Hooray! The holiday season has officially arrived! Hard to believe it’s December (I know I say that every month). My friend and I were discussing how we weren’t even sure if November happened. It was a fairly light month compared to the rest of this year, and I am looking forward to a fun holiday season.

Work is somewhat light this month after a very busy fall. I am also approaching maternity leave, so I am preparing my work plans and will slowly start transferring my projects to my colleagues. We just had an ultrasound for our little girl — and she’s looking great! We are so excited to meet her.

Because November was such a light month, I was able to hunker down and read 7 books (!!), surpassing my reading goal for 2023! I also spent every day writing gratitude prompts and preparing my bullet journal for 2024. I built a Charles Dickens LEGO set and did a pretty paint-by-numbers canvas while listening to an audiobook. I haven’t done a physical paint-by-number since I was 6, and it was surprisingly relaxing! (hint, hint, Santa).

What I’m up to in December

Lots of celebrating! We are hosting a small sprinkle for baby #2 the first weekend of December, and then we will spend the rest of the month before Christmas getting ready for the holiday — Christmas shopping, parties, wrapping, and squeezing in coffee dates with friends. We are also getting our nursery ready for the little baby!

What I’m currently reading

• The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Maggie Knox (audio)
• Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin (Kindle)

What I’m currently watching

• The Crown (new season)
• Christmas movies!

What I’m listening to

• Christmas music!
• My sad girl winter playlist (which is the same thing as my sad girl autumn playlist)

What I’m writing

I didn’t really write much in November, so picking up where I left off last month:

• Submitting my poems to publications
• Chapter Two of my memoir

Podcast update: Grace & Grit: Navigating Postpartum and Parenthood

• Editing my introduction for my podcast
• Editing my first interview
• And, hopefully scheduling my second interview this month

Thanks for reading!