by Amanda | Oct 14, 2018 | Holidays
I love Fall.
The crisp mornings.
Pumpkin patches.
Apple picking.
Apple Cider.
Corn Mazes.
Leaves turning.
Fall.
Everything about it makes me happy (except pumpkin flavored coffee. Ew.) But I live on the Central Coast of California, which means I don’t really experience seasons. There’s hot, hotter, cooling off …. nope still hot, and rain. However, I refuse to let this stop me from enjoying all things Fall.
1. Get your house clean, and do something each day to keep it clean
This might seem like an odd thing to list first, but for me it’s been foundational. Fall is a time when you want your home to be cozy and inviting. And nothing says inviting more than a clean home. Plus, with Christmas just around the corner, take some of that extra stress off your plate and get your home clean now! It doesn’t take too long to get a house clean, and if you just do a little bit each day, you can maintain that feeling of clean forever!
If this is an area that you struggle in, you should check out Mom Mastery University! I used to NEVER have a clean home for more than a day, but with the tools and skills I’ve learned in MMU, my home is now almost always clean!
2. Get out the Fall Decor!
Now that you have a nice clean home, put out some festive decor! My personal favorite thing to do is pick up a bouquet of wildflowers that are arranged in a fall theme. Trader Joe’s is a fantastic place for these kind of arrangements, though you can find them most anywhere that sells flowers. Something else that I like doing (although I haven’t gotten to it this year yet) is picking up some little pumpkins and tastefully placing them on shelves or tables.
3. Light yummy smelling candles
This is literally my favorite thing. I do this all year, not just in the Fall. I LOVE it when my house smells yummy, and candles are such an easy way to do that. Two of my favorite Fall candle scents are Hazelnut Cream and Mulled Cider, both from the generic brand at Walmart. Interestingly enough, the generic brand smells stronger and lasts longer than some of the name brands that I purchased from Walmart. So save your money and get generic!
4. Wear layers, and lots of fall colors – orange, brown, green, golds, and black.
What you wear really helps determine how you feel. Not to mention, its fun to change up the color palate a little bit. Need I say more?
5. Go to a pumpkin patch
A quintessential Fall thing to do. Regardless of geographical location, most cities have a pumpkin patch within driving distance, or even set up a parking lot as a temporary patch during the season. If you have kids, make a family fun-day out of it! Let each person pick a pumpkin in proportion to their size and create a family of pumpkins. Little ones love getting to pick their own special pumpkin.
6. Keep your house shut up for as long as possible each morning to keep the morning chill
So, where I live, it gets really cold at night (40 and below), but then it warms up to like the 80s during the day. One thing that I have found that helps me feel like Fall is if I keep all my windows and shades shut tight to trap in the evening cold. This usually lasts till at least after lunch before it gets stuffy and I need to open a window.
7. Go apple picking
Another Fall classic. This is something my family would do just about every year growing up. We would drive to an apple orchard about an hour away from where we lived. It was local and family owned and operated, and my mom would usually make a field trip out of it. The owners would usually read a story and give us a small lesson on how apples are grown. Then, we were set loose on the orchard to pick whatever was in season. We would come home with bag and bags of fresh, yummy apples ready for baking! If you need ideas for how to use all your apples, check out this recipe round up from I Heart Naptime!
8. Make fall-themed meals and treats
Fall has its own set of flavors that we all seem to associate with this season. Take advantage of that! No matter what the weather outside is like, things like apple cider, pumpkin bread, and caramel corn all let your tastebuds know that it is Fall. If you want some ideas, check out these recipe round ups!
Laura Lee Balanced
Craftaholics Anonymous
Cooking With Janica
9. Add your favorite fall-themed flavorings to your coffee.
This doesn’t need much commentary. For coffee fans, especially Starbucks fans, Fall and Winter are the golden months of coffee flavors. While the stereotypical favorite Fall flavor is pumpkin spice, I personally think it tastes disgusting. My favorite fall flavor is salted caramel mocha. However, to each his or her own. Get your favorite fall flavored drink and savor it!
