Things I'm Loving

I'm feeling random today so I decided to share a few things I'm loving right now.

Scenes from a Sunday run.

1. Snapchat.  SO fun. It's been so entertaining to send quick, ridiculous selfies to my friends (mostly my mother, let's be real) and receiving them makes my day.  Get it.

2. Thought Catalog.  More specifically, this post.  Their posts are fantastic.

3. Bath and Bodyworks candles.  Oh my goodness they are fantastic this season and I can't.stop.buying.  Thanks to my momma for sending me my first few to fuel my obsession (Cinnamon Nut Bread and Pumpkin Caramel Latte) and just last weekend I bought, um, 4 new ones.  My current favorite: Bonfire Maplewood.  I have a few in my back pocket for the Christmas season.

4. The fact that I have only a few more weeks until I'm home in STL for SIXTEEN DAYS!  Ah, I really cannot wait.

5. The fact that Amanda comes on FRIDAY, as in, two days from now!  And we're going to the Wild Wild West!  So excited to see the presidents.

6. The Pretty Little Liars halloween special that was on tonight.  OMG Garret is dead and what the heck that arm in the ground?!  Common, I don't think I can wait until January 8 for the season to resume.  Wah.

7. Crossfit!  No, it didn't kill me and yes, I'm kind of obsessed!  It's such a good workout and I feel so great after every time I go (even if the act of sitting is a painful chore because I did 7000 squats on Saturday).  I look forward to going every time and I really wish I could go more often.  If only it wasn't so gosh darn expensive.

8. Fall baking.  I made this recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod this weekend and holy yum!  Except South Dakota hasn't gotten on the Biscoff spread bandwagon yet (or I was too lazy to go all the way to World Market) so I used Nutella instead.  So amazing.  

9. Halloween candy.  In moderation (yeah, right).

Now Playing

Actually now playing this entire album.  But this one is really a gem.

Recent Happenings

- I know our smoke alarms work.  I did not need to test them out while cooking dinner however.  Talk about added stress when cooking chicken and green beans (which to me, is already stressful).

Germanfest happened here a few weeks ago.  Just thought I would share this gem.

- This chilly fall we are having means breaking out the heavier blankets and coats.  It also means my ice cubes stay ice in my cup for 6+ hours.  59 degrees in our apartment isn't THAT cold, is it?

- There is a time and a place for marching band competitions.  Saturday at 8:00am outside my apartment is not one of them.  And how many marching bands are there in Sioux Falls?!  Three hours worth, apparently.

- The Husband and I might suck it up and try Crossfit.  It's all the rage and we are talking about drinking the Kool-Aid.  If I don't return here, you'll know why.  Crossfit killed me.

- October 26 means many things:  

First: the return of GOLD RUSH OMGYES. Favorite show.  And someone makes bank this year according to the preview.  Cannot. Wait. 

The Gold Rush crew (source)

Second: my very first Sioux Falls visitor! And we are roadtripping to the land of the Black Hills on the other side of the state.  Mount Rushmore here we come!

- My beloved St. Louis Cardinals have made the Playoffs!  Let's hope they can keep it up.  Also, I'm tired of all the day games.  I can't watch it guys.  Common.

Ah what a beautiful sight.

Let's go Cardinals!

The Chill

You can tell winter is coming.  It may only be October but the chill in the air is a warning of what is to come.

Some things I have yet to understand/come to terms with:

- It's early October and I am already thinking about turning my heat on?  What?  I don't get it.. I thought fall was supposed to be 60 degrees and crisp.  Not 40 degrees and bordering on bitter.

- None of my warm clothes seem to be warm enough.  Sweaters, hoodies, jeans are not doing the trick already.  South Dakota is a windy place and the bitter gusts are already cutting through me.

- How do people find this appealing?  I'm dying already and like I said, it's only October.

- It is never not windy here.  Which doesn't help with that cold thing.

I went on a Pinterest pinning spree full of warm coats and clothes to get me through this upcoming winter.  I never considered St. Louis to be the south, but this "southern" girl is clearly not ready for a South Dakota winter.  I'm not sure if I can hold out until Christmas for these items either with the way things are going. We'll see.

These past few weeks have been spent exploring our new surroundings and taking in the beautiful leaves changing color.  We hiked through the Palisades and visited Devil's Gulch- a few classic Sioux Falls spots.

We hiked up and through famous King and Queen rock and followed the Big Sioux River hopping and skipping on rocks.

The South Dakota landscape can really be quite pretty if you look for it.

We have a lot to look forward to in the next coming weeks.  Cardinals playoff games, a St. Louis visitor (with that, my first visit to the other side of the state- the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore!), Halloween, and finally traveling back home for a lovely wedding and Thanksgiving!

I'll keep you updated on the cold.