I love cooking.

I love flipping through cookbooks — old favorites and brand-new ones — spread across the table.

I love trying new recipes, planning meals intentionally, and lingering in the kitchen a little longer. And one day, I know I’ll get back to that. But right now?
Dinnertime is the loudest, messiest, most demanding part of the day.

The Problem Wasn’t the Food — It Was the Timing
By the time evening hits, everyone needs something. Kids are tired.
The house is noisy.
The day’s patience is gone. And even though I enjoy cooking, that particular hour is not the time for creativity or decision-making. I didn’t want to give up cooking —
I just needed something that worked for this season.

For a long time, dinner felt like one more decision I had to make every single day.

Not because I didn’t care about feeding my family well — but because the mental load of planning, shopping, and remembering recipes added up quickly. I found myself starting from scratch every week, even though we were eating many of the same meals over and over again. That’s when I started using a weekly meal rotation — and it quietly changed everything.

What a Weekly Meal Rotation Is (and What It Isn’t)
A weekly meal rotation is a simple system where you plan a full month of meals once, then reuse it. Instead of planning one week at a time, you create four weekly plans using recipes you already love. When you reach the end of Week 4, you simply start again at Week 1. It’s not rigid.
It’s not trendy.

And it doesn’t require learning a new app. It’s just a thoughtful rhythm that removes the pressure of deciding what’s for dinner every day.

Every year, it’s easy to feel like Christmas love has to come wrapped in paper, tied with bows, and purchased last minute. But one of our favorite Advent traditions this year reminded me of something simple and powerful:

The most meaningful gifts don’t cost anything at all.

One day during Advent, we made Christmas coupon cards together — little promises of time, help, and kindness. It was one of the easiest activities we’ve done all season, and somehow one of the most impactful.

A December Gathering Without the Pressure
By the time December arrives, many of us feel like we’ve already missed our chance to host something special. The calendars are full, the energy is lower, and the thought of planning another event can feel like too much. But this season doesn’t require a themed menu or picture-perfect décor to be meaningful. Some of the best gatherings happen when we keep things simple, invite people we love, and use what we already have.

Fruits of the Spirit Beaded Bracelets

A simple handmade Christmas gift rooted in faith This year, I wanted our Christmas to feel slower and more intentional. Less rushing to buy and wrap, and more time spent creating something meaningful together. One of the handmade projects we’re starting with is Fruits of the Spirit beaded bracelets. They’re simple enough for little hands to help with, but meaningful enough to give as gifts to teachers, friends, family, or neighbors. This project quietly invites faith into our hands and conversations, and it’s been such a joy to do together.

Every year, Advent seems to arrive faster than I expect. One minute it’s November, and the next I’m realizing December is here and I haven’t quite decided how I want our family to walk through it. I don’t want Advent to feel rushed or performative. I don’t want it to be another thing to keep up with.

This year, I wanted something different for my son. I wanted Advent to be more than counting down to Christmas morning. I wanted it to gently invite him into the season—through small moments of faith, kindness, service, and togetherness, mixed in with the cozy traditions kids love. That desire is what led me to create our Advent Activity Cards.

Every year, Christmas seems to come with a certain kind of pressure—one that moms feel more deeply than anyone else. The gifts.

The events.
The baking.
The classroom parties.
The deadlines.
The “Are you coming to this?”
The “Don’t forget about that.”

The traditions we love… and the ones we feel guilty skipping. And if you’re a mom of little ones, December can feel like trying to hold magic in one hand and a to-do list in the other. But this year, I’m craving something different.

A Christmas that feels slower.
Softer.
Sweeter.
More Christ-centered.
More present.
Less rushed.
Less loud.

And I have a feeling you might be craving the same thing. So I created a list of gentle reflection questions—questions that help us sift through the noise, make space for peace, and actually plan ahead for the things that matter most to us and our families. These questions aren’t about doing more.

They’re about choosing wiser.

They’re about naming what you truly value so you can spend December living it… instead of sprinting through it. Here they are, wrapped in warmth and honesty...

There is something truly magical about curling up with our children and reading Christmas stories together. Little bodies wiggle closer, the room feels softer, and suddenly the season becomes still enough for their hearts (and ours) to hear what it’s really all about. While the fun Christmas books have their place, I’ve found that Christ-centered Christmas stories help anchor our children in truth. They gently pull their attention back to Jesus, His love, His kindness, and the miracle of His birth — in language they can understand.

Here are eight of my favorite Christ-centered Christmas books for little ones (#8 is my absolute favorite! I secretly hope for my son to choose this one every night!), and why they matter so deeply.

Every year, we sit down with the best intentions — a stack of envelopes, a cup of cocoa, and the blinking cursor waiting for those first few words.

And somehow, writing a Christmas letter feels harder than ever. What do you say? How do you sum up a whole year without sounding like a highlight reel (or an apology tour)?

Here’s your guide to writing a meaningful, heartfelt Christmas letter that people will actually want to read — one that feels personal, real, and joy-filled.

Every year around Christmas I think, “I should host one of those Favorite Things parties… that looks so fun.”

And then December happens — school stuff, church stuff, work stuff — and I push it off again. So this is the year we plan it early.

Because honestly? This is one of the easiest parties to host — and one of the sweetest. A Favorite Things Party is simply:

Everyone brings their favorite item from the year (one for each person at the party) and then everyone goes home with a little bundle of new favorites!

It’s like getting to borrow your friends’ brains for a night — their best candle, their best kitchen thing, their best lip gloss, their best cozy find. And the best part?

You don’t have to decorate like a crazy person. You can set out a pretty table, add some candles, print your matching signs and cards, and let the idea be the star.