Monthly Wrap Up & Empties: September 2018

Originally, I planned to do an Inspiration Sunday post for Blogtober today. But then I realized I had September empties to discuss and it felt more important to do this post. Well, maybe important isn’t the right word… rather, it just seemed to fit better!

September was a big month for us: we were super busy with back to school, Forrest’s birthday, and lots of stuff. And that trend isn’t letting up in October. I have Blogtober, of course, and my birthday on the 20th. Forrest and I are on a mommy-son trip this weekend (I’m writing this in advance, don’t worry!). Next weekend, we have Danny’s parents visiting. Then the last weekend of October will be our Halloween weekend. Then suddenly it will be November. Whew!

I have a lot to talk about for this wrap up, so let’s get started!

Empties: Everything I Used Up

1. OGX Coconut Miracle Oil Shampoo: I reviewed this shampoo here. I love this shampoo and it’s my current favorite. Of all the shampoos I’ve used, it’s the only one that really soothes my scalp and leaves my hair feeling nice. At this point, that’s all I ask!

2. Love Beauty & Planet Murumuru Butter & Rose Magic Masque: I used this mask to help repair my hair after a disastrous PR shampoo I received. (I’m not even reviewing it, it’s that bad!) But I loved this mask! It smells lightly of roses and was so thick and lovely. It immediately helped my damaged, dry hair. You can buy it here.

3. Bliss Drench & Quench Moisturizer: I reviewed this moisturizer here. It’s not my favorite moisturizer ever, but it wasn’t awful. It was mostly just very expensive! This little tub lasted about 6 weeks and cost $20. It’s not a repurchase, that’s for sure.

4. Rosehips Oil: I recently added rosehips oil to my routine to help my dehydrated skin. As you probably know, I sing the praises of jojoba oil for removing makeup and helping improve my skin. However, jojoba as a moisturizer can give me a lot of texture. So I added rosehips oil as a sealant after my moisturizer to help my skin absorb a bit more. It has helped a lot, but I don’t love this one; I suspect the orange oil it’s mixed with hasn’t been helping my skin much!

5. Coty Flawless Complexion Tinted SPF Moisturizer: I discussed this SPF moisturizer in my Ipsy bag review here. I love this SPF, which sucks because it was such a teeny tiny tube! But it is absolutely lovely, hasn’t made me break out, and wears great under make up.

What I’ve Been Up To

Yes, that is the very rarely featured Remus. If you didn’t know (and most probably don’t), I have a beloved chocolate lab named Remus (as in Remus Lupin, the greatest werewolf). Despite playing second fiddle to Forrest, Remus remains my biggest baby. I don’t have any reason for this photo other than I took it while I was doing product photos for my Ipsy bag in September, Remus looked cute, and I can’t resist his big, golden eyes.

Anyway, I thought I’d share a few things I enjoyed from September here for your enjoyment!

1. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger: I impulsively borrowed this book from the library because the jacket contained the words “Highgate Cemetery” and “Victorian.” For whatever reason, when I started it, I thought it would be set in Victorian times. It is absolutely not; it’s set in the early 2000s, which leads to some truly hilarious ensembles worn by the main characters (remember white denim skirts!?). That being said, I still really enjoyed it. Highly recommend! How’s that for a tiny review?

2. Dr. Death: I started listening to this podcast after it was recommended on My Favorite Murder. This was a tough podcast for me to get into, because as I’ve written before, my grandfather was paralyzed by a neck surgery. The center of this podcast is a neurosurgeon who performs bad, irresponsible, and devastating neck and spinal surgeries; he paralyzes multiple people and kills a few. That being said, I really enjoyed it.

3. Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams: I have been waiting for this book on digital hold from the library for weeks and finally, I got it! I was so excited to read it. It’s set on a fictional island off the coast of New York where wealthy families summer for years on end. It was so good and kept me captivated the entire time.

4. Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson: Another book I had waited for weeks on hold! I keep doing this thing where I put holds on books, they take ages, and by the time I get them, I’m not “in the mood” to read them. I had to force myself to read Truly Devious about 4 days before it was due and I am SO glad I did! It was excellent and I found myself so disappointed that the sequel isn’t out yet. If you like mysteries and murder podcasts (which play a surprisingly pivotal role!), you’ll love this book.

