Looking Ahead to 2016 — Homegrown + Lovely

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. There are many reasons why, but here are a few. I love crisp, clear days. When the sun is shining but the air is brisk, the coffee is warm, and the scarves have been pulled out of hiding. October is my birthday month. What is not to love about celebrations, cake and fun? It also usually includes a trip to the pumpkin patch. This year we had our own little pumpkin to take and I'd say she had a blast!

It is also the start of the holiday season. I've always loved the holidays, but with a child, I'm looking forward to this year even more. Blake is crawling now, and I can't wait to see what she will be up to in the next couple months. Christmas will be a blast, with all the lights, wrapping paper and family gatherings. I will be starting a new tradition with my family this year... We will all get one gift to open Christmas Eve. It will be something cozy, along the lines of new jammies, slippers, a robe or thick socks. My kids will get to look forward to this tradition and have something fun to wear to bed that night and wake up with Christmas morning.

Now... back to why I love fall. The last reason, as corny as it may seem, is getting a new planner.

I've been using a planner for about half my life. Back when I was younger (before cell phones and electronic calendars), my dad suggested using a planner to help me organize my time. Now, I'm still a major procrastinator, so I can't say it helped in that area. But I love writing down upcoming appointments, events, birthdays and deadlines and seeing them all at a month's glance. And over the years, my planners have become a sort of memory keeper as well. I don't use them strictly for future events, but also to track the things that happen in our lives. Maybe it's the day someone got engaged, or bought a home, or welcomed a baby. Maybe it's the day we hung Christmas lights, or completed a house project. The day Blake got her first tooth... All the things worth remembering, I try and write down. I have planners saved from when I was 18 and had my first job. It's fun to look back and remember what I was doing, what homework assignments I had once I started college, and how I spent my free time.

As I've gotten older, life's moments have gotten sweeter, and sometimes more bittersweet. I love being able to keep a simple record of those things, in real pen and paper form. Yes, I still use my phone for alerts and reminders, but to have a place to record all happenings, past, present and future, is really quite wonderful.