Hi friend! Can you believe we’re already in November?! I’m honestly so excited though. And how about that extra hour of sleep yesterday? It always takes a bit to get used to the time change, but I go so much done yesterday.
October Wrap Up
Last month, I shared my intentions for the month and before I get to my November intentions, I wanted to reflect on October and see how I did with the intentions I set for that month.
I shared some of my October in this days in the life post, so I’ll try not to be too redundant here.
Spend Time with Friends
The best way to spend our time is with people we love. I saw this quote on Instagram last week and it’s perfectly sums up the way I feel about life.
Isn’t that the truth?! Maybe that’s why I fantasize so much about retiring early – not that that’s anywhere in my near future! But I am planning for it now. I’ve been saving since my waitressing days.
We had a couples dinner with one of my oldest friends – Maggie and her beau at the beginning of the month. That’s where I learned about the wine sulfite remover.
Then, we celebrated one of my oldest friends 50th birthday. And, for the occasion, my bestie Karen came in town from Wimberley and stayed with me for a few days. I loved getting to see these gals, especially since our get togethers are fewer and further between these days.
You can see all the beautiful details from the party here.
Visit a Fall Festival
As always, we had a great time at Dewberry Farms. It’s a family-friendly fall/holiday festival located in Brookshire, Texas. I think we had the most fun at night when the sun went down. The kids LOVED the haunted trail through the woods.
Next year, I’ll plan better because I was so hungry and tired by the end of the night. I didn’t realize we would be shutting the place down!
Halloween
Along with the Fall festival, of course we celebrated Halloween and Jordan and her friend won the 3rd grade group costume contest with their SpongeBob and Patrick duo. That’s the first time Jordan won and she was ecstatic!
I’m usually the type to just buy a costume, but I thought it should be pretty easy to make a Sponge Bob out of cardboard. These projects always seem easier than they are! Thankfully, Elliott helped me cut the cardboard into a square shape and he spray painted it yellow and cut the arm holes.
I borrowed a projector from Olivia so I could trace Sponge Bob’s face.
I used acrylic paint to outline the face and Jordan painted the insides. It took several coats of the lighter colors to get an opaque finish, but we were so pleased with how it turned out!
We also decorated for Halloween and that was actually more fun than I thought it would be.
Chargers • Plates • Napkins • Napkin Rings • Gold Flatware • Runner • Cheesecloth • Wine Glasses • Candelabra • Candles
Run a 10K
This was truly a highlight of my year! Getting to support Ali-Shaun in her first ever 10k was amazing! We went with our friend Tara and started out together, then Tara got in a groove and ran on ahead of us.
Ali-Shaun set the pace for us and we stuck together the whole time. She never stopped to walk, just kept running for the entire 10k!
We passed by her family around the 4 mile mark and she started crying! Then, I about started crying.
And, the lady you see in the photo above told me she follows my blog! I loved getting to chat with her about her 5 year-old and how this was her first time running since her daughter was a baby!
It’s so heartwarming to see all the people out there giving it their all, even when they can’t see. The energy is amazing and Ali-Shaun is hooked! She wants to do another one!
Round Top with the Girls
We took a day trip to the Round Top Antiques Fair and that’s always a good time. I did a travel guide to Round Top if you want to check it out.
Day Trip to Galveston
Elliott and I planned a day trip to Galveston beach and that was a perfect little getaway. October in Galveston is beautiful! We ate on the water at The Spot and then walked on the beach. Just lovely!
Read 10 Pages a Day
I didn’t get 10 pages a day, but I did start reading more. I read Man’s Search for Meaning, but after his personal account of his horrific time in the concentration camps, I trudged through the 2nd half – psychological part, and didn’t finish.
I also re-read The Power of Now and Lessons from Madame Chic. Both of those are great reads. The Power of Now is all about being in the present moment. Lessons from Madame Chic is a fun, easy read about what she learned while living as a California college student living in Paris for 6 months as a foreign exchange student.
Cooking & Baking
I’ve been in the mood to cook more and Fall had me craving chili and cornbread. The chili is delicious with just the 2-Alarm chili kit. My homemade corn bread didn’t turn out that great – it was too dense. I should’ve just used the Jiffy kit- those are good every time!
The warming mat is genius for keeping food warm and will be especially handy at Thanksgiving.
And then of course, I had to make chili cheese hot dogs!
