We’ve been home every weekend in November thus far, and after a hectic second half of September and October, it has felt absurdly luxurious. It’s allowed me to take the holidays slow, as I wrote in my November goals post, which is just as I like it. For the most part, I try to keep Christmas in December, but there are a few things I like to do in November to set myself up for a peaceful and joyful Advent. If you’re curious, here they are!
Prettiest Christmas decor from one of my favorites, Sweet Shady Lane!
1. I order our Christmas cards. I usually save the stuffing, addressing, and stamping until the first week of December or so (it’s cozy to do in front of the fire with a Christmas movie on!), but I order our cards and send our newsletter to print in November so they’re ready when I am. Can’t wait for you to see this year’s choice! (From Minted, of course — little peek at our family session here!).
2. I plan our calendar. There are several pieces to this:
— I confirm any dates we’ll have houseguests, or that we’ll be traveling. I make sure we’re clear on holiday plans for both sides of the family. — We decide where we’re going to go for our end-of-year celebration dinner and make a reservation. Weekends in December book up fast! So do babysitters!! — I look up the dates of any “external” holiday activities we want to do and make sure they’re on our calendar. For us, this includes a concert we go to every year, our town’s Christmas parade, and often a Nutcracker performance. I have also been known to proactively text friends who usually host things in December (like a caroling party) to check on the dates so I can block them off, ha! I also make sure things like John’s and my work parties are on the calendar. — With all of these top-tier things in place, I can see how full our month is and better judge what else we have room for. Finally, I’ll make a loose list of other things we want to fit in and tentatively schedule them, knowing they’re easy to flex (things like baking sugar cookies or an evening drive to look at lights).
3. I clear the decks. Before I add Christmas decor to the mix, I like to pare our home back to a clean slate. I clear surfaces and remove extra decor. I tuck away any furniture we don’t need for the month. I clean anything that needs it. If there are persistent trouble areas, like a particular closet or a spot on the counter that consistently attracts papers, I’ll try to tackle them now. I want the Christmas version of our home to be the most peaceful, lovely, and cozy, so a little extra effort in November goes a long way.
5. We draw names. These days, we are doing “secret Santa”-esque gift exchanges amongst the siblings on both sides instead of everyone giving everyone a gift. (We still give gifts to parents and kiddos individually!) I like to have our picks nailed down in November, which leads me to my list to-do…
6. I make a gift plan – and do some shopping. As much as this flies in the face of certain circles of the internet, I actually like to do some of my Christmas shopping in December! It feels festive and celebratory and happy to me. However, I like to make a general plan for as many gifts as I can early in the season, and I particularly like to knock out the hardest gifts (and any custom gifts) in November. To me, the hardest gifts are usually my parents and in-laws (and they often end up getting custom gifts, so extra time is usually required!). Kid gifts are easy and fun, so I’ll often leave those til December, hitting up my favoritelocal spots to round things out. And then I get to wrap — whee!
For me, November boils down to taking the time to make a thoughtful plan — one that I can execute with joy in December! I’d love to hear: what holiday tasks have you been checking off lately? Or are you a December-all-the-way gal?
In light of my November goal to decide on all the gifts for all the people, I’ve been making many lists. One is of our helpers, and how we might make them feel seen and loved this Christmas. Here’s what I’ve got planned, and I’d love to hear your thoughts, too!
First, I’d encourage you to think outside the box here. There are of course the classic “helpers” – people like mail men, garbage men, and teachers – and they are great to remember at Christmas. But if your nail gal, local post office clerk, oil change person, or favorite checkout gal at Publix really makes your life better or brightens your day whenever you cross paths? I’m sure she’d get a kick out of being noticed and thanked in some way! Use the next few weeks to pay attention to who those people are and then brainstorm how you might delight them.
Our list this year – so far:
— June and Shep’s teachers will each get one of these SnapBaskets. I’m not entirely sure how I’ll present them, since they’re a little unwieldy, but I’m SO proud of this coup – I bought them months ago when they were on sale for $10 each!! I’ll pair the baskets with individualized, handwritten notes sharing the things we appreciate about them and why what they do matters so much to us!
For teachers, I also love giving a pretty notepad or notebook tied with a big ribbon and paired with a pen. If I was doing that this year, I would buy this set of 3 and this set of pens and then break them up into individual gifts, for a total of $10 per gift.
I also like the idea of a pretty tumbler! You could pair it with a coffee shop gift card to add a little oomph.
— Our babysitter will get a Write the Word journal. I have the good fortune of getting these fo’ free, but if you buy the bundle, they come out to $20 each, which I think is reasonable for a smaller gift.
— Our garbage and recycling men will get a $15ish Jersey Mike’s gift card and something edible (ideally toffee or peanut butter balls but if time gets crunched boxed brownies will do!). I tape a big note on a bright piece of paper to the top of our garbage and recycling cans that says, “enjoy lunch on us!” so it attracts their attention from the truck.
— This is actually the first time we’ve given a Christmas gift to our pastor (I don’t know, for some reason it never occurred to me to do so?!). He just got married and this is only his second Christmas season as a pastor, and I’m sure the schedule and commitments are overwhelming at times. So, I think I’m going to make and freeze a batch of our favorite beef stew – for them to pull out on a busy evening – and also give them a gift certificate to a local restaurant, to go toward a date night. And a note! Always a note :)
I’d love to hear: which helpers do you prioritize in the holiday season? What do you like to do for them? Let’s compare notes.
In our house, the holidays start now – and that’s great with me, because it means we can take them slow! Mind you, that does NOT mean we are listening to Christmas music now (that’s strictly for post-Thanksgiving dinner).
