Merry Christmas!

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 (niv)

Wishing you comfort, joy and a Merry Christmas!

Slow Down and Breathe!

I get so caught up in the season, the hurry, the shopping, making, thinking, listing, cleaning, doing...that I almost forget to breathe.

Especially the closer we get to Christmas.  Do you do that too?

Sometimes we need to just take a deep breath in and slowly...blow...it...all...out.  Feel that tension in your shoulders and neck?  It's not meant to be there.

Now, repeat after me..."I'm not appointed for perfection".

Not in appearance, behavior (or those who belong to us), house condition, gift giving, food making, decorating, party throwing...none of it.

I know I will have to repeat these steps many times!  Take some time for yourself, make a cup of something warm to drink and savor it, take a few minutes to read something you enjoy, stop and take in your surroundings.  Try to notice the gifts around you that you might be overlooking.  I noticed the sun illuminating these poinsettias, and had to take a minute to admire them.  Amazing how a little plant in the sun can even be a gift!

Christmas At Our House - 2019

Welcome to our home!  I thought I would share a few little corners of it.  It isn't finished, it isn't perfect, but isn't the same true of us?  If we waited until we were perfect to share our heart, or until our homes were "finished" to share them...we'd be a lonely bunch.  So come on in, glad you're here!  

This, right here, is what sold us on this property.  Peace, quiet, the unrush.  We woke up to a beautiful frost this morning - the cold certainly didn't bother the ducks, they were already out swimming.

Just can't beat the beauty of a sunrise or sunset.

Our littles are big now and don't have to worry about choking hazards, so I like to add jingle bells to our nativity to fill in the spaces.  A lot of these are from my mother's vast collection of craft supplies.

The wrapping isn't finished, and nothing has bows yet, but the tree is up and finished.

I've been collecting ornaments my whole life.  Every year I think about doing a theme, but just can't resist these old friends.  We have a mix of handmade, like this angel my grandmother crocheted and ones the kids have made, and keepsakes.  I love glass ornaments, they just have such charm.

Since our colors are red, olive and tan, decorating for Christmas doesn't take too much!   Add a throw pillow or two and a tray and the living room looks pretty Christmas-y.

Our fireplace is literally broken, the insides will have to be completely replaced, so this year, no real fire for us.  It seemed such a dark sad spot, so we warmed it up with candles and greenery. 

This is a busy spot.  Lots of tea and coffee drinking year round, so we keep a drink caddy going all year.  We change it up a little seasonally, adding spiced tea, cocoa & mocha packets, ginger tea cookies, biscotti, marshmallows and Santa mugs for Christmas. 

I can't tell you how many kids have tried to peel the foil on those faux chocolate Santas in the windowsill, ha.  Some of the mugs are vintage, others we use are from Target.

A spot to sit rings while washing dishes.

Our bedroom, flannel sheets are so cozy.

That's it for now, come back again!  

And remember, it doesn't have to be perfect to be welcoming!  

Teacher, Neighbor and Secret Santa Gifts - Quick, Cute & Easy

I love a gift that has a touch of handmade and a color coordinated theme.  They're fun to plan and pull together, fun to make and give, and fun to get!

Gift cards may seem impersonal, but I think they make a great gift when dressed up creatively.  The extra doesn't have to be expensive to be cute!  With our kids being in junior high and middle school, they have multiple teachers each...it's a lot of gifts.  We try to do a larger gift for their homeroom teacher and smaller treat to let the others know we appreciate them too.  I can't help but feel that any gift seems a bit paltry (besides a new car or Caribbean vacation) compared to the amount of thought, caring, and work that goes into teaching a class full of children.  No trips or cars this year though, so a thoughtful little gift and a "thank you" it is!

This year, it's a hot cocoa theme for us, with a little variation.  One is "Cookies and Milk for Santa YOU!" with milk bottles from Target, the other is with a stainless steel mug (Walmart set of four for $20) and more of a snowflakes and cocoa theme.  We added instant mocha packets, small packages of cookies, peppermint sticks and a gift card.  A little tissue or crinkle and a handmade tag with twine or ribbon added some cute.

Isn't this one by A Life On A Dime cute?  Tea, a tea bag rest and essential oil.  

Last year, I made cinnamon rolls for our neighbors, adding a pretty bow and greenery pick to the aluminum tray.  This year, I'm making cranberry orange scones, and spiced coffee to give in re-purposed coffee cans with painted lids and covered with fabric.

I've included some gifts we've done in the past, for teachers, neighbors and pals.

Peppermint scented homemade play dough for our neighbor families with kids...we added some cookie cutters to go along with them.  My kids enjoyed helping with this one.

Small plate, package of napkins, and gift card to a local bakery.  