I love hearing from you. What are your favorite Fall activities?
by Amanda | Dec 6, 2017 | Holidays
December is my favorite month. I love how the weather cools down, the Christmas decorations go up, and there is a general feeling of joy and anticipation in the air. I love how Starbucks rolls out their holiday menu, and how it seems like there are lights and festivities around every corner. One of my favorite things to do in this season is curl up with a hot beverage and read a book. Below, you will find a list of some of my favorite Christmas reads.
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“The Christmas Anna Angel” has been my favorite Christmas book for as long as I can remember. It tells the story of a young girl who dreams of having a special Christmas cake, but her family is too poor to buy or even make one. On Christmas Eve, she receives a special visitor, and the night is full of fun and magic.
The language in this book is poetic and exquisite. Told through the eyes of the narrator as a young boy, this story describes what Christmas was like in Wales around the 1920’s. A film based on the book was released in 1987, and it is very faithful to the original story.
No Christmas book list would be complete without Charles Dickens’ classic novel. If you’ve never read it or seen a film adaptation you need to. A classic tale of repentance and redemption, perfect for the Christmas season.
Bonus: Current Devotional
My favorite thing about Christmas, of course, is what it symbolizes. Christmas is the time that we celebrate Jesus’ birthday. So, every year, I look for ways to keep this season centered around Christ. Usually, that means going through some sort of Advent devotional. This year’s devotional is called Waiting Here for You. I’m only a few days into it, but I love it already. If you want my real-time thoughts on it, head on over and join the discussion in our Facebook Group.
by Amanda | Nov 22, 2017 | Holidays
Wow, can you believe that we are already at the end of November? Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and then there is only one week left in the month! Christmas is just around the corner. As we prepare to enter into the Christmas season, our focus this week is shifting from the large scale to the little things in life.
This Week’s Theme: The Little Things
This week, I want to encourage you to think about the small things in life. The little moments, the simple pleasures, the things that we often take for granted. Things such as freshly washed linens, a strong cup of coffee, or a fuzzy pair of socks. These things bring such comfort and pleasure to our lives, but we often don’t think much of them. This week, take some time each day to stop, enjoy, and appreciate the little things in your life.
Verse of the Week
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonderful acts to the children of men!
For He satisfies the parched throat,
And fills the hungry appetite with what is good”
~ Psalm 107:8-9 (AMP)
As you take a moment each day to appreciate the little things, remember that God is the one who gives you everything. He is the source of all that is good, both big and small.
Prayer of the Week
Father, thank you for how richly you have blessed my life. Thank you that you don’t only provide for my basic needs, but that you provide above and beyond, heaping my life with blessing. I ask that you give me eyes to see all your goodness. Give me a heart that is constantly filled with gratitude and praise for you. You are my delight, and you are my source. From you flows all that I need. Thank you for your love and grace. I love you Father, and I want to be a reflection of you here on this earth. Use my life for your glory. Amen.
by Amanda | Nov 15, 2017 | Holidays
Welcome to week three of our Thirty Days of Thanksgiving Challenge! Can you believe that we are half-way through November already? Last week we focused on ways to be grateful for our country. This week, we are getting more personal.
This Week’s Theme: Faith
Faith is a loaded topic, so I have several points of focus for you this week.
- For those of us who live in the Western world, the freedom to practice our faith openly is often taken for granted. However, the majority of the people in the world are not free to practice their beliefs as they see fit. So this week, I want to encourage you to really be aware of the freedom you have, and pray for those who don’t have that same freedom.
- For those of us who grew up in Faith-based homes, it can be easy to forget just how mind-blowing and incredible the foundations of our Faith are. The fact that Jesus, the Son of God, would willingly lay down His life for the very people who abused Him is amazing. The fact that when we accept Christ’s sacrifice, sinners like you and me are no longer seen as guilty, but are seen as perfect and righteous in the eyes of God is incredible. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, the gates of Heaven are opened for us. We have full access to God in all His glorious power. This week, take the time to stop and really think about what that means. I dare you to not be filled with the awe and wonder of God.
