News and Notes: October 2025

I know December and May get a bad reputation for being the busiest of months, what with the winter holidays and all of the end-of-school shenanigans. But this October was packed to the brim, and I don’t think we’re the only ones for whom this was true! We had several opportunities to break out our Halloween costumes prior to the big day—fall carnivals, trunk or treats, parties, and more.

Now it’s nearly November, and though we’re hurtling at full speed toward the end of the year, I wanted to share a few highlights from the past month.

A Few Favorite Things

• After MONTHS of searching for a good source to keep my kids updated on current events, we discovered KidNuz. The episodes are fun, fast-paced, age-appropriate, and short enough that we can listen to an entire episode on the way to school. Everyone in our carpool loves the show, and it's quickly become an essential part of our daily routine.

• During their week-long fall break, my kids took on the challenge of cooking five family dinners in a row. They did an exceptional job (and learned a ton along the way!) Some of their hit recipes included homemade alfredo sauce, tomato soup from scratch, and cannoli dip for dessert!

• I had the chance to attend PrizeFest and found it incredibly difficult to pick favorites in both the music and film categories. As always, I found myself completely awed by all the incredible talent that my hometown has to offer.

We are the prize! VIVA!

On Our Bookshelves

We checked out Halloween-themed picture books from the library all month long. Here are a few that had staying power (aka we read them over and over and over again!):

Looking Back

• ICYMI: After more than a year of keeping the secret, we got to officially announce my second picture book! Unstoppable Song, illustrated by Sofia Moore, will be coming to a bookshelf near you in Spring of 2026!