing. I've only been using it a few days, and I really quite like it! I'll let mom try it next week, and if she likes it, we'll get another one, so neither of us will be rudely woken up by annoying sounds!

Also love my new bedroom wall colour: Silver Screen by Behr Premium Paints. Mom and I got my bedroom painted this awesome neutral colour over the Veteran's Day holiday, and now I'm just trying to figure out what new wall decor, accessories, light fixtures, and/or pictures I want. It's hard because the walls are so pristine and lovely! I almost hate to punch holes in them. Almost!

And, then there was Thanksgiving! This year my mom and I decided to have an unconventional Thanksgiving and had steak and lobster instead of turkey and stuffing. It was delicious, as well as easy and stress-free! I think we started a new tradition!

And, finally my recent vacation! My final 5k of the year was held in Pacific Grove, CA, so mom and I took a long weekend in Monterey Bay, CA. We had beautiful weather, and a gorgeous view out our hotel room. I did really good on the 5k, and hope to be able to do more next year. I also visited the Aquarium, and got some pretty good shots of their awesome displays.

Do you have any favourite things you saw, bought, experienced, or just enjoyed last month? Let me know in the comments! Cheers!