Author: Vanessa

It’s the month of May, 31 days filled with lots and lots of things. The December of spring. Graduations, weddings, the end of the school year, yard work, recitals, sports, etc. etc. etc. The weather is finally beautiful and there is new life blooming everywhere. Here is What I’m Loving in May.

What I’m Loving in May

Walks and the Bible

My walks continue to be a sanity saver for me. Almost every morning I get to walk our gravel road while the sun comes up. Recently I have started listening to the Psalms on the Bible app. It has been incredibly life giving and is the perfect way to begin my day.

School’s Out for Summer

We finished our school year a few weeks back and our entire family is grateful for a break. We all worked hard and now have a few months to play, relax, reflect, and simply have fun together. This month has been filled with soccer games, park fun, zoo trips, gardening, and doing whatever the kids want to do. It won’t be long until we are spending our days at the swimming hole. Summer. Is. Coming.

Travel with Kevin

Kevin has a lot of travel this month for work and I get to tag along for a few of his trips. I love traveling as a family the most, but it’s always nice to get away and take a breather without kids. We spent some time in Arizona and get to go to Nashville around our anniversary. I love hanging with my guy!

Vuori Joggers

This is silly, but true. I have been living in my Vuori joggers. Kevin got hooked on Vuori during Covid and has been singing their praises since his first wear. He bought me a pair for my birthday and made me a believer. The buttery soft material, the comfy fit, the fact that I can wear them out of the house and look semi-put together. In my humble stay-at-home-mom opinion, they are the perfect pair of pants.

Dreaming Again

This last year has been a tough one for our family. Without getting into too much detail, life has been weird and hard and also really beautiful. I promise I will share more when it seems appropriate. The last few weeks, it has seemed right to start dreaming again. Slowly and surely, I have allowed myself to dream about what our family can do in the next year. Travel, projects, our lifestyle. It has been refreshing to think about things other than doing life day to day.

God is in our family’s story. It has been a season of trials, but also so much joy in the midst of it. I know dreaming again is a gift He has given me in the middle of all this and I’m grateful for it.

May is full of so many good things. What are you loving in May?

It’s been a minute months since I’ve written here. There are reasons for that: the holidays and family situations and time away and just ordinary life. With other things on my mind and heart, writing publicly didn’t seem like what I should be spending my time on. So I didn’t. And that’s the great thing about this wonderful life: we get to choose how we spend our time.

Now I’m feeling compelled to write and share, so here I am. I am going to ease back and start slow and easy: What I’m Loving in February. While I don’t feel ready to share more about this season of my family’s life just yet, I anticipate wanting to share more in the future.

If you’re reading this, I want to thank you for being patient, for continuing to read my words, and for your love and encouragement over the years. I am grateful.

What I’m Loving in February

A Change of Scenery

Like we have the past few years, our family is currently wrapping up some time away. We have ridden bikes, dreamed, ate way too many burgers and not enough vegetables, watched as many sunsets as we could, and grew together. We have discovered this time away is sacred for our family. While it may seem strange or extreme, it’s something we will continue to prioritize because it matters to us.

Not everyone has the dream to live somewhere else for an extended period of time. But, I challenge you dear reader, to dream. What is something you wish for you or your family? What is something that seems out of reach, but your heart just can’t let go? What do you want to do with your one big, beautiful life?

Ten years ago, living somewhere else seemed impossible for us. Out of reach. Unattainable. Impossible. However, we kept dreaming. We made a plan, made gains on our dream, failed, made gains, failed more, and kept at it. And by the grace of God, we were able to make our family’s dream a reality. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. I hope this encourages you that a dream, big or small, can be accomplished with some planning, perseverance, and loads of grace. I would love to know, what is your big dream?

Dressing with Less

Travel always reminds me how little we need. We drove a small-er car 20 hours south with little room for loads of suitcases. So, we packed with less. Each of us (minus Kevin) had four outfits, including the one we traveled in, and a couple of swimsuits. If I’m being completely honest, even my minimalist self was a teensy bit nervous about this. Would we have enough? Would a kid have to wear dirty clothes to dinner? Would I be kicking myself a week into the trip? And the answer to those questions (in order) is yes, yes, no.

Each of us absolutely had enough clothes. Yes, there was a time or two someone’s hoodie had a ketchup stain on it, but it wasn’t a big deal. I didn’t really give clothes a thought much of the trip. I was doing laundry everyday, but that is the norm for me. Having less clothes meant less laundry clutter and loose things hanging out around the house, which made the time away that much more enjoyable.

Dressing with less away from home inspires me to pare down our wardrobes even more when we get back. You can bet I will be putting some things away in our closets to make our lives a little bit easier in the coming weeks.

