Much Love Monday {early November edition}

Hello! So, I didn't actually intend to take a five day break from blogging, but it seems that I just did exactly that. Weird. It's been a long time since I've disappeared from my blog for days on end.

I was productive while I was away though, working on cleaning out and re-organizing the kitchen cupboards and the boys' bedroom, catching up on the ever-growing mountain of laundry, helping Alan in the garden {planting bulbs and clearing limbs} and even picking up some presents at the first craft fair of the season {where I won a huge red poinsettia... yay!} I didn't take any photos this weekend- I need to clear the camera card first- so how about a Much Love Monday post instead?

Here are some of the things I'm loving on this first Monday of November:

• Catching up on my letter & postcard writing, and looking forward to some super fun swaps
• Peppermint hot chocolate from Starbucks
• The warmth of the woodstove and the crackle of the fire on cold nights
• Sending a parcel to wee baby Sam {that's right! Cassie's baby has arrived!}
• Collecting some great items for the preschool fundraising auction and keeping on top of my never-ending list of presidential jobs
• Making all sorts of tasty soups from my Twelve Months of Monastery Soups cookbook- last night's was "Caldo Gallego"... aren't I fancy?
• Super Sawyer in his new red cape
• My Pinterest boards. Damn, that site's addictive!
• Drawing snowmen with the boys and reading Snowmen at Night together at bedtime
• Dreaming about New York {4 1/2 months to go!}
• Bubble baths. Long ones.

I'm looking forward to today, even though it's going to be rather busy. After the usual school and preschool drop-offs, I'm heading downtown to renew my passport {did I mention... I'm going to New York?!} and hopefully I'll have a bit of time to pop into my favourite stationery shop, where I always like to pick up a little something for Em. I have one last auction item to collect at a friend's place, and then I'll be heading back out to Langford to run some errands and prep some meals for the week. In the afternoon we're having firewood delivered so I'll try to help Alan get started on stacking that, before I make dinner and head out to an author reading/book signing with my friend Charlotte {Ami McKay, who wrote the wonderful book, The Birth House, is going to be at Bolen Books tonight!}

All in all, my Monday is looking pretty good. How about yours?

image via we heart it