November 2017 goals

1 November 2017

If you’ve spent any amount of time around here, you know that one of my life mottos is “everything in moderation” (thanks, Dad!). In general, I think it’s healthier, more sustainable, and more enjoyable to stick to a middle road than lurch to an extreme.

But sometimes, if you’ve been indulging more than usual, keeping everything in moderation necessitates a brief period of fasting. On that note, you’ll see that one of my November goals is to abstain from dessert (except on two special days!). I’m feeling in need of a little reset, and hoping this will do the trick! Everything else I have planned should be a breeze compared to that :)

P.S. I love using the PowerSheets to track my professional goals (and sometimes personal ones, too). The new collection went on sale last week and it is awesome! 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 2018.

What I read in October:
Red Rising (Re-read this one in preparation for reading the third book in the trilogy — it’s been a few years, and I wanted a character and plot refresh before diving in!)
The Secret Keeper (Valerie’s recommendation – so good!)
— Books I’m reading throughout the year: The Power of a Praying Wife and The Lifegiving Home

Revisiting my goals for October:
Start my work-from-home days with Bill Hybel’s prayer journaling practice (So I actually only did this once… yikes. The weird thing is, though, it was notably moving and impactful that one day I did it! Definitely something I want to continue incorporating whenever I can.)
Have a magic eraser party all over our house (Yes! They really are magic!)
Re-color code book shelf (Yes! You can see a little peek here, but basically, instead of going in normal rainbow order I started with white on top, then blues and greens, then yellows and oranges, then reds, then blacks, to lighten the overall look up a little.)
Spruce up our bedroom dresser (Yes! Nothing really worth showing, but I streamlined it as much as possible and added a silver frame with a snap from our last session with Nancy.)
Organize our pantry (Going on the November list!)
Host the fifth annual pumpkins and soup party in our backyard (Yes! Post here.)
Come up with something fun for June’s Halloween costume! (See the shining light!)

November goals:
— Vote!
— Organize our pantry
— Cozy up our guest bedrooms and upstairs bathroom in prep for Christmas visitors
— Sort through all the “to be framed/hung” pieces in the loft and DO SOMETHING WITH THEM
— Find general practitioners for John and myself and make appointments
— Post gift guides before Black Friday (this is earlier than I usually do them, but if I’m recommending you front load your shopping on Black Friday, I figure I should give you my picks before then!)
— File all paperwork in blue room (I pretty much just dump any paperwork we need to keep on our guest room desk throughout the year — this will be my once-a-year filing session :))
— Abstain from dessert (except for the launch party and Thanksgiving)
— Start a life list book (something I’ve wanted to do for awhile – I love this idea so much! I’ll probably write about ours more once I get it started!)

Friends, I’d love to hear: What would you like to see in my gift guides? Who do you need suggestions for? What price point is most helpful? Right now I’m thinking of doing one for boys, one for girls, one for ladies, one for men, and a surprise category, plus my own personal wish list, but I’m open to suggestions! Maybe one for grandparents??

Affiliate links are used in this post!

Subscribe
Notify of

20 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Kasia
November 1, 2017 8:02 am

Would love a gift guide particularly for toddlers! I have an eighteen month old (and lots of friends’ kiddos that will need gifts) & I’m always looking for ideas!

Emily Frost
November 1, 2017 8:38 am
Reply to  Kasia

Second this! Our kids are the same age Kasia – oh what a stage! Would love to hear what June liked at this age. Am thinking of buying my son a kitchen but don’t want to spend a lot of money for it never to be used…

Thank you so much for posting the guides in advance Em. It’s nice to get the shopping done so that we can focus on being in the moment with loved ones.

Also, love to hear about Christmas traditions! Your church service with the Rays is lovely.

Laura
November 1, 2017 9:27 am
Reply to  Emily Frost

I third this request!!! I have a seventeen month old little girl and would love to hear June approved recommendations. :)

Kelly
November 1, 2017 10:14 am

oh yay! I love your gift guides! I’d love to see price points for $25-50, as I’m always searching for secret santa gifts for those last minute parties. And I’d love if you share how you’re going to organize your pantry. I love seeing how other people do life and the systems they implement. Sounds like you have an exciting month! Can’t wait to follow along on your blog and Instagram. :)

Kelly A
November 1, 2017 11:17 am

Grandparents, yes please! We have several on our list – we don’t want buy them more “stuff”, and usually do a photo book or calendar plus a restaurant gift card. We’ve done that for several years in a row and I know it’s appreciated but if you have any other ideas we would welcome them!

November 1, 2017 11:32 am

I’m so excited for your gift guides, Emily! I’m most excited to see your personal list and appreciate a $25-50 price point for most other gift guide items to keep within our budget :) I’m sharing my November Goals here today! http://kylamary.com/2017/11/november-2017-goals/

Sarah
November 1, 2017 5:04 pm

I love reading your goals, Emily! Thank you for sharing each month. I’d love to see a gift guide list for the preparing-to-be or soon-to-be parents! I really loved following all of your posts about preparing to expand your family, so I imagine you have a few books or items that you think are good to grab or ask for during the holidays.

November 1, 2017 11:13 pm

Considering you guys camp and hike, I’d love to see an outdoors-based gift guide!

Christian Howell
November 2, 2017 12:03 am

I know, off topic, but let me know if you need a GP recommendation. Mine is in the area and I love her!

Clara
November 2, 2017 4:00 pm

Hi Emily,

I love following along with your goals. There is a product/system (falls in the same unique category as Power Sheets in that its hard to define) called Freedom Filer that might help with your filing dilemma. Their website even offers a lot of free resources. Basically, its a way of labeling/organizing your papers to continually cycle through and toss old ones. I has been so helpful for me and cut way back on the buildup of paper piles. It must be a small company, because I don’t hear about them much, but they are one of my favorite college graduation or housewarming gifts.

November 3, 2017 3:02 pm

A tip from Whole30 regarding no desserts! I’ve noticed that after dinner, I’m not reeeally craving sweets–I just want to get the savory dinner taste out of my mouth. That problem is just as easily solved with a handful of raspberries as it was with a Trader Joe’s peanut butter cup! Good luck! :)

Cassi
November 7, 2017 9:48 pm

I would love guides for my parents and grandparents. They’re all practical people and always say they have everything. I would love some ideas to treat them but on a budget. Thanks!!

November 8, 2017 12:12 pm

Hey Em! I’d love to see gift ideas for goal-oriented women or business owners. :) But I think your ideas are awesome. :) I totally agree with what you shared about the dessert thing, and I tell my clients that sometimes saying no to something like desserts for a period of time is actually easier than moderation, in the sense that you don’t have to make a decisiosign each time you feel like dessert or encounter dessert and then wrestle with your willpower/potentially “fail” and give in. I went dessert-free for a year (more than a year? Can’t remember) and after a while it was surprisingly easy. I know you’re Christian, so maybe focusing on how Jesus is INCREDIBLE and totallyenough for you will help when you want sweets. I know that sounds intense or dramatic, but it helps for me when I’m abstaining… kind of helps me see how truly insignificant something like sweets are, or shopping, or whatever you’re taking a break from. :)

My goals are over here! :) https://dianakerr.com/november-2017-powersheets-goals/

November 10, 2017 9:00 am

These are gorgeous goals – and yay for the two days of dessert!
YAY for my power sheets arriving x