Welcome to the 4th edition of my relatively new weekly post to share the best posts I read this week and a bit of what’s going on in our lives here at home!

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?” ~ Dr. Suess

Last weekend I went with my mom, my aunt, and my cousin Jonnia on a Christmas Tour of Homes. The  home in the photo above (belonging to the former governor of Georgia) was beautiful, but it made me downright twitchy. Ever been in one of those seasonal stores that sell everything Christmas you could ever think of from floor to ceiling and wall to wall? A store like that has nothing on this house. More is not always more.

from around the web:

• The Men and Women We Desire to Become | Becoming Minimalist
  “Perhaps more than anything else, it is the men and women we choose to set-up as role models and idols that determine the course of our lives.”
• Why We Don’t Do Santa | Carrots for Michealmas
  Thoughtful, non-judgmental post on why Santa isn’t the right choice for her family.
• Stockpiling Treasures in My Junk Closet | Christianity Today
  After challenging herself to purge 1,000 things, the author says “I’ve been set free to experience a new, more authentic, gratitude.”
• Chore Charts: free printables + great ideas | Real Life at Home
  My last contributor post for a while, as I work on direction and focus here at home and on my own blog.

If you missed this earlier in the week, it’s worth reading, even if I do say so myself. I dug up some fun photos to go with it: 100 things I want my daughters to know. {Pin it for later if you don’t have time to read it all right now!}

from right here at home

While at the shop to have my Volvo serviced earlier this week, I planned to take a loaner car when the gentlemen behind the counter told me, “I hate to the bearer of bad news, but we can’t loan you a car because your driver’s license is expired.” Oops! It had expired on my birthday six months prior! I remedied the situation later that day so I’m all set for the next five years. Hint: you might want to check yours because since then I’ve heard many stories of other people who have done the same thing. I’m very glad it was the Volvo guy who noticed, rather than a traffic cop!

I rescheduled the work for the next day and decided to stay there and get some blog writing done while my car was serviced. It reminded me how much easier it is to be productive when I don’t have a thousand interruptions, so I’m going to try to get back to a routine of venturing alone to a coffee shop at least every other week.

Oh, and you can give me a virtual high-five for two full weeks of PiYo workouts and no plans to stop! Yay, me!

On the homeschool front: Kathryn has a bit more work to finish up early next week and then she’ll have a break ’til after the first of the year. The younger kids have essentially been “off” all this month. And here’s a confession: after spending nearly two weeks beating myself up about not yet starting Truth in the Tinsel or anything else Advent related, I finally gave myself permission not to. So, we’ll probably make a few things — but we might not, and either way, that’s okay. It doesn’t make me a horrible mom, and my kids will not be scarred for life if we don’t make Christmas crafts.

Continuing on that line of thought, what do YOU need to give yourself permission not to do? So many of us give ourselves an even heftier to-do list this time of year than any other. But I’m here to tell you: the world will not end if you don’t attend that party/bake those cookies/do those crafts.

There are only two things your To Do List must contain:

1. Enjoy the season; remember why you celebrate.
2. Enjoy your family; remind yourself how much you like them.

{Linking up with Kris and Mary}

Jamie

Wife, mom, J-ma. Introvert who enjoys good books, sunshine, and authentic conversation. Often seen with a steaming mug of tea in hand – unless it’s lost yet again in the microwave. Read more »