Brr it’s chilly outside! It feels like over night November brought the the colder weather. Our heat kicked on for the first time in months and I’ve found myself bundling up in my bathrobe most of the day to stay warm. I’m sitting at my dining room table with a fall scented candle going drinking a warm cup of tea to warm me up. My planner is open and I’m starting to make plans for the month. November this year is going to look very different. As a family, we made the difficult decision not to be together for the holidays so we could stay home and be safe. I’ve always associated holidays with family so I’m going to have to make new traditions and create new ways to find joy this month.

I put together a list of things to do in November to get me excited about the beginning of the holiday season and ways to make new traditions. This time last year I was working long hours and Jake and I were exhausted when we got to Thanksgiving. I think it’s say to say that I slept like a full day once I got to my parents house because I was going going going. The perk this year is that Jake is only working in the office part time and my schedule is way more flexible now that I’m not working. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity so I’m going to take advantage of both of us being able to spend this much time at home during the holiday season.

So let’s get started and make a plan on how we are going to celebrate the holidays differently this year.

Deep Clean Your Home

I like to do a deep clean of the house at the start of each month because it doesn’t take long when I do it often. I’m also planning to rearrange our furniture for our tree so I’m getting the house ready for Christmas decor.

Tackle An Organizing Project

I’m going to be packing up fall decor and taking out a lot of Christmas decor so I want to make this process as easy as possible. I like when everything in my house has a home so I can easily find, it, use it and then put it away. I’m sure when I’m cleaning the house I will find something that is driving me crazy and needs to organized. Also need ot make room for the winter layers now that the cold weather is here to stay!

Go Out to Dinner

We had so much fun the other night when we went out for a date night. Nowadays, going out to dinner requires some extra planning (making reservations and masking up). We have a list of places we want to support in our area and I want to take advantage of eating outdoors while the weather is still manageable. In the past we didn’t appreciate being able to go out to eat so now it’s really special when we go out.

Update Your Home Decor

Not sure why but I got bored with my home decor recently and I’ve been itching to move things around. Probably because I’ve been at home staring at the same wall for so long LOL Over the summer I had so much fun going to antique stores with my parents so I plan on going to a few local stores to see what I can find. Also love everything that target puts out including these new candlesticks I just recently purchased.

Sunday Traditions

When everyday feels like the same I’ve been making SUndays feel extra special with Sunday traditions. Pancakes or croissants for breakfast while we watch a movie in our pajamas on the couch. I like a slow start to the day and it’s been nice not to have to rush to do errands or do laundry because I have more time during the week to get stuff done. I usually take an hour long bubble bath at 8pm while watching an episode on my laptop with bath salts and candles. Sundays are truly lazy days in our house and it’s been a great reset. Then I head to bed early with a book after drying my hair and tidying up my room.

Support a Local Bakery or Cafe

I need to get a daily walk in everyday to keep me sane so we plan on heading to a bakery or cafe to pick up a coffee or sweet treat to warm up. In the spirit of making new traditions, I want to use this time to do more things that I can walk to. Businesses are really going to struggle as the weather gets colder so support when you can.

Bake

I stocked up on a ton of mixes so I can easily make breads and cookies so I can making baking a weekly thing. I’m sure we will go old school and make cookie from scratch but this has been as easy and quick way to bake.

Start Planning Christmas Cards

I made a promise to myself to get my Christmas cards out on time! Since we still have Christmas cards that we purchased last year and never used, it should be easy to take a family photo and get them written and sent out!

Watch Classic Fall Movies

Making a goal to get through this movies that scream fall or perfect to watch on a cold chilly day:

• You’ve Got mail
• When Harry Met Sally
• Harry Potter
• Lord of the Rings
• Sleepless in Seattle
• The First Wives Club

Wear Your Fall Wardrobe

Don’t let that wardrobe collect dust, bring it out and make it accessible so you can easily wear those cozy sweaters and brown plaid pieces.

Read

2020 has been the year that I’ve been reading like crazy because I’m dedicating time at night to read just one chapter. One chapter usually turns into a few chapters but it’s a lot easier to start reading when I say I’ll just read one. I’ve also noticed I’ve been sleeping better and fall asleep earlier.

Drink Tea

I love to get into bed in a matching pajama set with a cup of hot tea, my water bottle and I’ll apply my nighttime skincare which I keep on my nightstand. Then I’ll use a face roller while I read and sip on chamomile tea. It’s quickly become the favorite part of my day.