I feel like I’m emerging from a COVID cave. The last two weeks feel like an eternity, and my brain still thinks it’s the beginning of January. Time is so weird in this pandemic world we live in. So as far as new year’s resolutions go, I still feel like I haven’t even started yet.
Most of you all probably know that last week, I tested positive for COVID. Both of the kids and Nathan tested positive shortly after that. We have no idea who brought it home, although, I have my guess. And so began our quarantine. Yet again. We spent five months of 2020 in quarantine, and I honestly thought that after we were vaccinated in April of 2021, the pandemic would pretty much be over for us.
Ohhhh…what wishful thinking that turned out to be now looking back.
I’m writing this at the start of another week of quarantine. A full 14 days juggling all of the tasks and responsibilities, and, of course, keeping the kids alive and healthy.
On Friday, Harrison was sent home from daycare abruptly mid-morning because his teacher had tested positive that morning. And that led me, after having a very mild cold since last Monday to decide maybe I should just check to make sure it’s not COVID. And sure enough,
Positive. So we’re in quarantine this week. Trying to work two full time jobs with little kids at home. So given all of that, I haven’t had time to write much this week. I’m going to take the week off to take care of my family, and hopefully get everyone back to full health. Stay safe, friends!
I always feel like I deserve a pat on the back for making it through the first full week back at work after the holidays. The temperatures finally dropped to winter cold, and I’ve struggled finding the motivation this week. We’re looking forward to the Chiefs v. Broncos game this weekend at our house. Nathan is at least excited that his game will actually be shown here in the Kansas City market. Ha. Hope you all have a great weekend ahead!
I love Christmas decor, but I looooove the blank slate and uncluttering that comes with taking all the decorations down. Anybody else get a thrill over how big their house seems with all the Christmas decor coming down?
I became a reader again last year. Thanks to my, albeit very late, discovery of audiobooks, the second half of my year was FULL of reading. Books that I thought I’d never have time to get through before, that I had had on my reading list for years. I wrote a whole post about how I became a reader HERE.
This year, I listened to 21 books. 20 of those books I reviewed here on my blog. Here’s some links back to past book reviews:
I took a look back at all of the books I read this past year, and came up with my top three favorite books of the year. When I actually sat down to try to rank them, this was a really hard task! I can’t imagine how hard it will be once I’ve read books for an entire year!
In third place…
Happy New Year, friends! I hope you all had a joyful and restful holiday season. I always find the time between Christmas and New Year to truly be a time of relaxation with so many people off work, and finally feeling like I can truly unplug from work email and tasks.
We had a really wonderful Christmas. Harrison’s excitement this year for all things Santa and Christmas Day was palpable and contagious. We had so much fun opening gifts from Santa on Christmas morning, enjoying a slow brunch with just our family and opening presents. It was so nice out on Christmas, that we actually got to play outside a bit. Then we had my parents over for Christmas dinner later that evening.
I wanted to share some of the photos from the day all in one place.
This is it, friends! My last post of 2021. 117 posts this year!
I’m planning on taking off the rest of the year through the new year to give myself a mental break and be present with my little family! I’ve so appreciated and loved the people I’ve met through this space. Thank you for reading and being a virtual part of our family.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
This past Thursday, I hosted our annual girls’ Christmas book club at our house. Like so many other events, last year’s Christmas book club was done virtually over Zoom. So I was so excited to have everyone back at our house this year!
I love hosting this little get together because for me, it’s always the kick-off to the holiday week. And with so much time with family over the holidays, I love starting the holiday week with girlfriends.
Christmas jammies are encouraged. But, honestly, anything comfy does the trick. This year, the Chiefs played on Thursday night, so instead of having a Christmas movie playing, we had the Chiefs game playing!
I always choose a couple of appetizers/snacks to have for everyone. And we have so much fun sipping wine, eating snacks, and kicking off the holiday season.
I feel myself getting caught up this time of year in trying to have the perfect Christmas. Mostly ideas of peaceful cookie decorating, picturesque holiday movie watching on the couch with the whole family and a fire going, and doing all of the festive things like visiting Santa, looking at lights. And then there are little things too, for me, like wrapping each present perfectly. And I can find myself, if I don’t catch it early enough, with these high expectations of what this time looks like for our little family.
The holidays, and pretty much all special events, are better when I lower my expectations. When it doesn’t go perfectly, I don’t want my kids remembering a mom that was flustered and upset. I want them to remember these special celebrations as moments of joy strung together.
So as we head into this holiday week, I pray for you, friend, a week where we let go of the reigns a little bit. We lower the expectations of our children’s reactions and actions, the perfect picturesque holiday scenes we have in our minds, and remember that the best thing we can give our kids is a happy, joyful mom in the chaos and mess of it all. (And then let’s just all plan to have a virtual glass of wine together at the end of the night. ☺️)
Happy Friday, friends. And Merry Christmas week! ~Lauren
We went and visited Santa a couple weeks ago. I wasn’t sure how this would go, honestly. I was prepared for tears. Harrison hadn’t visited Santa since he was 1, and obviously has no memory of it.
I’ve admired for years winter containers put together by some of my very favorite garden accounts. I’ve admired my own MIL and mom’s winter containers, but I finally had the time and energy to put some together myself this year!
Even though this is my first time doing winter containers, I love that it’s a cross between outdoor gardening and flower vase arrangements. You can play with and re-cut, re-arrange as much as you want! Watering doesn’t matter as much if it’s below freezing, and you can make it all look just to your liking!
To put together these winter containers, I had picked out the containers around my home that I wanted to spruce up with evergreens this winter when I pulled out my annual flowers this fall, and I left the potting soil in the pots. The most cost effective way to create a base for your arrangement 😊. I’ll clean out the old potting soil in the spring before I re-pot them with spring flowers!