Five November Favorites

Did November actually happen? I’m not entirely convinced it did. But, that sort of happens at the end of the year, doesn’t it? February drags on for 100 weeks, but October, November, and December slip by as we scramble to welcome the holidays. I actually struggled to come up with this month’s list of five favorites. That’s not to say November was a crummy month; I just can’t seem to recall much happening! After digging around in my memories, I came up with these Five November Favorites.

Finally Breaking the Cycle of Sickness

This is Oliver’s first year out in the world. We have been relatively isolated up until now, so as a result, Oliver’s immune system is getting a crash course in viruses. He’s been stuck at home at least one day a week since mid-September, but he finally went back to school for a FULL week at the end of November (just in time for the Thanksgiving Holiday, haha). Hopefully, he’s back to school full-time going forward though. Aside from giving me time to focus on work, he really seems to flourish in the environment. His teachers describe him as sociable, and they always talk about how much everyone in the class loves him.

Oliver’s Artwork

Another perk of Oliver attending JR Preschool is all of the art projects he gets to work on and bring home. The latest additions to our fridge include these jive turkeys! I’ve been thinking of getting a scrapbook so I can collect his artwork in a safe space.

Thanksgiving

I like to joke that my favorite hobby is feasting, which is why I love Thanksgiving so much. This holiday looked very different though. Normally, we drive down to Ohio to have dinner with my family; this year, we stayed home, and I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. It was a small feast, but I think I managed to include all of our favorite side dishes. Alongside turkey, we enjoyed green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Oliver wouldn’t touch a morsel of it. Instead, he ate Cheerios, a handful of cashews, and two spoonfuls of peanut butter.

The surprise Christmas card and sample of Issaku sencha from Japanese Green Tea Co.

I’ve been craving Sencha lately (which is a feeling that’s deserving of its own post), so I was delighted to discover an unexpected Christmas card sent from Japanese Green Tea Co.! I’ve never received a Christmas card from a tea company before, so receiving this brought me joy and made me feel extra special. Included in the Christmas card was a sample of the Issaku Sencha, which is the highest grade of Sencha produced by the Arahatean Tea Farm.

Infusion one of the Issaku Sencha was thick and offered aromas of steamed, buttered veggies and luscious umami, and infusion two offered bright notes of sweet, springtime grass. This one took the chill out of a cold November morning.

Geeksteep Podcast

If you’re new to my blog or YouTube channel, let me tell you now that I am a capital-G-Geek. So when Geeksteep, a podcast pairing tea with fandoms, launched earlier this year, I knew I was going to be obsessed. I love Kelly and Marika’s passion for Geekdom as well as their critiques and social commentary on the films and comics they explore. I also just really, really want to be their BFFs. Make sure you’re following their Instagram, blog, and Twitter. And of course, subscribe to their podcast on Apple Podcasts (or Google Podcasts or Spotify).

Honorable mentions:

Transitioning Oliver to his big boy bed | Nestle’s Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough | The first, real snow of the season | the Harmutty Estate Assam from Chado Tea | Dian Hong, always.