Oh October - how I love thee! From the fall festivals and harvest celebrations to fall's culinary specialties of caramel apples and pumpkin bread, from the natural decor of pumpkins and Indian corn to the visits to pumpkin fields for hayrides and corn mazes - this month will whiz by in a blur of activity so here are a few things that I want to make sure I pay attention to in the month ahead.
Be Vulnerable - Spill out love. Be a love idiot. Love imperfectly. Gush out your feelings. Surrender. Love freely and without conditions. Give your love to all. Believe in the best in people and give others the benefit of the doubt. Forget past hurts. Remember the early days of falling in love. Go back there. Be transparent. Just love.
Loved ones...
Break Bread - Introduce a new food to your repertoire. Last summer there was such a buzz around making Kale Chips by roasting kale sprinkled with olive oil and kosher salt. When I made them, I was thrilled with the reaction of my family. They were a hit and super healthy to boot!
Share Rituals - October signals the month that transitions us from warmer weather to wetter or colder weather here in the Pacific NW. I want to have a bonfire-style gathering of friends to usher in the cooler weather and savor the last of outdoor living for a bit. I'm thinking sunset, s'mores and wishes on stars around a fire pit should suffice.
Stay Connected - Grab your love, hold hands and go on a fall picnic amongst the leaves, near a babbling brook, in crisp weather perfect for snuggling under a cozy quilt and nestling amongst the magnificent inspiration of fall foliage. Toss three pebbles into a creek and make wishes for each one. Check out ideas for the
America's best Picnic Spots as voted by Travel+Leisure magazine,
the best scenic drives , or a
great park location.
Treasure - Spend time with your children or family members as if they are dear visitors that are about to depart.
Create Celebrations - I love planning birthday celebrations. This year I am lobbying for a special one-on-one date with my daughter to celebrate her last year before becoming a teenager.
I want to celebrate this girl's uniqueness and I love writing heartfelt birthday messages that explain why she is special to me, a story of her birth and how lucky we are to have her in our family.
Take Time Outs - Stay home all day one day this month and treasure your surroundings. Don't go anywhere and if possible stay in your jammies all day. Eat popcorn for dinner.
Watch
October Sky - a story about going for a dream and overcoming all odds.
Support - Donate blood to a blood bank. It's amazing to think that part of you will become part of someone else that needs you. What a significant way to give without expecting anything in return. Check with Red Cross
http://www.redcrossblood.org/make-donation to find a local blood drive or donation center near you.
Give - Share a book with someone that really touched you. I love sharing
this book.
Grow Something - Plant bulbs in your garden or flower beds now for next spring. I love the idea of the bulbs hibernating all winter and bursting forth just when we need the splash of color and life in the dreary winter months. If you currently have bulbs, go out and dig for the buried treasure bulbs now and make new bulb families by spreading them amongst your surroundings.
Recycle/Reduce/Reuse - Recycle your magazines by taking them to your local library to share with others.
Learn - Study the candidates and issues that our country will be voting on next month.
Get Organized - Clean out your old computer files and learn a new computer trick or shortcut or program. (I'm working on photo organization via iPhoto. I recently learned that you can categorize photos with more than just the face identification, dates and locations. I could spend a whole weekend organizing my files.)
Take Risks - Be creative. Stretch yourself by expressing yourself whether it is through words, music, photography, art or dance.
Document - take a photo every day.
Breathe -Take three deep breaths every time the phone rings as it reduces tension and brings you into the moment.
Share gratitude - Write a thank you note or thank you e-mail to someone that might need a little recognition.
What will you do this month to make October special? I'd love to hear.