Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Life Lately: Week 45

This is what the past week looked like.

Breakfast in a pinch was plain rice cakes with Laughing Cow cheese.

Met a friend from the library board for coffee...er...hot apple cider.

My neighbors are funny.

I had already complained to G that my $8 hot apple cider was a complete waste of money (basically just warmed-up cider with a little cinnamon and whipped cream that I could easily make at home).

Then, to make matters worse, I proceeded to knock over the second half of my overpriced cider. I texted G this picture, and his response was, “Well, there’s $8 you’ll never see again.” Ha!

He’s been attached to his tennis ball all week, cuddling with it and even using it as his pillow. 

Don’t sleep on MorningStar Farms chorizo! It’s an absolute game changer in my taco bowls.

So. Much. Flavor.

I'll read anything and everything Hilderband writes.

Favorite quotes:

"To paraphrase the writer E.B. White, I'm always on the lookout for the presence of wonder."

"He taught me the pleasure of losing myself in a book and reminding me that reading would make me good company for myself."

"My interior architecture is sturdy. It's composed of every book I've ever read."

"Real life is not multiple choice. Real life is an essay question with a long, twisty answer that doesn't always make sense."

It was just too beautiful outside (73° and sunny!) not to squeeze in one last lake swim for the season. And just like that, I checked off my goal of getting in the lake in November! 

I’ve finally perfected my banana chocolate chip muffins, and I can’t wait to share the recipe with you soon.

Old man Manny.

It was such a nice surprise to come into the office and find a little gift from a friend. It’s the little things that make my day! 

One of the perks of the job: six hours of taste-testing candy! Not a bad way to spend the day. 

A savory, free lunch is also a perk.

The dream team.

Enjoyed a delicious dinner with my former boss, who has become a dear friend. 

10/10 recommend Compass and Cleaver.

Manny is really showing his age this week and can no longer quite make it up onto the couch.

So we brought his bed into the living room to keep him close and make sure he’s as comfortable as possible. 

My new favorite breakfast obsession: half a slice of sourdough topped with an egg, Havarti cheese, and Amylu chicken sausage. 

Simple, delicious, and so satisfying! 

Feeling festive.

My phone fell out of my pocket while I was on a walk, and by the time I realized it and doubled back to find it, someone had run it over. It spent the rest of the day slowly dying, and by the time I finally made it to Apple, it took 1.5 hours just to transfer everything from my old phone to the new one. 

Needless to say, it was quite the ordeal!

Sushi at sunset.

M took a tumble going both up AND down the stairs, so he’s officially been banned from the stairs (and he's mad about it). 

Back at church after far too long, and my heart feels so full. It felt SO good to be back! 

One of the worship songs was a hymn I grew up singing, and hearing it again brought back all the feels. Such a special moment. 

We went out to lunch after church (because tradition) and celebrated five years at Kellogg...er...Mars.

G took a staged approach to closing up the boat this year. 

He pulled it out of the water in mid-October, winterized the motor last weekend, and officially tucked it in for its long winter nap this weekend. 

Until next summer! 

I gobbled this book up and finished it in two days.

Favorite quote:

"Has there ever been an occasion, in the history of time, when it was a good idea for a man to tell a woman to calm down?"

I have such a love/hate relationship with this show. 

I LOVE the acting and the characters (Patricia! The Mayor!), but I could do without the terrifying scenes and the nightmares that come with watching it. 

Love.


Little things turn out to be the big things.

Truth.

Go green!

God is good.

Happy November!

Both things can be true.

Hahaha.

This is so G.

That time change was no joke.

It's funny because it's true.

"Joy threw up in your house."

100.

I feel seen.

It's funny because it's true.

Literally laughed out loud.

For more life lately:

Week 45 of 2019

Week 45 of 2020

Week 45 of 2021

Week 45 of 2022

Week 45 of 2023

Week 45 of 2024

Week 45 of 2025

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Life Lately: Week 44

This is what the past week looked like.

That ear, though.

We got home from vacation to an empty fridge and no coffee, so naturally, a Starbucks run was first on the agenda.

Book club at Jolly Pumpkin. 

Always a burrower. 

Coming home from vacation to 70 degree weather definitely makes the transition back to reality a little easier.

Meal prepped, groceries restocked, and kicked things off with an easy sheet pan dinner of chicken sausage, potatoes, and veggies.

Heron at sunrise.

Cozy coffee time on the porch.

My sweet boy.

My neighbor had a skeleton with a dog skeleton (because he’s always out walking his dogs), but he has two dogs and got a lot of feedback about only having one, so he added a second dog.

Now this is my kind of Halloween décor!

Pumpkin spice and everything nice.

G wears a dress shirt and shorts pretty much every day, so naturally, the one day he decided not to wear his signature outfit is the day his coworkers all dress up as him.

Made Italian chicken in the crockpot (just chicken and Italian dressing cooked on low for 7 hours) and got two different meals out of it.

One night we had it with sheet-pan veggies, leftover chicken sausage, and Parmesan, and the next night served it over pasta. Love an easy meal that does double duty!

Halloween with cloudy skies and temps in the 60s made for perfect trick-or-treat weather.

We had a record 100 trick-or-treaters this year, double our usual turnout of around 50, thanks to the great weather and Halloween falling on a Saturday!

We put a light in the candy bowl so the kids could see the treats, but apparently the light was more exciting than the candy.

Our neighbors came over to hang out by the fire and brought along some Yooper rocks they found up north the weekend before - they glow under a blacklight, pretty cool, right?

There's a dog under that blanket.

Elite lunch combo = Aldi protein crackers + my chicken salad.

Pairs well with pasta.

G and I love a good pasta on the weekend.

Not over Michigan's fall collection.

Take the road less traveled. 

Oh deer!

I was thinking about a girl on insta who said we have such a short time on this earth, so why aren't we shouting from the rooftops about how delicious our coffee is? 

That was me Sunday morning - the coffee was that good and the sun was casting the most beautiful golden light on the golden trees, and I just had one of those moments where everything felt so incredibly beautiful. 

Went to see The Notebook with my neighbor not knowing quite what to expect, but absolutely adored it. I laughed, cried, and took in all the incredible talent while also reflecting on my own love story with G. It was such a sweet reminder of how quickly life moves and how important it is to slow down and savor every moment. 

G and I are watching Stick right now, and it's such a sweet, tender show with just the right amount of humor.

Another great Halloween in the books.

Goals.

Good reminder.

Happy November!

Yes.

All the happy things.

Savor every moment.

Entering cozy season.

It's funny because it's true.

This seems to be a growing trend and I'm here for it.

This made me giggle because I have not changed the microwave clock yet.

Great point.

Haha.

This is so me.

What ever happened to that?

For more life lately:

Week 44 of 2019

Week 44 of 2020

Week 44 of 2021

Week 44 of 2022

Week 44 of 2023

Week 44 of 2024

Week 44 of 2025