Notes from November 2022

This essay originally appeared in the Monday morning newsletter on 12/5/22.

As one of the items on my 22 in 2022 list, I’m writing a quick recap at the end of each month with 10 things to remember.

I can’t believe today’s recap is for the second-to-last month in 2022! Time is flying.

But I really am enjoying the ritual of taking a moment to pause, remember the little things, and think about what I’m excited for next month. If you are looking for an activity to pep up your Monday, give this a try. Scroll through your photos or reference your calendar from the past couple weeks and make a quick list of memories and ordinary moments. A lot can happen in four weeks! 

November’s 10 Things:

1. Starting with the little things – yay that November means the Starbucks holiday cups are back!!! Fully recognize this is a marketing ploy (and one I’m susceptible to). I’m not even a big fan of any of the holiday drinks, but I get so much joy from drinking my coffee in a festive cup. Just makes me happy!  
2. To try and recreate some of that magic at home, I also drink from Christmas mugs starting in late November. I recently picked up this one from Anthropologie and think it is so cute (I love the whole line really – wish they had a Chicago one!). 
3. In November, Matt and I saw the musical Wicked – so fun! Wicked is one of my favorite musicals, so when I saw it would be in Chicago, I knew I had to go. So glad Matt wanted to go too! 
4. My mom visited Chicago at the beginning of November and we got to end the month together at home in Florida. My mom’s birthday is right around Thanksgiving and I’m so glad we almost always are together for it. Love celebrating her!
5. I felt like the weather was warmer than usual in Chicago this November. Which was nice, until a flip switched and the freezing temps arrived in a flash. Lots of my favorite coat, my short UGGs and the trick of wearing leggings under joggers in my future. 
6. As those temps drop, I’m really trying to be intentional about combating the winter blues. I do my best to get outside in the morning (even if that means extensive bundling) or as a break in the early afternoon. When the sun starts to set (shockingly early), I turn on my flameless candles, lamps and play a video of a fireplace on my TV. So far it’s helping! 
7. In other words, I’m certainly leaning into the coziness of the season. One of the perks of cozy season? Comfort food  I made this crustless chicken pot pie in November and Matt and I both loved it. The night we had it, it also was the first night we had some real snow flurries in Chicago. Just felt right! 
8. I had a great month of reading in November with books like Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow, The Magnolia Palaceand Time Smart. I didn’t know if Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow would live up to the hype, but for me, it did. It was just unlike any other book I read this year! 
9. I bought my first Hill House Nap Dress and really love it. I’ve had these dresses on my wish list for a while and when I saw they did a holiday drop (+ I had a percentage off), I couldn’t resist ordering two of the plaid variations to try on – this one and this one. I justified the purchase with the fact that I spend a lot of time in Florida during the holidays. These dresses are perfect for that! 
10. I love that part of November involves planning and anticipating the holidays. But it can also feel like A LOT… and I’m not always the best at managing my own expectations. Listening to podcast episodes like this one and this one helped me intentionally think about what I want holidays to feel like this year.