1.  hygge. i read “the little book of hygge”. (affiliate link) to say i dislike winter would be an understatement. but as we creep closer to colder days, i find myself excited + it’s because of this book. hygge is a feeling of cozy + comfort, and includes all things related: blankets, warm drinks, a sweet snack, candles, friends/family, warm lighting, etc. it’s a small, daily practice that invites us to slow down. this book is a must-read! 

2.  family time. whether is was gathering around the table at my parents' house for thanksgiving or game nights with my in-laws or watching the cowboys lose with jared's parents- i found a simply joy in those moments. 

3.  a list of things i love. (yes, a list of things i love on a blog post about things i love.) ashlee gadd shared her list on instagram, and it inspired me to do the same. but "inspired" is an understatement; it took on a deeper meaning as i started making my list. i started to realize this small practice was magnifying His goodness. some things were silly, but it shifted my focus to what really matters, + i am grateful for it. i plan to write another list, maybe once a quarter! 

4.  capturing bits + pieces of our week. i will never be a vlogger because it is just not my forte, but i have enjoyed documenting the little things from our weeks. 

5.  our local library. it's no secret that my preferred method of reading is audiobooks, but there were a few books i've been wanting to read that were best enjoyed with the physical copy in hand. so we took a family trip to the library. i picked up my holds, and jackson checked out several books as well. i am throughly enjoying cuddling up with a book, hot tea, + my bougie blanket. (affiliate link)

6.  evening walks in our neighborhood. i am convinced a long walk will cure just about anything.

7.  autumn. this year's autumn season felt like such a gift. for once, the weather stayed consistent, which made the fall foliage absolutely stunning. these last few months of the year are my favorite. fall + the holidays bring about a sentimental reflection. 

8.  no more mosquitos. i can walk outside + not get kamikaze-attacked by swarms of killer mosquitos. i am being very dramatic, but it was a long summer of itchiness. 

9.  my bullet journal. i know i talk about this a lot, but it is not just a fun creative outlet; it’s super practical for remembering things in my everyday life. i am switching to seasonal bu-jos, so this next one will go from december to february (winter). 

10.  that we GET to live out our faith. we took a big leap of faith this month. and i can't help but get emotional- that jared + i GET to say, "here is our life. we trust that You will make a way." what a privilege to serve a God who is in the details + cares far beyond what we can comprehend. 

 

-  i am reading a book about the art of hygge + it is so fascinating! we are incorporating some of the practices in our everyday life. i am trying to slow down more, but in very specific ways. not rushing to get to get things completed or hurrying from one place to the next.

-  thanksgiving leftovers > all other types of leftovers

-  i have been wearing these fake nails (in black, obviously) since i had five days off. they're fun, but also hard to deal with at times. haha!

-  we traveled to oklahoma for thanksgiving. it was so great to see my family. we played rummikub + ate delicious food.

-  i read "i hope this finds you well" in one sitting this weekend. (it's a very small book.) i wanted to enjoy this book of erasure poems, but it was just dripping with secular viewpoints + wasn't my cup of tea. i love the premise, but it was just not for me. i am really wanting to get into poetry, but i'm having a hard time figuring out where to start.

-  the sooners may have lost, but the weekend was still victorious because i finally beat my BIL in rummikub! lol. (and don't get me started on the sooners' coaching situation. i went on a twitter spree about it all.) 

-  we have half of our christmas shopping complete + it's not even december yet. normally we finish on december 23rd, so this is kind of a big deal.

-  my winter coat is on major sale right now! if you are looking for a new coat, this is a great option.

-  here is this week's pinterest inspo board.

-  i shared this post on monday. if you are in a rut or are in a tough season, i challenge you to write out a list of things you love. it brought me so much joy. i even started a second list to share soon.

-  i washed my hair one time this week. i promise i won't make this a personality trait. i am just amazed that i can do this after years (over a decade!) of washing my hair every day. 

-  a few things on my christmas wish list (hi, mom!)- these boots, this set of deep-pocket sheets, + this beanie.

-  does anyone else do the flamingo stance when they're cooking? i saw someone doing it on a tiktok this week + i didn't know it had a name or that other people do that while cooking. 

-  bits + pieces IG reel.

-  i love that wichita is having a real autumn this year. usually it gets cold so fast that the trees are barely able to turn colors. this year, it is stunning. everywhere i go, there are vibrant yellow + red trees. it makes me so happy.

-  "You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." psalm 16:11 

-  i started reading "the little book of hygge". winter is not my favorite season, but i want to learn how to embrace it instead of just trying to endure it.

-  this was a big week for our family. we are stepping out in faith in a big way. i'm not trying to be cryptic. maybe i'll share the story some day. i am just really grateful that we get to walk this path right now. it is scary, but i am trusting in the Lord's direction for us. 

