5 Things I Learned in November

It's that time again. The post where I share what I've learned this month. It's not an exhaustive list, nor will it change your life. But it's a fun post to write and I'm thankful that Emily over at Chatting at the Sky offers this link-up opportunity at the end of each month. Want to know more of what I'm talking about? Go here.

In no particular order, here are five things I've learned in November.

{So technically this first one reaches back into October but I'm using it anyway.}

1. Sometimes going the extra mile for our kids is totally worth it, even if you lose a bit of sanity in the process. 

My Facebook post on October 30th:

Halloween. The holiday that is evil not because of witches and ghosts but because mothers everywhere are losing their religion over an 'easy'-30-minute-turned-six-hour-costume creation. Last year? A human-sized bag of Skittles. This year? A hand-painted Michigan football helmet.

I told the kids we weren't buying anything this year, that we were using stuff we had. Since my 10-year-old had Michigan football player gear, I figured I'd just paint a plastic helmet navy blue and slap on a Michigan emblem. But no. Because Michigan helmets don't look like that. They look like this:

No big deal, I thought. It's a simple enough design. Four hours later, I was ready to stress-eat a 10-pound bag of kiddie mix and just spend the $20 at Walmart on a skeleton costume. But paint on I did and in the end, I had a sweet and grateful mini football player.

He was so grateful that I received a thank-you note a few days later. {Totally indulgent to show you this but I can't resist.} It's a keeper because y'all, he gave me hearts for eyes. I will swoon forever over this card.

2. It is a lovely and affirming thing to hang out with fellow bloggers.

I've been writing here for over five years and I don't know about most bloggers, but I don't actually have real-life friends where I live who blog. While other moms are getting laundry done or organizing their kids' classroom holiday parties or homeschooling or going back into the workplace, I'm sitting in my pajamas or at Starbucks {but not in my pajamas at Starbucks} writing posts about being a reluctant cheer mom and other assorted randomness. 

It can seem a little strange. But having the opportunity to attend the Allume conference helped me feel a little less weird. I had the best time hanging out with hundreds of Christian blogging women gathered for a weekend of keynotes and workshops and fellowship.

And then spiraled into a post-conference pit of introvert exhaustion for the next five days.

3. At Allume, I learned about an incredible organization called Sole Hope. If you have a minute, check them out.

  

I spent Saturday afternoon at the conference cutting out fabric that will be sewn into shoes for kids in Africa, saving their feet from parasites and disease. The shoe-making also translates into work for African men and women. 

For just $10, you can buy a kit for a shoe-cutting party. I bought one at Allume and I'm thinking this might be a great activity for my daughter and her middle school friends or a fun and meaningful activity for family over the holidays. Lots of possibilities. All you need are some good scissors and old jeans. They provide everything else.

4. Oprah had a yard sale. And I am still sad I missed it. But seeing as how she sold a pair of Louis XVI arm-chairs, I'm pretty sure I couldn't have afforded a single thing. Still, Oprah + Yard Sale? Yes, please. 

5. And speaking of shopping, we experienced the strangest consumerist role reversal ever this morning. 

My husband {a total non-shopper} and my daughter {a total shopper} went Black Friday shopping early this morning while I slept in. What?!? 

Nothing like this has ever happened. And then it got even weirder.

Ten minutes before they got home, I get this phone call from my anti-shopping husband: 

Um, I'm sorry. I over-bought. But don't worry, I'll be returning stuff. 

It's officially Bizarro World. {Name that reference?}

.........

I'm sure there's more stuff I've learned but I am still in a pecan pie / dressing / yeast roll coma from yesterday and my brain is a tad fuzzy.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend, friends. 

What did you learn this month?