We are knock, knock, knocking on November’s door. The quintessential sign of fall, besides the food and falling leaves; kicking on that furnace for the first time and feeling it warm up the house. To me, nothing signals a change in the season more than when you walk in from the cool crispness outside and get instant relief when the heat hits you. Here is a November Bucket list:
With Christmas encroaching, and how I do love it, I try to enjoy this month for what she is: Fall. I like to build anticipation for Christmas by holding off on any decorations until after Thanksgiving. I do think it’s a good idea to start looking for gifts and picking up good deals on baking items, as well as starting your Christmas planning (free printables).
Otherwise, I find there is plenty of time for decorating and getting in the Christmas Spirit post Thanksgiving. Here are some of the to-dos on our families November Reset List.
November, The Calm Before the Storm
November is the calm before the storm. There is a certain peacefulness to November. The brisk days give us a permission slip to hibernate inside and indulge in leisurely activities; getting lost in a book, binge watching holiday movies, or Sunday Football or snuggling up with our loved ones.
By now, most crops have now been harvested and the fields from which they came will rest until next Spring. In the meantime, we will reap the fruits of their labor this month. It is the perfect transition month to start turning on the oven and bringing in heat from the kitchen. It’s my favorite month to start making stews, warm soups, and crockpot recipes.
Some Fall Food Favorites:
Fruits: apples, plums, pears & figs
Veggies: corn, acorn squash and of course pumpkins.
Spices: cinnamon, caraway seeds & all spice
Sweets: brown sugar, pumpkin spice, pies & banana bread
Meat: pork chops, beef, turkey (!)
Now, let’s celebrate November! Here are some November Bucket List items to bring joy to your November.
26 Things to do This November
- Make an Apple Pie from Scratch
- Put away the Halloween Decorations but leave out the Pumpkins, Scarecrows & Hay
- Watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
- Watch a local Thanksgiving Parade
- Skip out on the Black Friday Shopping and Spend the Day Eating Leftovers
- Vote in the Election
- Make a Turkey Craft – Maybe it will be something to eat, or if you have kids get creative. Here is a free turkey coloring page printable.
- Host a Mock Thanksgiving or a “Friendsgiving,” – Enjoy Thanksgiving with your friends or coworkers, or if you have a family that enjoys cooking, or eating, do a trial run.
- Try a New Dish for Thanksgiving
- Donate canned goods to a local food bank
- Pull out your favorite fall sweater – If you don’t on a favorite sweater, buy a new one!
- Thank a Veteran for Serving our Country – Monday, November 11th is Veteran’s Day. Thank a veteran for their service.
- Heat up Cinnamon Doughnuts and Warm Cider on the Stove – If you haven’t gone to the Cider Mill, bundle up and head there.
- Put Together an Arrangement of Red, Orange, and Earth Tone Flowers -Mums, Autumn Sunflowers, Sunset Lilies, and orange roses will come together to make beautiful arrangements for November.
- Set the Table for Thanksgiving – If you have a formal dining room, leave the table staged so you can enjoy it throughout the month.
- Indulge in the Smells of Autumn: Pumpkin spice, rain, & crisp air
- Have People Over for Game Day – Do a potluck and make football themed snacks.
- Rake Leaves
- Sign up for a Turkey Trot – If you’re a runner, or even if you’re not, sign up to run a Turkey Trot, it will make the Thanksgiving food taste that much better.
- Make a Shepherds Pie
- Eat a Caramel Apple
- Mail out Thanksgiving Cards to Out of State Loved Ones
- Gobble til’ you Wobble – Eat lots of Thanksgiving Leftovers
- Give Thanks – Go around the dinner table and say what you are thankful for. You can grab this printable here for a Thanksgiving Dice Game
- Write out “Thank You” Cards – Write these to anyone who has helped you this month. This is also great for kids. You can show them how to construct a proper “Thank You” card.
- Put scarecrow decorations out
