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The Top 10 Best Advent and Christmas Resources for Families

October 27, 2023 by Tracey 1 Comment

This is the time of year when I start to think about preparing my heart for the Christmas season. Yes, I’ve already started shopping for gifts and adding our Christmas parties and activities to my calendar. But I want to make sure I also look for ways to stay spiritually focused on Christ’s birth in the midst of the busyness of the season.

Here are ten resources that I’ve used – or, in the case of a few of them, wish I had used! – to keep Christmas centered around Christ and his birth.

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1. Nativity Fabric Advent Calendar. I would have loved to use this with our daughters! We had a very simple Advent calendar that we did each year (it involved chocolate 😉 but this one is so cute yet meaningful.

2. The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas. This will be my third year reading through this book as part of my Bible time during the month of December. The chapters are short but meaningful.

3. Come Let Us Adore Him: Stories Behind the Most Cherished Christmas Hymns. I’ve read other books of hymn histories by this author, and this one would be great to read on your own or together as a family.

4. Fisher-Price Little People Christmas Story. We had several of the Fisher-Price Little People sets when our girls were young, but never this one. Looking back, it would have been a great gift for their first or second Christmas. These sets last for a long time and can be passed down from child to child.

5. Unwrapping the Names of Jesus. We read through this advent devotional as a family one year. Along with studying the names of Jesus, suggested projects and activities are also included. (Click here to read my in-depth review of this book.)

6. Annie F. Downs Advent Series. This series just came out last year so I haven’t used it yet. However, I like a lot of Annie’s stuff and hope to use this product in the future.

7. Countdown to Christmas Advent Collection (Adventures in Odyssey). Our girls were huge Adventures in Odyssey fans for years! These audio CDs (or digital download) are great to listen to in the car or before bedtime.

8. Harold the King from Patch the Pirate. Our girls also enjoyed Patch the Pirate recordings, and we owned this one. You can choose an audio cd or streaming format.

9. A Family Christmas by The Piano Guys. The Piano Guys have some of our favorite instrumental arrangements, and this recording is lovely to have on in the background this time of year.

10. A Charlie Brown Christmas. We still watch this classic every year as a family!

A great way to begin the Christmas season is by spending the next few weeks in a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving for the many blessings God has given us. Then we can move forward with our hearts and minds ready to celebrate the greatest gift ever given, God’s Son sent to redeem us.

If you have any Advent or Christmas resources that you love, please share them in the comments!

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5 Fun Finds for June 2023

June 30, 2023 by Tracey 2 Comments

We’re back for another monthly edition of 5 Fun Finds!! Today’s picks are all related to summer fun.

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1. SkinnyPop Original Popcorn. Let’s start with an easy summer snack! I think everyone in our family likes this one, and it’s a light choice for a hot day.

2. Pickleball Set with 4 Paddles, 4 Balls, and Carry Bag. In my weekly emails I’ve mentioned that my husband and I started playing pickleball this month. We have courts not too far away from us and we’re enjoying learning the game. This is the pickleball set I ordered from Amazon and it’s been just what we need.

3. Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen. I’m fair-skinned, so sunscreen is a must for me if I’m going to be outside in the summer. While I’ll occasionally use a lower SPF for my body, I always use this sunscreen on my face.

4. Adventure Women’s T-Shirt Mountain Hiking. I bought this comfortable t-shirt in pink to wear at some of our outside events this summer. It’s light and soft, fits true to size, and comes in other cute colors.

5. The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese. I mailed this book to our younger daughter who wanted something new to read in the evenings when she’s done with her work at camp. I read it not long ago and thought she’d enjoy it since she tends to like modern fiction.

Bonus: Best Fried Green Tomatoes from Guy’s Grocery Games. I couldn’t leave without sharing at least one summer recipe! We’re big fans of fried green tomatoes and I love that Stacey from Southern Bite includes directions for making these in the air fryer!

Let me know if you’ve discovered a fun find lately!

5 Fun Finds for April 2023

May 6, 2023 by Tracey Leave a Comment

Hello! I’m back with our (mostly) monthly roundup of five things I’m enjoying. This month I’ve also added my favorite fiction and non-fiction reads that I’ve finished recently. Let me know if you’ve tried any of these!