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A post shared by Michelle 💐 (@michellelocke6) on Sep 11, 2018 at 8:12pm PDT

Oh yes, Fall is finally here! Gosh, it feels like time goes by so fast! I hope you’re having a great October and you’ve been loving all the cozy Blogtober content around lately.

Things I Love: October 6

Welcome back to another edition of Things I Love (or TiLT)! If you’d like to read past TiLTs, click here.

How is your October going so far? If you’re doing Blogtober, are you drowning yet? I swear, the past week has been the fastest of my life. I really thought I’d have more time with Forrest in preschool, but I feel like I somehow have even less time.

Thankfully, it’s the best time of the year! I love, love, love October. Danny and I are on a little vacation this weekend (oh la la) so he can attend a teacher’s union event; Forrest and I are therefore having a little mommy-son bonding time. You can follow me on Instagram for photos from our little trip. MAKE SURE TO LINK.

Without further ado, here’s everything I’ve loved from the first week of October.

1. Happy Birthday, Forrest

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A post shared by Michelle 💐 (@michellelocke6) on Sep 30, 2018 at 8:58pm PDT

Sunday was Forrest’s birthday. It’s hard to believe that I’m the parent of a 3-year-old and not a baby anymore. And each day, I am consistently impressed with the wonderful, kind, caring, gentle boy he is. He loves nothing more than reading books, coloring, and playing with blocks. He loves school in the way that I loved school (which makes me so so proud). There are a million and one perfect, wonderful things I could write about Forrest, but I’ll keep this short: celebrating my boy is always going to be one of the best parts of my week.

2. Apple Picking & Assorted Apple Desserts

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A post shared by Michelle 💐 (@michellelocke6) on Sep 27, 2018 at 8:13pm PDT

Technically, I went apple picking last week. However, I’ve been making apple everything because I have about 10 pounds of apples in my house right now! I’ve made apple strudel, apple pie, apple hand pies, applesauce, and, of course, caramel apples. It’s a nonstop apple party at our house and it’s so, so worth it. (And if you don’t go apple picking, I highly recommend it! Support your local orchards!)

3. October Traditions

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A post shared by Michelle 💐 (@michellelocke6) on Sep 28, 2018 at 6:58pm PDT

Do you have a very specific October tradition? Mine is these cookies. In the first week of October, I have to buy and bake a box. It’s just the way I start the month! I got these ones mid-September to bake with Forrest before his birthday, but during the week, I definitely picked up a new box to make! They’re the perfect little cookie. Yes, I know they are processed as hell. Yes, I know they aren’t really that good as far as cookies go. But I love them. They are nostalgia in a box!

Here Are 5 Great Spooky Podcasts!

If you’ve read my blog for a while, it should come as no surprise that I listen to hundreds of podcasts a week. Yes, hundreds. I always have a podcast going while I’m cooking, cleaning, working, writing, or just sitting around. I always am listening to something because I get easily bored.

I’ve written two posts about my favorite podcasts which you can read here and here.

For this blogtober, I wanted to share 5 of the spookiest, scariest podcasts I listen to. Some of these are historical, some of them are designed to be spooky, and some are just haunting.

1. Lore

I’ve written about Lore before, but it goes without saying: Lore is super popular because it is so good. It’s one of those podcasts that is short enough for those who like short podcasts and good enough for those who don’t care. Each episode is meticulously researched and performed; you’ll learn something and be delightfully creeped out.

2. The No Sleep Podcast

No Sleep is an anthology-style podcast that sources it’s material from the subreddit, NoSleep. Basically: creepy stories written by random people around the internet, trying to write the most convincingly “real” scary story. NoSleep is one of my favorite subreddits to read and the No Sleep Podcast somehow makes them scarier. Definitely don’t listen to these right before bed.

3. Stranglers

Stranglers isn’t a scary podcast. But it’s a scary podcast. In the early 1960s, the Boston Strangler terrorized women and communities. But worse than that: the wrong person might have been arrested. This podcast does a deep dive into the lives of the victims, the women who survived, the women who were afraid, and the culture that allowed the Boston Strangler to thrive.

