7 Simple joys in November.

It's been a hot minute since my last simple joy post! Although very joyful, I've had a particularly busy couple of months. It turns out having a baby and moving house all in the same week is actually pretty time consuming! It goes without saying those two things have brought me so much joy - They're more than just simple joys, they're pretty big joys! Today I'm going to be stripping things back a little bit. I'm appreciating the smaller things which have happened this month with my seven simple joys of November.

^{[Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash]}

7 Simple joys in November.

1. Hikes with my husband.

Something we (as most parents do) struggle with is finding time together outside of parenthood. We're so often Mum & Dad rather than Claire & Dan that when we do get to spend quality time together it feels so much more special. This month we got to do something we used to do all the time before the kids came along & that was going for a hike. We took a flask, a picnic and our first baby Willow, it was joyous!

2. A very busy workload.

A busy work load has been as much of a blessing as it has a condemnation this month. I feel very lucky to have such busy workload, especially on the run up to Christmas, but my goodness I've felt the pressure this month. That being said in what I'd call my first proper month back after having my baby I've done pretty well. I've been able to work on some fab projects this month. I've loved working with a local small business, Hearts of Brass as well as working with Poster Store again on their latest black Friday campaign.

3. My sleeping bag coat.

I didn't know if puffer coats were for me. I thought it was going to be one of those things which look great on other people, but when on make me feel like the most awkward person in the world. Turns out I bloody love them. It feels like I'm wearing a sleeping bag, it's blooming glorious! I've barely taken it off this month.

4. Shopping second hand.

My name's Claire & I'm addicted to Vinted! Both buying and selling on Vinted has become my new favourite thing to do. I feel like I'm constantly scouring the house now to see what else I can sell. It's strangely quite thrilling when my phone pings to say I've sold something! I've managed to pick up some real bargains too! I picked up a brand new Coast dress for £15 which is still online at £130 - I feel like I got the deal of the century.

5. A weekend away with the girls.

At the beginning of the month I had a weekend away with the girls. I left my husband and the kids behind, kicked back and relaxed with some of the best women in my life. We hired out a cosy cottage in the middle of nowhere in Northumberland. There was a morning in the spa, walks in the countryside and way too much food - It was amazing!

6. Dans weekend away.

The following weekend it was my husbands turn for a few days away. I'm including this as one of my simple joys as although we all missed him, I felt so accomplished solo parenting for four days. I can't quite believe I kept my sanity! I take all of my hats off to single parents out there, because that shit is hard! I'm actually really proud of myself!

7. Feeling festive.

Is everybody else starting to feel festive? I think it's a mix of living back in the North, being surrounded by family and the fact my eldest daughter really gets it this year, but I'm SO excited for Christmas! We're heading out at the weekend to buy our very first real Christmas tree & I can't wait.

What have your simple joys been this month? Are you feeling festive yet?