November 2026 goals

Life is very, very sweet right now. I am writing this post on the heels of a weekend that included carving pumpkins with friends in our beautiful backyard, finishing soccer seasons with incredible volunteer coaches, trick-or-treating with neighbors after eating pizza in the cul-de-sac. The crimson maple in our front yard is the proverbial cherry on top.

And also, every week it seems there are new decisions to navigate as our family grows.

Last week it was deciding whether to let Annie start ballet class. She is excited about the prospect, and we could JUST squeeze it into our schedule, but it would mean lots of racing around on that day of the week and less of a chance to just be home with the kids, cooking dinner and making sure piano practice happens. After going back and forth, we decided to hold off for now, but the thought still lingers — are we prioritizing one child’s interests (the one with an activity already scheduled on that day) over another’s? Is that fair?

And then this weekend it was deciding whether to let June trick or treat with friends. We fended it off last year, but this year she was SO excited to go. Even though I wanted to hold her back for my sake, she was more than ready and had the best time with her close-knit group of neighborhood pals. The rest of us ended up walking with two of Annie and Shep’s best friends and then met back up later for soup, candy sorting, and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

There are no perfect answers in a growing family, just an attempt to stay nimble and loving and connected to John as the questions arrive. Sending you love in your questions and answers as we embark on this new month!

Finally made good on Annie’s middle name with an American symbols family theme! Happy 250, America!

On my calendar:
— Flying to Nashville for a work conference! It’s just a quick two nights but I am very excited to see my younger sister while I’m there.
— An early “Christmas” dinner with some of the original CWM gals and husbands. Lara has kept this annual tradition going for us and it is always the sweetest evening filled with both deep and light conversation.
— Thanksgiving in Virginia with John’s family! So looking forward to turkey trotting, games, making sugar cookies, and just being together.

What I’m loving right now:
— I just bought the first-ever pair of flannel sheets for our bed and I am obsessed. They are so cozy, and I really love the deeper colors of the floral pattern we chose.
— After months of trying to figure out how to get a bench cushion made for June’s window seat (it was her birthday gift, given back in January!), I rolled the dice and ordered one through this custom listing. It arrived last week and I was pleasantly surprised with the quality! Considering ordering a different style for our porch swing.
— I usually add or replace 1-2 pieces of Christmas decor a year, and this year, it’s these little Christmas tree night lights. I feel like it’s often these tiny details that kids really notice and remember :) More Christmas decor from our actual home rounded up here!

As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!

What you’re loving right now:

This is where I highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Here’s hoping this will help you find something you’ll love!

— Our Halloween candy bowl. Rifle does no wrong!
— These acrylic, magnetic photo frames. We’ve used them to hold ultrasounds in the past, and I just bought five more to hold photos of our past Halloween costumes. (The frames are double-sided, so five can hold ten years of costumes.) We have them lined up on our piano (above!) and it’s so fun to see them displayed.
— The book bedazzling supplies we ordered for June’s little gathering: gems, wax pencils, and extra glue.
— The tiniest white noise machine – perfect for traveling.
— This very soft polo. Added to my closet here.

Last month on The Connected Family:
— Are we raising kids maladapted to the real world? | On hope and despair.
— How to make friends with similar tech values | We know you’re out there!
— How to advocate for EdTech reform at your kid’s school | Because where they spend 6+ hours matters a whole lot.
— Flying as an unaccompanied minor | And other experiments in device-free independence.
— Low-screen living cues around our new home | Making the best choice the easiest.

What I read in October:
— The Strength of the Few | My sister warned me not to read this Hierarchy sequel because it ends in a cliffhanger just as bad as The Will of the Many, but I disregarded her advice and am happy I did, ha. I actually liked this second installment better than the first! It jumps between three worlds, so there’s a bit of work to be done tracking characters and timelines, but I found it to be satisfying and worth the effort. Recommend if you enjoy complicated world-building fantasy!
— A Time to Gather | I’ve been a fan of Bruce Feiler since reading The Secrets of Happy Families years ago, but I give this offering a more mixed review. A traditionalist at heart, I reject his downbeat view of traditional rituals, but I did enjoy reading about his around-the-world road trip to witness life rituals on six continents. And I jotted down several practical notes for my own future ritual-making.

My reading list for 2026! I’m 13 / 24 so far.

Revisiting my October goals:
Edit Sheptember (No progress! Pushing hard on my photo album goal meant all other creative projects slid to the background.)
Finish gathering our Halloween costumes
Make Halloween front porch ghosts with Shep
Prep for and enjoy our pumpkin potluck
Send care packages to our college babysitters
Choose a light fixture for the kitchen island (Research has begun, but nothing decided.)
Finish designing our 2020-2024 family photo album (SO CLOSE! Just one more year to lay out, which shouldn’t take me more than an hour.)
Buy a protective router
Thoughtfully figure out Christmas gifting for my side of the family (Progress here!)
Hang our wedding landscape and guitar in the piano room (Landscape: done! Guitar in progress — waiting on a hardware kit!)
Meet with a second contractor about our screened porch project

November goals:
— Really really actually finish the photo album
— Begin painting the kids’ 2026 book ornaments — one of my favorite projects every year!
— Complete handmade gifts (I have one concept and plan to replicate it for three different occasions. I’ve already bought the fabric!)
— Design and order our Christmas card and newsletter
— Edit Sheptember
— Buy a protective router
— Hang John’s guitar
— Figure out what to do about Samantha. Annie really wants an American Girl doll for Christmas (specifically Samantha). My sister has hers saved from childhood, and is happy to pass her along (and she’s in surprisingly good condition!). I need to decide whether to have her head replaced or wrap her as-is :)
— Plant fancy daffodil bulbs in our front bed
— Learn a flash mob dance for a v. special event coming up!!
— Finalize gift list and make wise Black Friday choices
— Set aside an hour to get December plans in order

As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2026 PowerSheets goals!

Grateful for you, friends! I’m so glad you’re here — writing can feel lonely without conversation! A few things I’d love to discuss: what book ornaments would you paint for your kids this year, if you did such a project? Have you ever had an American Girl doll’s head replaced? (LOL) Would you be interested in gift guides this year? (My thought: share a few things each of the kids already has and loves, in addition to what we’re actually getting them this year.) And any thoughts on celebrating milestone birthdays?! My 40th is coming up in February and I have begun to consider what might be fun, but haven’t settled on anything yet.

Affiliate links are used in this post!