November kick-starts my favorite time of year. On the first of the month, I go into storage, dig around for my bins of holiday décor and sort through what to keep and items to donate. Then: the decorating. It usually happens a few days later on the first weekend of November—some say it’s too early, but I like to enjoy the holiday spirit for as long as possible. This is also the time when I pull out the shopping bags full of recently purchased holiday décor (which I probably started buying in October).
This season is my favorite for many reasons: the aforementioned comforting décor, cherished time spent with family, cozy reads, and the smells and tastes of November and December.
To be transparent: I’m a full believer in all things pumpkin—I had my first iced pumpkin cold brew of the year in August!—and I adore a homemade pumpkin pie. While at the University of Minnesota, I was in a student group that ran a pie sale. We tested several homemade pumpkin pie recipes, landing on one from Allrecipes. I’ve now made more than 100 of these pies (both for the sale and for family), and it has never let me down. I’m always left with an empty pie plate by the end of the evening! If you’re inspired to try it, visit page 28.
This issue is all about the holidays, and I encourage you to discover the festive stories within these pages. From tips for perfecting your Christmas tree décor on page 32 to a conversation with former Team USA Olympic Curling coach Phill Drobnick on page 22, plus so much more, I sincerely hope each of these stories brings you joy.
With gratitude for all of our advertisers, friends of the magazine and readers—Happy Thanksgiving, and I’ll see you next month,
—Hailey Almsted
