The Housewife Journal ~ November ~

  ~ November 2025 ~

November was a full month-- filled with football, beautiful Fall foliage, family meals and being thankful for all that we have. It went by quick! And as usual, it paves the way for the craziness of the upcoming Christmas season. 

~ Out And About ~

We didn't do any traveling this month, which was nice. Especially as the weather gets colder, it's good to stay home. Jonathan and I are thinking about trying to plan more scheduled date nights. Not necessarily fancy dinners out, but intentionally going out to do things together. If we don't plan them, we seem to end up in front of the TV more than we'd like. We did go on a little surprise date to one of my favorite restaurants that I hadn't been to in a while. It was fun! Reconnecting with one's spouse in a similar way to how it was in courtship, is so important!!

~ In The Home ~

I've been thinking a lot about decor in the home. Not just seasonal, but also the everyday wall hangings, statues, and throw pillows. As I get older, my taste changes. I used to be a minimalist. Then I went a little too far to the other side, wanting high quantities simply to fill empty spaces. 

Now, I want high quality, timeless, beautiful items throughout my home. I am feeling less and less inclined to shop the Fall and Christmas sales at Hobby Lobby. I want old fashioned and homemade. I want natural fibers in my closet as well as on my couch. I want antiques that have meaning or that are just beautiful to me. I want our house to tell a story to those who visit. 

But all of this takes time. I have to thrift and wait and really make sure I like something before I purchase it. I used to hate having blank walls. But now I will only fill that space if there is something I think will look good there. 

A few weeks ago, when I wanted to buy some seasonal mugs for a decorative wall rack that I have, I had a choice; buy some cheap sale Fall mugs now or wait and collect what I really love--Polish pottery! The latter is more expensive and it will definitely take longer to fill the rack, but it will be so much more meaningful in the end! 

So although I haven't done much in my home as far as home decorating, (besides looking at my felt pumpkins with plastic stems and wondered why I have them....) I'm totally content with that! And I'm trying to fix my modern mindset of consumerism into one that it more balanced. 

 

~ Kitchen Happenings ~

I decided that on Thanksgiving I would try my hand at making rolls. Homemade ones. 

Previously, and maybe I wrote about it, I tried the Farmhouse on Boone sourdough rolls and failed. It must have been because I doubled it. Or maybe the melted butter was too hot. Something caused them not to rise at all; my first sourdough defeat. I knew I needed another chance. So why not try it on Thanksgiving, when the pressure is really high?

The pressure must have worked because they turned out great! 😌

I ended up doing two separate batches instead of doubling in one bowl and that worked well. Maybe next time I will add a honey glaze on top to make them more like Hawaiian rolls. I'll definitely be making these again! 

~ Things I'm Grateful For ~

The beautiful Fall weather and the chance to get some morning sun, snuggled up in a blanket with coffee, with a view of the mountain that is typically covered by all the leaves throughout Spring and Summer. Also grateful that all the little bugs are going into hibernation. 😊

~ On The Bookshelf ~ 

I've started reading Holy Silence. It is SO good. I had to stop because I wanted to take it all in and use it for my Advent devotion. There is so much noise in our daily lives, music, TV, podcasts, throughout the whole day. I know I need some silence in my life, which is ironic because I'm home alone most days. I guess that means I have no excuse to cut back on some of the noise and turn my ear to God... More on this book next month!

~ Other Random Things Worth Mentioning ~

Well, it didn't take long but...We got a kitten!! I was actually thinking about not getting another cat for a while, if at all. It was kind of nice not having to deal with a litter box and everything else that comes with a cat. However, the perfect opportunity came our way. A kitten that was free, had all it's shots and was fixed. We couldn't turn that offer down. I just sent one message to see if the kittens were still available and they were! So I guess it was meant to be.

Meet Merlin-- the newest member of the household!

Why did we name him Merlin? Well, it actually took us a week to name this guy. We were trying to come up with the most perfect name. But I realized that it really doesn't have to be that deep. He just needs a cute little cat name. One of my favorite TV shows is Merlin, made by BBC and his personality just happens to match up with this kitty's.

That's all for November! Today is the first Sunday of Advent so it's time to get out the Advent wreath and begin preparing our hearts for Christ's coming. God bless!

Gina💕