november

Things of note that happened in November:

~ Played with the sweetest, most softest husky puppy at Petland. He was so chill - the complete opposite of Raven as a puppy - but he was camera shy, so I didn't get many good photos.

~ Went to NYC.

~ Got our Christmas tree, from the same tree farm we've been going to the last three years. This time we rounded up some friends who also wanted a live tree this year and had breakfast at the house before making the trek to Berry Patch in Woodstock.

~ Spent lots of time by the fireplace. We switched natural gas providers in the middle of October, but the new plan didn't kick in until December 1st, which means we were paying the month-to-month price in the interim... which means I did not turn on the heat in November. Yes, I'm that person. I layered extra blankets on the bed, pulled out an old radiator, and bought lots of fire wood to keep us warm on those cold nights. Early mornings were rough, especially downstairs with the hardwood floors, but we made it! As soon as 12/1 hit, I bumped up the furnace. (November's gas bill was only $40. #WorthIt)

🙃

~ Spent Thanksgiving day with friends and family. How sweet to be able to gather with both. J was on shift that day, so my mom and I went to the fire station in the afternoon to hang out with the guys for a bit. People in the neighborhood had brought lots of pre-cooked food for everyone to eat, so all the firefighters were able to have a complete Thanksgiving dinner even though they had to be at work. The Publix in their area also brought boxes full of bread and desserts - so much they didn't have room for it all. They ended up taking lots to the homeless in the area, and the only picture I got was of the makeshift brownie turkey above. Later that day I went to Meredith's house, where she was hosting her whole family for her first Thanksgiving in her new house. The food was great, and the company was even better.

~ Took very few pictures in general but forced a selfie on 11/30 because how else will I remember what I looked like in November 2018 when I'm looking back on this post 12 years from now??

Favorites

~ Food/Drink: Homemade stovetop apple crisp (chopped honeycrisp apple, butter, cream, cinnamon and pink salt topped with granola over a few scoops of salted caramel halo top), lime seltzer water, unsweetened whole milk lattes.

~ Clothes: These boots. I wore my old Target favorites into the ground with all the walking we did in New York and went to REI for a new pair that would last for years to come. $190 later (NYC sales tax is high!), I walked out with a pair of Kodiaks that I really liked, but they rubbed and irritated my ankles over the course of the day. So I returned them. A few days later I stumbled across this $35 pair at Target. Instant comfort. Hopefully they last as long as my last pair of cold-weather boots did. 

~ Movies: I'm not usually a fan of Netflix originals, but some of their Christmas movies are too cheesy-good to pass up. The Holiday Calendar and Christmas Chronicles were surprise favorites this month.