Issue 08: November 2025

November has been one of those months where everything feels both calmer and busier at the same time: the house hasn’t been quite as chaotic as October, but we’ve still found ourselves chipping away at projects and trying to wring every last bit of daylight out of the shorter days. There’s a definite shift which I feel every time I leave the house and the air smacks me in the face with its freezing temperatures, reminding me that Christmas is a lot closer than I thought. We’ve been gradually decorating, I’ve tried a bit of crafting, and we’re slowly getting ready for the big day next month!

November has felt like a strange mix of slow progress and quiet momentum. We’ve had some real wins, like seeing the bathroom finally start to look like an actual room again, getting the flooring down, finishing the panelling, and tiling around the bath, but also plenty of moments where time has just slipped away. And although things have felt a little easier on the brain, they’ve also been full. Making Christmas crafts, planning December, building our little family activity jar, keeping up with work – it’s all been a lot, but a nice lot. A cosy, candle-lit sort of busy.

Progress Peek:

So last month I told you we were on a mission to get things finished before Christmas, and while the mission hasn’t been abandoned, it has definitely been refined. The bathroom is our main focus now, and I’m really happy with where it’s at (despite it being way behind our original timeline haha.) The flooring is down, the panelling is finished, the bath tiles are done, and it finally feels like the bones of the room are there. Now we just need the toilet and the shower fitting which John and his dad are tackling soon, though the suite is an absolute heavy bad boy so I’m keeping a safe distance.

And because we’ve realised that timelines don’t care about our dreams, we’ve had to be honest with ourselves: renovations naturally slow down at this time of year. We had big plans, but it’s become really clear that if we’re going to rest over Christmas (which we desperately need), then the bathroom needs to be the only project on the go. Anything else can wait until the new year. It can sometimes feel a bit like I have some imaginary self-imposed deadline looming over me, but I need to realise it’s okay to chill out sometimes.

In the background, I’ve been experimenting with some new lifestyle-style content too. With renovation work slowing down, I can’t magically conjure before-and-afters every week, and so many of you said you actually like the everyday bits such as the cosy rhythms, routines, decorating, homemaking, basically all the stuff that makes a house feel lived in. So I’m leaning into that, and genuinely hoping you’re enjoying it.

Farmhouse Finds:

Anything warm, soft, and Christmassy at the moment! I’ve been playing with cosy tones, gentle neutrals, and the kind of colours that make fairy lights look even better. It’s that season where the house just wants to be glowing.

A brand I’m loving: This month, I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole of Christmas crafting supplies so I’ve got to say that Amazon and Etsy have been my good friends here. There’s something really grounding about slowing down and making things by hand, and I’ve loved bringing a bit of that into the farmhouse this year.

In The Details:

The bathroom is still the big project, and it’s eating most of our time, energy, and budget, but in a way that feels worthwhile. The big, scary jobs have mostly been done now, and it’s just about getting those final pieces in place so we can actually enjoy it. Some evenings we stare at it thinking, “How is this still not finished?” and other times we walk in and feel like it’s transformed overnight.

Beyond the bathroom, I’ve been trying to let myself slow down. My brain is always full: always designing something, writing something, or imagining something, and while I’m really looking forward to the Christmas break as a chance to rest, I also know I’ll probably spend half of it creating because that’s just how my mind works. Calm, but busy. Resting, but buzzing. It is what it is.

Photo of the Month:

This month it has to be a festive one – some little tweaks to a kitchen corner to add a bit of Christmas cheer. A tiny reminder that December is on its way, and that magic doesn’t always come from big renovations or big transformations. Sometimes it’s a candle, a craft, or a moment you planned weeks earlier.

Around The Farmhouse Table:

We’ve been gearing up for December here, so I asked you all what your favourite festive traditions are (big or small) and you came through with the loveliest answers:

• “Christmas Eve boxes! Even for adults with a bit of booze!”
• “We always do a family walk in the morning before the fun time begins.”
• “We always go for a drive to see the Christmas lights on Christmas Eve.”
• “Baking day!”

I’ve added a few of yours into our family jar for December, so thank you for the inspiration!

Looking Ahead:

December is going to be a mix of calm and excitement: we’re hoping (hoping!!) the bathroom will be finished, we’ve got our Christmas evenings planned thanks to the activity jar, and I’m leaning into slower, cosier content while the renovations take a natural pause. Between festive hosting, lesson planning, and trying not to burn (or eat all of) the mince pies, it’s shaping up to be a warm, busy, twinkly month.

Until next month you beautiful bunch,

Shanice 🤍