Amazon affiliate links are included below. I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

1. Revlon One-Step Volumizer Plus 2.0 Hair Dryer and Hot Air Brush. I haven’t used this myself, but my younger daughter owns it and loves it…and her sister’s been known to borrow it 🙂

2. Ethereal Makeup Organizer Bag. I recently replaced my old and very small makeup bag with this one and I like it a lot! The bottom section unzips and has slots to store your makeup brushes. It’s the perfect size for the makeup products I use on a regular basis. (I have the black and white striped one which doesn’t seem to be available right now. The black one is also nice and there are several clear options.)

3. 2mm Sterling Silver Big Hoop Earrings. I bought these in silver for my younger daughter. They seem to be good quality and are available in different sizes and finishes.

4. S’mores Cookies. My younger daughter made these when she was home for Easter break and they were SO good! In fact, I made some myself a couple of weeks later!

5. How to Edit Your Wardrobe for the New Season in 5 Easy Steps. You’ve probably already transitioned into spring clothes by now, but this is a very helpful article that you can use any time you want to clean out your closet.

I also wanted to share the best books I’ve read lately. In non-fiction, it’s The Greatest of These by J.D. Jones which is a compilation of his sermons on 1 Corinthians 13.

And this is one of her older books, but Lynn Austin’s All She Ever Wanted was one of those novels that I didn’t want to put down!

Let me know what you’ve discovered lately that you love!

5 Fun Finds for March 2023

March 24, 2023 by Tracey 2 Comments

Hello, friends! I have to say that this has definitely been an interesting March weather-wise! We’ve gone from warm temps to cold and now back again. We’ve had wind, rain and pollen, so I guess we’ve about covered it all!

A sweet friend gave me some tulips in a pot and I hope to get them planted in the ground this weekend. I’ve never grown tulips before so we’ll see how it goes.

I’m back with our (mostly) monthly roundup of five things I’m enjoying. Let me know if you’ve tried any of these!

Amazon affiliate links are included below. I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

1. Elf Makeup Brushes. I’m just venturing into the world of makeup brushes and my, there’s a lot of them! So far, I really like this brush for foundation and this one for blush. I’m planning to pick up this powder brush today.

2. Tuscan White Bean Soup. I was wanting some comfort food one night and this fit the bill. I didn’t include celery in mine since neither my husband nor I like it, but otherwise, I made the recipe as written.

3. Lady of a Thousand Treasures by Sandra Byrd. I would call this a historical fiction mystery. It was a fun, interesting read.

4. Deweisn Compact Lighted Travel Makeup Mirror. I bought this because I’ve found that many hotel bathrooms have poor lighting…and I’m spoiled by the magnifying mirror I have at home. I used this mirror on a recent trip and it was exactly what I needed!

5. J. Crew Factory Girlfriend Crewneck Tee. I bought two of these shirts when I was shopping at our local outlet mall a couple of weeks ago. They’re a nice weight and length; I have one in my closet that I bought last summer and it’s held up well.

Let me know what you’ve discovered lately that you love!

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That Time I Had a Pity Party

March 10, 2023 by Tracey 4 Comments

Have you ever thrown yourself a pity party?

I was curious to see if there was an actual definition for “pity party” and, of course, there is. Dictionary.com says it’s “an instance of feeling self-indulgently sorry for yourself.” In the story that I’m sharing below, I’d say that sounds about right.

It wasn't pretty. Three guests were there. And here's how I hope to avoid this party next time.

A few weekends ago, I was struggling. I was emotional and discouraged and questioning God about some things. We can call it a full-blown pity party and the sad thing was, I just wanted to stay at the party.

As I look back on it now, I can recognize who my guests were at the party.

Ingratitude.

Instead of counting my blessings, as the hymn says, I was observing things I didn’t have that I wanted. That mindset will never get us anywhere good.

Self-focus.

As is often the case for me, pride was at the root of my struggle. I wanted what I wanted…but that wasn’t necessarily what God wanted for me.

Lies.

I chose to ignore truth and listen to the lies of Satan.

I knew that the thoughts running through my head were not based on Scripture. Rather I was allowing my emotions to dominate my thinking.

This particular pity party lasted much longer than it should have. I was comfortable with those guests and they were having a good time.

Then slowly but surely, truth slipped in. As I allowed what I knew about God through His Word to seep into my mind, the lies and the pride and the ingratitude had to find a new place to hang out.

So what truths made the difference?

God loves me.

In fact that Sunday morning our Pastor preached a sermon from Psalm 139. And do you know what verse jumped off the page at me?

