Where did the November go?

Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Collecting dried hydrangeas from my mom’s garden.

Well, it's already December and November really flew by for me. From autumnal walks and making cups of tea in the misty mornings to crafting and preparing some Christmas gifts and ornaments, winter tale is ready for it's beginning. I feel like it should only just be the start of autumn, and yet suddenly it’s almost Christmas time. November was a month where autumn showed me all it's shades, it's crisp meadow air and misty pastures wherever I would point my eyes during our autumnal walks. November was a month filled with green boots on my feet, some morning walks alongside auburn branches, but mostly we spent it in our little home in the city. I missed countryside and all the walks and all the freedom I feel there, especially when autumn is showing it's magic. In November darkness embraced us. Falling leaves decided to rest and find some peace on the ground. And bare branches are waving farewell to autumn now. Whenever my little one and I would spent some moments on our balcony observing branches peeking through mist, our warm breath would meet that crisp and cold air. We would be soon surrounded by breath clouds dissipating before our eyes.

I love autumn and winter days, I love that dark is early around us. Here, dark meets us around 4.00 p.m. And with that creeping darkness comes my desire for preparing for winter, for pulling out Christmas decorations and doing some decluttering, for thinking about gifts, making gifts and some new ornaments too. Comes time where I'm being more aware of my gratitude and importance of my daily rituals, from early mornings and warm tea, journaling and reading, to being present, spending more time with my tiny family and getting outside more than I'm willing to sometimes. You know, this November and maybe all Novembers of my life, I could describe as meadow walks in the countryside in my warm, green winter jacket, as cozy movies and reading books alongside candlelight, as sewing and making and being creative more than ever, as cinnamon buns in my oven and warm cacao in my hands, as reading Christmas tales with my little one, as preparing nice pumpkin soup every week, as simmering homemade ginger and lemon tea. As simple moments like those.

What I've been doing over these late autumn days?

A lot of making cozy home corners and warming our nest more than ever through the year. It was time for blankets, candles, books, teas and a lot of moments together. Making my little home a cozy and safe space to retreat helps me to embrace gloomy days. And in our home it also means getting those Christmas lights out early, at the end of November. I do it every year. When December comes near I pull out our tree, put ornaments on, lights on and enjoy that magical view for longer then a lot of other people here do.

I love these winter mornings, warm cup of tea by my Christmas tree.

There is something so special in the early leaves drifting from the trees - as if we are all to be allowed a chance to peel, to refresh, to start again.

by Ruth Ahmed

Every morning I read few pages of a book and then some gratitude journaling.

While autumn carried her last shades of auburn, brown and dark yellow, my desire for being truly conscious of my gratitude and my life wonders, was growing. So with autumn fading away and winter showing me it's own palette, I remembered how gratitude can change my days and my expectations of others and of my life too. You see, I've been practising this gratitude journaling for more than four years now. And that practice is the most important one for me. It changed me, my view of other people, of my life, of my home, of my belongings, of my clothes and led me to creating this simpler life, life filled with seeking, finding and practising simplicity. And I'm so glad I changed that way. Because of it I truly love who I'm becoming, of my values and beliefs, of parenting I'm doing, of giving importance to what truly matters. For a few weeks, I've been really busy, my little one changed it's whole napping routine, he was going to bed really late and my husband and I simply couldn't find time for our routines and even some home tasks. After some time adjusting to this new routine with our boy, I think I've found a way how to carve some time for writing, reading, creating, doing home work and getting my early mornings back. During those few weeks I didn't write my gratitude journal and I really felt lost, sad even sometimes. I just couldn't pick myself up easily when things got tough and I couldn't find my rhythm so I felt like not doing enough, not making things enough, not being good enough. And I realized that it was like that partially because I wasn't starting my mornings like I used to. With gratitude and creating peace. So November was filled with going back to that, with waking up earlier and creating that peace again.

As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas, and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see.

by Vincent Van Gogh

Beautiful views on our autumnal meadow walks.

Beginning of November was filled with some beloved meadow walks with my sister, our dogs, my little one and my husband too sometimes. It was so great meeting those valleys of mine again. Meeting them in purple, auburn and yellow shades. We picked some dry wildflowers, watched windy valleys and swaying grass down in the pastures. All around, the countryside was golden, paths alongside forest were filled with puddles and mud, cows were like little white and brown shadows from nearby misty hill. There was always this gentle rustle in the wind and you could smell the crispness after rain. We would come back to my family home, simmer some water for tea and coffee, pull ourselves up from layers, and wool sweaters, and boots and knit hats. Dad had the fire cracking from early morning till late night. There were stories, laughter and homemade warm meals mom prepared us. A little cozy tale while dark was embracing hills and valleys around our home.

All our Christmas ornaments are in one canvas bag.

As I already mentioned, November is my time for planning Christmas gifts and preparing my little home for that winter tale. So, towards the end of November, I pulled out our bag of ornaments, separated all the broken ones, and the ones we hadn't used in the last two years I passed on to my sister and mom. Then I decorated our tree. Our Christmas decorations are really simple. I love ornaments in neutral shades, and a lot of them I made in the last few years from leftover fabrics and wool. There are always some little bells simply falling from those evergreen branches among other ornaments. We have lights for the tree, and the other ones for our window. That's it. I have some tiny ornament for the front door and this year I plan on making bigger wreath with some vintage bells that I will put on our kitchen wall. Nearing the end of month I've been slowly starting to gather foliage and twigs. I even made myself a little winter bouquet of my mom's rosemary twigs and some dried flowers. It now sits still in my little white jug on our kitchen table.

