Taking a break from work this month gave me permission to actually write and post without the self imposed pressures or expectations! I can actually write more for my own personal self reflection and enjoyment, and share it for any of you still actually read blogs;)
As I wrapped the 30 Day decluttering effort, I found myself sitting with the realization that for so long I have desired rest without knowing how to actually rest. In theory, it is easy to opt for a peaceful and slow advent leading up to our favorite holiday, but in practice it has felt impossible for me to put into practice in the past. Last year, I was determined to slow down so we worked really hard to wrap everything up early, but I pushed myself a little too hard. My body shut down not long after and the flu took me out for several days before the New Year. Once again, I stepped into January exhausted, burned out, and determined to start over with better habits this year.
I started a 30 Day clean up series on my personal instagram account at the beginning of the month, and it has challenged me to face all of the things I have been procrastinating on. Many times our physical spaces can be a reflection of the mental or emotional chaos or clutter we feel. I wanted to make room for a peace filled December, and in the process, this list brought to attention some things I didn’t even realize about myself. When we can peel away layers, find quiet, and learn how to important the calm is, we may actually find the roadblocks keeping us from peace. It isn’t too late to print this out, and go through it this month so you can head into the new year feeling rejuvenated versus exhausted and overwhelmed.
So thrilled to finally share a collection of rugs we chose from our favorite rug vendor, Momeni to offer you in the IHOD Shop. These are a mix of rugs we have in our own home, and a few other favorites. We will be adding more over the next month, and I can’t wait to see them come to life in your homes!
We love gathering friends and family around the dinner table in our home. We hosted Friendsgiving this year, and everyone brought something to share! As you read in this post, we recently discovered Philips Hue smart lighting and incorporated them into our dining room setup to set the perfect lighting for the evening. Here are a few details about setting the perfect Friendsgiving table scape and menu lineup!
Keeping the concept of simplifying at the forefront of my life right now, I continue to tackle the kids’ closets in the same way. We just swapped seasons of clothing and if they needed things, I only bought items I knew they could get a lot of use out of and that would pair with other items. I don’t think they need more than a few pairs of shoes either! This has helped me from bringing in more excess into their closets. I hope this post is a helpful resource for shops when it comes to looking for staples!
I save most of my boy clothing from Gabriel to be handed down to Max and Rocco. So far the seasons have lined up well overall. I also frequent consignment stores or the Kidizen app. If I don’t find specific items I am looking for, these are the places I shop:
This Stuffed Shells with Roasted Butternut and Red Pepper Sauce recipe is a really good one for November when you are looking for some healthier comfort food options! We actually made this dish for a Friendsgiving dinner we hosted!
Contrary to baking, cooking has a little wiggle room to experiment with ingredients. Instead of the standard pasta sauce and shells, this is a recipe that can use up those seasonal vegetables you have on hand. We had an abundance of red peppers from our garden this year! I found these fantastic pre-chopped butternut squash packs at Trader Joe’s (also found them at Kroger). Where would I be without the pre-chopped butternut squash? Probably still chopping a squash. Read on for full recipe!
