2013 Christmas Home Tour

Merry Christmas to all of my sweet blog friends.  I won't go into a long story about where I've been. I'm just so glad to be back.  And I couldn't stay away any longer, especially this time of year. So please join me for a tour of my Holiday House!

There's no theme this year.

No color scheme.

Just a simple Christmas.

I didn't spend any money on decorations this year.

I didn't even put out all of my decorations this year.

And ya know what?

I don't miss it.

No pressure this year.

No stress.

Just happy traditions.

Christmas carols on Pandora are free.

The sound of happy children is free. 

Moving a simple little elf around the house and the joy it brings is free.

Drinking hot chocolate with my kiddos while sitting around the table talking about our day isn't free, but it certainly is cheap.

So is burning a candle I got at a yard sale for a buck.

The smell of fresh baked cookies is free.

Seeing my teenager wear her handmade apron from when she was six years-old, while baking cookies together makes me smile.  And it's free.  (Posting that picture on my blog would cost me $20)

Fake poinsettias from ten years ago that still look real are free.

Beautiful white snow on the ground is the perfect backdrop for Christmas.  And it's free.

Rearranging my family room for the last time (New Years Resolution) is free too!

Watching your favorite Christmas specials over and over is totally free and never gets old.

Driving around the neighborhood in your pajamas looking at Christmas lights is free!

Making crafts together, like a simple peppermint wreath is priceless.

Dressing them up for pictures is free.

Seeing the excitement of the season on their faces is the best kind of free there is.

Getting your first college acceptance letter in the mail is oh-so exciting and free! 

Four years of college?  Not so free.  

So there you have it.  It feels good to be back to doing what I love.  This blog will be undergoing some changes in the New Year.  I can't wait to share them with you.  

Merry Christmas to you all.  

Thanks for stopping by and have a merrylicious holiday!

xoxo,

Kim

Joining:

The Nester's 2013 Christmas Tour of Homes

Savvy Southern Style's Wow Us Wednesday

10 Ways to Have Fun without Leaving Your Bedroom

Hey All! I am Jessica and today I am a guest blogger on Kim's blog,Well Thanks to kim for this oppertunity.I am so happy to be here.Enjoy the post and follow me here.

The bedroom is our sanctuary more than any other room in our home; that is why we should pay special attention to choosing bedroom furniture and decorating it in a way that would make spending time in there as pleasant and peaceful as possible.

When the day (or our mood) is gloomy, we can heal inside this room doing things we love. Youíd be amazed how many things we can do without leaving the bedroom and not get bored for a second:

1. Sleep: The most obvious choice:If weíre going to be lazy and sleep all day, we better make sure we have proper ìequipmentî ñ comfortable bed, quality mattress, soft pillows. However, itís not just comfort that matters. Our surroundings have to be beautiful as well, so sleeping in pleasant looking linen bought from yorkshirelinen.com or similar quality vendor will make the experience more appealing.

2. Exercise to empower your body and mind:Exercise, as something like the opposite of sleeping, is another great way to spend time in your bedroom. These exercises would have to be in tone with the setting, so you wouldnít jump around aggressively, but rather lie on the soft carpet a make soothing movements that feel good to your spine.
3. Reading as a way to escape:Lying in bed and reading ñ how often do we do this pleasurable activity? Iím sure the answer is ìalmost neverî, and none of us can really say why. No schedule is that busy not to allow reading in bed from time to time, yet we rarely do it. Letís change that.

4. Movies are a great pastime:Similar to reading, watching movies is a great way to forget about the outside world and enjoy a good laugh or cry.
5. Redecoration as a healing process:Youíd be surprised how rewarding bedroom redecoration can be. Even the simple furniture repositioning can bring us much pleasure. Other things you can do to make a difference are: repainting walls, hanging DIY photo frames on walls, even knitting a new bedspread.

6. Reminiscing:Thereís something to lying in a cosy bed bought from andsotobed.co.uk and watching old photos or going through an almost forgotten box of ìstuffî that we havenít looked at in a long time: postcards from friends, old mix tapes, tickets to concerts we saw in the pastÖ
7. Bedroom bonding:That busy factor often prevents us from spending quality time with our partners. Spending a whole day in the bedroom, talking, reading and watching movies together, playing board games and laughing can do wonders to a relationship.
8. Dancing in the bedroom:Dancing in the living room is not as safe as doing it in the bedroom. This is where you get to create your own dance moves no one can see and maybe laugh at.

9. Discover the artist in you:The bedroom with its soothing colours and mood is a good setting for art. This is where you can lose yourself writing poetry, painting or drawing, making music on your computer, or planning a short film.
10. Let yourself daydream:Allow yourself to lie in your bed and do nothing. Donít think about daily obligations and worries. Just lie there and daydream for a while.

It seems like we forgot how to stand still and enjoy the moment. All of us should remember to do that at least once a month, locked inside the bedroom or any other space that feels like our sanctuary.

Jersey Fresh

Summer fun is in full swing here in South Jersey.  Mallory took a break from her job working with children at Summer camp to spend a week in Nashville on a missions trip with our church youth group.

Last week I took Middle and Little blueberry picking at one of my favorite farm markets in Mullica Hill.

You go ahead, I'll stay here and watch.

 
We wasted no time making good use of those yummy blueberries!

Gluten-free Blueberry Muffins!

Cooling off in the pool.

Looking for blueberries in all the wrong places...

All this fun sure works up an appetite!!

Thanks for stopping by and have a Summerlicious week!
xoxo,
Kim