the Weekender

Hello from a VERY cold Missouri. Brrrr. We are finally getting our cold weather. Lots of frosty mornings around these parts. Yay!

Some days, I feel like I sit down to pull the weekender together and draw a blank. When you work from home and love being home — some weeks are VERY uneventful. Haha.

Miscellany:

1. December was an epic month for the blog! It appears as though my Easy Peanut Butter Fudge had some virality. I made more in December of 2023 than any other month in the 12 years I’ve blogged. It was pretty exciting. And, of course, I have a feeling that some of you had something to do with that! (wink-wink). Thanks for always supporting me and cheering me on.

2. My tree came down on New Year’s Day. I needed the living room back to normal. I still have some holiday decor out, but that will come down this weekend. And I think I may need to size down on our tree and decor next year. We’ll see. Only time will tell.

How about you? Is your tree and decor still up?

3. New Year’s Eve was a loooong day. I did a couple of in-person color matches and prepped up our Lentil Soup, which is always a tradition.

We spent the night home alone. No complaints. I fell asleep on the couch before 11 p.m. Haha.

Then, the family met up for dinner at Cracker Barrel on New Year’s Day. It was a zoo, but shopping while you wait has its perks. Haha. My go-to meal there is Chicken and Dumplings with mashed potatoes and corn. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm.

Do you like Cracker Barrel? If so, what’s your favorite dish? Biscuits or Corn Muffins? I’m 100% a biscuit girl.

4. Laundry Room. So, we jumped on the front loader train back in the day regarding washing machines. I’m not loving it, nor is my body. Our set is over ten years old, so we’ve decided to go back to the drawing board and get the top loader again. Any recommendations?

We’ll be doing some washer and dryer shopping this weekend, too. Now, don’t be jealous… I know it’s pretty exciting stuff. 😂🤣 Adulting is so much fun.

5. I had a hair appointment this week—a much-needed hair appointment. I’m trying to go for seven weeks between appointments due to all the bleaching. My roots are so dark as of late. My stylist started toning my roots a bit more, so my roots aren’t so pronounced between visits.

Did you know that our hair can get darker with age? Ummm, apparently, that’s a thing. Haha. Who knew?

All the things we learn as we grow older. Anywho, my roots are lighter, and it “when it feels this good.” (cue the music, FF 0:52).

6. The Printable Botanical Calendar is updated and waiting for you to print it off! Yay. Be sure to print off an extra copy for a friend, too!

7. With a New Year comes goals, good intentions, and/or resolutions — right? I used to write down some resolutions, but they sat on paper. However, I’m setting out to grow my makeup business with Seint this year. I signed up for an online class/academy to learn, grow, and challenge myself.

I’m used to sitting behind a computer or standing behind a camera for the blog. So, doing videos and reels and taking a gazillion before and after pictures of myself is stretching me outside of my comfort zone.

I’m reading Atomic Habits by James Clear to work on creating healthy and eliminating unhealthy habits. Many small changes can add up — so nothing can happen overnight.

And with all these things — time management is a must. I bought a new planner that allows for hourly planning. I haven’t sat down and attempted to do it yet because I’m a little overwhelmed by everything.

Good Lord. Send Help. Mmmkay?

Around the Web:

This Monthly Reset.

This Slow and Steady Printable.

Things to Get Rid of for a Minimalistic Home.

More Waffle Knit Oversized Shirts (I’m obsessed).

This Dainty Dot Necklace.

These Disposable Diamond Shaped Glasses (great for entertaining).

This Healthy 3-Ingredient Salsa Chicken.

This Slow Cooker Greek Shredded Chicken.

For the Puzzle Lover.

These Top 5 Home Trends for 2024.

One Last Hoorah:

I needed this reminder. Thank you, Lisa Congdon.

Pssst. Enjoying the content? Buying me a coffee or two occasionally is a fabulous way to support all my hard work and the content I provide. Thank YOU!