Walks by the Water

I’ve got a few more days walking by the water each morning before sunrise and I will not waste one minute. The waves and vastness of the ocean are therapeutic for me and I don’t take this opportunity for granted.

Shelf Cooking

I recently listened to a podcast about Shelf Cooking, a term coined by Jordan Page. Shelf cooking seems obvious, but Page argues most of us don’t cook this way. Basically shelf cooking is using what we already have in our fridges, pantries, and freezers to make meals at home.

This concept has worked well for me while traveling and cooking in a kitchen that isn’t mine. We only buy what we need and use what we have. I am anticipating using this method at home, using what we have in the freezer and pantry to make meals. With the rising costs of groceries, there isn’t a better time to begin Shelf Cooking.

Reading Again

This time away has allowed me more time to read. Some reading comes in the form of actual books in my hands, some in the form of listening with ear buds in my ears. Either way, it’s been nice to make space for something I enjoy so much. And it doesn’t hurt that reading can help reduce stress by up to 68%. Yes, please.

Some favorites: There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather, Teaching from Rest (read for the 3rd/4th time?), The Gift of Failure, and Rules of Civility. One of my friends told me about a challenge she did this fall that involved reading 10 pages a day. I decided I’m going to do that throughout the month of February and hopefully carry it into the rest of the year.

February is here and while it may not be the most exciting month of the year, there is much to love about it. What are you loving in February?

Thanksgiving is next week, friends. I’m not sure how we are already here, but, alas, we are. Here is What I’m Loving in November.

What I’m Loving in November

Celebrating my people.

November is birthday bonanza month at our house and I love a good celebration. We celebrated our two big kids’ birthdays and made lots of memories with an Iowa State game, individual dates, and a trip to Great Wolf Lodge. We opted for experience gifts this year and I’m so glad we did.

Decorating for winter before decorating for Christmas.

The Nester is my home decorating guru. She talks about the importance of decorating for winter before Christmas and I believe her. The past few weeks I have slowly changed out my pillows and throws for cozy, soft winter ones. I have added twinkle lights around the house and flannel sheets are on my bed. These small changes prepare my home for the Christmas decor that will be coming in about a week.

Afternoon Walks

My morning walks have turned into afternoon walks and I’m getting to be okay with that. It gets me through the afternoon slump and gives me the second wind I need to finish the day strong. I just met my goal of walking 400 miles this year, so that feels extra good, too.

The prospect of being healthy.

Friends, we have been sick on and off for around two weeks now. I love my humans, but I don’t want to clean up any more bodily fluids and I want my bed back. We are getting closer. We have had upper respiratory stuff and GI stuff and then fevers from time to time. It can only go up from here. Here’s to being healthy for the holidays!

Trader Joe’s Mandarin Chicken

There is no shame in frozen chicken for dinner, especially when it’s TJ’s mandarin chicken. This is going in my dinner queue at least once a week during the holidays because it’s easy and a crowd pleaser.

We are about to enter the season of all seasons, but before we do, let’s name what’s good. What are you loving in November?

I’m a better mom in December because of the Christmas Gift Challenge. The last few years I have been intentional about when I get my Christmas shopping done and it’s helped me truly enjoy one of the best months of the year. This year our life is a little bit fuller and I almost decided not to do it. However, I know my December self will thank me for the work I do this month. There is a chance it all might not get done before December 1 and I am okay with that. Grace, friends. Here is how I’m doing my Christmas Gift Challenge this year.

Christmas Gift Challenge

Make a List

Excel and my Notes app is how I keep my list straight. I have been keeping gift ideas for my kids on my Notes app for several months now. I have an Excel spreadsheet I use year after year with a master list of who our family buys for. Recently, I sat down one afternoon and edited the master list with ideas for gifts.

A few ways I keep things simple:

1. I purchase the same gift for groups of people. For example, the kids are giving one book they liked this past year to all their friends and we gift the same small gift to our neighbors.
2. I use traditions and the Lazy Genius’ Decide Once principle to help guide my gifts. For example, the kids get toothbrushes, candy, and a small trinket in their stockings each year. I don’t have to use a lot of brain power to purchase those gifts.
3. Our kids get three gifts from us. Every year.

Create a master list of all the people you would like to buy for either in your Notes app, a good old fashioned notebook, or an Excel spreadsheet. Brainstorm gift ideas beside each name. Simplify when possible!

Set a Budget

I think it’s easy to skip this part, but let’s not. Okay? Our family sets aside money each month all year long for Christmas. The amount we set aside is based on money we have spent on past Christmases divided by twelve. I use that big, round number to help me decide on an allotted amount for each individual gift.

