Now that November is here I thought I'd recap the past couple of months on the blog. I'll do this monthly going forward, but since this is the first installment I figured I'd reflect on the season that was.

It's hard to believe that fall is almost over and we are about to embark on the coldest time of year. Minnesota has had a pretty spectacular fall, I wrote about that in Lovely Leaves. Also, this picture from that post was featured in an online magazine's favorite fall photos, so be sure to check that out, too (link in original post)!

While overall it has been a beautiful fall, we did have some rain days. And with that brought some laziness--who doesn't just want to curl up under a blanket and read when it's gloomy outside? Well, now that I'm a momma I don't always have the ability to ignore the outside world while I become engrossed in a novel...mainly because my two very loud children typically have other plans. But, every once in awhile, the stars align and I get the motherhood version of curling up with a book. You can read all about that here. 

In September I published my first ever series and it was all about Twitter! With my background in eduction and HR/Training, this was a fun three-part series to put together. And the response was great; I love helping people understand things that previously seemed overwhelming. Here's a link to part one; the other parts are linked at the bottom of that post. Plus, I loved it so much I'm open to requests--what do you think I should write my next series on?

A post that struck a nerve with many was The Last Time. This was a poem my husband sent me about remembering to enjoy every moment with your child because you never know when it's the last time--the last time you'll carry them, the last time you'll wipe a dirty face, the last time you'll read them a bedtime story. I'll admit, I cried when I first read it. And, judging from your blog/facebook/twitter comments, I wasn't alone.

I had two favorite posts from the past couple of months. Back in September I wrote Where's the Mommy? about getting back in the picture with my kids instead of always taking the pictures or, more importantly, deleting those pictures that I'm in for various, dumb, reasons. It was a hard post to write because it's something I'm still struggling with--how to not be so hypercritical of myself--but it helped to know I'm not alone.

My other favorite post was one I just wrote last week, For Girls Only. Here's a picture that shows my son's happiness when he's playing with princesses. And I love it when he plays with this set because it really shows his imagination working--he comes up with scenarios (dancing at a ball while the friends watch), goes through routines (bedtime rituals--they brush teeth, put on pajamas, read a story and get tucked in) and pretends everyday objects are other things (a small box becomes their bath or pool). 

And, finally, one of the biggest things to happen to me this month was attending the Minnesota Bloggers Convention. It was a great experience that I'm so happy I didn't chicken out of attending. I wrote about how stepping out of my comfort zone was the best thing I could have done. It's only by stretching that we grow. You can read about how I faced my fear here. 

So with October leaving us, we move on to November. And really, my favorite time of year...the holidays! Just wondering, is it too soon to be listening to Christmas music? I'm asking for a friend...

xo Sara

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