Best Things To Do In November
Need ideas for things to do in November. Here are lots of fun and creative way to celebrate the month, decorate your home for the Holidays, and make lots of festive Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes.
Affiliate links used. See my disclosure policy.
Happy November, Friend! Are you knee deep in planning for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas? I am! And I’m loving it! From November 1st through New Year’s Day I am in my element! Although super busy I feel so happy and light! I hope this time of year has the same effect on you! November 1st starts the holiday season and I can’t get enough of it!
This post will get you in the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday spirit!
Today let’s peruse all the lovely things to do in November!
WE CAN WALK AND CHEW GUM
I used to keep Thanksgiving and Christmas in their own separate boxes. I would never even begin to think about Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving. I called mixing the two cross holidation. And it was not a nice thing!
But blogging has taught me so much!
I LOVE Christmas!!! But trying to do all the decorating and gift wrapping and cooking and partying in, at most, four weeks was exhausting! Exhausting for sure!
Bloggers often plan for Christmas months and months ahead. And I learned I love spreading the spirit and work of Christmas out.
And I also learned I could enjoy the upcoming holiday, like Thanksgiving, and give it its due while I’m enjoying Christmas planning.
Cross holidation is now a word that means being smart and being able to enjoy the best of all holidays together!
Yes, we can walk and chew gum at the same time!
SAVE ALL THOSE PUMPKIN STEMS
Just a reminder to pop the stems off any real pumpkins when they are ready to go to the trash. These real stems, once completely dried can be stored in a paper bag and then glued onto a faux pumpkin next fall.
Here are two easy ways to remove a pumpkin stem from a pumpkin. The first way works when your pumpkins are a bit old. Great for pumpkins now! Use your thumb to push the stem over. This works best when your thumb is near the base of the pumpkin. It should snap off with the pumpkin end of the stem intact.
The second way is to cut off the pumpkin stem but cut the flesh of the pumpkin where it meets the stem. This takes a bit longer to dry, so keep these stems where they can get air.
Just think of how realistic your faux pumpkins will look next fall!
CELEBRATE VETERANS DAY
Veterans Day is Friday, Nov. 11th. Mark it on your calendar.
We owe such a huge debt of gratitude to all of the men and women who have served our great country! And their families too. Pass down the importance of recognizing their service to your children and grandchildren. These are true national heroes!
My father served in the military for twenty-three years. It was his way out of poverty and it was one of the best decisions he ever made.
Let’s remember them and thank them on Veteran’s Day.
PLAN YOUR HOLIDAY MENUS NOW
YUM! Even if you are having just a small group for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner plan all your menu planning now.
Also if you are having any small gatherings sit down and plan all of them! Make a list of ingredients you will need too.
I’m helping my daughter-in-law for plan Thanksgiving this year because she is hosting her first Thanksgiving!.
However, I am roasting a smaller second bird to bring to Thanksgiving dinner. And I’m making the make-ahead gravy, the green bean casserole, and the stuffing. I’ve already gotten our roasting pan out and ordered a fat separator (see it here).
Because oven space will be at a premium I also ordered this plug-in warming tote for the green beans.
My Christmas dinner is already planned. No matter how big or small a holiday gathering will be it is best to start planning now!
Here are a few of my favorite recipes I make almost every year. I thought you might like them too.
MAKE AHEAD HOLIDAY BEEF BRISKET
5 COOKIE DOUGHS FROM ONE MOTHER DOUGH
You can see all of my Christmas Recipes HERE.
Plan Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s day menus too.
Right now I’m planning a neighborhood drop-in and a girlfriend’s Christmas brunch celebration.
SEND CHRISTMAS CARDS
Christmas cards need a bit of planning. Many of my friends and their children take family pictures and send them out. Oh, I love to get these wonderful cards.
No matter what kind of cards you send out make sure to start ordering or buying them in early November. And get started on those newsletters if you include them in your cards too.
Don’t you love to get Christmas cards?
THANKSGIVING- Favorite Thing To Do In November
Thanksgiving, one of our national treasures is this month! And that means turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, family, parades, and football games. It also means walks outside in the chilly weather (at least for us).
Here in Lancaster County, we enjoy the late fall color of the leaves. They make a Thanksgiving Day walk almost magical!
I love Thanksgiving! Every single bit of it. Especially when I have planned well and have a little help.
What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving?
EASY SAVVY AND FUN THANKSGIVING IDEAS is a post that has everything you need to know to have a great Thanksgiving. Trust me, this post is a must read whether you are hosting Thanksgiving or being a guest.
A WAY TO GIVE THANKS AROUND YOUR THANKSGIVING TABLE
Do you have a way of being thankful around your table on Thanksgiving Day? Have you ever heard of THE LEGEND OF THE 5 KERNELS OF CORN? I posted about this years and years ago. If you are interested you can see the post HERE. It’s such a nice visual way to count our blessings.
Do you have any ways to share your blessings around your Thanksgiving table?
GIVE A HOSTESS GIFT
If you are invited to someone’s house for Thanksgiving make sure to bring a nice hostess gift with you. Thanksgiving is a beautiful holiday, but so so work intense!
This year my sweet daughter-in-law will be hosting Thanksgiving for the first time. She asked me if that was okay! I almost jumped for joy! I love “doing” Thanksgiving but I’m also happy to pass the turkey leg on to her! I’ll be there to guide her and give her a hand.