What does start now? The gift planning, Christmas card ordering, activity organizing, reservation setting, babysitter reserving, meal planning – and more. Starting early doesn’t mean we do more or spend more or go crazy: it means I get the space to choose what matters most, and then prepare for it without going crazy. Honestly, I can’t wait :)
Here’s what else is on tap for the month ahead!
On my calendar this month:
— Voting!
— Thanksgiving dinner with dear friends, and the post-Thanksgiving weekend with family
— Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping – I’m working on my list!
What I’m loving right now:
— On the topic of holidays: I’ve found true warm white Christmas light strands extremely hard to find in my local stores. We ordered several of these last year with great success!
— Also on the topic of holidays: I fell in love with this tree Victoria posted last year, but they sold out before I could get to them. They’re back in stock and I already snapped one up for June’s room – I think she is going to lose it with excitement :)
— File this under weirdest thing to be loving ever, but exfoliating with a washcloth?! I typically just use my hands, but have been gently rubbing a washcloth over my face right after I rinse off my cleanser every night, and my skin is feeling so much smoother!
What I read in October:
— Finish: An easy and enjoyable read as I round the bend on many of my goals for the year!
Revisiting my October goals:
Find a new pot for our mantel and a throw blanket for our sofa (picked the pot and have my fingers crossed for a Black Friday sale!) Create our family Halloween costumes (went with just the kiddos, but they turned out pretty cute :))
Finish culling and sorting our 2018 and 2019 (thus far) iPhone photos (nope)
Edit Sheptember, Volume 1, and finish editing June in June, Volume 4 (progress here but not done)
Design our family Christmas newsletter and order Christmas cards (just got our photos in – looking forward to doing this tonight!)
November goals:
— Write one thank you note per day (a campaign we’re doing along with our church family!)
— Make decisions about all gifts for all the people
— Do lots of Christmas shopping, taking advantage of Black Friday sales
— Share gift guides! Any requests? (In the meantime, start here!)
— Order Christmas cards and family Christmas newsletter
— Finish culling and sorting our 2018 and 2019 (thus far) iPhone photos
— …and if I do, reward myself with ordering my first five-year album on Black Friday!! The chance to save is good accountability :)
— Organize our coat closet
— FINALLY FINISH June in June and Sheptember – it’s happening, people!!
Let’s get contentious: does the Christmas music start now for you? Were you listening in July? Are you a purist who waits until after Thanksgiving, like me? I’d love to hear. Would love to hear your thoughts on what gift guides, if any, would be most helpful, too!
P.S. I love using PowerSheets to stay on track with my goals throughout the month. The new collection went on sale in October and it is soooo good! The one-year goal planners will likely sell out before the new year, so scoot over and get yours soon if you’d like one for 2020!
After the semi-disaster of June’s third birthday party, Shep’s first go-round was a sweet relief! Simple, fun, and spent with our favorite people, it was everything we were hoping it would be. Thankfully, the birthday boy seemed to feel the same way :) I have a few pictures to share, if you’d like to see!
Right off the bat, Shep, as opposed to June, has one major thing going for him: his birthday is in the summer. Yes, it’s hot in North Carolina in July, but we’re used to hot. In January, you could get a 65-degree day, but if you don’t, you can’t very well ask people to gather outside on a chilly 40-degree day. So, an outdoor party is pretty much out for her, and indoor parties can get reeeeeeally overwhelming really quickly in our house. The open concept of our downstairs is great for our family, but when you add 5+ guests (especially kids!) into the mix, it’s a lot.
All that to say – the best part about this party from the start was that it was NOT at our house: we rented the Carousel Pavilion at Pullen Park. Pullen is a Raleigh city park with an adorable carousel (built in 1900!), little boats June loves, a train, a wonderful playground, and more. We love visiting as a family and knew it would be the perfect fit for this party!
We invited 25 guests and about 20 could come, which was wonderful! As you might expect for a first birthday, the guests were mostly family members and our friends, since Shep doesn’t really have friends :) Both sets of our parents, my sister and her fam, and several of our dear family friends joined us.
On the agenda? Drawing with chalk, blowing bubbles, playing in the trees next to the pavilion, and eating. We also took a mass ride on the carousel before cutting into the cake (the tickets were in lieu of a party favor!), and that was a big hit.
The party was from 11-1, and this was our menu: pizza from our favorite Oakwood Pizza Box, homemade fruit salad, applesauce pouches, cut veggies and dip, cake, and little Bluebell cups of ice cream. We also had water, juice boxes, and LaCroix in a cooler.
The cake was a lucky find: we had been to a bridal shower earlier in the month that served a multilayer chocolate and vanilla cake covered in chocolate ganache (like this!), and it was delicious!! The hostess shared with me the unlikely source: an IGA grocery store! For $20, it was ours – and every single bite was devoured on-site.
We went with a very light carousel theme to match our location, and balloons, a few tablecloths, fun star plates (inspired by the ceiling of the carousel), and party hats rounded out the decor. The crowning glory, though, (and really the only detail of note) was my party hat animals. These guys turned out SO CUTE! Playing off the invitation (which played off the carousel animals themselves), I crafted the tiniest party hats for our Schleich collection. It was surprisingly easy – I just made a little template to pump them out assembly-line style, and attached them to the animals with hot glue (they came right off without a hitch after the weekend).
I’ll finish with that invitation. I went with a sweet postcard from Minted – they always have the perfect design for everything, no matter what I’m looking for! Love them so much.
Thanks for taking a peek, friends! Currently debating whether we’ll do a fourth birthday party for June in January… I was pretty set on not doing one this year, but after experiencing Shep’s, she’s hot on the idea. Fingers crossed I can convince her to do something fun instead with just one friend or her cousins!
