I have made no secret of my love of the month of November. It is by far our best month in the Bay Area, and there are so many things to enjoy. But I must admit, there are times when it’s already 11/30 and I don’t feel like I got as much out of November as I could have. So this year, I’m being intentional about enjoying this wonderful month.
There are 30 short days in November and they generally fly by. With work, social activities and the usual Fall chores, I can feel like I didn’t make the most of it by the time December arrives. And this year, I’ll be in Dallas for a week for work right in the middle of the month. So being intentional about my November plans makes even more sense. Here’s what I plan to do.
Make the most of a great month for food
We are lucky in the Bay Area- we’ve still got peaches and strawberries in the stores, along with the root vegetables and greens of Fall. So I’m going to be really deliberate about cooking with them, eating them, buying them, and splurging a bit on them.
- Hitting the Farmers Market every Sunday- rain or shine
- Using the slow cooker for something other than oatmeal- beans, soups, stews
- Buying a pumpkin pie from Good Eggs and enjoying a slice every day for a week
- Roasting up some root vegetables and eating them for a few days at every meal
- Buying some pretty autumnal flowers for the kitchen
Getting outdoors as much as possible
November is not the month to hit the treadmill- the weather is still great! And those cool mornings make for the best runs and walks. And I’m going to keep hitting the pool at least once a week. November is when the crowds at the pool start to dissipate a bit. (Shhhh! They have no idea what they are missing!)
Hiking with Cheddar is also great in November. It’s not as hot, and he is much happier heading into the hills on a cool afternoon. In being intentional, I’ll turn off the podcasts for a while and listen and look at the sights and sounds of the month.
At the same time, there’s a temptation to do all those annoying Fall chores in November- before the rain and the cold. Yes, I know I need to tidy and cover up the outdoor furniture. There is a lot of yard work that remains to be done. But I’m not going to waste a beautiful November afternoon on that. I’ll try to get it done in October or push it to December. These November hours are too precious to waste!
Actually wear those lovely Fall clothes
Now is the time to actually wear all those sweaters and jackets I’ve been ready for since August. It is tempting to just pop on the same sweat jacket for the trip to the gym. Nope, I’m putting on a cashmere turtleneck- because why not? What am I waiting for?
And to top it off, I’m taking my hair down from its usual messy bun, wearing some jewelry and makeup, and generally enjoying the fact that the temperature is a lot nicer in November. A shift happens later in the winter- beginning of January?? When I start to no longer care about what I look like (again) and schlub around in leggings and the same 3 tops. But I’ll worry about that then. For now, I’m going to look my best of the year 🙂
How do you feel about November? And grand plans?
