NOVEMBER 2025: An Elegant Month in Review
This post contains affiliate links and ads. Affiliate links and ads support my work at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your ongoing support!NOVEMBER — It feels as if we stepped off the plane and right into the holiday season! November was so busy that I still have yet to find time to go through our pictures and process all that we did and saw while in France.
November is a month of gratitude and I must take a pause to thank you for being a faithful reader. It is a joy and a blessing to be able to create a community grounded in respect and kindness. Each one of you bring a bright light to your own world and to mine. Thank you and I look forward to continuing our journey together!
In this journey to craft a more elegant life, I’ve found that it’s helpful to plan out out different activities, events and hobbies I want to try or experience. I strive to plan something that will bring beauty, joy, art and connection — whether that’s a nature walk with my family, meeting a friend for lunch, traveling, or taking a class. So while our days may be busy with growing children, there’s still (a little) time for me to connect, create and continue to build a life I’m proud of.
If the idea of crafting a more elegant life sounds interesting to you, I encourage you to revisit this space often. You may also be intrigued by my annual Elevate Your Everyday Challenge. What is that? It’s my signature 31 day new year challenge focused on creating a vision for your most elegant year yet.
I am fortunate to share this time with wonderful likeminded women from around the world — it’s a special time I look forward to each year. Together, we define our personal values, set smart goals toward accomplishing our dreams and identify small, ingenious habits we can add to our day to create what we all strive for: a more elegant life.
If that sounds interesting to you, send me a quick note to join the waitlist for next year.
I want to take you on my journey to create my most elegant year yet, and I hope the things I share inspire you to create an elegant life you love!
Join me and take a moment to reflect on NOVEMBER: An Elegant Month in Review.
Building on the foundation that was set during the Elevate Your Everyday Challenge, November brought the opportunity to continue practicing good habits while striving to embrace new experiences and make progress toward my personal and professional goals.
November was a whirlwind of activity as I began to prepare for the holiday season. I find that it’s best to take care of as many of the details that make December so magical in November so that we can try to truly enjoy the season.
We enjoyed a quiet Thanksgiving with our family, decorated for Christmas and welcomed the season of Advent — one of my favorite times of the year — with a promise to dedicate Sundays to attending Mass and enjoying a cozy family dinner.
The highlight of the month was as unexpected check off my bucket list — to see the Northern Lights!
Over the past year or so, strong electromagnetic storms have made it possible to see the aurora borealis further south than normal but I seemed to always miss it!
This time I finally found the right angle… I simply had to walk down the street and there it was in all of its magnificent glory!
The northern lights were very faint to the naked eye, however, I was able to capture the luminous glow and ribbons of pastel colors in the night sky.
While it was magical, I do still desire to see the northern lights at their peak, perhaps in Iceland!
Have you seen the northern lights? Where were you? I’d love to hear about your experience!
November brought many things to be grateful for — our health, family, friends and the many blessings we experience together. Conor began the month “Scouting for Food” as he collected canned goods for the local food pantry, while I had the opportunity to catch up with friends and welcome the newest sweet love to the world!
We attended the fund raiser for the dancers heading to the World Championship and Alice was able to dance with an audience for the first time! I was so proud of how she went out and did her best, dancing the first step of the beginner jig she has been working on over the past couple of months. Our in-laws joined us to enjoy the music and dancing but the highlight was the raffle! The little bit of Irish luck we hang onto was working overtime as we were delighted to bring home three gift baskets between us!
This month we also brought back a landline. Yes, a good old fashioned telephone that our children can use to call their grandparents, uncles and friends. I have so many memories of telephone conversations with my best friends, and while we don’t believe in giving our children their own cell phones until they are teenagers, I do believe it’s important to learn how to answer a phone and have a conversation. After doing some research and based on a recommendation from a friend, we purchased MagicJack and a retro style phone from Amazon. The set up was super easy and it’s been a great addition to our home and family!
DELIGHTED (adj.) : feeling or showing great pleasure
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DELIGHTED (adj.) : feeling or showing great pleasure |
Of course, November brings with it the magic of the holiday season! The end of November brought many opportunities to celebrate and get excited for the holiday fun!
I had the opportunity to teach The Art & History of Afternoon Tea to a wonderful group of debutantes at The Whitney, which was beautifully decorated for the Christmas season.
We also attended the local holiday lights parade with our friends before enjoying hot cocoa, Christmas movies and matching pajamas to kick-off Christmas.
November came to a close with the first day of Advent and the excitement of a month full of magic ahead of Christmas Day.
Do you have questions about holiday or social etiquette? Drop your questions in the comments below and check back for more modern etiquette advice!
As you look toward the year ahead, remember that elegance is a state of mind; a simple and ingenious approach to a charmed life. If you desire it, you can create a life filled with beauty, elegance and connection. It simply requires a bit of intention, effort and a willingness to try something new.
Take time to plan out a few things just for you to enjoy next month. Maybe lunch at a new restaurant, meeting a friend for coffee, or trying a new hobby. Whatever it may be, an elegant life is yours to create!
What was the highlight of your month? Did you experience something new? I’d love to know!
Leave a comment and share your most memorable moments of November.