My daughter made the cupcake tag for a personal touch.

Handmade travel tissue envelopes, hand sanitizer, nail polish...you could add lotion, chapstick...perfect for spring allergy season or change the colors to something more Christmas-y.

This one, I'm almost ashamed to put it on here as it's a liquor gift for a teacher!  So here's my disclaimer: *You would have to know I knew her, her class was a complete handful (though lovable, it was a tough bunch), we both value practicality over perfection (you know all those framed perfectly cut crayon initials on pinterest and then...wine), and she STILL posts this pic on Facebook...four years later.  SO...worth a share, judge me or don't, ha.

Do you have a favorite go-to gift?  What is your favorite way to give a gift card?

2019 Word for the Year

Do you do a word for the year?  Have you heard of that?  You pick a word and then spend the year trying to implement it (for lack of better words) into your life.

I think the first time I heard about it was almost ten years ago.  I chose "Intentional" for that year and felt it actually made a difference, I did become a little more intentional.  And then I kind of forgot about the whole idea and didn't do it again...until last year. I just felt the urge to do it, everyone else was, why not?

I couldn't really think of a word though.  I thought of several, but none really stood out in my mind.

So I prayed about it.

Dear God, please give me a word.  Give me a word to live out this year and learn from.  A word that will change me.  Amen.

It was the weirdest thing.

TRUST.

Clear as a (quiet) bell.  The word "trust" popped into my head.  I laughed it off, why did I think of that?  That thought was me, not God.

TRUST.

It was the theme of daily devotions.  It was the theme of a sermon at church.  It was a word that kept popping into my mind.  It was the theme of Instagram posts from people I respect, it was all over the place.  It didn't shout, it whispered.  But it was e v e r y w h e r e.

TRUST.

Ok, ok.  Ok.  Looks like "trust" is my word for the year!

What have I done by asking for a word, what am I in for?  Oh dear, what does this new year hold for my family and me?  I wondered if keeping the word was a bad idea, kind of like praying for patience (my mom always said not to do that, that you just might get it - the hard way).  I decided maybe it was the word I needed, maybe the year would bring some things that I would need to trust God over.

And the year didn't waste any time in trying that word of the year out.

January, it began.  We found out Graham would need dental surgery, the first surgery either of our kids have ever needed.  Apparently, I am a very nervous Nellie whenever things are out of my control, especially when it involves health and safety.  I get ridiculous.  I prayed, we prayed, I tried really hard to let it go and trust.  And I had peace.  And he was fine.  Great results, healed nicely.

I took on a last minute, unexpected project that I had zero experience with...photo styling for a Hallmark brand (!), Mary & Martha, catalog.  I prayed lots of prayers, and God led me through it.  It was an excellent experience, an absolute gift.

We faced big things and little.   One with the flu, wind damage to our roof (yet we were safe), one who needed stitches, another who almost needed stitches, a swollen chicken, an episode of squeaking chickens, the usual summer road travel pulling a very long trailer, a snake in our coop (twice!) that I accidentally poked (with my bare fingers!) and it did not bite me, lots of time on tall ladders (clumsy me lacking depth perception hates heights), projects that were beyond my knowledge or skill that turned out amazingly (bathroom you will see soon), more travel this time by air, the dog getting loose (too many time to count), and...my dad getting married.

God was there.  We learned, we grew, we loved, we were blessed.  Scary things, opportunities, new people bringing new love to our lives...it all turned out.

Whether I prayed about it and didn't worry, or didn't pray because life happens too fast sometimes, or worried anyways because I am just all too human...God was still there.  God carried us through whether we prayed or not.  God watched over, protected and provided whether I trusted him to or not.  I can tell you with 100 percent surety though, those times I prayed and trusted God to take care of things...I had peace.

Peace is the gift given by Trust.

Peace like a newborn sleeping cozily in it's mama's arms while the preschoolers at library reading time are having a clumsy wobbling music parade complete with tambourines, kazoos, stamping feet and pounding drums.

Peace like sitting in front of a fireplace, heavy curtains drawn against the cold, with a cup of hot tea and a good book on a cold rainy day with howling wind and freezing rain.

Peace of knowing that even though things aren't going as I planned or pictured, it is going just exactly as God planned.  Nothing is a surprise to him, he doesn't forget anything, and there is nothing he doesn't notice.  It might not feel fine at first, but it will all work out according to his plan.  Peace that later, looking back, seeing God's hand in things and knowing that verse Romans 8:28 to be true...

"And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  Romans 8:28 NIV

I wondered as the year progressed, if I would pray for a word for next year, or maybe just not.  I feel I have learned and been blessed by praying for a word last year, whereas if I hadn't, this year might have been filled with constant worry and struggle.  So I am praying, asking for a new word for 2020.  I'll let you know when I have it!

