October has come and gone, and I am officially starting November with a sugar/alcohol hangover. As shocking as this may seem, this was my FIRST Halloween being on the receiving end of trick or treaters. Growing up in a rural area, our house was never a destination for trick or treaters, but instead the popular street for the school’s haunted hayride and mischief night. Nick and I were warned that our townhouse would receive anywhere from 200-300 kids and sure enough, we did! 400+ pieces of candy later, we’re left with a few M&M’s, a handful of Reese’s and some lone KitKat bars.

What did I love most about Halloween? Of course I loved the kids in their costumes (especially the little girls in Poodle Skirts!) but I loved the atmosphere of the night. All the neighbors grabbed chairs, fire pits and alcoholic beverages and spent the night  hanging out. It wasn’t just kids night out, but also the adults night out! Here’s to hoping we have more block parties before the weather turns cold and frozen.

Looking back at my October to do list, I’m proud to say I accomplished three of the five action items. I knew I put a lot on my plate, but that’s what goals and motivation are all about, right? You push yourself and set goals to attain. Just because I didn’t do them this month doesn’t mean they won’t get done. Besides, October was filled with even more activities, adventures and chores such as getting a new car, working on large projects at work and going on vacation.

Before I give you a glimpse at my November to do list, I must point out that re-touching the dining room table and cleaning the guest room are moving from the October list and becoming important items to complete in November.

Without further adieu, here are my 5 tasks/goals for this month:

1. Create a gallery wall: Our house truly is a blank canvas with walls perfect for statement pieces of art and photo galleries. There’s a great wall leading up to our bedroom that is the perfect space to pay tribute to our families, friends and the memories we’ve made over the years. I want to mix different frames and sizes and can’t wait to see how the space turns out.
2. Furnish our entryway: Our entry is plain jane. No images on the walls plus a strange ledge that could be a seat/bench area or a pedestal for a vase with shrubbery etc. I’ve never known what to do in that space but I have a few ideas that I want to try out and complete by the end of the month! Wish me luck!
3. Work out 3 days a week: I’ve been in a workout rut lately. Work and life have been incredibly busy, and besides a random neighborhood walk or boxing session in our basement, we haven’t had the time to go to our gym. This month it’s my goal to get back to fitness classes at least 3 days a week to get back into the swing of things before winter hits.
4. Organize second guest bedroom/workout room: I swear Nick and I are tidy people. We’ve just accumulated a lot of items from family and my mother’s estate that we need to find proper organization and storage for them. I’m committed to getting our house in a place where everything has a home and isn’t just thrown into the spare room. This task may overflow into December!
5. Publish three recipes to the blog: Thanksgiving is around the corner and I want to share some of my favorite fall/Thanksgiving recipes with you guys! I plan on sharing recipes early on in the month so you can make them for your holiday table and/or Friendsgving event.

Download your own to do list and start planning your fab five goals, activities, chores and projects you want to accomplish this month! Share your lists with me in the comments below!