every year i choose one little word to focus my intentions on in the new year.
with every move, the word “quality” echoed in my heart.
quality rang true in my journey toward self-love. i lost 20 lb., worked out regularly, & started the #dressinhappiness project. you can find out more about this project here.
quality rang true in my work life. for so long, i was afraid to take that jump because of fear & an overwhelming amount of student debt. in 2014, i made the leap with arms wide open!
quality rang true in my marriage. luke & i shared our hearts openly & unguarded. we attended counseling sessions together & grew even more connected as partners. it makes me weepy when i reflect on 2014 & all of the growth that happened in that space & time.
quality rang true in my friendships. i stayed connected with friends from the past & cultivated deep friendship within our community. i co-led a women’s retreat within our church community & created a weekly coffee date for my lady tribe. i am so thankful for the opportunity to share my life with women of quality who inspire & motivate me.
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| “pursuit” bracelet by debi dean |
in 2015, my one little word is pursuit.
pursuit, noun: the action of following or pursuing someone or something.
my heart is set on the pursuit of a healthy balance in my work & family life.
i will focus on the pursuit of a clear path in my work life. i will say no so that i may say yes to work that fills me up, inspires others & cultivates joy within my life.
i will focus on the pursuit of saying yes to more time well-spent by saying no to material goods that rob us of our freedom to enjoy life. friends, i am getting off of that consume-more-work-more treadmill!
i believe that our lives are made up of well-crafted & intentional everydays.
how will you make every single day count?
choose one little word & follow me along on this journey, friends!
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i am so thankful for debi dean who makes incredible jewelry that speaks truth! i am so excited to wear my “pursuit” bracelet as a daily reminder of my intention for 2015.
debi dean makes bracelets & necklaces with custom stamped words – the perfect gift for you in the new year!
debi is offering a $40 gift certificate to her shop so that you may pick out any piece & wear your word throughout the year!
to enter this giveaway, simply:
1. visit the debi dean shop & take a look around.
2. like debi on facebook or follow her on ig @debidean
3. comment below with your email address & share your one little word for 2015!
i will pick a random winner on january 7th & share the winner’s name here!
love,
natalie
p.s. debi is offering free shipping in her shop to natalie creates readers until january 18th! just enter the code “nataliecreates” at checkout!
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congrats to amy huneycutt for winning the giveaway by debi dean! yay!
it’s the week before christmas & we are feeling oh so festive around these parts!
drinking hot cocoa with marshmallows every single night.
enjoying dinners by candlelight & holiday parties with loved ones.
watching christmas movies under warm blankets.
surprising friends with secret gifts by their front doors.
leaving baked goodies for the mailman.
baking, making, wrapping & gifting.
& so much more.
today i thought i’d share two fun gifts in a jar ideas for quick presents just in time for christmas!
this recipe for chocolate candy cane muddy buddies is so delicious & inspired by my gal pal, katy. we gifted jars of muddy buddies to our neighbors & mailman. it’s inexpensive & perfect for those in need of a little sweet treat!
ingredients:
– peppermint candies
– 2 tablespoons butter
– 1 package ghiradella melting chocolate
– 1 tsp real peppermint oil
– 1 box corn chex
– around 1 cup powder sugar
to make:
melt butter in a saucepan. add chocolate & allow to melt completely. while your chocolate is melting, add the peppermint candies to a ziplock bag & thoroughly crush with a rolling pin into very fine pieces. set aside.
once your chocolate is fully melted, add peppermint oil & stir to combine. pour your chex cereal into a bowl & pour the chocolate on top. mix until your chex cereal is completely coated in chocolate. add powder sugar & the crushed peppermint candies. stir until all of the chex cereal is covered in candies & powder sugar. allow to cool.
we filled large mason jars with muddy buddies & decorated our jars with fabric tops. a cute tag & string made this little sweet treat gift extra special.
next up is this fun mason jar recipe for grown-up hot cocoa!
this gift was created for a $5 or under secret santa gift exchange. this gift is especially perfect for those men in your life who enjoy a good drink during the holidays!
ingredients:
– pre-made hot cocoa mix (you can make your own, too. here’s a great recipe that we love!)
– marshmallows
– candy cane
– mini bailey’s bottle
– large mason jar
to make:
pour the hot cocoa mix into the jar & add marshmallows to the top. screw on the lid & tie a candy cane, the bailey’s mini bottle & a cute labeled tag with twine. gift with love! so simple & so fun!
what are some quick & easy gifts for loved ones you have up your sleeve this year? please share!
love,
natalie
the gifts are wrapped & the mantel is decorated with stockings hung & oh so festive looking (two stockings for each of our dogs – don’t get any ideas, people!). it’s that cozy time of year when we spend more of our time in than out.
as an adult, i’ve grown to love this time of year. as a farmer & farmer’s wife, i see my husband more. win, win.
perhaps i should have shared my thrifty advent calendar idea way back in november. but as it (always) goes, december 1st crept up on us & by december 4th i finally got the brilliant idea to whip this up.
it’s simple & cost me nothing. store this little idea away or heck! jump on the bandwagon & celebrate the last week before christmas with this fun idea.
i spent the late evening making this advent calendar with a hot cup of cocoa in hand. i glanced at our calendar for the month & wrote down meaningful activities for each day, including “eat chocolate!” & “buy a stranger coffee.”
we’ve loosely followed our calendar, allowing some traditions & moments to happen a little earlier or later than planned.
once you’ve written on all of your tags, attach them with ribbon or clothespins to a string. hang your string of tags in your family living space!
what are some fun advent activities you enjoy doing? how do you celebrate advent? i’d love to read!
love,
natalie