6 Things I Learned in October

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I'm participating in Emily P. Freeman's monthly What We Learned, a community link up where you "take some time to reflect on the last 30-ish days before moving ahead into the next."

In fact... I love this idea so much that I'm sharing what I've learned weekly in my Saturday morning email so subscribe if you haven't yet!

1.     Our evening routine needs work.

I spend so much time thinking about our morning routine – how to get a nutritious breakfast made, how to get us out the door on time, how to make sure we remember homework. I recently realized we have basically no evening routine, when I’m tired and really need one the most. Please fee free to share any evening routine tips!

2.     Getting out of a warm bed on a cold morning is HARD.

OK, I didn’t learn this as much as remember it.

3.     One-on-One time with my children is so special.

Griffin and I went on our first mother and son date to dinner and the symphony earlier this month and it was so wonderful to hear his thoughts on things and be able to converse without interruption!

4.     Never EVER take your vehicle to the dealer for repairs.

My van door had been sticking and grinding and/or refusing to shut all together. Since I had to take it to the dealership for a recall repair, I went ahead and asked them about the door. They charged me $60 to tell me it was going to cost $500. Instead, I took it to my local body mechanic for a second opinion. They charged me $120 to fix the door. No diagnostic fee.

5.     Chattanooga is FABULOUS!

I can’t believe I’ve driven through this charming town for years without stopping for a visit. We spent a few days over fall break exploring this Tennessee river town and we are smitten. There were TONS of kid-friendly activities (including but not limited to a Children’s Museum and Aquarium), great food, and public art. The people were friendly. The streets were pedestrian-friendly. We will be back.

6.     Periscope is easy to fire up but not easy to master.

I participated in several of Blog Clarity’s #persiscopewithpurpose prompts over the past month. I love the idea of live streaming. I love that you can interact in such an unfiltered, unedited way. However, figuring out what works and what doesn’t is more difficult. I did an Ask Me Anything session where literally NO ONE showed up and I talked awkwardly at my face for 15 minutes. In other words, when it comes to Periscope, I learned I have lots left to learn.