Take time to get real on what your budget is for Christmas gifts this year. If you don’t have the capacity to set an amount for each gift, at least set a number of what you want to spend on Christmas gifts as a whole. I don’t talk a lot about money here (for good reason), but I whole heartedly believe in not going into debt to buy Christmas gifts. Your January self will thank you.

Shop

Maybe you like shopping small or shopping Amazon or window shopping through the mall. For me, I like to dabble in a little bit of everything. I will purchase gifts from both Amazon and my local gift shop, The Occasional Collective, and there will obviously be Target runs. I have been slowly shopping, sitting down to purchase items when I have time. I have it on my calendar to head into The Occasional Collective in the near future to pick up some special items as well.

Decide how and when you will shop. For most moms, a majority of the Christmas shopping lands on our shoulders. God doesn’t give us an extra 40 hours for shopping this month, so we must make time for it. Designate some times when you will shop and put it on the calendar. This ensures it will actually get done.

Store the Gifts or Wrap

There are two types of people: those who like to store the gifts and wrap later and those who like to wrap right away. There are both pros and cons to both of these methods, but that doesn’t matter much. We have to do what works best for us. For me, I like to store the gifts and wrap in December while I watch Christmas movies. It is my guilty pleasure and helps me feel productive while I am binging the Hallmark channel.

Decide when you will wrap and if you need to make space to store the gifts that are coming into your house. Make a plan for the goods.

Christmas Gift Challenge

So are you in for the Christmas Gift Challenge? Let’s remember, none of us gets an award for finishing our Christmas shopping first. This challenge is simply a way to give a little love to our December selves. But let’s not let our November selves become crazy people in the process. Let’s challenge ourselves, but also give ourselves loads and loads of grace. I would love for you to join me in the Christmas Gift Challenge this year.

It’s November 1st, which officially means it’s Christmas. I don’t believe that and neither do you, but everyone is trying to make us believe it’s true. While we still have time before Christmas, let’s take a bit of time to do A Christmas Brain Dump to prepare our hearts and minds for the upcoming holiday season.

A Christmas Brain Dump

A brain dump is simply writing everything down in your brain. A Christmas Brain Dump is writing everything down in your brain about Christmas. You know you’ve been thinking about it at least a little, so it’s time to get it down on paper. Grab a notebook or open up your Notes app and write down everything you can think of that you need to think about, decide on, or do for the Christmas season. Decide on gifts for kids, Buy gifts for kids, Put up the tree, Decide where your family’s bodies will actually be on Christmas morning. You get the idea. Nothing is off limits. Everything goes on the list.

Name What Matters

The Lazy Genius is a genius and one of her principles is Name What Matters. After you have gotten everything down on paper, look at the list and decide what is actually necessary for your Christmas to feel like Christmas. What things light you and your family up? What needs to absolutely happen in December for your Christmas season to be complete? Name What Matters to you and your people.

It gets a little tricky here, because you might say that everything matters. And maybe it does, but what are the priorities, the things that if they didn’t happen, you would turn into a raging Grinch. Star or highlight those things.

Make a Plan

Now it’s time to make a plan with your Christmas Brain Dump. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or extensive, or take a day to make. Simply look at the things on your list and put them on the calendar, delegate to someone, send a text to ask a question, put them on your to-do list. We are at the beginning of November, so we have time, friends.

After I did my Christmas Brain Dump, then named what mattered, I made a to-do list for November and one for December. Some of the things on my list for November: Decide on gifts for each person. Purchase gifts. Decide on calendar items: Durham Museum, my extended family Christmas. Plan 10 meals to rotate for December. Send out Christmas cards. Some things on my list for December: Wrap gifts. Get out/purchase Christmas clothes. Bake cookies. Get out Christmas read alouds.

A plan gets us where we want to go.

Take Action

Remember, it’s November and we have time. Let’s take action on things we can and slowly work our way through things needing done. Getting to Christmas is not a race. No one is winning any awards for crossing things off the Christmas to-do list. Let’s take stock of our capacity at the moment and pace ourselves so we can get to December with wide eyes and open hearts.

Will you do A Christmas Brain Dump?

Reds, purples, oranges, and browns.  Covering my toes with cozy socks.  Pumpkins and gourds and crunchy leaves and shimmery spiderwebs.  Lighting a candle before the sunrise.  Steaming coffee and warm muffins and pumpkin spice and whipped cream mustaches.  Today I’m sharing What I’m Loving in October. 

