Christmas

We all know there are those Christmas gifts that your grandma or great aunt gives you every year... like an old school picture of Mary and Baby Jesus, a Rosary from the mail (cher maw maw and her mail Rosaries), or another devotional book that will be stacked with your other unread devotional books. Thanks to social media and the lovely people creating unique and desirable items that are fun and fashionable, but also Christian centered, we can say goodbye to the 70s devotionals (no hard feelings, most are filled with good nuggets of truth) and hello to authentic Christmas items that we will love to give and receive! I wanted to share a few awesome artisans and shops with...

When it comes to stocking stuffers, the options are endless. And it seems like every family does them a little bit differently. Wrapped or unwrapped, high value or small trinkets, everyone loves the excitement of seeing what surprises await in the stocking on Christmas morning. Here are a few items to add some variety to your kids' stockings this year. Wikki Stix Travel Fun Kit Let their creative juices run wild with these moldable sticks. Best part? No mess! This travel kid it perfect for holiday travel or a day at the park. SnoWonder Fake Snow Louisiana kids long for white Christmases, but rarely get them. Let them create their own white Christmas with fake snow. Just add water! Tape - Any Variety What is it...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… for everyone but moms. I take that back. It is a wonderful time for us moms, but it comes at a cost, like all of our time and money. Every year is a constant struggle between the creative side of my brain that wants to do all of the adorably magical Christmas things and the practical side of my brain that is saying “WTF!?!” on a 24-hour loop. This year, though, I am determined to find a balance between the two. And lucky for you, I’m here to tell you how we are going to do it. Find something that you can skip this year. I have always said that I’ll never...

While I look forward to seeing family during the holidays, it also reminds me to set boundaries. We spend time with so many different family members in different places during the holidays that I need those boundaries to stay healthy. Be an advocate for your child When family members want to do something that I know is going to send one of my kids into a tailspin, I've learned to just tell them no. We let our kids stay up later on trips and on breaks, but when they have had too many short nights, I can tell that a meltdown is about to happen. I just tell grandparents, cousins, or whoever else is there, "We love you! It's their...

Oh, Christmas time! My favorite time of the year is hands down Christmas. All the beautiful Christmas decorations, lights, seeing family & friends and so much more. But the magic of Santa is the best, especially now that I am a mother to a curious 2-year-old. She now recognizes Santa in pictures from the last two Christmases and is now starting to point him out in stores as the shelves are starting to be filled with the holly jolly man named Santa Claus. But one thing I notice now that I am a mother, I see Black Santas. And when I do, I scream with excitement. Why? Because growing up, I always thought Santa was a Black Man just like the...