Happy November, friends! I feel like I've said this the past couple of monthly goal posts, but I cannot believe how quickly the end of this year is moving. The cold weather has arrived in Pennsylvania and I have to tell you that while I'm excited, I'm also really cold! I never thought I'd say it, but living for three years in Florida has spoiled me a bit... 

October was a great reset month for me. I accomplished almost all of my monthly goals and am feeling more confident as we approach the end of the year! I purchased my 2018 PowerSheets on launch day, and am eagerly awaiting their arrival. And don't worry - if you haven't purchased your set yet, there is still time! Let's review how I did in October. 

October Goals Progress: 

• Prayerfully take the next steps in our fertility journey - DONE! We had our first appointment with our new doctor and left feeling so confident in our choice. Both Kurt and I had a series of tests done to fill out our fertility histories and we visit our doctor again next week to review those results and determine our next steps. I'm also starting to feel myself get excited again about this whole process. For a while I've felt really apprehensive about what comes next for us, but something in me has shifted and I'm looking forward to our next appointment and making a decision about our next steps in starting our family.

• Explore launching an Etsy store - DONE! After doing some research on Etsy as well as some other platforms, I've landed with a decision! I'm really excited about the opportunity to help you give with meaning and celebrate your friends and family with beautiful hand-knitted home decor and baby items. You'll see in my November goals my plan to launch the You Me Serendipity Knit Shop - look for more to come soon!

• Identify how much debt we really have and make a plan - MOSTLY DONE! Baby steps friends, baby steps. We have a spreadsheet identifying our debt, and we have created a monthly budget tracker! We have a long way to go before we are debt-free, but knowing what the true picture looks like is calming in a way.

• Read four books from my 2017 Reading List - Well, I read one and a half books in October. For some reason I am just not feeling motivated to read right now. I'm finding my attention is captivated more by podcasts instead right now. So if you have any podcast recommendations, please share those in the comments!

• Finish a house project - DONE! I shared in my Instagram Stories earlier this week the before and after of my new office. Friends, I just love it! I'm working on a post to share the changes so look for that soon!

• Celebrate two years of marriage! - DONE! While this was an easy goal to check off, it was still an important one! I cannot believe that I've been married for two whole years. While we've had some really high highs and some even lower lows this past year, I wouldn't have wanted to experience them with any other partner. Here's to year three!

I'm already feeling like November is going to be a month of big preparations, most specifically in our home. We are planning to host an open house for our neighbors, friends and family in December, and there are some BIG projects still to be completed! So this month I'll be focusing on the following goals to help me feel prepared for the holiday season. 

November Goals: 

• Launch the You Me Serendipity Knit Shop

• Finish drywalling the identified rooms in our home

• Paint our bedroom and hang our headboard

• Determine the next steps in our fertility journey

• Start using my gratitude journal regularly again

• Prepare the 2017 Giving With Meaning: Holiday Gift Guide

• Make a decision about Christmas cards

• Read two books from my 2017 Reading List

As I work toward achieving my ten goals for 2017, I plan to share monthly reviews and updates with you all. To be honest, doing so helps keep me accountable and your encouragement helps keep me focused! I hope you look forward to these posts at the start of each month! 

As a reminder, you can read more about all ten of my 2017 goals here. Do you have goals for 2017? If so, I'd love to know what they are! Comment below to share more about your goals for this year and how I can encourage you in achieving them this month. Happy November!