Happy Friday! During the holiday season, I cherish my weekends more than ever. It really gives me the chance to knock a ton of things off my to-do list that I just can’t seem to get done during the week.
Before I begin, have you been following along with the Advent readings this week? The theme is faith, and it’s been a good message, especially during this season of uncertainty for all. Next week’s theme is joy, and I can’t wait to read more about the Joy that comes from knowing our God.
Christmas Plans
We have talked a little bit about holiday traditions that Aaron and I follow since we’ve been married. My parents are out in California, and Aaron’s parents live in Belton, Texas. So, either way, we travel outside of Houston for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We decided to switch off the major holidays to accommodate both sets of parents. Since we did Thanksgiving with my family this year, we are doing Christmas with Aaron’s family. It’s a system that works for us and eliminates any guessing or hurt feelings!
And, because it’s been such a weird year, all of our “normal” traditions have gone by the wayside. When Aaron’s mom called me this week wanting to switch it up and come to OUR HOUSE for Christmas, I was all about it. While I’ve never hosted a major holiday (because we’ve always been traveling), I’m looking forward to the fun.
That being said, I need to plan out a menu for several days, and I’m starting with Christmas Day, because that’s the one I want to create a special meal for. I had a friend tell me about a place in Houston known for their turduckens, and they are apparently very easy to make. “You just pop them in the oven.” We will see about that. I need to think about sides, but so far, I think I might go with:
- A caprese salad with some fresh mozzarella
- A spring salad with strawberries and feta
- Joanna Gaines’ old fashioned corn casserole (from Magnolia Table, volume 2)
- Mac and Cheese
This menu should be relatively easy to put together. Our plans for the week include some bike riding, a hike at either Brazos Bend State Park or Sheldon State Park – and showing them around our new neighborhood.
This week I’ve been using our new garage gym. I forgot how good it feels to lift some heavier weight – but it makes me super tired!
Friday Reads
I started reading B.A. Paris’ newest book, The Dilemma, and stayed up until 1 a.m. last night trying to finish it because I wanted to know the ending. If you’ve read some of her other books (I’ve read The Breakdown and Bring Me Back), this one was not as scary, but it was certainly suspenseful. Go read a B.A. Paris book if you like books that are filled with suspense, any of hers are great reads!
Happy Mail on a Friday
Some VERY happy mail got delivered to my house yesterday. My DeAnn painting finally arrived. I ordered them on Black Friday, and I felt like a kid on Christmas morning when I saw FedEx lugging them up to my door. They are just as beautiful in person, and I can’t wait to showcase mine in my office. Aaron has some hanging to do this weekend.
Another very special package arrived yesterday. I talked about my annual ornament exchange tradition in this post. I found a local artist who hand paints ornaments, and I asked her if she could create my ornaments for 2020. Well, she really went above and beyond. I can’t show you the final product because, well, my friends read here. But, I can give you a preview of her cute packaging. She was nice enough to ship them to me, even though this is a side project for her, and it saved me about an hour-drive to pick them up at her house! She does custom work, and you can find her on Facebook here: @LesSoeursArts.
Weekend Plans
This weekend I need to get holiday gifts wrapped and sent off so they can arrive to some very special recipients before Christmas. ‘Tis the season 🙂 Aaron and I also need to finally choose some chair options to go with our dining room table so we can use it for Christmas!
Next week, I have all the plans to go to Houston Zoo Lights!! You can read all about last year’s event here. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend, and I’ll see you back here on Monday!
