Today is a personal favorite of mine. Firstly, the Fall is my favorite season of all. Secondly, October is my favorite month in the entire year. And thirdly, Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday!
October 31st holds a special place in my heart. There's of course the nostalgia of celebrating this holiday as a child through trick-or-treating. But I also love the origins of All Hallows' Eve, or Samhain (pronounced "sow-wen").
As a person with quite a bit of Irish ancestry, I feel a deep connection with this ancient Celtic festival. So I thought I'd make this month's newsletter extra special by sharing it on this day. I hope you enjoy all the treats in this issue, and I promise that there are no tricks! If you celebrate, a Blessed Samhain to you. π«π
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"I am an Autumn."
Do you recognize that quote? It's from an episode of Gilmore Girls, "Rory's Birthday Parties," and it's a quote that lives in my head rent-free. π In keeping with the theme of Autumn, I've put together a list of stories that I think are perfect for this time of year. I've included books as well as some films:
In November, we'll be reading Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. You can read along and participate in our book club discussions by joining us on the Fable app*. Also, we'll be voting on our Winter reads very soon. Come join the fun!
Since I waited to publish this month's newsletter, I've got lots to share. I spent nearly all of September in Georgia, so it actually still felt like Summer. I stayed with my long-time bestie and her family, while she recovered from surgery. I lifted things over 5 pounds, chauffeured kids to-and-fro, and provided marvelous conversation. Hehe! I want to especially acknowledge my amazing Wife for taking care of our home and family the entire time I was away. π₯° In truth, September went by in a blur!
October has been an exceptionally busy month for me and my family. We've been working a lot on a very special projectβthat I'll be sharing more about in the coming monthsβplus working long hours at our regular jobs. We did get to enjoy a short trip to the North Carolina coast earlier this week, and it was simply wonderful. We stayed in a cabin at Carolina Beach State Park and loved every moment of our first vacation in over two years!
Our cabin at Carolina Beach State Park
If you ever find yourself near the Southern coast of North Carolina, I highly recommend visiting Carolina Beach State Park. This is not sponsored at all; I just genuinely enjoyed our time there and wanted to give this sweet State Park a little shoutout!
Lastly, I started a seasonal job this month at a chain food market that specializes in organic foods. If you live in the US, Canada, or the UK you can probably guess the company. π I'm working as an in-store shopper, and it's actually really fun! Call me quirky, but I think grocery shopping is some of the best shopping. I'll be shopping for folks' groceries throughout the holiday season.
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What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.
β Jane Goodall
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Visual Storytelling
With all the goings-on I haven't been making as many videos for my YouTube channel. I'm doing my best to get back into a routine of filming and editing. I've got some great videos planned through the end of this year. In the meantime, I've linked some of my most recent videos below to keep you entertained.
In honor of our recent cabin-camping trip, I'm sharing a popular dessert. Obviously many people already know what goes into making a s'more, but I'll be sharing the exact ingredients we used to make the most scrumptious s'mores. Yep, I think these are the best! π
Directions: First you'll need a campfire. Next take one sheet of the graham cracker and carefully break it in half. (Gluten free items are often delicate.) Place one square of chocolate on one of your graham cracker halves. If desired, gently melt the chocolate by placing it near the campfire. Now it's time to roast your marshmallow! Using a clean bamboo skewer or metal roasting stick, hover your secured marshmallow over the flames. Roast until desired hue (i.e. golden-brown, brown and black stripes, or charcoal black...you do you, boo). Now eat and enjoy!
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Blog Updates
Did you know that this newsletter has an accompanying blog by the same name? You can see all my latest blog posts on my website. When I first began The Cozy Cottage, my intention was to write fortnightly blogs and publish a monthly newsletter. Over the past couple of months, I've struggled to keep up with my blogging alongside my other responsibilities. Rather than slapping together a quick blog post to simply "check the box," I've decided to focus on the quality of my writing. Therefore, I won't be posting blogs at the same frequency, and I'm still figuring out how often I'll be able to share new blogs. Rest assured that this newsletter isn't going anywhere, and it'll be arriving in your inbox every month!
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Until Next Time...
Thank you for reading all the way to the end! I hope that you've enjoyed this special issue of The Cozy Cottage. Please share this newsletter with your friends, family, or neighbors, and if you feel so inclined, please encourage them to subscribe too. π
As always, if you have any requests or suggestions for topics you'd like me to cover in a future blog or newsletter, simply reply to this email. Wherever you are in the world, I'm wishing you a lovely and cozy day!
Items marked with an asterisk * are affiliate/referral links. If you sign up or make a purchase through one of the links, I may receive a commission or credit.
I'm a writer, content creator, and visual storyteller. I love books, tea, and cozy cottage life. Subscribe to my newsletter and get monthly updates delivered directly to your inbox.
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