What's Up Wednesday: September 2024

 

September is just rolling along here Besties! Does anyone else feel the same way? This has been a Good month so far and it is finally starting to feel like fall around here. As this is the last Wednesday of the month, I am linking up with Shay and Shaeffer for What's Up Wednesday. Let's get ready to chat all things September!

What We're Eating This Week

Things in the menu planning department are relaxing a lot lately in the Good Better Best household now that it is just Running Daddy and me at home. Because it is just the two of us, traffic is terrible lately and we are about five weeks away from the election, I am trying to make our dinners for two as simple as possible.

Monday-Eggroll in a Bowl

Sidenote, I am not sure what I did when I made it this time, but it didn't turn out like it normally does. Do any of you have night like this?  You make a recipe about 100 times and one night you just can't get the seasoning right?

Tuesday-Pizza meatballs with salad

Wednesday-Hawaiian meatballs in the crockpot with salad

Yes, we are having two different kinds of meatballs with salad, two days in a row this week.  I may make a little brown rice with this if I am feeling adventurous. 

Thursday-Roasted shrimp with veggies and rice

Friday-Definitely takeout of some kind

What I am Reminiscing About

I am actually not feeling very sentimental right now. I am working hard to live in the moment and enjoy this season we are in. I have been thinking a little bit about this time last year when we were so focused on college applications and that Hockey Guy ended up exactly where he needed to be.

What I'm Loving

I am honestly loving this season of life. I enjoy not running around like a crazy person trying to get everything ready for practices, have food on hand and checking in on homework. 

I also feel very, very blessed that we have a kid who has settled into college nicely and is doing a Good job figuring things out, with a little guidance here and there. He also has a very nice roommate and has found a Good group of friends. I know not everyone's start to college is like this and I am sending a hug to all of the families that are getting off to a little bit of a rocky start.

I also love that we can live stream Hockey Guy's games. We were in Virginia waiting for a show to start while we were watching him play hockey in Kentucky a few weekends ago. We all complain about technology sometimes but it can also be amazing!

What We've Been Up To

This month we are settling into our new routine. The weekends are a little different because at this point in/ the year, typically travel hockey would be in full swing. I did have the opportunity to visit with my mom, this very nice month.

We also went to see Kristin Chenoweth with Alan Cumming at the outdoor venue here. We bought pavilion seats because we really needed to see her up-close and not risk any bad weather on the lawn. We, mostly me, have been trying to see her in concert the last three times she has been in the Washington/Baltimore area. I am a certified fan girl and I am also a "theater nerd" at heart.

She is such a talent. She sang everything from a song about Chik-Fil-A, to "Pie Jesu" to "Popular" from Wicked. She said she would sing "Popular" "until the day she died" because she feels so blessed to have a song that people associate with her. She is the real deal.

Alan Cumming was a total delight and if you don't know him other than Traitors, check out his vast body of theater work. They did the duet of "One Hand, One Heart" from West Side Story and they had just rehearsed it for the first time that afternoon. It was amazing.

Just when you thought my hockey posts were over...it is very cool to be able to watch Hockey Guy play college hockey while we eat a beautiful grilled steak in our family room. Running Daddy took our steaks off the grill right as they were announcing his name in the starting line-up. It is truly amazing to see him live his goal that he has worked so hard for.

He also went back to his old number that he had from kindergarten until 8th grade so I need to get used to going back to cheering for #22!

This past weekend we also traveled down to Hockey Guy's college town for parents weekend. The weather was warm, the tailgating was as legendary as everyone said it would be and the football team got another big win. This is all very new to Running Daddy and I as while we loved where we went to college, where Hockey Guy is going is a very different atmosphere from where we went.

The sunset was even more beautiful in person. It was a night game so this was very fun.

What I'm Dreading

I really need to make a dental appointment but I am dreading it because I know it means more crowns...and not the Good kind. 

What I'm Working On

As I write this we are 43 days out from the 2024 election. While I am not involved in the presidential election in any way, I am involved in numerous federal, state and local elections for work. This is keeping me very busy during the day. This is the time in the election when it gets interesting and things can really tip one way or the other. It is also known as the "silly season" where things can also get a little nutty.

This weekend I will also be working on setting up our fall decor. I was hoping to get this up a few weeks ago but I have not gotten to this yet. I am really looking forward to adding touches of fall to the house. This is definitely on the agenda for this weekend.

I also need to work on transitioning my wardrobe from summer to fall items. I need to put a movie on this weekend and make this happen. While I do this, I also need to weed out some items that no longer serve me in my closet.

The other thing I am working on is embracing the quiet in the house. I know some people dread the quiet when their kids go to college, but I am trying to use the quiet differently. Running Daddy and I are so busy with work right now, that I am trying to use the quiet in the house therapeutically.

What I'm Excited About

I am excited about very simple things right now: college football, college hockey and fall in general.

What I'm Watching/Reading

All three of us watched The Perfect Couple and it totally kept us guessing until the end. Apparently this is a polarizing series and some people didn't like it. I actually really liked it.

Speaking of Nicole Kidman, I watched A Family Affair on the plane and while there was a funny moment here or there...it was kind of dreadful.

I am also watching Real Housewives of Orange County and Salt Lake. 

Now that I have a little more time, I have been getting caught up on my reading. I am slowly working on the biography of Anna Wintour.

What I'm Listening To

If you have kids that are going off to school or are going to go off to college in a few years, I want to share Mel Robbins podcast episode that she did on this exact topic. I have a very similar outlook to this whole life change and found this very helpful. I am sharing this in case you are in this season of life as well.

What I'm Wearing

Since we are in the change of seasons and the weather is ever changing day by day, I am not wearing anything all that interesting.

I did pull together this silk skirt and cheetah sweater yesterday because the weather was a little rainy and chilly.

I also picked up at Loft these pants that fit me really well. One in cocoa powder and one in deep burgundy.  

What I'm Doing This Weekend

Running Daddy and I are working on our plans this weekend. As I mentioned above I am working on fall decorating and clearing out some clutter.

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month

In October I am looking forward to more fall and of course Halloween.

What Else is New

I think I covered everything but I want to share with you that tomorrow is Monthly Musings. Holly and I would love to have you join us and our topics are Back to School: Routines, Recipes and Fall Fashion. With school being back for at least a month now, we are looking to share all the tips and tricks.  

Gotta run but I will see you back there tomorrow for Monthly Musings!