What I’m Loving in October

Changing with the seasons

I am making myself love this one. If you’ve been around here, you know I love my morning walks. Well, those walks are becoming shorter and shorter as the sun is rising later and later. I’m making myself pivot and lean in to the actual current season. Instead of taking a long morning walk, I’ve been taking a short morning walk and another afternoon walk. I’ve been allowing myself to sleep a little later and rest when the sun goes down. I believe God created seasons for a reason, so I’m trying to embrace this one.

Costco’s Pumpkin Bread

Our family loves pumpkin anything.  And while we make homemade pumpkin muffins often, sometimes it’s nice to forego all the mess and still pull yummy muffins out of the oven.  My friend picked this pumpkin mix up for me and it makes delicious muffins.  There is a good chance I will have her pick up one more box before the pumpkin season is gone.

One on One Time

One on one time doesn’t come easy in a family of six.  And while that’s true, it doesn’t make it impossible.  A year ago, Kevin and I started taking each child on one of his work trips.  A few weeks back, we took one of our middles, Jude, to Colorado.  We ate up his giggles and snuggles and made space to do things he loves.  We played countless games of Phase 10, Go Fish, Tic Tac Toe, and Memory.  We ate lots of cheeseburgers.  And we climbed a mountain (in his mind). 

Strong relationships take time and attention and I’m so glad we were able to pour in and focus on our Jude. 

A Slimmer Wardrobe

I know I mentioned this back in September, but I believe it requires a little more attention.  After traveling to Colorado with two of my favorite boys, I realized I overpacked.  Over the past ten years, I have slowly gotten minimal-ish in my packing for travel, both for myself and for my family.  However, this trip I packed about three shirts and one pair of pants too many.  I have done this in my closet as well.  I want to wear the same things I feel good in day after day and there are pieces just hanging, not getting any wear.  So, when I got home, I slimmed down my fall wardrobe even more, being honest with myself about what I feel good in and what I actually wear.

One of my favorite pieces for this fall is my olive green jacket.  It has dressed up outfits, kept me warm on cool fall mornings, and is ‘my color’.  The only reason I know it’s my color is because someone told me. I got ‘my colors’ done about a year and a half ago and it’s helped me so much when it comes to getting dressed.  If you are local, check out my friend, Amanda, at Seasons of Color Omaha to find out what colors look best on you.

What are you loving in October?

Fall will officially be here this week. Whether we like it or not, pumpkin spice is everywhere, the Dude Perfect guys are commentating football games, and many of us are dusting our boots off to wear to the apple orchard. Yes, fall is in the air and I choose to love it. It’s a fuller season for our family, yes, but it’s also a good one. Football and field trips and harvest time and crisp morning walks and apple pie and muddy boots and fall flowers and pumpkin muffins and a lit candle at dusk. Here is What I’m Loving in September.

What I’m Loving in September

Still Days on the Farm

While our family has a lot going on in the evenings and on the weekends, I am trying to make time for us to be still on the farm. I have found our family thrives when we have a good balance of hustle and stillness. When my kids are asking to stay home, I know it’s time to slow down. We have had to say ‘no’ to some good things lately so we can have adequate family time. Slow mornings with fresh eggs from the chickens, long read aloud sessions on the couch, observing our caterpillars turn into butterflies, grape harvest, walks and gator rides through the fields. Still days on the farm are essential right now.

Alllll the Sports

Now I’m going to talk out of the other side of my mouth. We are deep in soccer and football and it is such a joy for Kevin and I to watch our kids do something they enjoy so much. Because of sports we need still days on the farm. And because of still days on the farm, our full sport schedules work.

Project 333

I haven’t talked much about what’s in my closet lately and that’s because I haven’t made the time to get intentional in there. However, with fall being the way it is, I needed to make it simple. This fall I am using Project 333 so I can have things to wear everyday. If you haven’t heard about Project 333; it’s simply this: Wear 33 items for 3 months. I’m at about 35 clothing items without shoes, but the result is the same. I have things to wear everyday that I feel good in. Being intentional in the closet also means I know what I need. After going through things, I am on the look out for a good jean jacket or cardigan for a fall layer. I know what I have and I know what I need.

BLTs

There is nothing like a fresh, garden tomato. Lucky for us, our garden has been plentiful this year. Friday nights are usually snack tray nights, but the last several weeks have been BLT nights instead. I usually eat mine on a Hawaiian roll with lots of mayonnaise and sometimes an avocado. Kevin likes his with an egg in the middle. I am going to be sad when my BLT Fridays go away for the season.

Butterflies

If you’ve been following along with me on Instagram, you know we have released three monarch butterflies into the world. I am a full believer in seeking out beauty and being in awe of God’s creation. The miracle of the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly is awe inspiring and I’m sure glad we were able to witness it.

What are you loving in September?