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! [Verse 17]

When I wanted to think that God didn’t love me or had forgotten about me, here came those words. In the midst of my doubts, He sent reassurance from His Word.

God forgives me.

When I think back to how stubborn I was being, I’m ashamed. But thank God for His forgiveness.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ~1 John 1:9

God is faithful to forgive our sins. That means He’ll do it every time when we confess them.

As undeserving as I am, God continues to bless me.

God’s mercy and grace are unexplainable. If my child had reacted to me the way that I did to God in this circumstance, I might want to make them earn their way back into my favor.

But throughout the following week, I knew God was blessing me in different ways. I’m unworthy, but He continues to demonstrate His grace.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. ~James 1:17

Was that the last pity party I’ll host? Probably not. But I hope the next one’s much shorter. I hope I’ll recognize it for what it is and kick those guests to the curb before they have time to get comfortable.

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5 Fun Finds for February 2023

February 17, 2023 by Tracey 2 Comments

Hello! I hope you’ve had a good week.

After a few months off from sharing my monthly “fun finds” with you, here are some of my favorite things this February.

Amazon affiliate links are included below. I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

1. Play Nine. I first played this card game at our daughter and son-in-law’s apartment, and when I got home, I ordered it for myself! It’s simple to learn and is a good mix of strategy and luck.

2. The Southern Lawyer by Peter O’Mahoney. For our recent cruise, I loaded up my Kindle with books to read. I like legal mysteries, and this one was good. There are two more books in the series, and I enjoyed both of those as well.

3. Ayieyill Corduroy Tote Bag. My younger daughter ordered this for carrying things around campus this semester, and it’s very cute! She got the pink one.

4. Perfect Pan Seared Venison Tenderloin with Garlic Herb Butter. I made this as our last family meal before our younger daughter went back to college last month, and it was so tasty! We had venison in the freezer, but you could certainly do this with beef tenderloin as well. I did make one variation in the cooking method. I seared the tenderloin in the cast iron pan on the stovetop for two minutes on each side, then I put it in a hot oven for the last couple of minutes to finish it off.

5. Personal Organizer Toiletry Bag. I shared this item a long time ago, but I wanted to highlight it again. It’s been getting a lot of use lately! I’ve had it for years and it’s still in good shape. All of the separate pockets are perfect for my toiletry items when we travel, and I love that you can hang the bag from a hook on the back of a bathroom door or on the end of a towel rack.

Thanks for checking out my list, and I hope you have a great weekend!

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5 Fun Finds for September 2022

September 30, 2022 by Tracey 5 Comments

Happy last day of September! We’ve currently got some wind and rain from Hurricane Ian, but certainly nothing like those in Florida experienced. The pictures and videos from those hard-hit areas show such devastation, and we’re praying for those who lost so much due to the storm.

I’m finishing up September by sharing five things I’ve enjoyed this month.

Amazon affiliate links are included below. I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

1. How to Have Meaningful Conversations with Your Adult Kids. I have saved this blog post to refer back to often. Suzy’s young adult children are older than mine and you can tell that the wisdom she shares here comes from her own personal experiences. If you have older teens or adult children, I highly recommend reading this.

2. The Well-Watered Woman. I read this book on my Kindle and highlighted parts of nearly every chapter. In fact, I plan to order the hard-copy version to have and will read through it again soon.

3. Revlon Infrared Hair Dryer. Our last hair dryer died a couple of months ago, and I got this one to replace it. I like how lightweight it is, and that it has both warm and hot settings.

4. Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls. I have been making a recipe similar to this one for many years. The only difference is that I spread the softened butter and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon on the dough separately, as opposed to mixing them together. However, the end product is equally delicious either way!

5. RoC Multi Correxion 5 in 1 Anti-Aging Eye Cream. An esthetician recommended this on a podcast I was listening to, so I decided to give it a try. It’s supposed to help with puffiness, under-eye bags, and dark circles. I’ve been using it for a week or two and I do think it’s helping, though it’s really hard to judge at this point. Maybe I should just use it on one eye for a couple of weeks and see if I can tell a difference between that eye and the other one!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and a good start to the new month!

3 Keys to Loving Life and Living Well

September 14, 2022 by Tracey 5 Comments

How does that title grab you? I daresay we all want to enjoy our lives and experience many days of happiness!

