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In case you couldn’t tell, September and October were busy! November is shaping up to be hectic as well, but I’m working on some fun things to share with you all over the next several days! The holidays are going to be a different kind of hectic this year, but I’m totally ready for it and so is my bank account. That said, here are some things that really stood out to me over the last couple of months, so I hope you enjoy!
Health & Beauty
Have you all heard of blue light blocking glasses?!?! If you stare at screens for a long amount of time (computers, tablets, PHONES, etc.) or especially at night, these are an easy investment. I’d been having some headaches recently for no good reason that I could pinpoint, so I decided to try these and they’ve been a game changer. They’re on Amazon and worth the $10-12 you’ll spend. They are lightweight and they look like regular glasses!
Fashion
- I didn’t do a single fashionable thing these past months! 🙂 I’m just glad that I actually wore clothes!
- I purchased this really fun t-shirt from Spill the Beans. It’s currently sold out, but their other t-shirts are awesome as well.
- I did manage to purge some items though, so that’s always a good thing.
Podcasts
With all of my audiobooks, some of these definitely got neglected! I still listen to my “old standbys,” but I’ve been listening to some new ones as well.
- Drnk Cltr Podcast – Local to Indianapolis? This one is great! Learn more about local businesses and community leaders in the local area.
- Radio Diaries – People literally get tape recorders to talk about their lives. It’s fascinating. Historical, award-winning, and part of NPR.
- This is Love – Made by the same people who created Criminal, this is completely OPPOSITE of that one! Unlikely love stories and tales about how people connect – it’s totally worth it. Season 2 comes out in just a few more days.
Books
Thanks to audiobooks and the Indianapolis Public Library, I’ve been a reading fiend lately! I’m only a few books away from my Goodreads Reading Challenge goal!
- Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings – I loved her show when it was on TV and I wasn’t even aware that she had written a memoir. A short listen, but eye-opening.
- The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide by Jenna Fischer – Ok, if you’re a performer or creator of any kind, you’re gonna find some real nuggets of truth in this book. Seriously – it’s worth the leader. Jenna Fischer narrates the book and highlights the struggles that almost any artist will face over the course of your creative career.
- Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee – I’m late to this game, but I definitely enjoyed it. If you loved To Kill a Mockingbird, you should check this out as well. It’s definitely not as good as her first novel, but it paints a stunning tableau of bigotry in the Deep South.
- Dear Evan Hansen: Through the Window by Steven Levenson – Yup, about the creation of the award-winning musical.
- The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey – This is actually a re-read for me. It’s always a good reminder to stick to the goals I’ve set for myself.
- I’ll Never Change My Name: An Immigrant’s American Dream from Ukraine to the USA to Dancing with the Stars by Valentin Chmerkovsky – The Chmerkovsky brothers are my favorites on Dancing with the Stars. When I discovered that Val wrote a book, I wasn’t missing it!
- I’ll Have What She’s Having: How Nora Ephron’s Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy by Erin Carlson – If you love those cheesy romantic comedies of the 80s & 90s, this is a lot of fun.
Food
- I’ve been sampling a new meal kit service lately and I have not been disappointed with ANYTHING that I’ve tried from EveryPlate over the last month! I’m super impressed with everything actually. The only CON that I see with their service is they only have a few options to choose from each week, but it’s growing. As a single person, getting SIX (good) meals a week for under $40 has been great. Try their service with $20 off your first box with my link!
- You might also notice that I’ve been repping some coffees from Coffee Over Cardio. I’m stoked to be an ambassador for this female-led company! If you’re the type to doctor your coffee up with a lot of cream & sugar, I highly suggest giving this ground brand a try. The beans are flavored with extracts so there are no added sugars, so you can drink it guilt-free! Plus, with all that flavor, you don’t really need all the extra fixings. So, needless to say, I’m impressed. To save 10% off of your purchase, use code ’10kelseeh’ at checkout!
- It’s also been the season for my Pumpkin Chicken Chili! Oh yeah – it’s so easy. Stay warm with this recipe!
Ingredients:
2 pounds shredded & cooked (canned also works) chicken
1 white onion (any size, your choice), chopped
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 14oz can tomato sauce
2 16z cans beans (kidney, chili, red, white, black, any beans are fine)
1 bottle chili sauce (I use Heinz Chili Sauce)
1 tablespoon chili powder (plus more if needed)Instructions:
– In a greased large pot, brown the onion and add the meat.
– Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
– Add water (about 2 cups) if desired to reduce thickness.
– Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.
– ENJOY ALL THE TIME.
TV
After abstaining from TV for what felt like months over the summer, I’ve quickly fallen into the fall frenzy of television. You can read about some of my favorite TV shows (that never seem to change), but I’m also digging:
- Dancing with the Stars Juniors – Holy crap, those kids are stupid cute & talented!
- New Amsterdam – Another medical drama for me to delve into.
- The Romanoffs – Can I get an AMEN for that opening sequence?!
- Binges on old school Sex in the City and Dawson’s Creek – thanks to Amazon Prime.
*NEW* Products & Services
I’ve decided to add this section since I often get a lot of goodies to try. In this section, I plan to share some of my favorites with you!
- My new ORANGE COUCH! Well, new to me.
- More for next month, don’t worry! 😉
Random
- You may have noticed that this site got a bit of a makeover! I customized a pre-made theme from Creative Market and I’m loving how it’s looking so far. There are some occasional code glitches that are popping up as I go along, so I fix them as they arise. Other than that, I thought a theme that was more about light & space was more “me.” Luckily, these things are simple to change!
- I melted up in Fort Wayne while I was checking out Middle Waves Music Festival! That was a really great weekend.
- Seeing some great shows – Frankenstein at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Leonard Bernstein at 100/Trouble in Tahiti with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and Bright Star at the Phoenix Theatre.
- Assistant directing and being the deck captain for the cutest kids production of The Little Mermaid, Jr. with McDuffee Music Studio.
Keep your eyes open for some great stuff that I’m working on that will come out in the next several days! Happy November!
These glasses are great. Good info. My ophthalmologist says the issues with computers and eye sx has exploded for him!
i have read a bunch this year but still no where close to my goodreads goal. i think i set the bar a little too high. I will definitely have to check out the book by Jenna Fischer. love her!