Welcome to the ninth installment regarding my monthly favorites.
November Faves
Happy Thanksgiving! In the name of gratitude, I want to express how much every single one of you means to me. Your readership, support, and kindness is something I love about this platform, and has made blogging such a worthwhile endeavor.
Thank you.
This month, however, has not been my best example of expressing gratitude to the universe. When I was a passenger in a large white van driving 16 hours to California for a work conference, I wasn’t feeling very appreciative. It was worse on the way back.
I also didn’t feel super chipper when I felt overwhelmed with emails and freelance writing projects and a whole house cleaning. Or jumping back into working out and feeling the soreness that followed.
Honestly, November has felt like a busy and overwhelming month, and I didn’t stop to smell the snow-covered roses like I should have. But now? After some time to relax, spend time with family, and center myself, I feel compelled to re-frame my state of mind. This crazy month was full of challenges and growth and support, and I’m lucky to have opportunities to be creative and work hard and push myself to the max. I’m growing each and every day, and it’s time that I accept these changes with a little sunshine and sparkle along the way.
And with that, here are my top picks for the month of November.
At Home: Small Décor Updates
I absolutely love the idea of a house full of modern-bohemian décor, with all the fixings. (You should see my Pinterest ideas. Who has that kind of budget?!) While my cool house dreams are not yet feasible, I have made it my mission to make our house as cozy and loved as possible. This month, I refreshed our bedding (loving the white comforter trend), finalized our guest bedroom walls (added some macramé and art), and plastered some of our wedding décor across our house (my mom is a killer artist!). These new additions, plus an ultra clean house, have made this place a sanctuary.
Streaming Service: Disney+
To be honest, I did not imagine myself signing up for another streaming service, but November was full of surprises. Disney+ was a fortuitous one: I’m so damn glad we got it. So far, I’ve been delighted by the original Star Wars universe series The Mandalorian, been flooded by nostalgia with Lizzie McGuire, and yelled at the dad in Double Teamed. The best part? We got Disney+ for free for a year thanks to being Verizon customers. You can too!
Scenic setting: Two Bunch Palms
Though I was mostly working during my trip to California, one of our stops was at Desert Hot Springs’ Two Bunch Palms. This desert oasis is literally gorgeous; there are palm trees, shimmering bodies of water, and cascading hot springs on the property. I’d love to return here on vacation.
Throwback Movie: Johnny Tsunami
Thanks to Disney+, I’ve been able to catch up with some old Disney Channel Original Movie favorites. Johnny Tsunami, the story of a Hawaii surfer kid who moves to the snowy slopes of Vermont, is a good one.
Purchase: Fuzzy Sherpa
I’d like to think of myself as something of a comfort connoisseur. I love being cozy! It’s important to me. So, when I saw this fuzzy sherpa track suit set from Old Navy, you bet I grabbed it. This was an excellent impulse purchase! I highly recommend it, and feeling luxe when you try it on for the first time.
Camping Spot: Moab, Utah
We kicked off November by spending a quick night in a tent in Moab. We celebrated a friend’s birthday by camping with a large group, with drinks by the campfire and plenty of layers to keep warm. The views were incredible, and almost made up for the 15 degree night. (Freezing!)
Holiday Shopping: Sunshine Swag
Quick plug! If you want to squeeze in some quick holiday shopping, please consider shopping at my Sunshine with Savannah Store. I’ve got some solid small products, including a comfy/trendy T-shirt, notebooks, notepads, and bookmarks. Great stocking stuffers, if I do say so myself. 😉
Click here to shop!
Online Activity: Photo Dump
About once a year I’ll take control of my camera roll and unleash the saved photos I’ve been hoarding. I did that earlier this month and it was incredibly freeing. I highly recommend it. In the meantime, enjoy this photo I shared with the masses.
New Adventures in Grand Junction
This month my parents moved to a new house. Though their previous location was stunning and near-perfect, they’re mixing things up, trying something new, and living their best lives at a different address. I got to see their house (and my visiting grandparents), help a little with unpacking, and even sip delicious margaritas at their new wet bar. I love this adventure for them, and I’m going to enjoy exploring a part of Grand Junction, CO that I’m unfamiliar with. Go Mom and Dad!
And that rounds out my November favorites! Thanks for tagging along on my pursuit of sunshine.
Cheers,
A terrific update with a lot of great gift ideas! My wife and I spent two nights at Two Bunch Palms last year – it’s close to Joshua Tree National Park, so we explored during the day, then had dinner at the resort and sat in the grotto as well…magical!
What a small world! It was amazing. We spent several hours relaxing and enjoying the property, had dinner under the stars, then finished the night in the yoga dome for a sound bath. A very beautiful place! As always, thanks for reading!
Great post and yes, Two Bunch Palms is truly spectacular – and so serene!
I would die for baby yoda hahahahahahah hilarious. Also yes Jonny Tsunami. Back on Board was my favorite and ispired me to save my money for a dirt board, but it was like 400 bucks and by the time I was even up to 100 I was over it haha
Baby yoda is everything! And dude! We watched that one right after because Chad made big claims about it being the superior movie, lol. They are so cool on those boards hahaha.
Awww! A beautiful wrap up of your month! I’m a Verizon customer too, and I’m looking forward to enjoying my free year of Disney+ 😂 My Dad and I started watching the first episode of the Star Wars show and we really enjoyed what we’ve seen so far!
You really made feel some nostalgia with mentions of Lizzie McGuire and Johnny Tsunami!
Thank you! And heck yes, the show is great! I only wish that all the episodes were out now. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
Lol. Right? Then you could binge! 😂 I hope you had a great thanksgiving! And of course! I love your blog! ❤️
Lol, exactly—you get it! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and some fun holiday plans coming up!
Awww! Thankyou! I definitely did, and I’m looking forward to Christmas! 😃 I hope you and your family have lots fun during the up coming holidays too!
What a great post full of ideas! I should also try and make some small home decor. We just moved a couple of months ago the apartment looks quite plain and don’t know what to do! We are renting so I’m scared of leaving marks on walls…I also love the bohemian style, I’ve actually started learning macrame myself so that I can decorate the house with my crafts.
Thank you! I really love incorporating new items and covering up blank walls, and I’m so impressed that you’ll have macrame products of your own. That’s definitely the smart move, since they can get a little pricey! Love it. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
Such awesome favorites! I used to love watching Johnny Tsunami and that Sherpa looks super comfy! Glad you had such a great Novenber filled with favorites
Thank you! It was definitely fun to watch some old favorites. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
no problem! I enjoyed the read!
I purposely have not looked at Disney+ because I know that I will want to get it. I love that home decor!
Emily
EMILYTHEBOOKNERDXO.BLOGSPOT.COM
I completely understand you there! It’s pretty great, if you are able to budget for it or find it for free or through a combination of some sort. And thank you!
Amazing pictures – that campsite looks awesome! I love reflecting and it sounds like you have taken some time to do so during the busy month so that’s great! Emma x
It was such a cool place, and perfect without any crowds! And definitely—there’s something about the holidays that stirs up some self-reflection. 🙂 Thank you so much for reading and for your kind words. x
Shylo is so adorable! I love your new decorations, as you said there are so many fantastic ideas on Pinterest but without a big budget it’s hard to find such great stuff.
Shylo is one big cute fluff, thank you for noticing! 🙂 And without a doubt, I have so many ideas in waiting that will likely never come to fruition. But it’s fun to find them nonetheless. Thank you for reading and commenting!
Baby Yoda is so bloody adorable! I can’t wait to get Disney plus!
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan
SO cute! I’d say it’s worth it. 🙂 Thanks for reading!