October 2018 goals

Gosh, I don’t even really know what to tell you about this month! Perhaps the most exciting thing to say is… IT’S THE MONTH MY SISTER MOVES TO NORTH CAROLINA! Yes! I never in a million years thought I’d get to type that sentence, but here we are. Kate’s husband starts a new job near Charlotte tomorrow, and the rest of the crew will be here, in their new home, before the end of the month. This will be the closest we’ve lived to immediate family since we moved South, and to say we are excited and grateful is an understatement.

Though that is by far the most exciting thing happening in October, it’s certainly not the only one. Between travels, visitors, events, and my return to work (for the biggest CWM week of the year, no less!), there’s a lot going on. I’m here for all of it :)

Exploring after Hurricane Florence

On my calendar this month:
— The NC State Fair (biscuits, goat showmanship, and giant slide, here we come!)
— The sixth annual pumpkins and soup party
— The third anniversary of Articles Club!!
— A trip to Asheville with my younger sister
— Our dear college friend’s wedding in New Hampshire – our first time flying as a family of four!

What I’m loving right now:
— I have made several batches of these power balls since Shep arrived – so delicious, especially with some of the chocolate chips subbed in for cinnamon chips!
— How big of a nerd are you if you watched the Jeopardy! All Star Games live draft? Asking for a friend :) But really, it was so fun — counting down until February!!
— This article was a great reminder of what matters most. I thought the part on beauty was particularly interesting.

What I read in September:
— Sacred Marriage: The first half of this book seemed a little more focused on troubled or difficult marriages, but I appreciated the reminder of the importance of sacrifice and service toward our spouses!
— The Book of Essie: Blew through this one in two days because I couldn’t put it down.

Revisiting my goals for September:
Start every day on my knees in a short prayer, offering my day to God (Did not do this perfectly, but the goal served its purpose and it was so good. I felt it on the days I did it and on the days I did not.)
Sort and price all clothes for my favorite consignment sale
Make an itinerary and reservations for our upcoming trip to Asheville
Bake apple cider scones for June’s teachers on the first day of fall (Sweet girl!)
Cull and edit all 2018 iPhone photos (Done!! The progress is slow but so gratifying!)
Experiment with listing a few things on Poshmark (Done! I even sold something, ha! You can shop the rest here, if you’d like!)
Do something to welcome our new neighbors (We introduced ourselves to them, so I’m counting that as a win :))

October goals:
— Prepare well for returning to work
— Frame new family photos for Shep and June’s rooms
— Host a pumpkin painting workshop, with proceeds going to Hurricane Florence relief (if you’re local and would like to come, register here!)
— Watch Won’t You Be My Neighbor? on Amazon
— Order supplies and finish Halloween costumes
— Take down June’s pelmet and replace with curtains, creating a reading corner
— Order our Christmas cards (using newborn photos!)
— Work on Shep’s baby book and update June’s
— Clean out our coat closet and donate anything we no longer need
— Organize June’s art supplies (they are a HOT MESS right now)

Question for you all: I know this might seem early, but I’m curious whether you’d like to see gift guides on the blog in November? If so, what categories/price points/recipients/etc. would be most helpful for you? Let me know what you think!

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