October 2023 goals

Invariably, the words I write at the top of my PowerSheets each month are some variation on “This time is yours to enjoy.”

This, apparently, is the reminder I need month after month – not a reminder to work harder or do more, but a gentle (yet insistent) remix of my grandmother’s “I just tried to enjoy them.” In the swirl of work, and distractions, and travel, and daily responsibilities, and evenings, and mornings, and after-school afternoons, it is the call that most resonates with me: to look around. To notice. To delight. To enjoy the imperfect abundance all around me, and to reflect gratitude to the One from whom all blessings flow.

I am extending that offering to you this month, too.

On my calendar:
— Trick or treating in a family Halloween costume once again, though this year’s theme is child-directed and looks to be less creative than past years…
— Our annual fall mountains trip! We are headed to Boone. Very excited by our lineup of hikes and restaurants and also by the fact that it will be in the 30’s when we wake up some days (!).
— Two back-to-back camping trips – one with our small group from church and the other, our rescheduled outing with the Rays due to torrential downpour.

What I’m loving right now:
— 2024 PowerSheets are available now! I went with the Jade cover and it is even more beautiful in person. Join me! :)
— These little penguin ice packs are perfect for sliding into lunchboxes or anywhere you need something slim!
— Poor Bishop Hooper is a new-to-me duos that sets the Psalms to music. I think this playlist is the perfect background for cooking or tidying up the house in the evening.

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:

New segment alert! I thought it could be fun to highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Maybe this will help you find something you’ll love!

— These sandals are a notch up from fauxm Birks but still incredibly comfy
— What we use to keep our dresser drawers organized
— The beloved mint curtains in our bedroom
— This sage green striped dress, one of my favorite things to pull on for days of school drop-off, working on the couch, running errands, and cooking dinner
— These white wood and linen bulletin boards, which we use to display kid artwork

What I read in September:
— The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue | June and I continue our parallel reading of this series :) Just the sweetest!
— The Common Rule | A friend and I are leading a book study of this at church, so I’m re-reading it one chapter a time. It’s been great, and I’m experimenting much more with the habits than I did when I read it on my own!
— Golden Son | The middle book in the Red Rising trilogy, which I’m re-reading after a few years. Though my YA author friend calls this the best dystopian fiction he’s ever read (and I can see why), I also remember why I never went on to read the third book last time: the ending is crushing. Going to push through and complete the trilogy this time, though!

My reading list for 2023! I’m still 19 / 24 so far for the year, but I feel confident I’ll complete the list over the next three months! :)

Revisiting my September goals:
Work out 3 hours each week (I did not quite hit this, but I made lots of progress! I also need to figure out a better way to track this… going to experiment with using my monthly planner in the month ahead.)
Tackle the garage (YES! Major win! See a little reflection on this project here.)
Film Sheptember
Make our 2015-2019 photo album (Progress! I laid out 2015…)
Write and design the Articles Club guide (Moving to October!)
Book a fall family photo session (Booked + completed!)
Share the first half of the new blog series (Yes! Thank you for all your kind, thoughtful participation here – it’s been a joy!)

October goals:
— Write and design the Articles Club guide
— Edit Sheptember, Volume 5
— Host the chocolate chip party
— Tackle Annie’s closet
— Organize the gift storage (There’s a particular spot in our attic where I toss things throughout the year as I buy gift or stocking items on travels, at consignment sales, etc. It’s time to go through it so I know what I’m working with as December approaches!)
— Send care packages to our college babysitters
— Finish our 2015-2019 photo album
— Execute an extra-special setting for the 8th anniversary of Articles Club

As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2023 goals!

Last quarter of 2023, here we go! Feel free to comment on anything I’ve mentioned here or anything else on your mind!

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