November in Words + Money

Praises

1. We were healthy for Thanksgiving! First time in SEVERAL years…
2. I spoke to a college class and didn’t die. Public speaking has become really hard for me, even though once upon a time I won speech meets and did plays and had no problem with it.
3. Some really beautiful days for being outside.
4. Matt’s application to Madison is in…time will tell what the Lord has for us.
5. Sushi Go is a fun, new-to-us game that both girls are old enough to play and enjoy. I’m so looking forward to the season of life where we can all gather around for a fun, non-Candyland game!

Books

I only managed to finish two even though my TBR pile is enormous. You can see my review of Off the Clock here.

Articles

The Danger of a Kid-Centered Home, talk by Jamie Ivey at the ERLC National Conference

Ethical/Sustainable Gift Guide from Leah Wise at StyleWise

Worthwhile Google Searches/Rabbit Holes

Traveler’s notebooks

Money

I have $60 of personal allowance per month. I think it’s fun to track where it goes–and hopefully it will make me more mindful and spend it better.

• Chick-fil-A breakfast x3 (“Mama Meeting”): $15
  This is a new favorite for me–not the Chick-fil-A part; I’ve loved them forever. But I’ve started going by myself Thursday mornings before the kids are up (and Matt’s home, of course) to have breakfast alone, read, plan, and just breathe a minute. Great way to break up the week, though I may branch out and try new places in the future.
• Fuzzy headband + under-eye masks: $7
  After voting, we went browsing store to store. Matt had never been into Ross before, so we ducked in. I like finding deals on beauty products there, but the rest of the store is pretty underwhelming. This headband has been GREAT for keeping hair out of my face while washing and the eye masks are really soothing.

• Larry’s Pizza: $13
  This pizza buffet lets kids 4 and under eat FREE. This is a fun outing with Roger when the girls are at their homeschool co-op…but the price makes it a rare treat.
• Traveler notebook + mermaid inserts: $11
  I have always wanted to be a fancy planner girl, but I just panic about making pretty pages a mess with my life, know what I mean? I started looking at traveler’s notebooks, and they seem like a good compromise: they’re pretty on the outside but since you fill them with thin notebooks/inserts, it doesn’t feel like I’m messing something up. The outside will still be pretty even when I fill the inserts with my chicken scratch! Bought a cheap one from Michael’s to see if I like it and plan to buy a nice one in the future.

That leaves $14 unaccounted for…not sure where it went. Probably drive-thru Diet Dr Peppers. 😉

I would love to hear what you’ve been up to or loving this month!