MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas! It has been a weekend full of cooking, wrapping and spending time with loved ones. In the midst of all the chaos, I wanted to take a little moment to really reflect on the holiday weekend. Christmas always brings me a feeling of joy and nostalgia, however there always seems to be a little bit of underlying sadness. It seems to come and go all too quickly. It can also be a taxing, stressful time. Every year I look forward to the holiday season but also find myself feeling a little emotionally drained. I know for me a lot of that comes down to trying to create my ideal, "perfect" Christmas. I "need" to do all of these specific things in my own mind to create Christmas, but really that's all misguided. At the end of the day, what you eat, where you are or how many gifts you receive/gift has little importance. 

Despite that, somehow those things still manage to work their way up to the top of my holiday to-do list each year. I also find a lot of enjoyment in doing them, however I know I owe Jesus all of the recognition. He really is the reason for the season and why we're able and want to do these activities. I don't think he would want us to be k*lling ourselves or stressed out to do them like we often are, though. Even today, I found myself feeling exhausted and worn out from cooking and getting all of my last minute gifts wrapped. I needed to take a little step back and remind myself that today is in fact, for and about Him, not me. I also took some time to reflect on how blessed I am for the true joy, peace and hope He brings to my life each day. Being able to spend the holiday weekend with my loved ones in honor of Jesus is a prime example.  I know we all have different circumstances and therefore that can look different for everyone. I know he touches each of us differently and regardless of whether you spent the holidays surrounded by others or not, you're never alone when you walk with Him. 

We're now just a week away from 2024 which means a brand new year and a fresh start are coming! Hopefully this upcoming week will be relaxing and full of rest for you. It's our last little hurrah before diving into those New Year's resolutions. I'm wishing peace and love for you during the holiday season!

What are your plans for the week?

HOLIDAY POST ROUND-UP

We're just three days away! With "Christmas weekend" upon us, it's time for one last hurrah through this year's holiday blog posts. In case you missed some, here's a little round-up with all things holiday from this year (and a little throwback from last year too). I'm very excited about a fun + festive weekend, however it's always a little bittersweet. My plan is to just make the most of it all + enjoy myself! Wishing you a wonderful weekend! xx. 

1. FESTIVE CHRISTMAS PAJAMAS I LOVE - The cutest holiday pjs!! Do you get into the holiday pajama trend? I love how some families all match + wear the same ones. You can find all of my favorite in this post.

Read here: Festive Christmas Pajamas I Love

2. LITTLE LUXURIES | STOCKING STUFFERS FOR HER $30 & UNDER - I love gifting "little luxuries." It's fun to gift loved ones something a little fancy or something they might not purchase for themselves. Whether you're looking to splurge on some stocking stuffers or gift a little luxury item that won't break the bank, all of these picks are $30 or less + sure to be a hit. 

Read here: Little Luxuries | Stocking Stuffers for Her $30 & Under 

3. HOLIDAY SNACK HAUL - If you know me, you know I love some snackies. Check out this post for a little holiday snack haul with lots of sweet treats + peppermint goodness!

Read here: Holiday Snack Haul

4. MY HOLIDAY BUCKET LIST - I'm proud to say I've done almost all of the items on my holiday bucket list for this year! I'm also planning on a fun + festive weekend to finish wrapping my gifts and bake my cookies. 

Read here: My Holiday Bucket List 

5. CHRISTMAS ROM-COMS ON MY READING LIST - If you love to read, these festive Christmas rom-coms all sound so cute! Right now I'm currently reading The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score-- we'll see if I finish by Christmas! 

Read here: Christmas Rom-Coms on My Reading List

6. ON MY CHRISTMAS LIST - If you're curious what's on MY Christmas list this year or need some last minute gift ideas, my favorite finds are in this post.

Read here: On My Christmas List 

7. MY HOLIDAY GIFT WRAP - This year I went for a boho Christmas vibe with my wrapping + cards which I shared in this post. I'm definitely not a pro gift wrapper by any means but I try to make things fun + festive.

Read here: My Holiday Gift Wrap 

8. CHRISTMAS STOCKING I LOVE - All of my favorite Christmas stockings! 

Read here: Christmas Stockings I Love

9. UNIQUE + LUXE ADVENT CALENDARS - Alright, I love a good advent calendar. It's a fun little tradition leading up to Christmas and while they are all great, some brands go all out with very creative + unique calendars. This post has all of my favorite picks from this year- they're a little spendy but so fun. 

Read here: Unique + Luxe Advent Calendars 

10. THE BEST GIFTS IN TECH - This year I tried to share some new and different themed gift guides from previous years. I've done all of the obvious gifts for him, gifts for her, etc., so I wanted to mix things up a bit. Everyone loves technology + gadgets so this guide is all of the best tech gifts. In my mind, I usually associate electronics as more for the guys, however I think almost anyone would enjoy something from this list. I'm also a big fan of tracking + bettering my health and I love some of the health gadgets in the post too. 

Read here: The Best Gifts in Tech 

11. MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY BLOG POSTS FROM LAST YEAR - This post is a round-up of some of favorite holidays posts from 2022! It's always neat to go back and revisit the previous years to see what's changed + also gain some new inspiration. 

Read here: My Favorite Holiday Blog Posts from Last Year

12. CHRISTMAS DEVOTIONALS - Christmas devotionals are a great way to celebrate the season, stay grounded and focus on the true meaning of Christmas. I also think they make beautiful gifts! Here are some of my favorite ones for this holiday season. 

Read here: Christmas Devotionals 

13. A VERY NEST HOLIDAY - The NEST holiday candles will always be my favorite- they are amazing quality, smell divine + make wonderful gifts. This year I picked up a lot of the votive size for gifts + did a little review of the different holiday scents. If you love candles or home fragrance, be sure to read this one!

Read here: A Very Nest Holiday

14. HOLIDAY FINDS AT THE SEPHORA SALE - Another one of my favorite parts of the holiday season are all of the amazing gift sets + limited edition beauty releases. It's so fun how many brands come out with fun holiday themed products every year. This post is a round-up with all of my favorite holiday finds from the Sephora sale. 

Read here: Holiday Finds at the Sephora Sale

15. CHRISTMAS COOKBOOKS I HAVE MY EYE ON - Right now I'm at a stage in life where I don't have a lot of time to really cook but I love a good Christmas cookbook. I love flipping through the pages and photos. They're so fun and also make a great, festive gift idea. 

Read here: Christmas Cookbooks I Have My Eye On

Do you have any big plans for the weekend?