To me, November always feels like a bit of an in-between month. A waiting. A head-down-and-get-on-with-things-until-the-next-break kind of a month. If months had a colour, November would be grey. Which probably isn’t really very fair because there’s all the glitter and smoke of bonfire night (although I didn’t manage to do sparklers this year), plus the girls’ excitement for Christmas, which ramps up tenfold as soon as Halloween is out of the way. I have zero choice in the matter – come November 1st, Christmas music is played in the car on the way to school every single morning without fail, and my lounge has already been surreptitiously decorated with homemade paper chains.
I just… don’t love November. It sits firmly alongside February as one of my least favourites. This month, there were the extra challenges of the kitchen roof leaking yet again, and an unexpected flat tyre on my car. I barely picked up my camera – every photo in this post was taken on my phone, which has never, ever happened before.
On the flipside, there has also been a lot of laughter, thanks to a new game that has infiltrated family life, called ‘Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza‘. Yes, really. It’s as mad as it sounds and I highly recommend it as a perfect stocking filler for Christmas.
Here’s a little bit of life lately, in November…
BOOKS
After a short, recent run of reading non-fiction books, I was craving a story to escape into. The Lost Flowers Of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland, an Australian author, was exactly what I needed. I have a long-held, soul-deep connection to Australia, and have always enjoyed reading books that are set there as well as those written by Aussie writers. When I was travelling there in my late teens, John Marsden was my top choice. Nowadays I enjoy Liane Moriarty’s novels. Holly Ringland is new to me and I thoroughly savoured this introduction to her words and imagination. Her other fiction book – The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding – has gone straight onto my Christmas wishlist.
It took me about ten days to finish The Lost Flowers Of Alice Hart and I became deeply invested in the characters during that time. I couldn’t wait until the evening every day when I’d have the chance to pick it up again and read a few more chapters, eager to know what happened next. I appreciate stories that span years of the main character’s life (I find that it makes them relatable in a multitude of ways) and this one in particular was so descriptive that it teleported me right back into my own journey to to other side of the world – every sense was engaged and if I closed my eyes I was right there with Alice. A book that will stay with me for a long time. It has also been turned into a Netflix show apparently, so I might need to watch that too.
I originally heard about Holly Ringland from Beth Kempton, a non-fiction author who runs online courses for other writers. She is someone I find very authentic and inspiring and if she recommends something, I know it’ll be good. So it made sense to me that after finishing Holly’s novel, I turned to one of Beth’s own books – Freedom Seeker. This was actually her first book (I’m reading them out of order because with non-fiction it doesn’t really matter!) and whilst a lot of it is what I already know and share with my therapy clients, it’s actually useful to read it and apply it to myself in a different context. I admire the way Beth structures her books, and the sprinkles of personal stories she includes throughout make me like her even more. A great read if you find yourself feeling a bit stuck or trapped and need a nudge to help you escape the cage you’ve created so that you can stretch your wings.
The Lost Flowers Of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland
FILMS & MUSIC
I snuck in a Sunday evening trip to the cinema to watch Now You See Me: Now You Don’t – the third installment of the franchise. I love magic and illusion, so having already enjoyed the previous two films I knew this one would also be entertaining. I was right, even if it was a bit cheesy in places.
This version of this song unexpectedly brought me to tears.
Have you ever heard of Tiny Desk Concerts? If you haven’t discovered them yet, go and check them out on YouTube or Instagram – they’re ace. Ludovico Einaudi gave an amazing performance three years ago, which is when they first captured my attention. Since then there have been mini concerts given by a huge range of artists. One of my all-time favourite bands – The Goo Goo Dolls – recently performed and it was incredible.
LIFE LATELY…
Lola and Mimi have both had more mock exams this month; we celebrated Sophie’s birthday; and my Mum came to visit for the day. I also took Mimi for one final uni open day visit – to the University of Birmingham – which has ended up near the top of her list of ones to apply for.
Mimi and Lola at the University of Birmingham open day, heading in or one of the talks we attended.
I attended a work event down in London and managed to squeeze in a quick trip to Outernet (right next to Tottenham Court Road tube station), which currently has Christmas-themed immersive displays. The ‘Christmas Emoji Shower’ and ‘Ice Palace’ were my favourites. It’s completely free, and a fun way to spend half an hour.
The Ice Palace immersive display at Outernet London
I also paid a visit to The Photographers’ Gallery, hidden down a secret side alley just off of Oxford Circus. I’d never been there before (I’ve no idea why!) and there was a specific exhibition I wanted to see: 100 Years of the Photobooth. It was only a one-room exhibit, but it was wonderful. A curated collection of photobooth strips that spanned decades, plus information about the history of the photobooth and how it’s evolved over time. It was utterly fascinating and I loved taking in all the details of every image on display. There was, of course, an Autofoto photobooth in the lobby too, and I couldn’t resist jumping in and getting myself a strip… it would have been rude not to 🙂 The exhibition is on until 22nd Feb 2026.
The Autofoto photobooth in the lobby at The Photographers’ Gallery in London
My favourite photo from the whole exhibit was this guy on the bottom row, second from the right. Look at that expression!
After that I had just enough time to walk the length of Oxford Street looking at all the Christmas lights before I headed to the work dinner.
The only photo I took at the work event was this mirror selfie in the toilets!
The final bit of excitement of November was when the girls and I attended our town’s Christmas Lights Switch-On event, which is always fun. It’s become a bit of a tradition over the years. The fireworks were a little disappointing this year, but the live music from The Cartoon Kings was excellent.
The Cartoon Kings live on stage at the Christmas Lights Switch-On event
We’re now approaching the end of 2025, with just one final chapter to go. December and Christmas are going to look a little different this year, so I’m doing everything in my power to make it magical.
I hope that you found plenty of little things to love throughout November and that you’ve got lots to look forward to throughout the festive season.
With love,
Chloe x
