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Mindful Christmas Decorating
I, like many others, have an addiction to watching those “holiday haul” videos on TikTok… you know, the ones where someone goes to Target and buys a bunch of beautiful Christmas decor. And as much as I would love to get the sweet sugarplum rush that comes from new wreaths and mini Christmas trees… I refrain. As you know, I love Christmas. And the decorating that goes along with it. My usual minimal tendencies become a bit more… maximal. But, as I’ve gotten older, my tastes have changed and I have less patience for cleaning glitter and flocking. I find myself drawn to more elevated styles and colors that will…
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January Mood
?What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.? ? John Steinbeck
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New Year Winter Refresh
We could leave the Christmas lights up ’til JanuaryThis is our place, we make the rules– Taylor Swift, Lover Happy New Year! Instead of resolutions this year, I wanted to share out some things I like to do at the beginning of the year so that my mind, body, soul, home, etc. feel refreshed and ready to go for the new year. Home Take down the Christmas tree (and put the tree out to compost) and decor. *sigh* It’s sad but it must be done. And don’t just throw everything in a box. Take your time to organize everything as you put it back so everything is ready for next…
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End of Year Thoughts: 2019 Edition
How is it almost Christmas?! This last month went by in a blur… a merry, happy blur… but still a blur. I’m looking forward to relaxing, eating, and Christmas-ing with family this week. But before I do that, here are some end of year tidbits! Some amazing books were released in the later months of the year and deserve a mention (see my favorite books of the year from a few weeks past). The Starless Sea (meta as hell and won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but if you love stories? gosh, what a love letter to it all? I sank into the pages and it was like a cup…
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A Less Wasteful Gift Wrapping Guide
Brown paper packages tied up with strings… these are a few of my favorite things! ***Updated for 2019!*** Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas! Happy gift giving! So you picked out the perfect, thoughtful, mindful, gift — now what? I, like many others, love seeing beautifully wrapped presents under the Christmas tree. I also love watching the joy on people’s faces as they slowly (or not so slowly) unwrap their gifts. So how can we present beautiful gifts without producing waste that goes to the landfill? Here are your options!? The BadFirst off — check to make sure your local recycling facility accepts wrapping paper. Most do with some caveats. If your…
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Christmas Home Tour 2019: Merry + Bright
Better late than never! But I thought I’d share a few pics from our home this year and how I went about decorating. I usually start by collecting images on Pinterest for inspiration… a theme usually pops up pretty quickly. For the past few years, I’ve really been into a “merry and bright” theme… neutral but with lots of pops of pinks, reds, and greens. Cheerful and simple. And here’s the final look! The Christmas mugs, plates, and ornaments have been collected over the course of a few years. And every year, we get a fresh Frasier fir (from Home Depot) and I save the cut branches for decor around…
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Finding Joy in the Cold, Dark of Winter
I recently read this article on the “bad season” aka the few months every year (winter, summer, doesn’t matter) where everything just feels BLAH and self care becomes critical. For many people, THIS is the bad season. The part of winter where it’s been dark and cold and rainy/snowy for weeks. When the cheer of the holiday season has worn off. When we can’t be bothered to care about our yearly goals and resolutions. I personally have two bad seasons — one, right now, for 2 months or so and another in June-July when the heat is heavy and oppressive and I have to shower 3 times a day to…
