A new series about little thoughts and things to share. I hope you’ll share your thoughts and latest finds with me too!
+ Since my last post, I’ve been thinking a lot about traditions and how to expand these little practices all throughout the year. In January, we always celebrate Epiphany with a house blessing, a special dinner and new books wrapped in gold paper. This is also the time that I make sure we have our cocoa station on the kitchen counter for chilly winter days. Do you have any little traditions in your home this month?
+ I was super inspired by this mini library transformation and immediately started making plans for our schoolroom/library. We have a handful of Ikea “Billy” bookshelves and I think we can add some trim to make a more built-in look.
+ If you’re a nerd for data and graphs, check out this awesome reading tracker spreadsheet! (affiliate link)
+ I recently used a leftovers website to find a recipe using chicken breasts and potatoes. One of the results was this loaded potato and chicken casserole and it was a huge hit! The kids have already requested a re-do.
From the Big White Farmhouse archives…
+ Three Months of Intermittent Fasting // My Results and What I’ve Learned So Far
+ A Year of Vintage Recipes // Old Fashioned Oatmeal Bread
That leftovers website is so clever! So often I’m finding myself worn out looking at leftovers and trying to come up with creative ways to use them up.
A hot cocoa station sounds fun!
Yes! I love having half of the work done for me with that website.
Using up leftovers gives me the biggest satisfaction as a mom, going to check out that recipe now!
Me too! Food is too expensive to waste these days.
I said it last year and I’ll say it again..what a great Epiphany tradition! I don’t have anything like that but would like to implement something in January to keep the Christmas spirit while most people have gone back to their regular lives
I love that Catholicism keeps the festivities going through the beginning of January (arguably into February if you celebrate the 40 day Christmastide!). We start taking our decorations down after Epiphany. I find the transition into the new year less abrupt and it eases us nicely into Lent.
For Epiphany We usually have some kind of fun dessert and i get the family a liturgical themed gift… this year it’s the wise men set of shinning light dolls (bought on clearance last year) and a trip to the indoor carousel (on the bargain price night).
Love that tradition! And a trip to an indoor carousel sounds awesome. (You know I love those frugal wins too, ha!)
wow, the leftovers website is epic. A year ago I found (and forgot to bookmark) a similar site that helped create custom cocktails with 1-3 ingredients you have on hand selected. It was great. I haven’t been able to find it since. I will use the leftovers recipe generator though. My husband will eat the same thing repeatedly while I want a new take on the cooked food.
How do you set up your hot cocoa station?
This post shows a picture of our cocoa setup from 2020. Every year, I decorate a little different – I currently have individual packets in a vintage lunchbox – but the idea is the same.