As I continue my journey of reading through the New Testament, yesterday brought me to 1 Peter 3:10-11.

“For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.“

I was excited to see that right here in the Scriptures, God gives us instructions on how to “love life and see good days.” Let’s take a look at what He says.

Check out these three keys to loving life and living well found in the Bible in 1 Peter 3.

1. Watch what you say.

First, we’re told to keep our mouths from speaking evil. Does that mean not using curse words or taking God’s name in vain? Yes, it does. But it goes even further. Think of gossip, insults, criticism, complaining, or blasting angry words.

Secondly, we’re to make sure we speak honestly and sincerely. No lying, slandering, flattering, or using our words to deceive others.

James calls our tongues “an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” [3:8], so using our mouths in the wrong way is a natural, fleshly response. Overcoming it is a lifelong struggle and not one we can win on our own. This can be a daily matter of prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to help us watch what we say. It’s the first key to loving life and living happily.

2. Avoid evil and do good.

The second key is to turn away from wickedness. Here’s another daily challenge since evil tends to come at us from lots of angles. Whether it’s outward actions of disobedience to God’s commands or sinful heart attitudes, we need to keep away from evil.

Instead, we can choose to do good. The Bible instructs us in the right way to live. We read it and obey what we find there. We perform acts of kindness to others, not for the purpose of salvation, but to bring glory to God.

3. Live in peace with God and others.

We can live in peace as we learn to trust God. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” ~Isaiah 26:3.

Big or small problems come to each of us regularly, but the Bible tells us how to have peace in those situations, too. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:6-7

We’re also to seek peace in our relationships. In the midst of a passage that talks about blessing those who curse you and feeding your enemy when he’s hungry, we read, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” [Romans 12:18]

So there we have it, friends. Want to enjoy your life and spend your days well? Be careful what you say, choose to do what’s right instead of wrong, and seek peace with God and others. May the Holy Spirit grant us the power to live this way!

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5 Fun Finds August 2022

September 2, 2022 by Tracey 4 Comments

Here we are in September already! It certainly doesn’t feel like fall here, but it’s still nice to start thinking about a new season.

Today I’m taking a quick look back at five of my favorite things from August.

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1. A Staying Prayer for Parents. This is episode 240 of Emily P. Freeman’s podcast The Next Right Thing. I have listened to this prayer several times as I’ve processed our girls leaving for college again. It’s beautiful and sad and uplifting and poignant all at the same time. No matter what stage of parenting you’re in, I highly recommend taking four minutes to listen.

2. Yobola Bluetooth Earbuds. Up until recently, I’d still been using wired earbuds for listening to music or podcasts when I was out walking. I didn’t want to spend the money for AirPods, not knowing if I would actually like the feel of them in my ears. I found this inexpensive pair on Amazon and like them a lot. I’ve been using them for six weeks now, and at the current price of $16.51 (random Amazon price when I posted this) they’ve definitely been worth it.

3. Baked Chicken Wings. My husband usually grills wings for us, but one weeknight I had part of a package of wings that I wanted to use up, so I tried this recipe. They were delicious! In fact, I think this might be part of our Labor Day menu on Monday.

4. Obbii Leopard iPhone 11 Protective Case. I wanted a new phone case for fall so I ordered this one from Amazon. It’s really cute and seems to offer good protection.

5. Mylas Grey Mysteries by Luana Ehrlich. I read the first book in this four-book series a while ago but just read the last three recently. The first and third books were my favorites.

Have a great holiday weekend!!

25 Useful Things for Freshman Girls to Take to College

July 29, 2022 by Tracey 4 Comments

I saw on my Instagram this week that some students are already returning to college! The summer seems to get shorter and shorter as time goes by. Thankfully our daughters don’t go back until the last weekend in August.

Now that they’ve both spent some time at college, packing them up to move back into the dorms is fairly easy. But I remember feeling overwhelmed that summer before freshman year when I tried to make a list of all that they needed for this transition.

Today I’m sharing 25 items that our girls have found helpful during their time at college so far. Most of the items on the list we’ve used personally or have purchased something very similar.

This isn’t a complete list of college essentials. I didn’t include some of the basics like towels and sheets and pillows. But for our daughters, the items on this list have helped make their dorm and college life more comfortable!

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Check out this list of 25 things that will make dorm and college life easier and more fun for your freshman!

