Strocel.com | What I Learned in November 2012

Monthly reviews are one of my favourite traditions. Here’s how it works – every month I come up with some things I learned, and not always the easy way. Then, I ask you all to join in with some recent revelations of your own. And we all learn and grow and what-not. Or at least share a laugh at our own expense, because some of these lessons are both hard-fought and funny. Sound good?

So, without further ado, here is what I learned in November – or some of it, anyway.

What I Learned This Month

1. Years after we turned the pilot light off in our gas fireplace as a safety measure for our kids I fired it up again, and discovered just how lovely a fireplace is on a cold and wet late autumn day.

It felt like a good day to fire up the fireplace

2. I attended a massive local wine tasting event, and enjoyed it immensely. Did I really learn anything? Maybe not, but wine is always worth a mention.

3. I learned that sometimes it’s worth jumping the gun on the holidays just a little, with a mid-November batch of peppermint bark.

I jumped the gun and made some peppermint bark

4. I started re-reading the Harry Potter series, and discovered that even on my fourth (fifth? sixth?) go-around I can’t put them down. Few things are better than a good book.

5. Following my Halloween costume success, I did some more sewing, and re-discovered what I love about it so much. Holding something I made myself, with my own hands – something I can wear. It’s like magic. Plus, I get a chance to use my old labels again.

The biz went kaput years ago, but I'm still working my way through all the labels

6. I learned that the best way to make sure you don’t lose your poppy is to put the pin through the edge of one of the petals. I got this tip only after I complained on Twitter about losing my first poppy less than 24 hours after buying it, even though I bent the end up.

7. I went off in search of cheese, and lo, I found it. I found it, indeed.

8. I saw the world’s best fitting rooms, ever, when I went to a holiday shopping event with some friends. Seriously, words can’t even begin to describe them. And they were in the last place I would have expected – the Art Knapp Plantland and Florist in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia.

9. I met up with my fabulous VancouverMom.ca teammates Christine and Bianca for a trip to the Nicole Bridger warehouse sale, and scored two dresses, a skirt and a jacket. Eco-friendly fashion for a steal? It was like I found heaven.

10. I once again learned that a four-year-old can watch the same movie 20 times in a row and not tire of it, when my son Jacob became infatuated with Tarzan. Unfortunately, seven-year-olds like a little more variety, so I got to referee disputes over which movie to watch on movie days many times this month.

I’ve shared what I learned – what did you learn in November? I want to know! If you’d like to play along by writing a review post of your own, link to it in the comments. And please feel free to grab the button from the top of this post.

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