Five Fun Things to Do in November

1) Repurpose that leftover Halloween candy to last you through the rest of the month.
You and the kids have the day off for Election Day? Happen to be swimming in leftover Halloween candy? How about channeling some of that sugary crafty energy towards creating a special daily treat dispenser for all that Halloween loot? We show you how with a couple of different ideas.

2) Sleep in on Sunday, November 7.
Yes, sleep is fun. And, Daylight Savings ends in the middle of the night on Sunday, November 7. Remember, “spring forward, fall back.” So, set your clocks back one hour and enjoy the snooze, if the kids let you, that is. Also, The International Association of Fire Chiefs has reminded us that when Daylight Savings ends is also the time to remember to check and replace any dead batteries in your smoke alarms. It’s about sleeping in safely.

3) Clean out your pantry with your kids and donate food staples to your local Food Bank.
Better yet, donate your time. Beth Bader of The (ex)Expatriate’s Kitchen gives us the lowdown on how a Food Bank works. Read her educational post on what volunteering at a Food Bank entails. This is a must-read (!) before you start donating food staples.

4) Celebrate Black Friday or Buy Nothing Day, both the day after Thanksgiving.
You have to love that Black Friday has now inspired its own backlash day, Buy Nothing Day. Whatever you choose to do, we hope that your November 26 will be filled with lots of turkey leftovers and pumpkin pie.

5) Test out a new cookbook.
Now that the chilly weather is here, I have this crazy nesting urge (or maybe I just want to turn on a warm oven?). So, this month I’m test-driving Time for Dinner which is a cookbook for everyday family meals. I don’t have any Julie & Julia aspirations, my plan is just to try-out two recipes per week. If the cookbook passes muster, I’ll be sure to share why. Stay tuned.