As of Late: November Edition

I've just come up from officially the worst cold/flu hybrid of the year and thank goodness because the holidays are right around the corner and there is so much to start doing! I always plan to use November as my prep month but here we are, the 22nd of the month and I haven't done quite as much planning as I'd have liked. That being said, I've put together a little roundup of things to share this month. When I had the idea to start doing this, I made a note in my phone to jot things down as they came up. It's been a really nice way to a) be more grateful in the moment and b) look back on the month and think about the things that brought me joy. So without further ado, here is the first edition of As of Late, a monthly blog post.

Listening:
I've been on a real Stan Getz kick lately. There's something about putting on jazz at home that instantly elevates the mood in a home. A little more relaxed, and a little classier. Whether I'm working at my desk or prepping dinner, it's become a sort of comfort in these gloomier days.

When I'm not listening to jazz, I'm listening to a podcast no doubt. I recently shared my favourites over here. One I didn't mention as I just started it is The Life Coach School podcast. I'd heard of it and was hesitant to listen since I didn't really think I'd jive with the host (totally judging a book by it's cover) but I recently gave it a go and it's given me some really useful tools (more on that below under Practicing).

Reading:
I'd be lying if I said I completed any books recently. It's a habit I really need to get back into. I'm about 3/4 of the way through Five Little Indians, which I highly recommend and just started this book that my father-in-law wrote, about consulting (a career path I'm giving some serious thought). I also just pulled out my stack of holiday issue magazines and I'll be diving in shortly, looking for inspiration, recipes and just general merriment.

Watching:
November is my favourite time to watch not Christmas specific movies, but those that take place during and around the holidays. Think You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle and Little Women. I also just binged my way through The Crown Season 6 Part 2. The last 2 episodes were a doozy. I just watched Elton's performance of Candle in a Flame today and things got emotional. On a lighter note, I seem to have rediscovered my 20 year old self's love for YouTube beauty channels. Allana and Jamie are my go-to (Canadian!) girls.

Oh, and how could I forget? I went to The Eras Tour movie (see Evermore 'fit check above) and I'm a born again Swiftie. No need to say more.

Making:
I recently bought the Half Baked Harvest Every Day Cookbook and I feel inspired to cook dinners again. I often find her blog recipes too heavy on the dairy and butter but I like how this book has a bit of a "lighter" focus. Fav recipes so far are the Cashew Butter Chicken and the Sesame Soy Miso Glazed Salmon.

I also made this simple apple tart that I posted over on the gram. It's quick and easy but looks impressive.

Buying:
I'm on a bit of a spending hiatus at the moment but have picked up a couple things with gift cards lol and have some things on my wishlist too. I recently restocked on my favourite cleansing oil from Pai. I use it before my favourite face wash to dissolve makeup and the combo of these two is the best.

In terms of what I'm eyeing right now, this One Wednesday throw is at the top to replace the one Penny chewed through (ugh). They really are incredibly soft and super durable in the wash. Our new laminate floors are making my toes cold and I'm in dire need of a pair of slippers. Looking at these and these. I've been meaning to since we moved into our place, replace the kitchen hardware and lighting throughout. Just bought these super inexpensive knobs from Amazon (I really try not to buy much from Amazon but just really need something cheap and fast). This isn't our forever home so don't want to invest in the best just yet. I'm also looking at this pendant light for the kitchen and this one for the dining room.

Practicing:
This might be my favourite part of this blog post. It really helps me reflect back on what I've been practicing this past month and helps serve as a reminder. I talked about The Perfectionism Project in this blog post, and while I was reviewing some notes I took from it this month, I came across one about CTFAR. It's a practice that The School of Life teaches (though certainly did not create) and it has really helped me get clarity in moments of anxiety, frustration, overwhelm and really just anytime I don't feel great. The acronym stands for Circumstance > Thought > Feeling > Action > and Result, and the idea is that each one causes the proceeding one. So when I'm feeling stuck I write out the acronym vertically and then I start filling in each one starting with whatever one I'm able to pinpoint first, which is usually Feeling or Action. The goal is to figure out what thoughts you are telling yourself and seeing how those are causing how you're feeling which impacts how you act (or in my case often, don't act). Then, you rewrite the thought to a more positive one and focus on how that makes you feel. This has been a gamechanger for me and has helped me process thoughts and feelings in a way I haven't ever been able to before. I've been able to really see my (negative) thought patterns and feel like I'm finally on a path to creating new positive ones.