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Dec 19, 2024    |      0 comments

How I will Finish the Year

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How will you finish out the year? Will you spend it celebrating all the wins of the year? Wallowing in the loss? Or are you already forward facing? Ready to leave 2024 in the past and step into what is to come?

For me, I am slowing down this year. Being very intentional about where I allow my mind to linger.
end the year slowly quote

While I may never be able to stop my mind from racing, from making lists, from looking far into the future and attempting to make plans. I can choose different. And this year, I am choosing to slow down this month.

Christmas is different this year. I’ve made no plans, set no expectations, and plan to take the day as it comes.

Since I’ve returned from Texas, I am taking each day as it comes. Trying to sit on decisions and evaluating all options. Not rushing or being ruled by emotions. Nor fear.

The Last Few Years were…

2023 was spent wading through grief and loss. It felt like I was tossed from crisis to loss and then back again, over and over again.

2024 has been spent making strides to regain my equilibrium and rolling around ideas for my future. And the transition to empty nester was complete.

2025 is going to be the year that I make decisions about what this next phase of life will be. I must be wise. And I must not rush.

And that is my focus for this last month of the year. I am going to be still. Be quiet. Be alone. And spend time seeking God’s will, determining what is best and healthiest for me, and perhaps, finding a purpose that I can turn my eye too. I truly do need something outside of my own head to focus on. But I have absolutely no idea what that is to be.

My wish for you these last two weeks – peace, joy, and a gentle ending to the year.

 

Dec 15, 2024    |      0 comments

Christmas Crafting & Blind Dates

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My visit to Texas was so busy. Between working my full time job, helping with mom’s care a bit, working through stacks and stacks of paperwork, purging and cleaning the kitchen, getting Christmas done for my dad and myself, and family get togethers a couple times a week, I am ready for the quiet of home. For a little while at least.

Christmas crafting

I mentioned in a recent post my plan for crafting Christmas gifts. Working hard to stay in my $5 savings budget. And I’m so thrilled with what I created over the last 3 weeks. (See teaser image above).

A quick trip to Hobby Lobby right after Thanksgiving when everything was on sale provided all I needed to create some budget friendly, very personal gifts for my Texas family. And it was such a nice “break” from all that was going on.

I thoroughly enjoyed the moments that I could put on my headphones and tune out everything else for a little while and just paint and create. It’s so easy to lose sight of these small pleasures with the crazy of the holiday season.

While I am no expert at art, and I’m not a perfectionist, I am really proud of the variety of items I created. And they are all wrapped and under the tree.

Total spent…$60! Not to shabby for 7 presents. Woot, woot. And I think they will really like them.

I also helped my dad with his presents, getting them wrapped, ordered, and thought through.

Continued growth

I continue to see an evolution of my perspective with regard to money. And that is certainly not more evident than at this time of year. Making Christmas special has always been so important to me. And for most of my life, that’s been $$$$ on gifts.

Don’t get me wrong, I am still driven to make Christmas special. But I am recognizing that it doesn’t have to equal the dollars spent on gifts. But maybe the effort and heart put into the gift.

Blind date with a book

My favorite find for this Christmas…the local library had a $7 per bag of books sales while I was in Texas. Guess who’s getting books for Christmas? Yes, everyone. And they are so personalized. Have you ever heard of blind date with a book?

Etsy inspiration image of blind date with a book

Etsy Inspiration of how to wrap a blind date with a book – not my image

Seeing images like this one above inspired me. I grabbed my bag of books, old newspaper out of my dad’s garage, twine my sister had laying around, and a variety of cards, paper clips, stickers, snacks, etc. and wrapped up my own “blind date with a book” gifts for everyone.

It was so fun, and the only cost $7 for a bag of books from the local library. 

I pray this season you can find ways to make it feel special without breaking the bank. This is such a new feeling for me. And I am so grateful for the many blessings that I have so often taken for granted.

 

 

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