I’ve also made my go-to lasagna, baked brownies and plan to bake an apple pie this week.
Early Voting
I also voted early with my mom. I’m praying for our leaders and for a healthy future for our country. The anticipation of who our next President will be is overwhelming! I’m sure we’ll be glued to the TV tomorrow!
Hello, November!
November is a big month here and there is lots to look forward to.
Son’s 1st Homecoming
My son is a freshman in high school this year and actually just had Homecoming. It was a lot of preparation, but I’m so glad it went well and everyone had a good time.
It was pouring all day, but luckily we got a break in the rain just long enough to get some photos. Thanks to Jonathan (one of the dads) who took all the pics. He got them all edited and back to us before the dance was over!
The mum and nosegay that Erin made turned out beyond expectation! Soooo pretty and unique! We had nothing like this back in Ohio when I was in high school.
And James’ dad reminded me he was homecoming King – I had totally forgotten! We just love both kids so much and I’m so thankful we co-parent well together.
Last HS Football Game
It’s been a heck of a season, and our team made it to the division championships. I’m so proud of everyone and how hard they’ve been working. It’s early morning practices and James gets up on his own, even makes his bed before leaving the house by 5:30 a.m.
Our last game is this week and I’ve been honored to get to take all the game photos.
Mother/Son Texans Game
I do so much with my daughter, but one of the things James and I enjoy together is football. He’s taught me so much and we watched Netflix’s Quarterback and Receiver together. We’ll be going to the Texans/Lions game this month and I can’t wait!
HS Mother/Son Luncheon
This month is also the freshman mother/son luncheon and that will be fun. I’m acutely aware that James will only be living here a few more years. I’m so proud of who he is and truly enjoy his company.
Tonya & Chris’ Wedding
My dear friend Tonya from my days in the choir at Lakewood Church is getting married this month. We were the alto section leaders and SO close. She and some of the choir members sang at my wedding and now I can’t wait to be at hers!
Thanksgiving in Kansas
This is big, y’all. I’m going home with Elliott and his daughter (Luke and Maggie too!) for Thanksgiving. We’ll be making the 10 hour drive to Kansas City (send help! that’s a long drive) to stay with his parents. But, all of his 4 siblings, their spouses, and many nieces/nephews I’ll be meeting for the first time!
It’s always a lot prepping to go out of town, but I’m really looking forward to meeting everyone. I hope they like me!
Decorate for Christmas
It’s tradition here to start decorating for Christmas in November and my decorating is already underway. I got Elliott to help me with the heavy lifting and we have the trees up and some styling done. But now I’m letting me creative juices flow and planning a few DIY projects.
You can see last year’s Christmas home tour here.
Nutcracker Market with Mom
My mom and I always go to the Houston Nutcracker Market and I think my sis is coming along this year too.
Girls’ Dinner
My mom friends still celebrate birthdays together and this month we honor Marianna with a girls dinner.
November on the Blog
I have so much fun stuff coming up on the blog this month! I spent a long time planning everything out and I’ll have to be very diligent and intentional to fit it all in!
Style A Friend
I’m so excited to have Ali-Shaun and Rhonda joining me for Style-A-Friend. We ordered from several retailers and it’s always something y’all look forward to and enjoy. We’ll be here on the blog and on Instagram, so follow me there if you want to see all of our videos.
Gift Guides
I also have lots of gift guides coming – everything from Stocking Stuffers to gifts for her, him, kids, teens, 20-somethings and more. Come back tomorrow for the first round! 
Black Friday | Shop Small Saturday | Cyber Monday
I’ll be covering all the holiday sales and have already been doing the digging.
Gratitude Giveaway
One more thing! I’ve decided to bring back my Gratitude Giveaway starting in September through the end of the year!
If you don’t recall, my Gratitude Giveaway is where I share things I’m loving that month and give them away to one of my blog subscribers!
It’s just a way of saying thank you for being here and subscribing. I appreciate you so much!
If you’re not subscribed, you can sign up here, and I will pick a winner at random and announce at the end of the month.
*If you win, I always give you the option of all of the items OR the cash value! Most people choose the cash value and I send them money via Venmo!
I’d love to hear about your intentions for the month. It’s great to set aside some time to think about how you want to spend your time or life will just go in it’s own direction, right?!
Have a fantastic day friend!
The post Hello November! | Monthly Intentions appeared first on Honey We're Home.