Christmas Bucket List

We're already making great progress on our Christmas season bucket list. It's te most wonderful time of the year! (Except for when it isn't, in which case I'm very sorry for what you are going through. There's no shame in feeling less than merry during a painful season. I just prayed for peace to wash over you and I really hope it does 💙)

We completed everything on our autumn bucket list except for the Christmas graphic novel for my kids. I just couldn't seem to make time for it! 

I did attempt to complete my silly autumn book bingo but I'm doubtful that I actually caught every mention. I found it to be an overall nuisance and I won't do it again! 

Scarecrow:

Blanket:

Hot chocolate:

Coffee: The Second Story Bookshop: Gray made coffee at halftime. "It was a noisy affair with the loud grinding of beans and low hiss of steaming cream."

Pumpkin flavored anything:

Gloves:

Pumpkin patch:

Scarf:

Pinecone:

Cinnamon:

Soup: Briony's new thing is lobster bisque in The Perfect Rom-Com

Crisp or chilly air: All That We Carried... The air is always chilly in this October hike!

Tea:

Baking:

Trees: The Second Story Bookshop... Shelby admires maple trees lining the street.

Fog:

Apple orchard:

Harvest festival:

Wind:

Football: The Second Story Bookshop: Shelby's family cheered about a Cowboys touchdown after their Thanksgiving meal.

Fireplace: The Second Story Bookshop: Gray stacked logs in the fireplace and nursed the flame until it caught.

Boots: All That We Carried... they may be hiking boots, but they're boots!

Rain: Second Story Bookshop: Shelby follows Gray in her car as he walks in the rain

Leaves: A chipmunk ran across some leaves in All That We Carried

Sweater: 

Easter 2025

 

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving! 

Tonight we'll be listening to Christmas music and putting up our decorations.

This year's activities:

🎄The Angel Tree read-aloud + lots of Christmas picture books

🎄 Christmas pajamas courtesy of my mom

🎄 Christmas movies each Friday night...  White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, Jingle All the Way, and It's a Wonderful Life. (Plus probably some Grinch, Rankin & Bass, and Veggie Tales favorites on Saturday or Sunday!)

🎄 The Christmas playlist we built last year on repeat

🎄 Nutcracker viewing party!

🎄 We'll pick out a new tree ornament that represents our 2024

🎄 We'll put together a holiday jigsaw puzzle and we'll build a tiny model house + decorate it for Christmas!

🎄 My mom and I will be reading The Christmas Bus as our Christmas buddy read this year! 

I also thought I'd share this super cute, free Christmas reading poster activity for parents. We've used some of her calendar activity pages in the past and they're always a hit. 

Thanksgiving decor + plans

This post is mostly just for us to look back on someday, but since I enjoy seeing other people's holiday fun maybe some of you will enjoy it, too. 

Menu:

Appetizers: Crackers + a junky processed spray cheeze my pregnancy impulse purchased (My pregnancy purchased it, NOT me) // Raw veggies + hummus 

Lunch: twice baked broccoli potatoes // mac n cheez // sweet potatoes // Baked cinnamon apples 

Dinner: pizza 

Desserts: Pumpkin pie // Pecan pie bars

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here's the simplest 3 ingredient pancake recipe for those interested in a thinner, somewhat crepe-like plant-based pancake:

Blend 1 cup oats with 1 cup water and fruit of choice. I usually do blueberries but today I did cherries for a pink pancake. 

I cook mine in a ceramic skillet so I can avoid cooking in oil.  

For heart-shaped pancakes I drizzle a heart outline and then pour batter into the middle to fill it in. 

We also love these dipped in raspberry sauce. Slowly cook down half a bag of frozen raspberries. Blend up with a splash of maple syrup and as little water as your blender lets you get away with! 

Valentine's Day books we love: The Best Thing About Valentines // The Day It Rained Hearts // Snowy Valentine // Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch // Valentine Blessings