1. Busy Barns Adventure Farm
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| Kate: 21 Months |
We took Kate to Busy Barns Adventure Farm in Ft. Atkinson, WI in early October and we all had a wonderful time! The farm features a variety of animals (goats, llamas, bunnies, pigs, horses, etc.) that kids can feed and pet, a corn maze, tire tunnels, hayrides, a pumpkin patch--even an afternoon puppet show! One of Kate's favorite things was playing in this large corn-filled bin. So much fun!
2. This $3 plate:
My friend Beth and I attended the Madison Food & Wine Show, and we sprung a little extra to get these plastic plates at admission that not only held all the delicious cheeses, desserts, and spreads we enjoyed--but also a wine glass! Granted, it was rare that we ever had a need to set our wine glasses down, but there were a few times when it was critical...for example: when we were doing shots. Another time? Drunk-hugging friends and neighbors. Yet another advantage of the $3 plate? I discovered that it held my glass of wine steady enough that I could take a drink from it just by tipping my plate--a
bet discovery that earned me $1 from
some guy I'd never met before in my life a friend.
3. My first hot stone massage.
G and I celebrated our 8-year wedding anniversary in October and he surprised me by booking my very first hot stone massage! I typically find massages hugely functional (to get the knots and kinks worked out), but not very relaxing; however, I really enjoyed the hot stone variety! I found the lightly weighted pressure of the stones (as well as their heat) to be relaxing. I also really liked that the massage is done almost exclusively using the stones so I was being rubbed with a flat, smooth surface, versus thumbs being dug into my skin. My masseuse was still able to provide plenty of pressure to get the knots worked out, but it had a different feeling from traditional massages. I really enjoyed it and hope to do it again someday!
4. The Madison Mud Run.
My final adventure in the month of October was participating in the Madison Mud Run--a five-mile trail run with 16 obstacles along the way just to keep things interesting. The race was Halloween weekend and our team (comprised of my friend Beth and her neighbors) dressed up as zombies for the event. This was my first mud run and I knew I was in for one hell of a morning when our first obstacle was to jump into A SWAMP that came up to my fricking chest, wade through it, climb out the other side...and then keep running. Other obstacles along the way included army crawling through dark tunnels, climbing rope nets, a giant slip-and-slide loaded with soap suds, a balance beam, and a 52' long inflatable obstacle course with barriers, walls, and a giant slide. The most challenging (and my personal favorite) was scaling a 6' wall using nothing but your own strength to get up and over it. I was the only girl I saw who could do it! The race ended with an army crawl through a pit of (disgusting!) mud that was maybe 20-30 yards long, and then finally--soaking wet and covered in mud--we crossed the finish line. It was a crazy fun experience and something I'd definitely do again!
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Our team of zombies before the Madison Mud Run
(L to R: Jess, Todd, Kara, Shannon, Beth and me). |
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| After! |
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| Beth & Me. Is our makeup running? |
5. This stop sign on my way to work that was recently decorated with a little pumpkin and the question, "Do you dream?"
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| I know it's vandalism, but dammit it makes me smile. |
Honorable October mentions: candy corn/peanuts/m&m snack mix, pumpkin beer, and my much anticipated, highly coveted, weekly Starbucks pumpkin spice latte.
) and they're perfect for this recipe. They're oven and freezer friendly, and come with lids. We have a couple sets of these custard cups and use them daily as glass storage for storing and reheating Kate's leftovers. They really come in handy!