Are you praying for a word?  What was your word this year?  How do you feel it changed you?

Advent Countdown

How do you count down to Christmas? 

Do you do an Advent Calendar?  Do you do a paper chain?

Up until about now, we've always done some little goodies in a pocket or box for each day AND a paper chain, but it's always been hard to keep up. 

Somehow, one more little thing is just one little thing too much during this season of preparation and celebration.  Even the kids couldn't keep up with it!  We'd have days where we ripped 3 or so paper links off. 

One of my favorite count downs was the year my mom gave the kids 25 individually wrapped books.  That countdown was a sure thing, we read a picture book to both kids every night then.  Now they read nightly on their own, but we still have those picture books out on display, in case the need arises. 

Here is it the fifth day of December,  no paper chain has been made, the house is almost decorated, but I still haven't unearthed the advent goodies holder. 

I have a better idea this year.

While listening to Emily P Freeman's podcast "The Next Right Thing" this week, (it comes out every Tuesday, something to definitely look forward to Tuesday for!) she mentions quiet reflection and it inspired me.  I won't say anymore about her episode, you absolutely need to listen to her podcast, I promise you will enjoy it, but it sparked an idea. 

What if in all of this rushing around, trying to hit all of the targets and cover all the bases, what if we are really missing out on something more important?  What if we're wearing ourselves out just for the sake of overdoing it?  Remember that old saying, "It's the thought that counts"?  Have we forgotten to slow down and think?

What if the best way to prepare for Christmas and celebrate advent is daily quiet reflection? 

I found one of those Pinterest pins of "99 Questions to Ask Your Kids After School Besides How Was Your Day" or something like that, and have started asking them at least a couple most every day.

Both kids LOVE it. 

It always sparks conversation that goes in many directions and hopefully, they both leave the snack table feeling heard. 

So thinking of advent, and daily questions, and thoughts to share, I pulled together a list of questions. It can be for grownups to ask themselves in a moment of peace and quiet, to share at the table after school with the kids over snacks, or to talk about with the spouse after the kids are tucked into bed.

You can find a printable version here:

Advent Thoughts PDF

It's a PDF to download and print (all black and white, it's truly not fancy or perfect...but might be useful). 

You can pretty it up if you wish, or have the kids do it, or don't do it at all.  They can just sit in a stack somewhere clean and dry where they won't be forgotten.  I had a few minutes and since creating is life giving to me,  I cut mine to fit into a berry basket I already had and added some washi tape.  You can do as much or little with them as you like.  I hope you enjoy!

Wishing you happy thoughts, peace and calm, and hopefully a little time to yourself to put your feet up!  -Cara

O Christmas Tree

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Our nine foot tree from the last house is too tall for the eight foot ceilings at this house. 

Last House

Last year, we set it up in the eating area, which has a peaked ceiling, but it made the dining table seating a little awkward.  And opening gifts on the dining area floor was a little crowded and uncomfortable...not to mention difficult to get pictures - priorities, right?

Last Year

This year, the tree is going in the living room, eight foot ceilings or bust.  I bent the top few pieces down and we wedged it in.  It barely fits and I've probably gauged the ceiling (it needs fresh paint anyways), but it is not going anywhere!

We always had a fresh tree before, but we were also always sick at Christmas with itchy eyes, runny noses and sore throats.  Three or four years ago, we decided to try an artificial tree and voila!  No more sick!  Three or four years of packing the tree away in it's box has taken a toll though, the poor wooly thing started looking a bit flat and disheveled.  So last year, instead of ordering a new tree,  I ordered a five pound box of tree flocking.  I love those heavily flocked trees all over Instagram, but they are SO expensive and our tree is still good enough (I'd rather spend the money on house projects than on a new tree too!).  

It worked beautifully!  I was immediately hooked.  I pulled the tree out this year, it still looked good, but I decided to add more.  All you need is a flour sifter, spoon to scoop, and a spray bottle filled with water.  Make sure to cover under the tree with towels, paper, or a plastic tablecloth.  It comes off of hardwood, but you may have to scrape a little, so it's better to protect.  Spritz the tree first to give something for the powder to stick to.  I added some essential oils to give it a happy smell while I worked - cedar, Thieves, and orange, but that's just an extra, not necessary.  Then sift, and spray while sifting.  So easy!  A little addictive too, I did our tree and the kids two bedroom trees and was still looking for things to flock.  A little bit goes a long way, I still have quite a bit of that 5 pound box left!

Look how pretty!  And quickly!  I love a project with instant gratification.  You can find Flock-in-a-box here.  Let me know if you try it!