What’s up Wednesday!
November 25, 2020

I’m so excited to link up with Sheaffer & Shay! This is where I will tell you about a variety of things about what we are up to, what we are cooking, what we are looking forward to, etc. It is a post that will come out on the last Wednesday of each month. I hope you enjoy it!

1// What we’re eating this week:

Lots of soups are being made in our home. You can get all these soup recipes in this blog post!

Lasagna Soup:

2// What I’m reminiscing about:

I’m thinking back to just 4 years ago when my boys seemed SO tiny and young! Plus, I’m still loving all things PUMPKIN right now, LOL.

3// What I’m loving:

I decided this was the year to get the boys Christmas trees for their rooms. I think it’s safe to say we are all loving them lit up and decorated in their rooms.

Plus, it was super fun picking them out and letting them decided what ornaments to get and then letting them take the reins in where they wanted each ornament to go. We purchased the trees and ornaments from Micheal’s and it was a special afternoon together!

I’m also LOVING these spicy nuts from Trader Joes, have you tried them???

4// What we’ve been up to:

Reading all these awesome Fall and Thanksgiving books! Reading seasonal books is something I love doing with my boys on a slow afternoon. To get all the links to the books see this post.

We went to Ventura, CA the other weekend to see some friends and we truly enjoyed our long walk along the beautiful coast. It was a great weekend where we recharged our batteries and got a break for a minute.

5// What I’m dreading:

I’m not dreading anything right now…2020 is almost in my rearview and I’m ready to move on to new beginnings and a great 2021! That’s the mindset that I’m sticking with right now, to remain positive and just roll with whatever new comes my way. This year has made us stronger, more flexible, and resilient! It has definitely helped us to shift our focus on what’s important!

6// What I’m working on:

I’m working on getting ready for the holidays! I like doing a brain dump of all the thoughts floating around in my head and then make a plan. You can read my post here on “How I Stay Organized Through The Holiday Season”!

If you would like to get the printable I made to create your own holiday to-do list, be sure to subscribe to be on my email list below!

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7// What I’m excited about:

THE HOLIDAYS!!

Yes, the holidays are going to look a little different this year as far as not attending many big gatherings due to the coronavirus being on the rise again. But I’m not going to let it cramp our holiday style…there are so many things we can still do together to create a magically time for our families…refer to my holiday Activity list above 🙂

8// What I’m watching / reading:

In case you need to see when the new Hallmark Christmas movies are playing…here is the guide! I tape the new ones when they air on Saturday & Sunday evenings at 5 pm PST.

Augh…I’ve dropped the ball on listening to books on audible this month…hoping to carve out time to figure out my next book and then actually listen to it instead of my regular podcasts over the holidays. The idea of being cozy with a blanket, a good book, and some coffee, sounds delightful to me!

Here is a current reading list from Mix and Match Mama…I will probably start with one from this list. I’ve already read “Where The Crawdads Sing” so I can check that one-off. Mix and Match Mama blog does book reviews each month so you can visit her blog if you ever need ideas of new books to read.

9// What I’m listening to:

I’m currently listening to my own breathing as I write this post on the last Friday before Thanksgiving break starts. Trying to savor the last quiet moments right now before the boys are home for 9 days!

10// What I’m wearing:

You will find me wearing these comfy cozy socks for the next few months!

Honestly, I haven’t purchased anything other than these socks to wear this month. We are purchasing a few home improvement items for our home so that is wear extra money has been focussed on.

11/ What else is new:

I’m working hard on getting gift guides out to you each week to help you with your Christmas shopping.

Gift Guide For Kids

Gift Guide For Women

Keep your eye out for my next ones coming out on, Men (coming out tomorrow), Seasonal Entertaining & Home Decor, and Stocking Stuffers!

Beautycounter

Beautycounter is running their Black Friday sale early! This is a good time to purchase some holiday gift sets for your family and friends! What better way to show your love for them than by gifting clean beauty products!

My Beautycounter Page

My Beautycounter Page

12// What I’m looking forward to next month:

Making memories with my family! Doing all the Christmasy things: X-mas boat parade with my family, baking cookies, decorating gingerbread houses, Elfis our Elf visiting from the North Pole, reading Christmas books, staring at our Christmas tree, matching pajamas….the list goes on and on my friends, LOL!

I’m also looking forward to my in-laws coming to stay with us the week of Christmas! We haven’t been together in a long time for Christmas morning and seeing the joy on my boy’s faces is a memory they need to see before Luke and Tyler get any older! My mother-in-law, Kathy, purchased matching pajamas for them & the boys and I can’t wait to see them all matching and of course get a picture!

13// What I’m doing this weekend:

This weekend I’m looking forward to getting together with some friends and our families on Saturday. The men all work together and because Jason has been with TechMD for almost 14 years now, we all have formed great friendships together.

I’m also looking forward to decking our halls on Sunday and making our home a Christmas wonderland, LOL Yes, I get VERY excited for Christmas and love to decorate for this favorite holiday of mine.

Thanks for sticking around to read about all the things that are currently happening for this mom with a plan! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family!

XO

Julie