Holy fly-by Fall, Batman, it's November, people! Can you believe it? I'm having a hard time myself, but I am just so excited! This means that "The Holiday Season" is upon us. Now, I know there are many who see this time as more of a burden than the blessing it really is, but I am not one of those people. I live for this stuff. I'm, perhaps, a tad sentimental about all things Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc, so forgive the bells and whistles while I go off the deep end.
This time of year seems to make me {want to be} super domestic and organized, so I did what any domesticated and organized girl would do, I made myself a list!
Dos and Don'ts for November
{Do} Keep my pumpkins and such out and about!
We didn't even make it to the pumpkin patch to get our goodies until a few days before Halloween, so you can bet that those suckers are staying out in all their pumpkin-y glory until Thanksgiving. Pumpkins and Halloween are not mutually exclusive, so enjoy the fruits of your pumpkin patch labor for a few more weeks!
{Don't} Complain about the weather!
I am the worst at this! Every summer I whine about how I just cannot wait until it starts to cool down, and then as soon as it does, I whine about how cold it is. This year, my mantra will be "Sweater weather is my friend, sweater weather is my friend, sweater weather is my friend..." So if you see me mumbling to myself, now you know why.
{Do} Put Pumpkin Pie Spice on everything!
Addiction is such an ugly word....but it's probably the best one to describe how I feel about Pumpkin Pie Spice. I bought it last year for Thanksgiving cupcakes, and this year I use it for just about everything that could use a little Autumn spirit: coffee, french toast, pancakes, doughnuts, apple crisp...if you think Pumpkin Pie Spice might work on something, go with that thought!
{Don't} Buy all the hype and stress!
This time of year doesn't have to be the big bad wolf some people make it. Yeah, so it already feels like the whole year is crashing down, but I will not let it steal my spirit. Take a breath, embrace the season, and don't sweat the stuff you don't have to. Keep perspective, and enjoy!
{Do} Deep clean the house!
While most of the world puts stock in Spring Cleaning, this is the time of year when my cleaning mojo really gets going. There's something so exciting about getting every nook and cranny of the house ready for such a special time of year. Knowing my house is clean makes it feel even more warm and cozy.
{Don't} Expect too much of myself!
I have a baby this year. I will allow myself a lot of grace, and realize that I do not have the kind of control over everything that I {like to think I} usually do.
{Do} Plan ahead!
This is the number one thing that combats potential stress. If I know I can attack all my cleaning in bite size pieces, or that I have a certain day to shop or cook, it eliminates the guesswork and allows me to enjoy the process. Sure, there's still potential to get bent out of shape if something comes up that makes the plan change, but at least it's a start. I can just make a new plan and begin again.
{Don't} Skip ahead!
Another thing I am the worst at is getting so excited about Christmas that I wish all my time away daydreaming about the future instead of enjoying the moment. Especially with my sweet Baby to enjoy, I don't want to miss a thing this year! Maybe that's one reason why I put so much fanfare into Thanksgiving. It's a good way to maintain focus and live in the now.
So that's me, what about you? Is there anything you just have to do this time of year? Feel free to steal some of mine. I'll be sure to keep you posted on how it goes. Enjoy the first day of November, Friends!
