• Holiday Gift-Giving Guide

    ByKristin faves, holiday

    Y’all, I do not understand why Black Friday sales are lots of different days, many of which aren’t even Friday. Even so, I joined the online influencer club and created a gift guide for you. Happy shopping and merry Christmas!

    Accessories

    Bombas socks – I know, they’re kind of expensive. But I love how the ankle socks feel on my feet and in my shoes. 

    Crossbody bag – I have loved this Lululemon one for a while, but I found an even better and cheaper one on Amazon. Truly, hooray for liking the off-brand one better!

    Madewell bag with flower strap – My friend Ashlee carries this Madewell bag and I loved it so much I bought it too. I didn’t love the thin strap on it. I probably put too much stuff in my “medium tote.” But I bought a wide, pretty strap on Amazon and it makes the bag nearly perfect. 

    Sweatshirt jacket – You know how it is with teenagers and coats, but, really, I can’t blame them because I don’t like to wear coats either. My boy has long loved these warm, zip-up sweatshirt jackets. So, yep, I got another one in the next size. 

    Books

    Audible – If you know someone who likes to listen to books as they drive around or do chores at home, consider gifting a subscription like this. Trust me, they’ll appreciate it. 

    Book light – I read on my Kindle a lot, but I have a book light just in case I want to stay up later than Greg. I like this book light because it charges and doesn’t require batteries. 

    Book of the Month – Way better than Jelly of the Month, this gives the gift each time your loved once received a blue box with an early or new release they’ve chosen. Again, as a reader myself, what a great gift! 

    Bringing Home More Than Groceries: Stories About Nourishing & Gathering People – Yes, this is my book. But, also yes, it would make a good gift for someone who likes opening her home and life to connect with others. There’s many examples from my own life and other friends who share stories about how to be hospitable in any season of life. 

    Created for Communion: Discovering God’s Design for Biblical Friendship – Again, yes, my book, but also a great gift to encourage women in friendship that truly matters. 

    ESV scripture journals – I used to carry my Bible to church and fill the margins with notes. Both during our main church service and the Sunday school class I attend, we go through books of the Bible, so I bought the books we were in and now fill the notebooks with notes. There are whole journaling pages plus wide margins. Marking up scripture is the best way for me to learn, so this is the perfect notebook for me to carry with me to church. 

    Kindle Oasis – Like a Paperwhite, but this Kindle has page-turning buttons. Y’all, it’s waterproof and there’s no glare. It’s the best for hauling around a ton of books on a device that’s about the size of a mass-market paperback, although it’s much thinner than that. 

    Line-a-day journal – I’ve gifted so many of these. It’s a journal that gives you space to write a sentence or two for each day for five years. I’m on my second journal, and I’m going to keep giving them away like candy. Documenting my day briefly each night before bed as become over the past five-plus years one of my very favorite habits. 

    Praying Through Loneliness: A 90-Day Devotional for Women – I have a couple of devotionals included in this lovely book compiled by Kristen Strong. It’s a great book to keep near and pick up when you need some encouragement. 

    Experiences

    I love going on a trip more than unwrapping gifts, so if that’s something you’re thinking about doing, I wholly support it! Here are some of our favorite trips, if you’re looking for some inspiration:

    On a smaller scale, you could gift local and regional experiences likes museums, zoos, concerts, or ballgames. And, if this is the route you’re going, here are some other gift ideas to accompany passes and tickets:

    Baggallini anti-theft crossbody bag – I really love my other off-brand crossbody purse, but the zippers are super secure and I wanted something slightly different to travel. This seems like it’s just right for that. For something bigger than this small purse, I think my Kavu sling bag.

    Capital One Venture credit card – This is a great card to use for expenses because the rewards points are good and allow you to “erase” travel purchases. You can also book hotels and other travel reservations directly through the Capital One website and get special deals. When we signed up for TSA Pre-Check, the fee was reimbursed when we used this card. (Also, sign up for TSA Pre-Check if you’re ever going to fly!)

    Packing cubes – This is the first I’ve used packing cubes, and I just couldn’t justify the price of expensive ones. These had good reviews and seemed like a good place to start. I bought three different colors. 

    Reusable shopping bags – I really like these because they are thin, basic, and easy to wash. They’re great to carry along to separate dirty clothes or move other items if you aren’t staying in one location, which we don’t on many trips. 

    Household

    Blink outdoor security cameras – I’ve shared about these before, but they’re easy to set up and use. I can see movement on my porches, which I especially like at night or if the kids are home alone. We recently added the doorbell to our system. 