4. Unexplained

Unexplained is a podcast that does exactly what it says: details unexplained events. The first episodes I listened to were the season 2 episodes about the Dyatlov party deaths in the Ural Mountains. There was so much information I had never read previously. Meticulous research and spooky circumstances make this the perfect podcast to enjoy alongside a cup of coffee and all the lights on.

5. Haunted Places

Haunted Places is a podcast that visits, you guessed it, haunted places and details the histories behind them. I love podcasts that include the real history as well as the legends and this podcast combines both excellently. I also am fascinated by everything haunted (shout out to 12-year-old Michelle watched “Most Haunted” specials on the Travel Channel) and this feeds that love excellently.

The Best Lipstick Shades for Autumn

Sometimes, I think to myself: Michelle, is there any value in writing about lipstick so much?

Short answer, yes.

Long answer, absolutely yes.

Here’s the truth: is writing about lipstick going to change the world as we know it? Probably not.

However, does lipstick make me happy? Could finding the perfect lipstick make you happier day-to-day? Does putting on that perfect brick red lipstick make you feel like Wonder Woman?

Then yeah, writing about lipstick matters. Not everything has to be so serious.

I feel the same way about loving Fall. Every year, when Autumn rolls around, people love to trot out both the “I love Autumn” hats and the “you’re basic if you love Autumn hats.” And here’s the thing: love what you love. Love Harry Potter? Honey, yes! Love lipstick? Baby WORK! Don’t love Harry Potter? That’s cool. What do you like?

We don’t all have to like the same things, but we shouldn’t tear down other people just because they like something we don’t. This is a lesson I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older, for sure, and it’s in play here. For both Autumn and lipstick.

Whew. Now that I got that tangent out of the way, here are my top 5 lipsticks for Fall.

1. Huda Beauty in “Flirt”

I received this liquid lip in my August Ipsy bag; at the time, I wasn’t sure I loved it. And here’s my big “I was wrong” flip flop moment: I kind of love it. By which I mean, I really love it. I started wearing it just to get used to it and then, I was wearing it everyday. It’s one of those lipsticks that people don’t really notice or comment on, but that I find myself spotting my own face in the mirror and thinking, “Wow, girl, you look good.”

Flirt is a cool mocha brown color. I hesitate to say it would work on all skin tones; there might be some tones it might be too cool for, or might appear ashy, but I’m not 100% postive on that. As well, brown isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. However, it gives that cool girl 90s vibe that reminds me of my sister in high school, it lasts all day, and it smells like vanilla. It looks great with a good blush, an understated eye, and a mustard yellow scarf.

2. Wet’n’Wild Liquid Catsuit in “Goth Topic”

Wet’n’Wild’s Liquid Catsuit is one of my favorite liquid lip formulas of all time. And Goth Topic is no exception. Goth Topic is a very, very good (and affordable) dupe for Kat Von D’s “Vampira”, a lipstick I own in both bullet (classic lipstick) and liquid lip. However, the formula of Goth Topic might actually be better than the Kat Von D version. Heresy? Perhaps. But Goth Topic is a dark, almost black-berry color that dries down perfectly, doesn’t get flaky, and is perfect for tromping through the pumpkin patch in your favorite witch attire. I mean, Fall outfit. Which might just be witch attire.

3. Kat Von D Liquid Lipstick in “Nahz Fur Atoo”

Please accept my apologies for not including a Kat Von D lipstick on this list I try my hardest not to promote Kat Von D products, but there are some things that brand has just done right. And Nahz Fur Atoo is one of them. (And yes, before anyone starts, it is Nahz Fur Atoo. The name was changed from Nosferatu at the end of 2016 because the fair use license ran out on the word in Europe.) Nahz Fur Atoo is an almost perfect brick red (at least for me). It also does a pretty decent job staying set for several hours (at least if I’m not eating) and doesn’t smear all over my face. It’s perfect for a bold Fall look, because it is such a classic.

