Here’s how you can make the most out of 2021’s final month with only thirty days.
As the clock runs out on Halloween, and we cross over from October to November, lemme ask you:
Are you ready for November? Have you made plans for the month?
If you haven’t, here’s a list of nine things you should do in November to help you get started on your November planning.
And if you have, great! Let’s compare notes.
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But before we launch into the list, can you tell me:
Riddle me this.
The answer is...TWO!
Surprised?
Think about it.
November has thirty days...but then so does December (from December 1st to December 30th)!
I didn’t ask “how many months with ONLY thirty days remain in the year?”, did I?
In that case, the answer would have been ONE (November).
Gotcha! Gif courtesy giphy.
This is the quality content you come to the Fox in a Box Chicago blog for, isn’t it?
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Riddle of the month (or Dad joke of the year, depending on how you see it) over, let’s get back to the list of nine things you should do in November.
Take stock of the year
Gif courtesy giphy.
Have you heard of this line by Charlie Munger:
Spend each day trying to be a little wiser than you were when you woke up.
?
I like to apply that concept to the entire year.
In other words, as the year draws to a close, are you a little more knowledgeable, a little more skilled than you were at the beginning?
Did you set any goals for yourself at the beginning of the year?
Are you en route to accomplishing them by December 31st?
If you aren’t, why? And what can you do to get it done?
Prepare for Thanksgiving
You’ve got a little over 3 weeks till T-Day. Are you prepared?
One of the best ways to prepare for Thanksgiving, in my opinion, is to go through your house, and find if there’s anything you no longer need.
And give them away to charity.
Give those in need a reason to be thankful.
Thanksgiving planning with the kids
Give your kids time to go through their Halloween haul, and then get them involved.
Take their input, and their physical assistance, in getting the decor, the activities, and the menu prepared!
And as you do that, try to instil in them the feeling of thankfulness which is what November 25th is all about!
Finally, if you’d like to know a few things about Thanksgiving, like how the whole POTUS receiving a turkey on Thanksgiving started, you can go through our last year’s Thanksgiving post.
Get started on your Christmas and New Year’s Eve plans
Image courtesy of Chad Madden on Unsplash.
I know.
Why am I telling you to plan for Christmas and New Year’s Eve in November?
OK, given we’ve blogged about Christmas in August, you might think that’s some in-house custom...but it’s actually practical advice.
The closer you get to the year-end, the more prices of everything that has to do with the year-end - like train/flight tickets, gift options, and so on - will rise.
Supply and demand, you see.
So, if you beat the rush by heading in early, you might be able to avail great early bird pricing!
Have a pie swap
Image courtesy of Element5 Digital on Unsplash.
Nope, November isn’t National Pie Month.
Come to think of it, I don’t really know if there IS an actual National Pie Month. Let us know, will you?
Tweet your answer with the hashtags #NationalPieMonth, #Fiab #CH, and tag us (we’re @foxinaboxCHI).
Anyway, why do I propose a pie swap with friends and family?
Well, there’s all those apples you collected for and during Halloween, right?
And, you might be working on a new pie recipe for the New Year.
And, most importantly of all, why not?
What could go wrong with swapping pies with the ones you love?
Volunteer
Image courtesy of Joel Muniz on Unsplash.
In the spirit of thankfulness, and of ‘good will to all men (and women)’ that’s imminent, volunteer somewhere.
It could be at a soup kitchen.
It could be at a mentoring place for underprivileged kids.
It could be at your local church.
Wherever it be, volunteer.
Spread the cheer.
Go camping (especially with the kids)
Image courtesy of Ali Kazal on Unsplash.
It’s the final month of peace and quiet before the rush of December begins.
Depending on where you live, the December weather too may not make camping a very comforting experience.
So, grab this chance, and go camping!
If for some reason you can’t make an elaborate program, do it in your own backyard!
I’m telling you, even in your own backyard, roasting marshmallows over the campfire, and then going to sleep inside a tent will have a charm of its own!
Shake up your Netflix watchlist
Whichever streaming service you subscribe to - be it Netflix, be it Amazon Prime, be it Hulu…
It’s high time to shake up your watchlist!
And don’t just go by the flavor of the month alone...search wide for classic programs that deserve watching!
Visit an escape room
It’s never a bad time to visit an escape room. Team up with your mates to go through a real-life adventure.
If you’re in Chicago, you KNOW which escape room to check out!
Explore a new place
Image courtesy of Rohan Gangopadhyay on Unsplash.
Why not?
Like I said, it’s pre-holiday season. Prices are low.
If you want to explore a new place (it could be any place, from a national park to another city), November is a great time to do it!
If Chicago happens to be the city you want to explore, here’s your Chicago survival guide.
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How do your November plans compare with this list?
Tweet it out, tag us (@foxinaboxCHI), and add in the hashtags #November #Plans #Fiab #CH!
We hope you have a lovely November!
Banner image courtesy of Lena Helfinger from Pixabay .
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