1. SafeRest Mattress Protector Twin XL. We’ll start with this cover for that who-knows-how-old dorm mattress your teenager will be sleeping on. I have this same brand of mattress protector on all our beds at home.

2. 2-inch Mattress Topper. There’s a wide range of prices for mattress toppers, but this one is very reasonably priced. It makes those dorm bed mattresses at least a bit more comfortable and should last for several years.

3. GE 3 Outlet Extender Wall Tap. This is nice to use in an outlet near their bed so they can plug in a few different electronics at once.

4. Chunky Knit Throw. I didn’t know this was a thing until our younger daughter asked for one last Christmas. It’s become her favorite blanket. Hers is white, but there are a number of other colors available.

5. Sperry Women’s Saltwater Chevron Quilt Nylon Boots. This was another purchase our younger daughter made. They’re really cute boots and definitely came in handy on those rainy days when she had to walk across campus to class. She has them in ivory, but there are a few other colors available.

6. Iron Flask Retro Sports Water Bottle. I gave our girls three pieces of health advice before they went off to college. “Eat. Drink. Move.” This water bottle helps with the drinking part! This is the one our older daughter uses. She fills it up in the morning and carries it around in her backpack all day. We also like that it came with its own brush for cleaning.

7. Secura Instant Steam Handheld Garment and Fabric Steamer. I knew neither of my girls would iron, but they’ll use this steamer if a piece of clothing is too wrinkled to wear after it’s been jammed in the closet or drawer…or left to sit in the dryer for too long…

8. Small Travel Sewing Kit. Both girls have needed a simple sewing kit from time to time.

9. Photo Clip String Light. I helped our younger daughter hang this on her wall at the beginning of her first semester. It’s really cute!

10. SanDisk 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive. You just never know when this might come in handy.

11. Five Crowns Card Game. This is one of our favorite games, but it’s really just an example of the types of games they’ll want to have on hand to play with friends.

12. Gold Armour Camping Hammock. Not surprisingly, I didn’t know hammocking was a thing either until our older daughter went to college. They take their hammocks to a couple of different parks on nice days to study or just relax.

13. Under Armour Hustle Sport Backpack. My older daughter bought this backpack the summer before her freshman year of college. She’s now getting ready to start her senior year, and that same backpack is still going strong! I’m very impressed with the quality, especially since it gets almost daily use when she’s at college.

14. DASH Mini Waffle Maker. This cute little waffle iron kept my younger daughter from going hungry on several occasions last year! Are there two dining halls on campus full of food available to her? Yes, yes there are. But she’s a self-admitted picky eater AND those dining halls aren’t always open at 11pm when hunger strikes. She brought it home for the summer and we’ve used it a couple of times. I must admit, it does make some tasty waffles.

15. Clip Light for Bed. This is nice for studying late at night without disturbing roommates.

16. Classic 6-inch Clip Fan. My girls like it cold when they sleep, so this fan is nice just to keep the air moving around them.

17. Johnson and Johnson Compact Emergency First Aid Kit. Hopefully, they won’t need this often, but it’s great to have on hand.

18. Windproof Travel Umbrella. Keep it small and compact so it fits easily in a backpack.

19. Reusable 12-piece Dinner Set. Four bowls, plates, and cups that are microwave safe, for that late-night bowl of cereal or stack of mini waffles.

20. Heavy Duty Large Mesh Laundry Bag. Something like this is easy to leave on the floor of the closet until it’s full…or overflowing, actually.

21. Under Bed Shoe Storage Organizer. If I had seen this before our girls went to college, I would have added it to our shopping list. Instead, they just had an under-bed plastic storage bin that they tossed shoes into. This would have been a much more organized solution!

22. Plastic Shower Caddy. Depending on the shower set up, they can use the caddy to carry their products to and from the bathroom or just store it in or near the shower. It is important that it’s either mesh or has holes in the bottom for drainage.

23. Small Plastic Trash Can. This can be used in a corner of the dorm room, under a desk, or somewhere in the bathroom.

24. Chip Clips and Collapsible Food Storage Containers. Keep those opened bags of snacks fresh and the leftovers organized in the mini-fridge.

25. Succulents in Pots, Set of 3. Okay, so these aren’t essential, but they do make the room feel a little more homelike! My girls have a mix of real and artificial plants in their dorm rooms.

I hope you’ll find these suggestions helpful as you send your freshman girl off to college!

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