Holiday

The season of gift giving is officially upon us with only a few more weeks before Christmas left. If you are like me and procrastinated a little on the gift buying, you are in luck! Here are some awesome gift ideas as well as discount codes. You cannot go wrong with gifting any of these products. I have to admit, I will be gifting a lot of these this Christmas! Apparel Gifts Bombas: If you have not heard of Bombas, let me tell you about them now. These socks are hands down the best socks I have ever come across. My husband even loves them! They are made of great quality and are comfy. I can’t forget to mention that with each...

At this time of year, I love seeing pictures of my friends' Christmas trees on social media. From a Charlie Brown skimpy real tree to a full-on disco artificial tree, I don't think I've ever met a Christmas tree I didn't like. What always makes me smile is how uniquely each family decorates or approaches the entire tree event. Some are displayed proudly in the front window like leg lamps while others are baby- and cat-proofed. Tinsel, popcorn, fake snow, ribbon, angels, stars, monochromatic ornament bulbs, Hobby Lobby embellishments, colorful lights, white lights -- everyone has a style. Ours is tacky. At least, that's how it would objectively look to those friends of mine who have the gift of home decor....

I’ve heard about the Elf on the Shelf almost six years ago. Like most, I had many questions: What’s the point? So I’m just supposed to move the thing?  What is so great about it? Kids really like that? But why? At first, I didn’t get it so I was skeptical about adding yet another holiday tradition. It wasn’t until my oldest was in the first grade that I started to take it seriously. He would come home over-the-top excited, talking about his classmates’ elves’ escapades. He then started to question why he didn’t have an elf. The following year, I purchased an Elf on the Shelf. Back then, they weren’t as popular and so overly commercialized so I had...

I’ve always struggled with asking for help and even more so with accepting help. As soon as I hear “Do you need help with …” or “Do you want me to …” my mouth starts forming the word “no.” I think the first time I realized how much I struggled with asking for and accepting help was with the birth of my first child. At that time, help came from every direction - cooked meals, errands, laundry, babysitting to allow for a shower. And while I was gracious for my family and friends to offer, my instinct was to say “no.” I think that quick “no” came from guilt. Guilt that I wouldn’t be able to return the favor. Guilt that someone...

If you know me personally or have followed my posts here for any length of time, you know that I have been diagnosed with severe anxiety. For me, that means constant management of stressors to remain healthy. And it goes without saying that the holiday season is a source of stress for many reasons for many people. Unfortunately, I am not excluded from this group in the least. Over the past five years, I have found some interesting ways to avoid triggers and to maintain over all wellness during the holiday season. The Three Gift Rule: We have three kids, and shopping can become expensive and stressful if we let it. We limit ourselves to one big gift and two medium gifts per...