It will be so lovely to give her help and a hostess gift this year.
Here are a few gifts worth giving. Click on the image to go to the item.
HELP THOSE WHO NEED A BIT OF HELP
The holidays are the time to think of others. Make sure to be generous and donate food or dollars to help put turkey or more on someone else’s table!
Donate to your local food bank, church, or favorite charity! Helping others is the best way to celebrate this season!
SHOP FOR CHRISTMAS
November is the best time for holiday shopping.
I usually start in early October but this year I’m a bit late!
And wrap those gifts as you go. This is a huge, big, savvy thing to do in November!
Do you shop on black Friday?
I’m not a fan. We have the best family tradition for the day after Thanksgiving instead of black Friday shopping. All the women get together in our pajamas and eat whatever leftovers we want for breakfast with lots of coffee! And we read Christmas magazines. There is plenty of fun and laughter!
The boys take the kids out to breakfast and go for a hike or do children’s activities. This is a family tradition I highly suggest!
So no black Friday shopping for this happy family!
Do you support small business Saturday? There are so many local small businesses that we should all support and think about buying some of our Christmas gifts from. These vendors usually have such unique items to give as gifts.
And don’t forget Cyber Monday! Look in your inbox to find the best deals from your favorite companies and bloggers that send you newsletters.
TRANSITION FROM FALL TO CHRISTMAS DECOR
I find it so much easier transitioning decor from fall to Christmas instead of taking all my fall decor down in one or two days and then putting up all my Christmas decor.
PHEW! Lots of work and lots of shuffling and schlepping decor!
There really is a much easier way to gently float from fall into Christmas without losing your Christmas spirit!
I usually take all my “overtly” fall decor down at the very beginning of November. Most of my real and faux pumpkins go and so do mums, gourds, and anything else that has been decorating our home since the middle of August (blogger thing).
I might leave one or two pretty little pumpkins still around but I replace my fall decor with Christmas decor that will work for Thanksgiving too.
Items like snow and deer sheds and pheasant feathers and pinecones and boxwood. And over time, put a Christmas wreath on the front door and then decorate my mantel and change out my bedding in the master bedroom.
Since I’m a blogger this nice and gentle transition often gets thrown out the window. But do as I say and as I did for years before I started blogging.
Decorating For Christmas, Where To Begin And What To Do is a very helpful post full of ideas that will help you decorate for Christmas.
PURGE ALL OLD, TIRED, OR WORN OUT CHRISTMAS DECOR
Also, now is the time to check out all your Christmas decor and see what you might need to purge and what you also might need to get.
It’s so smart to see what you have to work with now! And to get rid of Christmas decor that is no longer useful.
SHOP FOR CHRISTMAS DECOR
Did you know that StoneGable has a Christmas shop? Actually, lots of shops! A Christmas stocking shop and a Christmas doormat shop and a Christmas ornament shop and a Christmas shop for greens and lots more.
If you like StoneGable decor then you will love all the beautiful and festive items I’ve curated with you in mind.
You can see the 2022 StoneGable Christmas Shops here. Christmas items go fast so if you see something you like consider getting it. I’ll keep checking the shop often and as things are no longer available I’ll be adding new things. So check back too!
START TO MAKE ALL CHRISTMAS DIYs IN EARLY NOVEMBER
Most of us don’t start our Christmas DIY projects soon enough. And then we either rush to get them done or give up and don’t finish them! I know because I do that too!
So if you have a project to make start now! And give yourself time to work on your projects.
You might like these easy to make SCENTED PINECONES. They are perfect to use now until spring!
HANG A CHRISTMAS WREATH ON YOUR FRONT DOOR
You don’t need to wait for December to hang an evergreen or other Christmassy wreath on your front door.
Wreaths are such a fun, festive and warm welcome to anyone coming to your front door!
THINK ABOUT DECORATING YOUR TREE BEFORE THANKSGIVING!
I can hardly believe I said that! I would have never, ever, ever decorated our tree before our Thanksgiving meal was cleaned up. Remember cross holidation? But now, I love having my tree up and we all enjoy it so much!
If you just can’t decorate a tree before Christmas or if you get a real tree every year, think about getting a tabletop tree to decorate. There are so many pretty little Christmas trees that totally real! Oh, they are so easy to decorate and they look so pretty!
Here’s HOW TO DECORATE A TABLETOP TREE.
OTHER THINGS TO DO IN NOVEMBER…
- Watch the Eagles (this is for my family).
- Go for walks through the fallen leaves.
- Watch the Macy’s Day Parade and enjoy all the music, entertainment, and floats.
- Head to holiday markets, craft fairs, winter wonderland parks, a pop-up north pole, ice skating rinks or any other annual event for the holidays.
- Enjoy live entertainment at holiday concerts.
- Get tickets to see holiday shows or fun things to take kids to.
- Find a turkey trot in your area and run them as a family (we are doing that- not me, I’m babysitting the kids).
- Make your local tree lighting a big event.
- Many areas have a festival of trees and this is an event worth going to.
- Make a visit to Santa and his elves.
- Get an advent calendar so you can start opening it in December.
No matter what you do during this beautiful month, get the most out of it!