    Pellet ice maker – This is our second counter ice maker and I love it! It’s bigger than our previous one and makes the soft, crunchy Sonic ice. (PLUS it’s currently on sale!) 

    Pioneer Woman stuff – Most of any these kitchen & household accessories would make great gifts. I have plastic plates and bowls, mixing bowls, various utensils, cookware, and an Instant Pot in her lovely designs. I’ve gifted items in the past and will likely again in the very near future. 

    Walmart delivery – I am a paying member of Walmart+ and don’t regret it. When my groceries and household items show up on my porch while I’m working, I feel like I’m multi-tasking in the best ways! Plus you get other perks, like free, quick shipping on items not available in the local store. (Save $20 if you sign up through this link!)

    YouTube TV – We ditched cable years ago and love this streaming option. The channel selection is good and it’s cheaper than cable. (Save $15 if you subscribe through this link!)

    Toys & Games

    I don’t give many toys for Christmas, especially with my kids getting older. I do like to give Lego sets.

    Hoverboards have been popular in house for quite some time. The trampoline is another popular activity around our house for kids of all ages that also encourages physical activity. We’re on our second one, and I don’t regret the eye sore given the amount of time it’s been used.

    Crunch Labs – Ben gets excited each month when these boxes show up on our porch. It’s a great subscription box for my teenager who loves to build things. Plus the whole family likes Mark Rober’s videos that go along with the projects. 

    I do love giving family games as gifts. We have so many favorites, such as Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Mancala, Phase 10, Rummikub, and Blokus. (Here are other favorite family games!)

    Online shopping tip!

    ‘Tis the season! We all shop often online, so who doesn’t want some extra money to come their way?! That’s what Rakuten does! I have the extension installed on my Chrome browser on my MacBook and the app on my phone. Just look up the store from which you’re going to shop or use the Rakuten website and earn cash back from so many places. 

    *****

    I also have a storefront of favorite things by category, if you love Walmart as much as I do these days!

  • From snow to sand

    ByKristin vacation

    I wrote about our Miami trip as we went along (good use of the unexpected car time!), so I’m going to share about it like journal entries from each day we were there. From snow to sand we go!

    Monday, Dec. 26

    When we left the house at 5:30 am to allow plenty of time for our 9:30 am flight, snow was falling. That made our roads that hadn’t recovered from Thursday’s ice and subsequent freezing temperatures even worse. Interstate 24 was not great but did have one lane mostly cleared. 

    Along the way, we learned our flight was delayed and then canceled. We arrived at the Nashville airport a little less than 3 hours later and got in a very long “rebooking” line. Greg tried to book with another airline or rent a car so we could drive down and still fly home Friday. But nothing was available. I inched forward in line for 2+ hours when we decided to leave. I honestly was saying & thinking, “Let’s go eat and then go home.” We ended up eating and then driving … toward Miami. 

    We stopped near Chattanooga in the midst of traffic and I had to wait in a line of at least 10 people deep to use the bathroom. But we got some snacks and continued on. 

    You can Google the meltdown Southwest has had this weekend and today. I definitely was frustrated we got stuck in the midst of the airline’s issues. But we certainly weren’t the only ones. And I still can’t through on the phone to get a refund for the flight Southwest canceled. Eventually, surely, I won’t get a busy signal. 

    (EDITED to add: We got the refund initiated on Thursday night, after I called an obscure “lost baggage” number buried on the website. Southwest sent me notifications to check in for my flight on Friday evening, but, of course, we had to cancel that one because now we had a mini van in Miami! We have since received a full refund to our credit card.)

    I know traveling is a privilege and something we get to enjoy. We are going to Miami because this is Christmas with my siblings, their families, and our mom. We decided to go somewhere warm instead of exchanging gifts — and I’m still totally on board with that plan! My sister called between the airport and food when I still thought we should head home. But her encouragement came right when I needed it. I think I was having trouble mentally transitioning from the peace of the last few days to the chaos around me. 

    We stopped for dinner at a Mexican restaurant south of Atlanta and we are going to drive some more tonight and stop for some sleep somewhere in Florida. 

    I hear Key Lime Pie and sunshine calling my name. That’s my plan for tomorrow with my family, so we’ll see how that goes. 

    Tuesday, Dec 27

    My kids have been troopers. Seriously. They’ve been kind and patient. Ben even found Sour Patch Kid socks at a gas station yesterday — he’s into tall, fun socks and loves to eat Sour Patch Kids. 

    We made it to Miami right at 24 hours later than we originally planned. Better late than never, I suppose. 