Also, in November it was time to think about the purpose of the gifts, so this year I decided to make most of the gifts. For example, I made a teddy bear with some clothes for my little one, and for my sister a calendar. Everyday we are surrounded by a bunch of commercials for gifts and especially gifts for kids, toys and clothes. So I tend to put early on paper everything I plan on buying and making, so that way I'm not that tempted to look at stores and online. There are always beautiful independent small shops and makers on Instagram, so you can always find handmade gifts and support someone in their business. Because of seeking simplicity during this time, and especially during Christmas I really try to focus on gifts that aren't plastic, that are useful, that carry purpose and that my loved ones really need in their daily life. There are things to make and gift, from hand poured candles, handmade ornaments, salt dough decorations, some sewn kits to edible gifts such as homemade granola bars or homemade marshmallows.

In November I made some ornaments and gifts too.

As a gift to myself I always try to carve out more time during November and December for rest and nourishment. For reading more, walking more, creating more. So every year I decide on two books I want to gift myself during November, so this year that were two parenting books, Out of Control by Shefali Tsabary and Good Inside by Becky Kennedy. Also, those two months I try to remove any pressure of doing certain things for the sake of tradition or any pressure to attend events I really don't want to. I try to carve out some time for decluttering, for preparing our winter wardrobe, for making some warming meals and new recipes, for stocking up on our winter essentials.

How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days.

by George Burns

What I found/thrifted/bought?

• Well, I have had for quite some time a striped jumper on my wishlist. Last year I decided not to buy it, but to wait and see if I need it this year. And it stayed on my wishlist so in November I stumbled upon a beautiful, simple one and decided to buy it. It is the only striped jumper I have now in my wardrobe and I really think it will be enough and stay with me for years.

• And also, last month I wanted to find and buy a simple white jug for placing some dry flowers in it on my kitchen table. But in November I decided that little white jug I already have is perfect for it. I love how it looks and I think it will stay on my kitchen table for a few season more. So you could say I found it in my home. What a great way of finding "new" things!

• My favorite buy of November. This tiny angel ornament I’ve stumbled upon. It reminds me of my little one when he puts his hands together.

• As I mentioned, in November I bought two books, Out of Control by Shefali Tsabary and Good Inside by Becky Kennedy. I look forward to reading them.

• I don't know if I should put this one in this category, but I shall. My dad decided to make a wooden bed for my little one's doll and it's beautiful. We haven't found it, of thrifted it or bought it. It was gifted to us and it's handmade and it will be cherished for quite some time. It was supposed to be a gift under Christmas tree, but we all couldn't wait so my dad gave it earlier. I made some bedding and now his doll lies and dreams little dreams under Christmas tree.

• Also, we didn't bought these items but it was in agreement with mine and my husband's parents for our little one's birthday. So they got him a wooden little kitchen and wooden chair with matching wooden table. He loves it so much. He spends time drawing at his desk and it's the sweetest thing ever.

What I've been reading/watching/listening to?

• This November, after a period of letting a bit go of my rituals and finding myself a bit drown in tasks and keeping up with my toddler, I finally recognized the importance of my early mornings, my gratitude journaling, daily walks, warm teas, reading a bit before bed and resting when I can. So over November I started reading and really observing cozy photography from the book My Hygge Home by Meik Wiking. It's a beautiful book and I love those hygge books in this time of year. They always encourage me to simplify but warm up our home with some little and simple things.

• And I've been also reading The Danish Way of Parenting. They value person above all. They also make quality time for family gatherings, hygge time where they have warm and cozy food, candles, games and a cozy atmosphere. They come up to the door of a new mother with a box of newborn essentials. Their way of parenting is focused of respecting play, allowing children non-adult-led activities, being authentic and honest towards your child, avoiding labels and emphasizing positive aspects of people, respecting child's experiences and demonstrating empathy, avoiding punishment and creating healthy, cozy and loving family environment.

• Also, every morning I read few pages of some book after my gratitude journal. So through November and now I read Life is Worth Living by Fulton J. Sheen. Oh it's such a beautiful book. I love it. It's filled with his own stories and his connections with people he met through his life.

• As for listening, I haven't listened to podcasts over November, simply because I didn't find time for it and I didn't wanted to pressure myself. I really haven't watched movies either. My husband and I managed to watch few episodes of TV show Lupin and I think that's it.

Some beautiful words I found and loved this month:

Teach the children. We don't matter so much, but the children do. Show them daisies and the pale hepatica. Teach them the taste of sassafras and wintergreen. The lives of the blue sailors, mallow, sunbursts, the moccasin flowers. And the frisky ones – inkberry, lamb's-quarters, blueberries. And the aromatic ones – rosemary, oregano. Give them peppermint to put in their pockets as they go to school. Give them the fields and the woods and the possibility of the world salvaged from the lords of profit. Stand them in the stream, head them upstream, rejoice as they learn to love this space they live in, its sticks and leaves and then the silent, beautiful blossoms.

by Mary Oliver

Little suggestions:

• Read on how I'm finding magic and simplicity with decorating our little home for Christmas.

• This is the time of year where we are tempted to decorate more and buy more for our home, but for years now I found that everything I need is always in my home. And with decorating simple I found true joy and peace. Read more about creating simple and minimal home.

• More on finding simplicity in autumn days. Read it here.

• If you are interested in some gratitude journaling, you can read my story here.

• Where did the October go? Read this one here.

• Also I've been writing some tiny tales over on Substack, on my page Notes from Meadow, so you can head there too.