3 Quick Things for October 1st (and A Fall Favorites Share Request)

It’s October. Say Whaaaaat?

I can’t say “I can’t believe it’s October already” because I use that line every month. So I’ll stick with Say Whaaaaaaaaaat?. I imagine you know what I mean.

This post is a start-of-the month jumble of stuff: A reminder, a holiday whassup, and a Fall shout-out. (And I’d super love for you to share your own tidbits and faves in the comments.) It’s all about October love around here today. First Up:

The Monthly Reminder

It’s the start of a new month, do you know where your year is?

I like to use the start of the month as a trigger to look back at my aims for the year and see how I’m doing. I think it’s particularly important to do this in October because, for most of us, the chances of being able to make sincere progress on anything gets difficult during the holidays.

Today I’m realizing I must make a decision about my 2012 reading goals. There is simply no way I’m going to meet them unless I sacrifice other major things en route. Which means, sadly, it may be time to abandon the goal. I’ll keep reading, of course, but will let the goal be about finishing certain books before year’s end. It’s sad now, but come December 31st, I’ll feel better knowing that I changed the goal in favor of other goals, rather than feeling like a failure for not finishing.

What do you want/need to do before 2012 comes to a close? Put milestones on your calendar (or in your system) now so that you’ll be on track to finish by the end of the year.

The Approaching Holidays

Now is a great time to start thinking about the holidays. Not because your holiday should be so full that starting in October is necessary, but because if you do certain things early, you’re freed up to enjoy what comes later.

There are several places online that provide structured projects week by week to help folks not leave everything til the last minute. A few I’ve used are Organized Home’s Christmas Countdown and Simple Mom’s A Peaceful Christmas.

These days I just use my regular tasks system to plan. The holidays are a lot simpler on this side of the planet, and the larger lists overcomplicate our meager festivities. (Our Narnia-inspired saying around here is that “it’s always summer and never Christmas.”)

Anyway, things I try to do in October are:

• Create a Holiday Budget (including an extra 15% for unexpected expenses) and make sure it’s funded
• Start a gift list and make sure I have at least a couple of ideas for each person. (I’m not a slave to the list, but it sure does help if I end up stuck.)
• Gather old recipes I’d like to make this season and note any new ones I want to try
• Brainstorm and plan our Advent activities for the season. Observing Advent is my favorite part of the Christmas season, but as few people celebrate it, planning is imperative. Especially when you live 1,000+ miles from the nearest town that observes Christmas.

What could you do this month to give you less stress in November and December?

And I may have saved the best for last…

It’s Fall!!

Around here we mostly pretend it’s Fall, of course, because it’s still pretty hot and there are absolutely no other indicators of “Fall” as I once knew it. But pretend we do, and the gala grows every year.

Our October 1st tradition is to crank up all the a/c’s in the house, burn fall-smelling candles, and bake something with pumpkin. We also make Russian Tea*, an orange spiced-tea mix that has the quintessential smell of Fall, with a taste to match.

What do you do to celebrate the Fall changing of seasons? I’d love to know your most-loved traditions, hear what you’re listening to that just feels right for cool days, and see your favorite Fall pinterest boards. Don’t worry, I’ll add a few of my own, too.

Please please please, post away!

 

*There are many different recipes for this around the web, but we make ours by mixing 27oz of Tang, 3/4 cup unsweetened instant tea with lemon, 2 tsp of cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp ground cloves. Just add a Tablespoon or two to boiling water.