Happy 2024, everyone! On Christmas Eve Eve when everyone was home, Joel and I prepared a steak dinner for the six of us. On a whim, I set the table with blues, browns, cream, and a bit of orange. The cream dinner plates are Pioneer Woman and are getting old and chipped, but I still love them. The blue floral salad plates are from T.J.Maxx (4-ish years ago), the flatware is from Walmart, and the napkins are from Home Goods (2 years ago). The brown glasses are from Hobby Lobby's fall line which I got for 50% off in November and they have been a nice new addition to our kitchen. Winter wreaths, a frosty tree, oranges, and a gingerbread candle finish off the table for a ... Read more
A Walk Through the Woods
We took a refreshing walk at a nearby trail this week to get some fresh air and work off the Christmas goodies. Even in the dead of winter there are so many fascinating displays of God's creation. Here are a few photos from our walk. ... Read more
A Merry Little Christmas Shower
In early December my daughter and I hosted a Christmas-themed bridal shower for a very sweet young lady. We've been friends with her and her mother, Missy, through years of homeschooling, tea parties, and even a trip to the Biltmore Estate together! My daughter will be one of her bridesmaids, so we wanted to throw a shower for our lovely bride-to-be. This shower was so much fun to plan and prep, thinking of goodies and details the bride would enjoy. She is so sweet and grateful for any little thing people do for her, that honestly, she would have appreciated peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! When I host a gathering, I try to finish preparations a few minutes before guests arrive so I ... Read more
Christmas Decor ’23
Good morning, friends! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. I have truly enjoyed all of it this year! The baking, the shopping, the gatherings, the goodies, the movies, the music, the decorating, and the worship! I had to cut out a few things this year, like getting Christmas cards printed and mailed, but it's a balance, right! I always hesitate to share photos of Christmas decor because I never want to appear that I'm showing off (I just enjoy decorating!) but also because Christmas decor has become so controversial. Has anyone else noticed that? The right time to put up your tree, the right kind of tree, and the right color schemes for your tree. In fact, there are arguments about ... Read more
BING-HO-HO-HO!
For the last year and a half, my son and I have been calling BINGO at a local assisted living home on the third Monday of each month (used to be Wednesdays but changed to Mondays this year). My friend, Teresa, works there and makes everything magical for the residents! She is so creative and plans the best activities! So, when she put out a call for Bingo volunteers, I jumped at it. And it's been a BLAST! The regular Bingoers know us well now and we have fun joking around throughout the hour we're there. I was especially looking forward to going back this month for a little Christmas gaming with our spunky friends! Our sweet little neighbor girl joined us this time! Her mama, Rivers, is ... Read more
Fluff the Nest Friday: A Front Porch Ready for Company!
HAPPY FRIYAY, friends! (Are we still saying "Friyay" or is that out? I'll ask my girls.) Anywho, I'm taking our fluff post outside today to show you a couple of ways I've cleaned up my front porch. Late winter is when my porch really starts to look dingy and in need of some freshening up. It's tricky because it's not quite time to deck it all out with spring flowers and bunnies, but I need something to hold me over until then. I hosted a bridal shower at my house last Sunday for my nephew's fiancé (more to come soon!) and wanted the entrance to look a little more presentable. I couldn't do everything on my wish list, so I chose a few things that were the most manageable and affordable ... Read more
Cook by the Book: Vichyssoise
Hello! I know my purpose with these "Cook by the Book" posts is to try new recipes from my cookbooks but today I'm sharing an old recipe from a cookbook we've had many years. I served this back at our Winter Wonderland Tea as a warm start to our meal. It's a soup recipe pronounced /vi~shee~swaaz/ but sounds way more complicated and fancy-schmancy than it really is. Not convinced? Ok, here's my secret. This recipe comes from a children's cookbook! When our girls were little, we took them to see the Ratatouille movie and we all enjoyed it so much we purchased the Ratatouille What's Cooking? cookbook, and this was one of our favorite recipes. So, if a kid can make it, anyone can make it no ... Read more
Great Wolf Lodge Birthday Trip
Last week my son turned 12 years old! For our children's birthdays we've always given them the option of a birthday party at home or a day trip with just our little family. Some years are very low key and they just want to have a quiet birthday at home with no hoopla and other years are a little more festive. If they choose a day trip with the fam it's to somewhere an hour or two away and not an overnight. However, since the last two years have brought cancelled birthday plans for our son due to covid and bad weather, this year we made an exception and took an overnight trip to the Great Wolf Lodge in La Grange, Georgia. This place did not disappoint! It was clean and full of fun! Very ... Read more
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