What we've been up to this fall

Melissa P:
Hey fellow Chick Lit lovers! I hope everyone has been having a fun and productive fall season so far. It has definitely been a busy and exciting time for me and I thought I would share what I have been up to with all of you.

My husband and I decided to go back east for our vacation this year to spend time with his siblings. We rented a beach house and spent an amazing 10 days in Boston, Cape Cod, and Nantucket. We almost had to cancel at the last minute because of hurricane Earl, but luck was on our side and we had gorgeous weather the entire vacation! Just days after we returned home to Arizona, we became an auntie and uncle for the 3rd time. My nephew Dylan was born September 18th and is the sweetest baby I have ever laid eyes on.

October has been so fun so far! My cousin Sam came from Cincinnati to celebrate my birthday with me and we had an absolute blast. We shopped, danced, got pedicures, went to the casino, and drank plenty of champagne. :) I was sad to see her go, but hopefully I will get to Cincinnati soon. Just 10 days after Sam left our aunt Rose came down from Cincy to visit as well. I guess that is a perk of living in sunny Arizona, lots of company all year long! Next up, my cousin Jessica from Cincinnati will be here in early December.
Last night, my family and I attended an annual Halloween party. We all went as characters from "Peter Pan." I hope all of you that celebrate Halloween had a fun and safe weekend. Save me some candy!
So that’s a little bit of what I’ve been up to out here in the desert. Thanks so much for supporting our site and we always welcome comments and suggestions!
Melissa P xo

Melissa A:
Hello everyone! Hope you are all doing well and having a nice fall. I absolutely love this season. Especially when the trees change color and the leaves crunch under my feet. I'd love it more if there were a little bite in the air though. I haven't worn a sweater other than on the camping trip (more on that later). It's been unseasonably warm in Maryland! Anyway, things have been insanely busy for me these past couple of months. And I have a feeling it’s only going to get busier over the months ahead.
September was a whirlwind of cooking and having guests over. The month started with a visit from my parents and sister (from Illinois) and my older son’s fifth birthday party. Then we were swept up with the High Holidays. The first week was Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. My parents stayed to celebrate with us and we hosted a couple of meals for friends in the neighborhood. Then, while Melissa P was holding her new nephew for the first time, I was fasting all day in observance of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. I didn’t make it the whole day through, but it probably didn’t help that I was reading “Good Enough to Eat” by Stacey Ballis at the time.

The next day, my husband put up our Sukkah and my sons and I decorated it on the inside. Sukkot came in with a crazy rain and wind storm and then excessive amounts of heat the whole weekend. Since we ate outside, we didn’t have much air conditioning. We did get to enjoy a barbecue in our Sukkah with some friends between the holidays. Then we had some friends in from NJ to visit for Shemini Atzeret (eighth day of Sukkot) and Simchat Torah (the day we bring the Torah back to the beginning). Before we knew it, October had arrived!
We spent the second weekend in October on a camping trip with some cousins. It was fun, but I think we’ll get a cabin instead of a tent, if we ever do it again. The boys had a blast though. They loved helping my husband make a fire. Thankfully, the rest of the month has been low key on the weekends. We went pumpkin picking one Sunday and I went to a spa for a whole day the following Sunday. Today, I took my sons trick-or-treating at a mall. It was fun, but got pretty crowded after a while. My older son dressed as Thomas the Tank Engine and my younger son refused to put on a costume but still liked getting candy.

The big news in my life right now is that I’m expecting a baby in late February (b’shaah tovah). I have not found out the gender yet and don’t plan to until it arrives. I love the element of surprise. For those of you who are wondering, "b'shaah tovah" means "in good time." Usually, people say this to a pregnant woman instead of "congrats," as to not jinx the pregnancy. I say it for myself for the same reasons.
Anyway, I've enjoyed getting to know some of you better and hope to get to know even more of you in the coming months! Feel free to e-mail me anytime!
~Melissa A