Advent Celebrations: DIY BINGO Game and Crafts

Hey everybody!

I pray you all are doing well, I’ve not been on the blog in a bit as I have scheduled quite a few posts already as we are trying to focus on the Advent Season here. As we prepare for Christmas we are also doing some preparations for St. Nicholas Day and for our annual Polar Express Party… so much fun!

CHECK OUT OUR ULTIMATE POLAR EXPRESS PLANNING PACK ON ETSY!

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Eating from the Garden: Butternut Squash Medley

Hey guys! It seems like it’s been forever since I’ve sat down to write a post and so much has happened… the most exciting thing is that I’m a GRANDMA! I was able to spend a bit of time with the new parents and I got quite a few snuggles in with the little one before I had to come home. Mr. Awesome and the kids did a great job holding down the fort although the goats did get out and they ate my blackberry bushes. When I asked my husband about it he looked to where I was pointing and said ‘What blackberries?’… they have had quite a hard pruning but I’m hoping they’ll come back better than ever.

We’ve been busy before and after this little ‘vacation’ trying to get our winter gardens in place… the chickens had eaten some of our plants and then someone forgot to water them for a few days so we had a little bit of triage to do and we did have to replace s few things. While planting we are also harvesting what we can from what plants are remaining. I know we really enjoyed the Rosella greens last year so we definitely wanted to give them a go again. I also wanted to try to use some sweet potato leaves as a spinach alternative. I had read something the other day about how it wasn’t always hard to grow different foods but we need to learn to eat what we grow… I really want everything we put our time and energy into to provide us with something whether it’s just nice to look at, to smell, or to eat.

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Friendly Reminder – Holiday Planning

Hey everybody!

I know it has been very busy around here and it seems that we truly have been jumping from one challenge to another here lately but we are surviving! We pray that you are doing well too and that everyone is starting to feel like they can breathe a little easier with all the events that have unfolded around us recently.

I really don’t want to think about the holidays yet but they are fast approaching. I know that they will be a little different this year but that’s ok. We are so blessed and thankful for all that we already have. I just wanted to throw out a couple little reminders of things that you can do now if you are planning any special dinners or events. We know that getting family and friends together can help lift everyone’s spirits and we like to try to have a few special events a year… this year has been a little extra but that’s ok.

Now is the time to start looking for Christmas decorations… if you wait much longer then they may be gone. Take a few minutes this weekend and look over your plans for Advent, Christmas, or Polar Express to see what things you may need to get so that you can start buying them now. If you are planning to do something for St. Nicholas Day then now would be the time to start looking for those gold-covered coins and any study guides or activity ideas that you would like to use.

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Rainbows after the storm

I started writing this post in January 2019 but LIFE happened and somehow it got left unpublished. A lot has happened since then and I have updated at the end… so be sure to read all the way through! It is now February 2024 and I am working on getting this published for Pregnancy Loss Awareness Day later this year. I trust that God had a reason for letting me ‘LOSE’ track of this and I PRAY that this helps someone.


Many of you have probably heard the term ‘Rainbow Baby’ and you probably already know that these are babies born after a miscarriage. Well, I consider both of my youngest to be Rainbow Babies as I had four very difficult pregnancies that ended in miscarriages before they were born. Not only that I had already been told that, because of some other female issues, my chances of carrying another baby to term were very slim… and I had completely given up on the idea of any additions to our family.

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Ultimate Holiday Planning: A 12 Week Strategy

Here are some posts that I put together last year about Getting Ready for the Holidays, maybe they can help you have a less stressful holiday season this year. I will update posts as I change things but they may give you a starting point.

You can also print out the Event Planning Guide or the Planning Notebook under the Printable Library Tab to help you get started with your plans!

Getting Ready for the Holidays Weeks 1 & 2

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 3

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 4

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 5 – The Week Before Thanksgiving

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 6 – The Week of Thanksgiving

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 7 – The Week After Thanksgiving

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 8 – 3 Weeks Before Christmas (St. Nicholas Day)

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 9 – 2 Weeks Before Christmas (Polar Express)

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 10 – Week Before Christmas

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 11 – Week of Christmas

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 12 – Week after Christmas (New Year’s Day)

You may also find a printable grocery list handy:

Weekly Meal Planning and Grocery List Printable