Happy New Year!

I always love the fresh start of a new year, and I enjoy the process of assessing and resetting. Part of my New Year routine is reconfiguring my method of schedule-keeping and thinking about how I want to keep our family calendar organized.

I tend to try out different personal planners for each year, and the last few years I've used the Day Designer Weekly/Monthly planner. I bought it again because it's my go-to and I want to have it on standby. 

However, I also found myself buying this Whitney English planner along with her notepads. I couldn't help but fall for her beautiful branding! 

As I've flipped through the planner and started filling it out, it almost seems like too much space for list-making (can't believe I'm saying there is such a thing). I like her concept of HEART goals in theory (an acronym that stands for Help Yourself, Empower Yourself, All Your People, Resources & Responsibilities and Trade), but I already find myself wanting to tweak the acronym to better fit my outlook. For instance, instead of "empowering myself" (I don't like that phrase), I would rather have an entire category geared towards spiritual growth with that as the heading. I'm interested to see how I feel about this a few months in. 

Another item I bought several months ago with the new year in mind is this weekly notepad. Several years ago I used the Lara Casey Power Sheets and really saw positive outcomes from a daily habits standpoint. I think the successful aspect was the habit tracker. I'm not in a season where I have major goals that would require a full notebook, but I wanted to see if I could replicate that habit-tracking mechanism. I found this notepad on Amazon and I'm going to give it a try as well. 

We're in the week of Christmas, and we can all sense the mounting excitement, but also the mounting stress. I feel like no matter how early we start preparing and doing things in advance, there are still so many little things that fill the week before Christmas that can create a lot of chaos. Honestly, some of this is unavoidable, and I think we would do better to understand and embrace it rather than create an idyllic scene in our minds that can inevitably cause disappointment (I've been there). 

One of the inevitable stressors are last-minute gifts. I want to encourage you to get alone with God and quietly ask Him, "How can I give encouragement and show Your love to _______?" Change how you're thinking about the word "gift." Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Write meaningful, loving letters. Choose some pretty paper (or a legal pad. . .or a piece of printer paper. . .), sit down and write them a letter. What do you love about them? What memories do you share? Think about those we love who have passed away. What do we cherish the most? For me, it's seeing their handwriting and knowing they themselves wrote that note to me. In a digital age, we need tangible, hand-written records for our families. This is the most precious gift you can give. 
• In a similar vein, choose twelve notecards and write similar sentiments as I mentioned above. They can open one note per month for monthly encouragement! Great for a college student (or anyone)!
• Write down your favorite recipe on a pretty recipe card and put the non-perishable ingredients in a basket. This is special AND practical! This is perfect for daughters, granddaughters, etc. 
• Gift cards are the classic go-to, but to make it more special, add something else. For instance, buy a restaurant gift card for your son and his wife, but include a cute note that says "You both work so hard and are wonderful parents. We want you to invest in your marriage! Enjoy dinner on us and we will provide babysitting!" It's the WORDS that make the gift special. 
• Similarly, if you give a gift card, share some personal thoughts along with it. Give a Home Goods gift card, but add a note that says something like: "Creating a home is so special and I can't wait to see how you decorate! I'm praying the Lord's peace and presence over your home."
• Pre-pay for three months (or however long) of house cleaning for a tired young mom.
• Write coupons for practical help: a casserole you'll deliver once-a-month (this would bless anyone!), laundry-folding for an overwhelmed mom, or weekly time of reading aloud to an elderly loved one.
• Sensory box subscriptions are great for kids and help moms, too! You can print out a certificate with a note that says: "You're an amazing mom! I love watching you take care of your little ones. Maybe this will buy you a few hours of quiet so you can recharge!"
• Purchase a Bible and go through it, marking your favorite verses and making notes in the margins. This is a priceless gift for ANYONE you love! 

Believe me, I understand how putting this into action can be difficult! With five kids and lots of other factors, there is so much filling my mind. However, I have a choice in how I respond. Of course I've had plenty of moments where I have felt a little overwhelmed, but in this season of my life the pervading feeling is just being tired. Again, some of this is unavoidable! For those of us who are the organizers and coordinators of the family, certain logistics have to be discussed and thought about. However, we DO have a choice in how we let these things affect our thinking and our attitudes. We can allow stress to build and resentment to grow, or we can choose differently. 

Plenty is written about keeping our mindset on Christ during this season and keeping our focus on the right things, but living it out can prove difficult. We have to intentionally choose to course-correct and recenter, and this is a daily process. 

I am going to choose to start my day in the Word of God.

I am going to choose to turn off my email notifications so I don't see advertisements constantly. 

I am going to choose to spend time at home as a family this week instead of creating a "Christmas activity schedule" that will fill our nights (don't mistake doing "activities" as a family for true quality time).

I am going to release the unrealistic ideas I've created in my mind and ask myself "What will truly honor our humble, holy Savior?"

I am going to worship with my heart and not just my attendance at the Christmas Eve Service.

I am going to talk to the Lord about the stress I feel and continually be filled with His peace. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

It's not too late to adjust your heart and mindset this week. It's not too late to make the changes necessary so Christ can fill your home and heart! Let's spend these days leading up to Christmas by opening our eyes to the joy He has given us through His Son and praising Him for all He has done! 

One of our favorite things to do as a family during the holiday season is watch movies and shows together! Over the years we've figured out which ones we want to watch without fail, and I wanted to create a list that reflected our personal choices as a family. These are movies and shows that we are all comfortable watching together! Most are probably familiar to you, but a couple might be off the beaten path: 

Small One is on Amazon Prime. You have to buy it, but it's only $1.99 and can't be missed! 

My kids think Benji's Very Own Christmas Movie is kind of mediocre, but for some reason I just love the nostalgic feel of it! You can find it on Amazon Prime as well. 

Ben and Eddie's Christmas can be found here on YouTube. My siblings and I watched this as children (just like Small One) and it truly made an impact on me. Really listen to the lyrics of "Is Your Heart a Manger?" and dwell on the depth of those words. 

Hopefully this list is fun and helpful! I included a box where we can add in movies we want to try or extras we have time for. To get this list in PDF format, click here!

Merry Christmas!

As Christmas is approaching, everyone is getting things checked off their lists and shopping is nearing completion for some - but I still wanted to share gifts ideas! All of the lists that I share can apply to other gift-giving occasions as well, and hopefully it will be a jumping-off point for your own ideas! 

Tween/young teen girls are out of the little girl stage but they aren't yet adults. I find this to be a fun challenge! Here are some ideas for the sweet tween/teen girl in your life.

Toddlers and Preschoolers are constantly exploring, playing, and actively learning! These are a few things they're sure to love.

This adorable Baby Pram is a favorite of my son Luke, who is almost four years old. Yes, my son loves this little stroller! We bought it for our now eight-year-old when she was a preschooler, and he attached strongly to it! Easy to push and has held up great!

This Inflatable Fort has endless possibilities! Great for indoors during the cold winter months. 

 There's nothing sweeter than watching little ones enjoy their first Christmas! Here are some sweet and fun gifts for the youngest baby in your life.