How about this? ♥

 

Sounds good to me :) 

10 Days to go...♥

Hello Lovely Friends! ♥ 

 It's exactly 10 day until Christmas! It's coming fast!  As far as preparations go, I'm in pretty good shape.  How about you? 

This weekend I finished up all my wrapping, wrote out a few cards, and started to plan our Christmas dinner menu.  It's going to be simple this year.  I just love simple.  

And the older I get, I love it more and more ♥

 On Sunday we had our first snow.  

I woke up to everything being covered in white.  

It snowed off and on all day.  Not really amounting to much, but just enough to give everything and icy dusting.  

Today it's freezing cold and it's all frozen over ♥

Winter is here! Brrrrr.......♥

Rob and I were up and out early for 7:30 mass and then we went for a cozy breakfast at a local spot.  7:30 (am!) mass on a Sunday morning is not always easy (I'm being honest) but I'm always happy once I'm there.  It's such a nice way to start the day - and the week.  

Once home I did some cleaning and lit a new candle that I picked up on whim from CVS!  

I thought it was so cute and smells divine! :)

I wanted something sweet, so I made a quick batch of Toll House chocolate chip cookies! ♥

Yes, premade dough in a tube and I don't regret it.  It's the best! 

(...and such a time and mess saver- you don't even need a bowl! :)

I spent the afternoon wrapping gifts like one of Santa's elves while snowflakes blew by the windows, stopping only for a hot chocolate to go with my cookies.  

While the rest of the family was watching football and napping, I was determined to get it all done...and I did! 

YAY ♥

I often think about what it was like when John was little.  So many packages to wrap.  Lots of toys with batteries, cars, trains (tons of trains!), and action figures. Visits to see Santa, Christmas shows, rides in our PJ's to see lights, baking cookies for Santa, the elf on the shelf....every night! How did I find the energy to do it all?! I loved every minute of it!  However, I'm so happy and content with where we are now and Christmas's are just as fun and joyous as they ever were.  Go figure! Yes it's different.  But different doesn't mean bad.  It's actually very good.  And I get to sleep in! (so there's a bright side to everything!) 

I hope all your preparations are going well! Try to enjoy these next 10 days. It's OK if everything doesn't get done.  It's ok if you're house isn't fully decorated or if you don't get to the post office in time.  People understand.  And that's not what Christmas is supposed to be anyway.

I think the next 10 days are the most exciting of the entire season and the best way to spend them is sitting around the tree doing absolutely nothing...well, you know what I mean! 

Have a lovely, festive day! ♥

Stay cozy!!! xo 

One word Wednesday: Simple ♥

Hello! 

Good day to all my friends in blog land!  

♥

It’s a dreary afternoon here and I was thinking that instead of complaining I would focus on one simple thing in life that makes me happy today. 

It doesn’t take much.

This bowl of strawberries that is currently in my fridge.  I’m obsessed! 

Ok, done : ) 

♥

In other news…..look what’s going on outside.

Life...♥

Happy Wednesday!  Xo

Life in the slow lane ♥

(via)

 

Remember that scene in You've Got Mail when Meg Ryan's character Kathleen talks about how she questions living a "small life"?  She calls it "valuable, but small".  She wonders if it's because she likes it or if she simply hasn't been brave. 

 

I love that scene in the movie because I've asked myself that same question before.  Society has a way of making us feel that if we are living small then we aren't really living.  We are constantly being told that we have to win the race, when some of us just want to take the slow lane. 

 

I'm happy with life in the slow lane ♥

 

It's not to say that I don't have dreams.  I would love to sail on a slow boat to Europe one day.  I dream of seeing London and Paris and all the places that I've read about in books.  I would love to have tea at Harrods on a rainy day. I dream of what it's like to see the English countryside in the spring with all it's beautiful gardens. I dream of  seeing the lights of Paris atop the Eiffel tower and  walking the same halls as Marie Antoinette at Versailles.  To some these may seem cliché, but they are my dreams and I hold them close to my heart. 

 

I dream about a house on an ocean somewhere and watching the sunrise and set over the horizon. 

 I dream of the future.

♥

But in real life I'm living my dreams in my (not-so) small life.  There is nothing that could ever compare with being a mom to my son.  His happiness is my happiness.  ♥  Watching him grow from a baby to an eight (almost 9!) year old boy in the blink of an eye is the most amazing thing.

He's smart and funny and every day I feel LUCKY to be his mom!

 

 

 

Having coffee with my hubby and watching TV on the couch.  It's small but oh, so nice.  Eighteen years later and it's just as cozy as it was on day one.  ♥

 

These are the things that make me happy. 

 

I'm grateful for my family and friends, and my health.  I ran into a former neighbor at the store today who made a point to tell me "live your life".  She lost her husband at 61 and in hindsight is very grateful for the things they did when they were young.  You just never know what the future will hold.  I took that as a sign. Be happy with your life the way you like it and do what you love to do.

 

I'm not saying a small life if good for everyone, just for me.  I encourage you all to dream big. 

My advice is do what it right for you, not what you think you should do. 

 

I love to read books about history, drink coffee with whip cream, watch old movies, and play Match Game with my family.  So that's what I do.  ♥

 

If the slow lane feels right, then by all means please join me in the slow lane. 

 

Life is good  ♥ 

 

 

(via)

 

(another gem from You've Got Mail)