4. Anastasia Beverly Hills in “Catnip”

When I originally started writing this post, I had two Kat von D shades on here. But I started looking for dupes for the second shade I’d chosen and, surprise, it turns out I own it. ABH’s Catnip is a dupe for Kat Von D’s Mother… sort of. I find that Catnip isn’t as bright, but it’s still a lovely “true” pink with a slightly mauve-y, purple undertone. Plus, the ABH formula is amazing and stays all day without being drying, smeary, or worse, disappearing into nothing.

5. Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink in “Visionary”

I debated about including this lipstick: Maybelline isn’t a CF brand, but if you’re looking for an affordable Fall lipstick that is a little more unique, Visionary is where it’s at. Visionary is a soft lavender color. And, warning, it can  make your teeth look dingy (so get on the tooth whitening train beforehand if you don’t want to shock yourself in selfies). The SuperStay matte formula is literally one of the best out there: it takes literal scrubbing to get off. This color is gorgeous and way out of my comfort zone, but it is great for an edgy, gothy Fall look.

Feeling Stuck? Here Are 10 Blogtober Ideas

Are you a blogger? Are you taking on Blogtober this month?

Thinking up 31 topics for blog posts throughout the month can be a huge challenge. My advice is always to plan your content in advance, work ahead as much as you can, and take shortcuts whenever possible (like using stock photos when you schedule your posts, but add in your own photos later if you want to).

I wanted to share a few topic ideas for when you’re feeling really stuck for content this month--whether you’re doing Blogtober or not! Many people modify Blogtober: instead of posting every day, they post every other day, or just more regularly than usual. It’s up to you, and I hope you find these ideas helpful!

For Lifestyle Bloggers

1. Daily Diaries

These used to be such popular blog posts--back when people used blogs essentially as journals! It is so fun to do day-in-the-life posts occasionally and an autumn version would be really fun.

2. Things I Love

Things I love (or TiLT) posts used to be very popular--I’m doing them myself this Blogtober, just like last year! They are fun, short posts that can highlight some of your favorite bloggers, tv shows, podcasts, and more!

3. Inspiration

Every Sunday during Blogtober, I do Inspiration Sunday--it’s a series I started back in 2010! Seriously! I share photos, stories, and more that have been inspiring me to write, to create, or just to think. If you’re like me and addicted to saving pretty pictures every month, inspiration posts are a great way to show them off.

For Beauty Bloggers

4. Favorite Autumn products

What products are you favoring this month? You could even divide this into pieces: lipsticks, blushes, powder, foundations. The change in season often means a change in makeup trends. What’s on the radar? Share what you’re loving! I’ve got a bunch of these posts coming up this month.

5. Skin products

Change in season, change in weather, change in skin! How do you handle the changing season? Depending on your climate, some people become drier in the fall and winter or more oily due to humidity! What products help you keep your skin looking snatched?

6. Nail polish roundup

Nail polish trends change rapidly. Remember when everyone was obsessed with mint candy apple from Essie? Same. What nail trends are we seeing this year? Or, what nail tutorials have you excited to paint your nails? Show off some fellow bloggers, post your own nails, and more. There are so many ways to take this!

For Mental Health Bloggers

7. SAD Awareness

For many, the change in season--slightly drearier weather, less sunlight hours, more time indoors--can be really difficult! For mental health bloggers, discussing SAD can help break the stigma. Even though I love Autumn, I struggle with SAD, especially once winter starts. Sharing tips for aleviating SAD can be really helpful!

For Everyone

8. Favorite post roundups

Seen some amazing posts from your favorite bloggers? Write a roundup (sometimes called a carousel). These are so fun to do because you can really highlight some voices that need boosted.

9. Autumn memories

What’s your favorite memory from Autumn? The first Halloween that you remember? What are your Autumn traditions? Share it all in a blog post!

10. Why I Love Autumn

Autumn fanatics, what’s your favorite thing about Autumn? Writing a blog post that highlights your favorite parts of Fall can be really fun to just get out--you can share tons of photos, link to past and present blog posts, and just spread that Autumn spirit!