Verse of the Week
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness and delight;
Come before His presence with joyful singing.
Know and fully recognize with gratitude that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His].
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, bless and praise His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy and lovingkindness are everlasting,
His faithfulness [endures] to all generations.
~ Psalm 100 (AMP)
I love this Psalm. It so beautifully describes a heart that is in love with God, and grateful for all His marvelous works. This week, I want to encourage you to really just bask in the presence of God. There is safety in His presence. Peace abounds in His presence. When we delight ourselves in Him, nothing else can touch us. And when we live in His presence, He does mighty things. God is our source, and He delights in blessing His children. He is a good, good father. Revel in that.
Prayer of the Week:
Father, thank you for how good you are to us. Thank you that you love us and pour down your blessings upon us. You are so faithful, God. So good, so loving, so merciful. You are perfect, and yet you love me, an imperfect human, and you long to be in relationship with me. Father, continue to work in my heart. Remove any piece of me that takes you for granted. May I continually be in awe of you. Thank you, Father, for filling me with your Spirit, and guiding me with your love.
by Amanda | Nov 8, 2017 | Holidays
Week two of our Thirty Days of Thanksgiving Challenge starts today! Last week we focused on relationships. We took the time to appreciate people that we can often take for granted, such as spouses, family members, and coworkers. This week, we are shifting our focus to be more broad.
This Week’s Theme: Our Country
With so many negative things in the world, it’s easy to focus on everything we are NOT grateful for in our country, and the world as a whole. This week, let’s shift our perspective a little bit. Instead of complaining or pointing out everything that is wrong in the world, let’s focus on things that are positive and going right. Leave a comment below or in our Facebook Group sharing something that you love about our country.
Verse of the Week
“Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18a (AMP)
God wants us to be praising and thanking Him regardless of our circumstances. No matter how dark the world looks, we always have something to be grateful for, and we always have something to praise God for. As we enter into a week of focusing on finding the positive things in an increasingly negative world, let’s remember that ultimately it is God who is asking us to do this, and that He wants us to be doing this every day.
Prayer of the Week
Lord, thank you for my country. Thank you for the freedom that I have to openly worship you, and thank you that you provide abundantly for all of my needs. Lord, you know that this country I live in is far from perfect, and that there are many things that I wish I could change. But I know that you have asked me to be joyful and grateful in all circumstances. So, Lord, I ask that you help me develop eyes that see the good in the world around me, and heart that chooses joy. I want a heart that is constantly full of praise, develop that in me. Lord, I want to exude joy and peace to all I interact with. Thank you for filling me with your Spirit. Amen.
by Amanda | Nov 1, 2017 | Holidays
Today kicks off our Thirty Days of Thanksgiving Challenge. For the next thirty days, we will be working on cultivating an attitude of gratefulness, as we prepare for the Holidays. This challenge shouldn’t be too time consuming, as I have already come up with weekly themes, and a daily focus.
This Week’s Theme: Relationships
We often take for granted the people we are in relationship with day in and day out. Whether it’s family, friends, or co-workers, we are often guilty of not appreciating them enough. So this week, be mindful of the relationships in your life, even the hard ones. Take some time each day to show someone kindness and/or appreciation. If you want to be notified of our daily gratitude focus, head on over and join our private Facebook Group.
Verse of the Week:
“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His lovingkindness endures forever.”
~ 1 Chronicles 16:34 (AMP)
As we are putting our hearts in a posture of gratitude, we need to make sure we focus on WHO we are grateful to. ALL good things come from God, so as we choose to be grateful, we should be expressing that gratitude to Him.
Prayer of the Week:
Lord, I ask that you give me a grateful heart. As I enter into this season of Thanksgiving, I pray that you will instill in me a deeper love for you. This week, as I focus on the relationships that you have put in my life, give me a heart filled with love towards others. Thank you for each and every relationship in my life. Give me opportunities to show your love to those I interact with. May I be a walking reflection of Jesus in this world. Amen.
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