october - joy of nothing

*this month's joy of nothing*
-the cold mornings when I could see my breath as I walked to the car
-driving around neighborhoods dreaming with my Derek
-having the littlest hint of a cold, so that my voice was a little raspy
-squats
-carving pumpkins while watching scary movies
-buying plane tickets home for the holidays
-cooking in my crockpot for the first time in forever
-getting rained on as we scurried into a little cafe
-sipping on fresh apple cider and munching on fresh harvest pie at the same cafe
-hanging with a sweet friend and the little kittens she is fostering
-exploring the capital grounds in Sacramento with my camera and my Derek

What joy have you found this month?

autumn on the stove top

We have been having some cooler weather lately and all the chill has gotten me so excited for all the holiday awesomeness that is upon us! So I thought I would give you a recipe I use this time of year to fill the house with the sweet smell of autumn!

What you will need:

a stovetop pot
3 1/2 cups of water
1 orange
1 lemon
1 apple
2 cinnamon sticks (you can also add a few sprinkles of ground cinnamon if you want)
2 bay leaves
a pinch of cloves

Cut up all the ingredients place them in the water filled pot and turn the stove to simmer and all that's left to do is enjoy the sweet spicy smell of autumn!