The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{christmas} An Advent Calendar of the Literary Sort

Advent preparations are in full swing around here!  PreK is a pretty lenient school year, so I really wanted to have the boys immersed in the preparation of Christ’s birth.  This time of year is just so magical, you know? 

So here is my plan for December’s “school”:  I have wrapped 24 Christmas books.  Most of them are ones we already own (board books included), but a few are new and a couple have been borrowed from my mom.  Another great idea I’ve read about is borrowing a bunch from the library, which is very cost-effective if you don’t have many books to begin with.

The goal is to unwrap one book a day.  I labeled each one with a number so I’ll know which book is which, but it will be a complete surprise for the boys!  We’ll read the book and then do a craft or activity that relates to the story.  Lots of ornaments, baking, coloring pages and more!  I also have a few surprises in store for them: filling their shoes on the feast of Saint Nicholas, gingerbread houses, hot cocoa in new mugs, an after-bedtime drive around the neighborhood to see the lights…and hopefully more!

For record’s sake (and in case anyone is interested in the books we’re reading), this is the list:

What books are you reading this season?  Any family favorites?  I’m already creating a wish list for next year, so please share in the comments!

{family} Six Years

Six years ago, at the ripe old age of 21, I married my best friend.  Some would say that is way too young.  It was right for us.  And the best decision I have ever made. We had a small, intimate wedding with our most precious friends and family.  It was simple and perfect. 

As I look back over the photographs of our special day, I can’t believe how young we look!  I know many people say that you should wait to get married until after you’ve “lived a little” and “discovered yourself”.  I’m sure that works for some people, but I’m so glad that’s not the course we took.  With my husband at my side, I’ve grown in ways I never thought I would.  I’ve discovered my passions and hobbies, all with Mark encouraging me along the way.  I know we’ve both grown and matured.  Our greatest adventure has been our three amazing boys, who we thank God for everyday. 

I am so blessed.  We aren’t perfect and every marriage has its ups and downs.  We still have more learning to do.  We still have more maturing to do.  But we are a team and I am so excited to experience the rest of our lives together.  I pray it’s a really long time.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you and your family a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving holiday!  I’m signing off for the week to spend some extra special time with the ones I love.  See you Monday! 

{giving} A Little Gift for a Special Aunt

To me, Thanksgiving is all about acknowledging the blessings in your life.  I am so fortunate to have an amazing aunt.  She is so loving, supportive, and thoughtful.  One of the amazing things about her is that she never forgets a birthday.  Or a holiday for that matter!  Growing up, I always had a special card in the mail just for me.  Now she does it for my kids.  It made my day then and it so greatly touches my heart now.  Anyway, she has a birthday coming up, so I wanted to send a little something for her to find in her mailbox too!

I used this for a birthday gift, but it’s so easy to adapt for Christmas.  I think it would make a great little gift for your neighbors, girlfriends, even for teachers!  

I used a Reuseable Sandwich/Snack bag to hold the little goodies inside.  Afterwards, she can use it for its intended purpose, but it’s definitely not limited to that.  It would be a great little place to hold all of her Christmas gift tags or to throw a few pieces of jewelry in if she’s traveling.  So versatile!

Inside, I tucked in a few items I found from a great etsy shop called Dress Green.  Specifically, I got her the Tricky Lip Lush and the Travel Size Mango and Pomegranate Body Scrub.  They came already wrapped, so I just tucked them in the bag.  So easy!  

To package it all up, I used an extra Favor Bag from our pirate party.  I love that the red stripe is generic enough that I can use them for Christmas or more birthdays later on in the year.  Added a sticker that came with my Erin Condren planner and off into the mail it went.  

Happy Birthday, Aunt Rie!  I’m actually a little EARLY this year!  We love you.  🙂   

Less Materialism, More Intentional Living

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