My 3 Favorite Autumn Teas

Last year, one of my most popular Blogtober posts was this one: My 4 favorite Autumn teas. It was one of those posts that I didn’t expect to be quite as popular as it was, but hey, I wasn’t complaining!

This year, I decided to share 3 more of my favorite teas for Autumn! Danny & I are year-round tea drinkers, but I shift more with the season than Danny does, as he only drinks herbal teas. So, here they are, my 3 favorite teas for Autumn this year.

1. Salted Caramel Black Tea from Bigelow

Salted caramel is, perhaps, my favorite flavor of all time. The first time I drank a salted caramel mocha from Starbucks, that was it. I had never really liked caramel, but salted caramel is a different animal. This tea is perfect for when you’re craving something sweet and a little salty. It also smells absolutely amazing.

2. Pumpkin Spice Tea from Zhena’s Gypsy Tea

This is one of the few pumpkin spice teas I’ve found that contains actual tea: African Rooibos, to be exact. It also has ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and more to help give it that spicy, sweet taste and pumpkin flavor. It does have some orange spice in it, so it is not as “traditionally” pumpkin spice as, say, a PSL… but it reminds me almost of a mulled wine. It’s really good and perfect for those crisp, Fall mornings.

3. Apple Cider Spiced Tea from Bigelow

This is an herbal tea, which means Danny can drink it--and good thing too, because he loves apple cider. I’ve never been a huge fan, but this Apple Cider tea may have changed my mind! It’s not too strong on the apple flavor, which is probably why I like it. Danny and I have it with honey. It is perfect for the evening, when you’re sitting down to watch TV or a movie before bed. Heavenly!

3 Best Candles for Autumn

It’s finally here: Blogtober (and October). This is the month I look forward to most throughout the year: it’s my birthday month, the start of the holiday season for me, and include Halloween, one of my favorite holidays. I love the colors of falling leaves; I love pumpkin patches; I love warm, spicy scented candles, orange holiday lights, thick scarves, and boots. I love everything about Autumn.

I’ve been looking forward to Blogtober for ages. It hasn’t been far from my mind since the beginning of August. Yep, that’s when I started making graphics, drafting posts, and getting everything scheduled. I know that seems quite early, but posting every single day takes a lot of advanced effort!

Without further ado, let’s jump into the first post: 3 candles perfect for your home, apartment, or bedroom this season. When picking scents, I stuck to my favorites: I like sweet, spicy scents, as well as more herbals scents. I hope you love these ones as much as I do! And don’t forget to leave me your favorites in the comments.

1. Leaves from Bath & Body Works

If I had to say a favorite candle from Bath & Body Works, it would be this one (or maybe Kitchen Spice, which they don’t make anymore). Leaves is scented with apple, nectar, and clove spices, making it the perfect almost apple cider scent: not too apple-y, not to sweet, very Autumnal. To me, this candle can also smell very pumpkin-like, as well as that smell of crisp leaves. Nothing gets me in the Fall spirit quite like this candle!

2. Hickory Clove from Decoware

My husband picked out this candle--and he picked a winner. I’m a huge fan of the smell of clove; it is so perfectly spicy. It reminds me of gingerbread! This candle promises “musk-infused oakwood” scent with “warm amber, spiced evergreen, and autumn herbs alongside clove and vanilla bourbon.” It reminds me a lot of the Spiced Bourbon candle that I got at Bath & Body Works last year! It is absolutely lovely. We’ve been enjoying having it in our bedroom the last month or so.

3. Sage & Citrus from Yankee Candle

I rarely buy Yankee Candles full price; you can often find them at stores like TJ Maxx for about half off, which is pretty decent. That’s how I found this Sage & Citrus scented candle. This is a less stereotypical Fall scent, but if you’re looking for something that is a little more herby and light, it is absolutely perfect. I love the smell of citrus, but especially around Autumn, I like for everything to be more orange-scented. This candle has notes of lavender, as well as patchouli and musk, so it’s perfect for a more “masculine” scent.

4 Things To Do To Prepare for NaNoWriMo

It’s NaNoWriMo prep season. If you don’t know what NaNoWriMo is, I have a blog post for that. But long story short, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, an event where everyone tries to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.

