LexTalk

If there is one month that makes me want to slow down and notice absolutely everything, it’s October.

The changing colors. The cooler evenings. Halloween decorations glowing in windows. Cozy drinks. Pumpkins everywhere. That first night when you actually need a blanket on the couch.

There’s just something about October that makes ordinary life feel a little more magical.

And this year, I don’t want to rush through it.

So I’m giving myself a challenge.

31 days. 31 photos. 31 stories.

Why I’m Doing This

Lately, I’ve been trying to write more.

Not necessarily because I have some huge story to tell every single day, but because I’ve realized that writing doesn’t always have to start with something extraordinary.

Sometimes the best stories are hiding inside the completely ordinary parts of our lives.

A cup of coffee.

Your cat curled up somewhere he probably shouldn’t be.

The shoes that have carried you through countless adventures.

A sunset that makes you stop what you’re doing for thirty seconds.

Your favorite corner of your home.

A meal that reminds you of someone.

A random October afternoon that doesn’t seem particularly important until, years later, you’d give anything to experience it again.

That’s what I want to capture.

The 31 Days of October Challenge

Every day throughout October, I’ll have two prompts.

One is a photo prompt.

The other is a writing prompt inspired by that photograph.

For example, Day 1 is coffee.

Instead of simply taking a pretty picture of my morning coffee and moving on, the writing prompt asks:

What does your morning coffee ritual look like, and why do you love it?

And suddenly, it’s not really about coffee anymore.

It’s about routines. Comfort. The people we spend our mornings with. The tiny rituals we’ve created without even realizing they’ve become important to us.

That’s exactly what I’m hoping to find through this challenge.

I’m Not Looking for Perfect

Here’s the other rule I’m giving myself:

It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Some days I might take a photograph that I absolutely love.

Other days I might realize at 8:00 at night that I haven’t taken my picture yet and start wandering around the house looking for something that fits the prompt.

Some writing prompts might turn into full stories.

Others might be short.

And that’s okay.

The goal isn’t to create a perfectly curated October.

The goal is to actually notice it.

I want to remember what October 2026 looked like.

What I was drinking.

What I was watching.

What made me laugh.

What felt cozy.

What I was thinking about.

What my home looked like.

What Juggy was doing.

What little moments made an otherwise ordinary day feel special.

Because someday, those ordinary moments might be the ones I miss the most.

Want to Do It With Me?

I’m sharing the entire challenge above in case anyone else wants to join me.

You don’t need a blog.

You don’t need a fancy camera.

You don’t even have to share your pictures with anyone.

Take them for yourself.

Write the answers in a journal. Put them in your phone. Share them on social media. Start your own blog series. Or simply save 31 little memories from one October of your life.

And if you miss a day?

Keep going.

This isn’t homework.

There are no October Challenge Police coming to confiscate your pumpkin spice latte.

The point is simply to pay a little more attention to the life happening around us.

So that’s my plan for October.

• 31 photos.
• 31 writing prompts.
• 31 chances to find a story hiding inside an ordinary day.

Today—we begin with coffee.

Let’s see what happens.

Maybe by October 31st, I’ll have more than a collection of pretty fall pictures.

Maybe I’ll have a little time capsule of a month in my life.

And I think that’s pretty magical.