    We met my family at Black Point Ocean Grill and had a good lunch. Then we went on a boat tour that was really interesting, especially about celebrities’ homes on Star Island. The way Miami sits on so much water really is beautiful. 

    We ordered pizza from Steve’s Pizza and hung out at our rental house’s lovely outdoor area. The kids swam, played basketball and pool, and climbed on the swing set. Cassie and Zac brought a Solo Stove (actually an off-brand one that they like better!) and we enjoyed the evening together. 

    Gathering together with my siblings is always fun. Our kids get along well and enjoy being together. The house we rented was in Cutler Bay, which was nice so we could do various things in South Florida. The interior of the house was odd and not great, but the outside area was awesome! 

    Wednesday, Dec 28

    We went to the Everglades Safari Park and did an airboat tour, which was awesome! We saw several alligators and birds. It was such a neat way to see a tiny portion of Everglades National Park. Multiple people in my family consider this a highlight – and it was for sure! 

    Then we went to Top Golf for a late lunch and entertainment. It was my first time there, and although I’m not into golfing, it was a fun experience. 

    Thursday, Dec 29

    We headed even further south to Key Largo, where we spent some time at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, where we went on a two-hour boat tour. We learned a lot about mangrove trees, went through some channels in the Key Largo Sound, and saw dolphins in the Atlantic Ocean. Then we had the best meal of our trip! Delicious food and a sunset view at Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill were for sure a highlight. The key lime pie was the wait. 

    Friday, Dec 30

    When in Florida, a beach is necessary, so we ventured through traffic to Miami Beach. The streets leading to the sand were upscale and colorful – just what I imagined Miami to be. The beach itself reminded me of lots of other beaches, although they had the cutest, most colorful lifeguard huts. 

    We had lunch at Big Pink, which was delicious and had the biggest wraps, burgers, sandwiches, and chicken and waffles … basically everything everyone at our table ordered was huge. 

    My crew decided to hit the road this afternoon with full bellies and good memories. Once we arrived, the trip really was smooth. The greater Miami area has so many different things to do – beaches, everglades, seafood, big city things, Key Largo, and boat rides.

    Thankfully, the trip home was less chaotic than the trip south. And I got to lunch with my cousin-friend Mary, her kids, and my uncle Tom just north of Atlanta on our way home.

    Happy New Year to us!

    *****

    EDITED 1/11/23 to add: I wanted to give Southwest Airlines a shout-out because its people did what they could to make it right after the fact.

    We got a full refund for the flights back to our credit card, were surprised with 25,000 reward points each, and have reimbursement for our alternative travel (hotels there and back, fuel, and food there and back) coming.

    Plus this week I booked Southwest flights for our Spring Break trip.

  • The Advent of Hope

    ByKristin life, seasons

    I really love Christmastime. Of course, the gatherings and traditions will look different this year, as so much has in 2020. But in our rhythm of life, this is where we are again. There’s something comforting about that. 

    Even in the rhythm, I don’t do advent the same way every year. Sometimes we’ve read through “The Jesus Storybook” as a family, at least most nights. Sometimes I work through a study on my own. And some years, like this one, I don’t have an actual plan. I just soak up the goodness through a devotion I read sporadically, conversations I get to have with friends, and a slower pace that lets my mind regroup. 

    I was listening to author Tsh Oxenreider on Annie Downs’ That Sounds Fun podcast today and she reminded me of some important things: 

    Advent is the season to remember things in our world are not as they should be, which is why Jesus had to come. We are waiting for him to come again, and this is a rhythm in life that recognizes that expectation. All of the tensions and brokenness in life isn’t all there is; we have hope.

    We have hope even though it took the kids and me three days to decorate the tree. After we cut it down Saturday, I realized we didn’t have any working lights. So when we were out later that evening I bought two strands of white lights. Turns out I needed another strand, which I got the next day. So yesterday we finally unboxed some ornamented and added them to the branches. 

    We have hope even when we have to sacrifice traditions for the well-being of our community. We have hope when plans get shuffled yet again. We have hope when we are pulled in different directions and live in a tension that exists all around us, especially these days when politics and opinions divide.

    Even though we recognize things aren’t as they should and could be, we can still find goodness. We can show grace to ourselves and to others. We can do as much or as little of advent in whatever ways seem right to us. That’s the pep talk I’m giving to myself these days. 

    *****

    “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas” is the advent devotional I’m reading sporadically this season. I added it to a shopping list with other good resources. Yes, I know, it’s Dec. 8, more than a week into advent, but, really, you can still dive into these good words whenever you want.