I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo since 2010; I’ve won 5 times so far, which means I have 5 50,000 word novels floating around. For some, NaNoWriMo is a chance to binge write a novel they’ve been working on for years. For others, NaNoWriMo is just a fun month to write a novel.

For me, NaNoWriMo is all about having fun, writing a novel that I want to read, and feeling the joy of success afterwards. Usually, by November, I’m feeling a little “burnt out”—I spend most of my waking hours grappling with words in some form of another. I work as a digital marketing content strategist and copywriter; I maintain a blog; and my main hobby is creative writing.

However, oddly enough, November is often the thing that refreshes me for the next 12 months. It is sandwiched between my two big blogging challenges, Blogtober and Blogmas, so by January 1, I’m feeling decidedly ready for anything.

I’ve written a lot of posts about NaNoWriMo previously, especially about how I handle the task while also caring for a child. I’ve shared my planning strategy for NaNoWriMo, my typical prep, my tips for succeeding, and preparing for NaNoWriMo in 3 steps.

Every year, I feel like I tweak my NaNoWriMo process just a little bit in a way that makes a huge difference in my ability to succeed. This year, I want to share not just how I am preparing for NaNoWriMo, but also my schedule for doing so. So these 4 steps are all about setting deadlines for myself.

Ready to prep for NaNoWriMo? If you’re planning to go for your first NaNo this year, or you’re an old timer like me, I hope you find some value in this timeline. Let’s jump in!

1. By October 10: Pick a Topic & Sketch Your Plot

By October 10, you should know the basic form of your novel: the genre, what happens, and a few climactic points you want to hit in your writing. This is always my first step when beginning to prepare for NaNoWriMo (and I’ve outlined it in detail before in my posts). But my basic process is to have a notebook or Google doc dedicated to notes for my novel where I include all the basic information. This includes:

• All my characters names, basic descriptions, and basic information that may come up (like birthdays, important events, and character traits)

• A synopsis of the novel

• and at least 3 important plot points, twists, or scenes I need to include for the plot

From here, I can begin working on the outline of my novel.

2. By mid-October: Write an Outline

Speaking of outlines, I always write from an outline for NaNoWriMo. That is: I’m a planner, not a pantser (aka flying by the seat of my pants). I divide the 50,000 word minimum into 10 chapters of 5,000 words and then divide each chapter into 5 1,000 word scenes. I then plan out each scene in basic detail: my point for a scene might be anything from “introduce [character]” to “[character 1] fights with [character 2]” to already fleshed out dialogue and scene details. They can be vague or descriptive. But the important thing is: I get the outline on paper so that I never find myself stuck on day 10 of November.

I try to have my outline completed and in a Google doc by October 15, or October 20 at the absolute latest. This makes the run up to November way less stressful.

3. By October 20: Sign Up on NaNoWriMo

This is a basic step, but every year, I find myself scrambling to remember my NaNoWriMo password. It was only last year that I reminded myself (by putting it on my calendar) to log in to NaNoWriMo.org before November 1 to set up my novel. Tracking my word count is a lot easier when I use the NaNoWriMo website because it gives me a daily word average, an average words per day I have to write to get to 50,000 words, and much more, as well as a graph of how I’m doing comparatively to everyone else. Plus, to officially win, you have to validate through the NaNoWriMo website. So, sign up at nanowrimo.org by October 20!

4. By October 30: Plan Your Writing Schedule

I’ve mentioned before that in November, I keep my schedule really strict when it comes to writing. I set aside two hours every night (or on the weekend, every morning) to really get writing done. And in that time, I have to meet my daily goal or exceed it. If I don’t, I’ll probably fall behind—and once I fall behind, it’s really difficult to catch up again! So, by the end of October (but before Halloween, because obviously, you need that night to celebrate!), have an idea of what your writing schedule will be. Maybe you’ll take your laptop to Starbucks every day during lunch to write. Or maybe, you’ll wake up an hour earlier to get writing done that way. No matter what, pick a schedule that works for you—you can even test it out a few days in October to see if it’s good for you—and stick to it.