-  here is this week's inspo pinterest board.

i love wildflowers. i love a well-curated playlist. i love that first sip of coffee. i love taking long walks. i love holding babies. i love cotton candy sunsets. 

i love christmas. i love thanksgiving. i love the fourth of july. i love celebrating, even if it's a made-up day such as national coffee day. i love that we leave our christmas tree up through all of january. 

i love the beauty of winter nature. i love sushi. i love having the windows open. i love british accents. i love talking about sooner football with my dad, how we can recall certain plays + games that happened years ago with such clarity.

i love the feeling of shedding my business casual attire + changing into my favorite sweatshirt as soon as i get home. i love asiago bagels topped with mounds of cream cheese.   

i love when a sunset makes me pause. i love when people wave after i've let them ahead of me in traffic. i love when a stranger returns my smile.

i love movie nights at home, cozied up on the couch. i love that feeling of returning from another dimension after walking out of a movie theater. 

i love when jared comes up behind me + envelops me in a hug. i love when he walks by + smacks my booty. 

i love driving through my neighborhood as the sun sets because it shows off the stunning fall foliage. i love pop culture. i (still) love blogs.

i love when i am walking + jackson’s little hand grabs mine. i love when luna gets the zoomies. i love podcasts about books. i love how tyler hops a little when we pour his food into a bowl.

i love dinosaurs + the color blue because of jackson.

i love coffee + movies because of jared.

i love cheesy dad jokes. i love sweet tea. i love the first transformers movie. i love to communicate in GIFs. i love the childhood i had with my brother.

i love instagram. i love taking photos of flowers. i love twinkle lights. i love being inspired. i love driving through college hill during the holidays. i love game nights.

i love the smell of the heater when it’s first turned on after a long, hot summer. i love to watch a thunderstorm roll in. i love shopping with my mom.

i love potatoes, in any form.

i love cake, in most flavors.

i love browsing target with a hot latte in my hands. i love driving in downtown ICT at dusk. i love a fresh manicure. i love edwin mccain's song, "i'll be".

i love how when i say "one of my friends", jared knows i'm talking about an internet friend i've never met in real life. i love the stillness of snowfall. i love slow saturday mornings.

i love when a 90s song comes on in the grocery store. i love the smell of rain. i love maple donuts. 

i love the look on peoples’ faces when i recount the story of how jared + i met. i still love the ring we picked out over six years ago. 

i love scripture. i love how God reveals Himself to me through flowers. i love that my Creator gave me the gift to create.

i love the little things in life. i love to romanticize simple, everyday moments. i love lists. i love this list.

 

-  after five stores + hours of searching, jared + i finally made my floral christmas tree vision come to life. it is so, so beautiful + i smile every time i see it. 

-  i could eat my weight in cheesy potatoes.

-  after weeks of searching, i finally found a sling bag! (it's technically a fanny pack, but i use it differently.)

-  i went to the library this week! i haven't been since before the you-know-what started, and it was wonderful to be roaming around books again.  

-  the winter 2021 issue of magnolia journal was such a delight to read. 

-  i was thinking in the shower (where all my great ideas start) about how i see debates online. when someone is very . . . *passionate* or angry or whatever, i try to see how their worldview relates to their opinion on the topic at hand. more often than not, a strong viewpoint that seems based on emotion is related to a past trauma or event. instead of trying to see it from their perspective, we just see dissension. this is where the internet has skewed our empathy. everyone is yelling at each other when we all just need to take a breath + listen.

-   i started reading HRH: so many thoughts on royal style. 

-  bits + pieces IG reel.

-  i had the day off on thursday. we had lunch at district taqueria + then walked around the zoo. we chilled the rest of the evening + it was a wonderful day off with my boys.

-  i only washed my hair once this week! i attribute most of this success to using better hair products. 

-  we finally got a costco membership. i know our first grocery bill is going to be so high, but the way we're structuring it, we will only shop there twice a month. jared has taken over our grocery shopping + planning + i am happy to let him take over.

-  i participated in laura tremaine's day-in-the-life challenge, one day HH. it is saved in my IG highlights.

-  here is this week's inspo pinterest board.

 

-  "children mimic your tone". phylicia masonheimer said this in a response to a question on her insta. the follower asked about explaining their family's personal choice on a matter to their children + how to prevent them from becoming judgmental about the said situation. i liked how she answered the question. kids are sponges. if they sense judgement from us, they will assume that is the correct way to approach the subject with others.   

-  we watched "the eternals" in theaters. it was . . . fine.

-  we voted in our local election for the school board. 

-  i have lived in wichita for almost seven years, and there is one thing i still can't get used to: geese in the road. they will straight up stop all lanes of traffic as they mosey along to the other side of the street. it is such a baffling thing to watch.

-  bits + pieces of the week - IG reel.

-  jackson's school needed some information. these moments are why i am grateful for my bullet journal. (and for my mom's example of writing everything down!). i was able to easily reference the info + respond in a timely manner. 

-  may i be known more for my love + empathy than my thoughts + opinions.

-  we had a full saturday. it started with all of us sleeping in, which we never do! then we ate lunch at mcalisters deli followed by a trip to our favorite coffee shop in ICT, leslie's coffee co. we drove through the beautiful fall scenery as we made our way out east to a local shop's second location opening, grate.fill. we bought two pothos plants + a small jar of charcoal face mask. we ate mexican food + went to the grocery store. it was a delightful day.

-  here is this week's inspo pinterest board.

 

-  i will take a photo of any flower, anywhere. this one was in the walmart garden center.

-  campfire + s'mores.

-  the loveliest saturday at the lake.

-  while the boys fish, i hang out in the camper + do creative things.

-  potato tacos at district taqueria. 

-  "create" sign at the salon.

-  taking luna on a walk around the block is such a workout, and i am always sore the next day.

-  flowers at the zoo.

-  our zoo membership was such a great investment!