December is one of my favorite months of the entire year. There is so much to see and enjoy and reflect on and let's face it -- the twinkle lights don't hurt! I'm currently sitting in my dark dining room at 4:34, surrounding by glittering trees and yet-to-be-wrapped gifts and sipping coffee from my new favorite mug. Doesn't that sound amazing? No matter how busy we are and how stretched thin we could be, the magic of the season settles over everything and makes every mundane task seem worthwhile. I am so looking forward to spending two weeks at home with my girls and soaking up all that this season has to offer. We're still only a few days into the month, but let's chat about what's going on so far, okay? doing | Maybe I've covered that already. I'm trying not to do too many extra things ...
Holiday Gift Guide | Creatives
I know that December arrived last week, but let's face it -- this week feels like the real start to the holiday season. We spent the weekend decking our halls, finishing up our Christmas shopping <praise hands!>, and wrapping all the gifts to stack under our tree. We are guaranteed to be wearing family Christmas pajamas with hot chocolate in hand for the next twenty days! I'm so excited for this week on the blog -- I have such fun posts to share with you guys. Come back tomorrow for a full recap on everything we've done in November (along with our monthly infographic!), on Wednesday I'll be sharing my final gift guide of the season (hello, hipster husbands +a Wardrobe Wednesday link up), Thursday will be a bonus style post full of holiday ideas and on Friday we're sharing ...
Collaboreads | The Wonder
Yesterday was Collaboreads day, but I was trapped in a tiny room with Sophie for 3+ hours and never got a chance to publish my post. I guess it's a good thing since I didn't actually finish the book until after the appointment was over anyway. Amber is taking a bloggy hiatus, but you can visit Rachel to see what everyone else read this month and to find out a little bit about this bookish link up. The criteria for today was to read a "foodie" book. I know what you're thinking, this doesn't exactly fit the bill. I actually downloaded the audiobook version of My Life in France and had every intention of reviewing it for today's yesterday's post, but I didn't get started in time and I knew there was no way I could finish. The Wonder was my BOTM selection a few months back and I had forgotten ...
Weekend Update | Thanksgiving
We have so been looking forward to a few days at home together as a family and the holiday weekend did not disappoint. On Wednesday night, Sophie said something about being nervous because it was her first time to host a family holiday! It was the sweetest thing. Made slightly humorous because my parents host Thanksgiving every year, so the venue didn't actually change, just the inhabitants of the house. I still haven't shared too many details about our current living situation (coming soon, I promise), but my parents own an amazing party party and pool area that will be their new front yard (at some point in the near future). Last year, they hosted Thanksgiving in the barn and it was a huge hit. We decided that, weather permitting, outdoor Thanksgiving should always be a thing. This was ...
Holiday Gift Guide | Stocking Stuffers
Warning: Affiliate links appear in the following post. Although shopping our holiday gift guides won’t cost you any additional dollars, it might earn us a small commission on any purchases made using these links. We appreciate your support of our favorite brands. Happy Holidays! xo Much like Easter baskets, stockings are one of my favorite things to shop for all year! My mom always put so much thought into our stockings and still packs a pretty mean sock on Christmas morning. I know that different families treat holidays differently and I have plenty of friends that go the candy only route. For me, it's an opportunity to add a few things the girls already need (like toothbrushes and hair ties), alongside other items that we might typically avoid (play doh, anyone?). I tend to shop for ...
Lights Up at The Summit | 2016
I know it isn't even Thanksgiving yet and I should probably keep my holiday shenanigans to myself (at least for another week), but I couldn't help myself! Not to mention the family posts have been few and far between for the last several weeks (thank you moving and unpacking), so I thought it was time to pop in with something a little more family-centric. For the second year in a row, Ella's dance team was invited to perform in a parade at our local outdoor shopping center to usher in the holiday season. They have a huge lighting ceremony right before Thanksgiving, along with a parade, faux snow, and fireworks. She has had plenty of extra practices the last several weeks and was finally ready to show off all of her hard work this past weekend. It made for a crazy Friday afternoon, since ...
Holiday Gift Guide | Bible Journaling Essentials
Warning: Affiliate links appear in the following post. Although shopping our holiday gift guides won’t cost you any additional dollars, it might earn us a small commission on any purchases made using these links. We appreciate your support of our favorite brands. Happy Holidays! xo It's no secret that my Bible Journaling posts are the most popular posts on my site and, just in case you are curious, the number one question I get in my inbox is: What supplies do I need to get started?! I've shared several supply lists in the past and they are always helpful for beginners, but what if you're buying for someone else and you have no idea where to start or have a strict budget and need only a few necessities? Enter today's post. Today I'm sharing a Bible Journaling Holiday Gift Guide that ...
God IS Love
This post was originally published for Stones & Sparrows on May 16, 2016. When you think about 1 Corinthians 13, what is the first thing that pops into your mind? I remember sitting in marriage counseling before our wedding (a mere fourteen years ago?!) and our pastor had us compile some things we wanted him to use in the service. Among a few other favorite Bible passages were these verses about love. Even now, when I read them, I think back to wedding dress shopping and meetings with the florist and long conversations about what marriage might look like. I don't know how many times I've heard these verses read in the context of a wedding, but I promise you it's too many to count. When I read through 1 Corinthians 13, I always think about those characteristics in relation to humans ...