“The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” – Henry Ward Beecher

This is one of my favorite ornaments because 4-year-old Kathryn made it entirely by herself (the idea of joined hearts was hers, too) the year Ken and I got married. My tree is full of sentimentality, and that’s just how I like it. The little kids ask questions and love listening to the stories accompanying ornaments that were around before them; this is only their second Christmas with us, but I know these stories will eventually become a part of their own history and traditions. Isn’t that a lovely thought?

from around the web:

• 5 tips for enjoying the holidays as a highly sensitive parent | Steady Mom
• 100+ Free Art Lessons for All Ages | Hodgepodge
• Lazy Advent | Quill and Camera
• Finding balance in the busy holiday season | Art of Simple
• Don’t Make Me Take Away the Nativity… | We are THAT family

I had the pleasure of hosting another iHN G+ hangout this week on the nitty gritty of homeschooling. If you’ve never listened to the podcasts from HomeschoolingIRL with Kendra and Andy Fletcher, they cover great homeschool and parenting topics. And if you want to see me being a goof as usual, watch the video from this week’s hangout.

I’ve been quiet here on the blog this week but look for new posts next week!

from right here at home

I’m working on getting myself headed in the right direction on some good habits before I think about making any changes or starting anything new in our homeschool. Sometime after the first of the year, I hope to do more in the way of art and those read-alouds I’ve let fall by the wayside. But first, I have to work on me.

I can’t be a kind and encouraging mama when I’m running on nothing.

So I’ve started back to a Bible study group I abandoned several months ago when getting everything taken care of at home to get out the door felt like simply too much. Some things have settled down enough now for this to feel do-able. And for here at home, I’m keeping things simple and easy right now by doing a reading from this each morning: Portraits of Devotion by Beth Moore.

I’ve also started daily workouts. PiYo is my new thing, and it’s kicking my you-know-what in a good way. I’m sore in places I didn’t know I had muscles, but it’s an enjoyable workout. I plan to write up a whole review once I’m a month or so in because when I was looking into it, I didn’t find any reviews from an ordinary 40-something mom like me.

And I’m working on making dates with this guy a higher priority. Doesn’t have to be fancy: something like lunch out and a little holiday shopping is fun for us. Really, Ken can make just about anything fun. 😉

In keeping with my desire to get more fit, I’ve been brutal in unfollowing dessert boards on Pinterest. Of course I can still search if I’m looking for something in particular. I don’t need to be inspired to try 49 different varieties of oven-baked s’mores; I’d rather be inspired to eat good-for-me dishes. If I was ever granted some magic genie wish or I inherited a bajillion dollars from a distant relative, I’d totally hire a chef. I would eat the healthiest food EVER if someone else would plan and prepare it for me.

–> Question: if money were no object (like in my genie/bajillion dollar scenario above), what one job/chore/etc would YOU hire out? {Click here to comment.}

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 »