Decide What Matters Most This Holiday Season

Before the calendar fills, choose three things you most want to protect during the holidays. It could be hosting Thanksgiving, attending a favorite tradition, or having quiet evenings at home. Let those priorities guide which invitations, projects, and expectations receive your time — and which ones can be skipped this year.

Something to do today:

Adjust your clocks for Daylight Savings Time. Your phone probably handled itself, but don’t forget the clocks on the oven, microwave, alarms, coffee maker, car, and any others that don’t change automatically.

Something to do this week:

Use the earlier sunset to adjust your evening routine. Turn on lamps before the house gets too dark, take your walk a little earlier, or start dinner sooner. A small shift can make the time change feel less abrupt.

Classic French Toast

Page 170 in The Simplified Cookbook

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup milk
Butter, for the pan
8 slices bread
Optional: maple syrup, powdered sugar, berries

Directions:

Whisk eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and milk in a shallow dish.
Heat a pan or griddle over medium heat, and slide butter across it as it gets warm.
Dip both sides of a slice and cook about 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan. Repeat with remaining bread slices, adding more butter to the pan as needed.
Top with powdered sugar, maple syrup, and/or berries.

Get ahead of your week & make time for the things on your agenda!

Send out birthday cards for upcoming November birthdays
Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses before the first freeze
Host a casual football watch party
Make sure your flashlights work and have fresh batteries
Clean and descale the coffee pot

👇What else are you putting in your planner this week?

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How fun are the colors on this plaid fleece!? Walmart has so many great finds right now.

Whitney just ordered these adorable gold dot glasses. Love them!

She also told us this is the BEST fall candle. And yes, she used all caps, so you know she’s serious. It’s made in Florida and on sale right now too!

Lindsey got this beautiful scalloped tissue box cover from the most adorable little shop! They were so sweet to share a discount code with us! Use SIMPLIFIED10 to save 10% on your order!

This loaf pan is so pretty! Would make the sweetest gift for someone who loves to bake. Add a favorite quick bread recipe, and you have such a thoughtful little present!

These plaid pillows are perfection for the holidays. Definitely get them before they sell out!

While you’re pulling out your Christmas decorations, it’s the perfect time to do a little reorganizing! We’ve found some great storage solutions to help keep everything neat and tidy. And they’re cute, too!

We’ve all started loving this lightweight eye gel! It feels so refreshing, especially first thing in the morning or at the end of a long day.

The floral colors of this dress are just perfect for fall, and we love how pretty it would look at Thanksgiving.

Matching holiday tartan pajamas for the whole family?! YES, please! We love a festive matching moment, especially in a classic print!

Each week, we're answering your real-life questions — about routines, meal ideas, work-life balance, favorite movies, and everything in between. Got a question? Leave it in the comments!

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Q: “What is one “future you will be grateful” task you’re completing this month?”
Emily: Stocking up on beautiful wrapping paper and supplies for the holidays. I love the special details that go into gift giving and making sure I’m stocked ahead of time means one less thing on my plate during the busy holiday season.
Brittany: Putting it here so I can commit to actually doing it: finishing our holiday gift buying BEFORE December hits! I really would love to enjoy more slowness of the holiday season, and having this done sooner than later makes more time and space for fun!
Whitney: In the next couple of weeks I typically take inventory of any gifts I bought earlier this year (and stashed away) so I can make a plan for Christmas shopping.
Dusty: Making freezer meals and stocking the freezer with things I know my family will actually eat. There’s something so satisfying about doing a little extra prep now and knowing that future me can pull something out on a busy night and have dinner halfway handled. Future me is always very grateful when past me had the foresight to make a little extra.
Laura: I would love to be totally done with shopping and wrapping by the start of December. This has never happened, but I really want to try to make it happen this year! Today’s TO DO: Make a giant list and make a plan.
Carly: I’m with Dusty on this one — future me will love the extra meal prep I’m tackling now for later in the month when things are super busy. Frozen black bean burgers, extra marinated chicken, Trader Joe’s frozen lunches, some Costco finds — having those in the garage freezer keeps us from eating too much takeout when we’re not in the mood to cook!
Lindsey: Christmas cards. I want them to be ordered, stamped, and ready to go so I can check that off my list!
Liz: Getting my Christmas gift list organized! I like to have my game plan going into Black Friday weekend so I can check off as much as I possibly can ASAP so I’m not scrambling and can enjoy the season semi stress-free.

🩷 Have a question for our team? Leave it in the comments and your Q might be featured next week!

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Brittany is reviewing all final samples from our 2027 order, working on some new accounting processes, coordinating a full cycle count of everything in the warehouse, making room for new shipments, and getting some big orders ready for Anthro!

Laura is focusing on all things holiday. She’s been not-so-patiently waiting to give our website a merry glow up. Go see how festive it looks!

Lindsey is starting to work on Planner Retreat and Simplicity Challenge. It’s almost time to start setting up 2027 Simplified Planners (on sale now)!

Start a November gratitude jar!

November is here, and it’s the perfect time to slow down and notice all the little things we have to be thankful for! Grab a pretty jar and some small slips of paper. Each day this month, write down something you’re grateful for and drop it in. Encourage everyone in your family to join in! On Thanksgiving, gather around and read them together. Such a sweet way to remember the big blessings and all the little everyday things that make life so wonderful.