I’m already living the Christmas vibes, so it should be no surprise that I’m rounding up my fall favorites in early November! I haven’t done much shopping in the last couple months, so quite a few of my favorites are budget-friendly or free!
Limiting non-productive scrolling
I’m not sure when I tried limiting my scrolling, but it’s been at least a week since I stopped scrolling both in Instagram and in the Baby Center community channels. The main use of both was to pass time or get some entertainment (I mainly read the drama posts on Baby Center). While I’m not sure what my intention was for that day I stopped scrolling, I can say that I’ve found so many benefits.
First and foremost, I have so much time! Over lunch, I get a lot of cleaning done instead of just mindlessly scrolling. In the afternoons, I’ve been blogging, walking, rendering in Sketchup, reading, or playing free cell (critical thinking!!). I also find that I’m much more motivated when wasting my time isn’t an option. Sure there are times where I watch a lot of TV, but if I’m not scrolling while doing it, I don’t tend to zone out as much.
I also find that I have more energy by using my time more wisely. I’m less likely to stay up later than I should and can usually muster up some motivation for starting my workouts. The errands/chores I get done over lunch help me go back to work feeling recharged!
Workouts from Pregnancy and Postpartum TV
I was a big Chloe Ting fan before this pregnancy and up until around 14 weeks. After that, the movements just got a little more tricky with my abdominal obstacle. My main form of workouts has been with Pregnancy and Postpartum TV on Youtube. I love how the workouts will last through the next stages my body will go through without additional modifications or workout programs. Before this, I was looking at spending $15/month on a prenatal workout program, so I love this free option!
My favorite videos from the channel so far are those that are 30 minutes and include warmup/cooldown. I find that it’s much easier for me to do my workout nowadays when I know the total commitment is 30 or 45 minutes max (when including time to get dressed before and after). This video is a little heavier with the cardio and perfect when I want to sweat and get my heart rate up. This other video is great for less cardio and more full body strength exercises. I’m looking forward to trying more of her workouts during the next couple months!
Noracooks ranch dressing
A few weeks ago, I ate at Des Fresh (an all vegan restaurant in Des Moines) and surprised myself by saying I wanted a side salad instead of fries! While I want to eat salad, I have to have a good dressing or I just have zero appetite for it. If I buy a bad salad dressing or try one that is too complicated to make, it puts me off salad for months!
That said, since I’m pregnant, I do try to give the baby some greens here and there. The ranch dressing used at Des Fresh was absolutely delicious, and I was determined to make my own after not finding any dairy-free ranch at our nearby Walmart. This recipe by Noracooks was delicious, but that’s not surprising considering most of our meals are from her website! For the recipe, I used the vegan mayo substitution since I think cashews are expensive, hard to find, and just plain fussy. The end result had the perfect tang and one batch of it got us through at least 6 good sized salads! Not bad at all!
CharleyCharlesHome Shop on Etsy
I found this Etsy shop while looking for more napkins that are a smaller size like our current ones. Ours are 8″x8″ and these are 7″x7″, which I guess is a cocktail napkin size. I like how they’re about the size of a paper napkin or paper towel versus a big cloth napkin you may find at a restaurant. Those are great when you need to cover your lap, but around here we just use napkins for our hands and face.
I got a 4 pack of the 7″x7″ napkins in the color spice. I love how soft and sturdy they are. Plus, being an inch shorter on each side compared to our other cloth set, they fold up into the cutest little square! We used them for the first time earlier this week, and they were perfect. I could definitely see us getting some more down the road, but it’ll be hard to pick which color! One thing to note is that the price per napkin definitely goes down as you order a higher quantity.
When I lived in my apartment, I used a placemat for a dish mat mainly because it was a fun silver snowflake design. It was awful for absorbing water, but we kept putting off buying a legit dish mat after I moved in. (That said, Brandon probably had a dish mat with good absorbency, and I probably threw it out because mine was cuter). Well, at the same shop as the cloth napkins, I found a dish mat with great reviews! It’s so thick and has a loop if you want to let it hang dry after use. So far it’s kept water off the counter very well, and we let it hang dry from an upper cabinet above the sink. We ordered it in the light gray color, and it’s so pretty.
BEIS Dopp bag
I recently posted a review of my BEIS bags, but I also had to include my Dopp bag on my fall favorites! I love how my side of the countertop looks so clean all the time because my bag can house all my skincare products, deodorant, scrunchies, nail clippers, tweezers, etc without taking up a lot of space or even needing to zip/unzip compartments. I’m so happy I got it! I was planning on pestering Brandon to buy one for his stuff, but we’re getting him Lasik and that eliminates 99% of his products he’d need to store!
Apple juice
I’m not sure why apple juice needs to be a fall favorite, but it’s the perfect beverage when I want a little treat. I make sure to get the juice that has no added sugar and limit myself to just one serving. It’s super refreshing and has your daily amount of Vitamin C! There really are worse things you can be drinking, and it’s nice to have an easy non-alcoholic beverage when you’re pregnant!
I hope you liked this hodge podge of fall favorites! The theme this season was definitely budget-friendly and/or free favorites, and it’s such a nice switch up from pricey purchases!
Thanks for reading!
Davien
fluted wood & marble 
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