Move over pumpkin spice season, time to make room for the holiday season! This month was definitely a little more social than I intended it to be. I celebrated quite a few birthdays (didn’t realize that I had so many Scorpios in my life now), created some new bonds, and deepened some established ones <3

This month I was also busy planning my first event! So incredibly stressful, but I am actually super grateful for some of the things that I learned in planning the process.

Here are my other reflections for the month of November:

One

November is a month to focus on gratitude. This year, I wanted to do more than count my blessings, but to also figure out a small way into which I could be a blessing unto others. On Instagram, I came across a photographer who was asking for donations to make duffle bags to give out to the local homeless population in Washington D.C. and Alexandria. Duffle bags were to include items such as sleeping bags, winter coats, socks, personal hygiene items, hand warmers, tents, and more. As Sarah talked about what she hoped to accomplish this year, I knew I had to get involved, but, you know, on a millennial student budget. I took $30 to a dollar store to get as many supplies as I could to send to help her efforts. Sarah collected so many donations! She was able to give out the first round of bags this weekend. Check out her Instagram to see her progress.

I also took advantage of the volunteer opportunities at my job. The night before Thanksgiving, a group of us purchased, prepared and served dinner at a local charity that serves meals to the homeless. I’m not saying any of this to be braggy, more to illustrate that it only takes a small amount of money and time to make a difference.

Two

One of the first things I crossed off my list this month was a visit to the Artechouse to see the new exhibition titled New Nature. SO COOL (Take another look at the post photo if you don’t believe me). Not only were the exhibits neat to look at, but they were very interactive as well. We were told that the “creature” in the main area actually learns and grows as more people interact with it. Essentially, if I were to go back to see the exhibit today, the creature would look different from when I saw it a few weeks ago. My favorite part was the petting zoo area. There were sensors and monitors set up so that you could use your virtual hands to pet and manipulate the creatures in that room. The monitors contained different creatures that had unique responses depending on how you interacted with it. For example, some of the creatures made sounds, moved, and changed colors. It was definitely a great experience and it would be fun to see the exhibition again before it shuts down in January. Plus, it helped that I had great company 🙂

Three

On my work bucket list, I literally wrote the word “meh” next to the item of wanting to have better “Last 90 Days” tracker rows. I woke up early one more day than last month (a win), but missed the exact same number of workouts (7 for the record). Don’t even get me started on the water row. If I could pretend that it didn’t happen, I would. However, in the interest of complete transparency, I have to admit that I only completed my water goal 3 times this month. THREE. I went from 23 days to 3. I am a little disappointed in myself, but the only thing that I can do is to aim for a better month in December. On the bright side, my food and gratitude tracker rows are still going strong at a 100% completion rate!

Four

Though I definitely still had some fast food, my consumption was MUCH lower than it had been in the previous months. Maybe it’s the slew of potlucks, but I am starting to enjoy cooking again! I find that potlucks are the perfect opportunity to try out new recipes.

This month I completed 5ish out of 8 items on my November Bucket List. I still maintain that Fall was just not as pretty this year, and I didn’t make it to see Fantastic Beasts (though I still want to!). The “ish” comes into play with my mixed accomplishments with completing this month of the Last 90 days Challenge.

Now that November is over, it’s practically CHRISTMAS!

Stay tuned for my December Bucket List!

♥ Cierra