A Wildwood Story

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” -Dumbledore

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Christmas Gift Ideas

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(I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. You can read my disclosure here.)

Hello my festive little Christmas elves!

If you, like me, aren’t *quite* ready for all things Christmas, take a deep breath (*takes a deep breath*) and think about what truly matters to you. Recognize the difference between those things and extraneous things. For me, that’s focusing on Advent through simple devotionals, spending time with my immediate and extended family, reaching out to people grieving during the holidays and…actually, that’s it. Literally everything else is joyful bonus stuff. Even though I’m not as prepared for Christmas as I’d like (still a few more gifts to pull together) I feel remarkably relaxed about it all because: PERSPECTIVE.

Here are some things I have not done this year:

baked Christmas cookies for the fam

sent out family photo cards

100% decorated the house

That list is much longer, but you get the drift! Of course, I’d love to do those things, but I’m also fine with letting them go because they aren’t as precious to me as my top three. If you need help letting something go, reach out to me and I will talk through it with you, because I am preaching this to myself, too. If there’s something you can’t completely let go of (say, you’re hosting a holiday dinner), then how can you simplify it? Ask me or someone else for ideas on how to problem-solve whatever is nagging at you, and have the most beautiful holiday with what you have right where you’re at.

Okay, on to those gift suggestions-

I know this is an obvious reminder, but now is an excellent time to utilize the power of the internet and have gifts delivered directly to the recipient! Or to you, via Amazon or Target, for example, while you shop from your couch and gaze at the lights on your Christmas tree. Seriously, avoid the crowds if that would be anxiety-inducing.

Here are some things I have done and will be doing for gifts (and if you are in my family then just stop here because SPOILERS AHEAD YOU’VE BEEN WARNED):

∇ Easy homemade bread wrapped in a tea-towel or parchment paper. And I do mean easy-if you’ve been to my house lately and seen my large glass canister full of rising dough, this is the magic happening. No-kneading required, no skills needed. It just takes a little thinking ahead and about 2 minutes to mix up the ingredients. You can find many variations of this recipe; here are two: Homemade Artisan Bread and Easy No-Knead Overnight Artisan Bread. Half of my neighborhood has now been given a loaf of this bread; can’t stop won’t stop! {you could also add a jar of locally produced honey or jam~seriously the homiest and yummiest gift}

∇ Do you know anyone who has skin? Yes? Do you also like to support women in business? Me too. Then gift your people some skincare and/or makeup from my friend Jo, who I’ve known for over 22 years and who creates small-batch, clean ingredient products. {I mentioned JO Custom Cosmetics on my Black Friday post, too.) She is not asking me to brag on her, and I’ve gladly spent my own dollars on her products because I love her and them. {Fun fact: Hosanna has been using her lavender serum the last year-it lasts forever- and I’ve been wearing her lip gloss every day this week!} Her products come packed so adorably these would be perfect to send directly to your intended recipient. I asked her for a discount code to share with my friends, and she gave me one for 10% off your total order! Here it is: wildwood10

∇ Earrings are everything, and these handmade clay beauties have been on my list for a while: Nova Vita Co. If you live in the St. Louis area, her Instagram account mentions some local shops you can find the earrings at. If you order from her directly, she will ship them using recycled materials! Guess what? Not to brag or anything but I also know the maker, Avery, and her family. She’s a killer volleyball player and has played with my husband and kids (but not me because I don’t jump) and is the real deal: genuine and kind and OBVS creative. She was featured in STLMag, read about her HERE! Then go buy some earrings for your mom, wifey, sister, best friend…

∇ Let me state the obvious, now and forevermore: BOOKS. I will never get tired of giving or receiving books. Don’t forget the life-altering power of a good book! The perfect any-gender gift. Your person not a reader of novels? Then consider one of these (all ones I own or have given!): puzzles, adult-coloring, hand-lettering, photography, graphic novels, or a cookbook. Another idea~ I gave a book subscription to my sister once from a local independent bookstore: The Novel Neighbor

∇ Movie Theatre gift card: one of my kids’ aunties has done this in recent years and it is the BEST idea! I love experience gifts like this. Going to see a movie with the entire fam really adds up-we rarely do it unless we have a gift card. Also-we utilize theatre $5 days and other discounts to make this gift last longer!

∇ Stocking stuffer ideas: popping ears, blue light glasses, chewing gum, cozy winter socks, $5-$10 coffee gift cards, fruit (canned or fresh, oranges are perfect!), chapstick or lip balm (Jo Custom Cosmetics!), portable charger, hand sanitizer, chocolate, snacks (all sorts), mini kleenex packs

I hope these little ideas were helpful to you; I’d love to hear some of your favorite gift ideas!

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase after clicking through one of my links, I may receive a {very small} commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting this blog! It means the world and a Merry Christmas to me. 🙂

Black Friday: a few of my favorite things

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(I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. You can read my disclosure here.)

We all love this day so much because of pumpkin pie for breakfast, right?!?

I am not a big Black Friday in-store shopper, though I’ve done it a couple of times and it’s certainly fun with friends and family! (I’ll never forget the time I kept losing my brother Ian at the mall and he kept calling from the Apple Store to find us.)

In recent years I’ve been trying to be thoughtful about my holiday purchases and where and why the money is going. That money, I tell ya-it’s slippery like a newborn baby.

via GIPHY

My preferred way to shop Black Friday sales is via my own internet and cozy home with the aforementioned pumpkin pie and a cup of coffee on hand. I am sharing a sampling of things here that I have purchased myself and love:

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Fall Favorites

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(I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. You can read my disclosure here.)

Anyone who knows me knows I dearly love summer but it’s also true that fall is the coziest, and I WILL be cozy. I insist on coziness.

Here are a couple things that are charming me this fall…

First of all, the Harry Potter books are best read during cooler months with a hot cuppa and preferably under blankets, which is exactly how Drew {12} and I have been reading them aloud together. Usually at bedtime, and then I have to pee in the middle of the night because of all that hot chamomile.

∇ Currently reading:

I’ve discovered a Spotify playlist appropriately titled, “Happy Harry Potter” for that perfect background feeling of Hogwarts:

∇ Harry Potter playlist

Fall makes me fond for all things British, including these wellies, which I’ve had for years (an old Target purchase!) and they serve me well come rain & muck:

∇ Joules Women’s Field Welly AKA RAINBOOTS

∇ Fairy lights. I have some that stay permanently on, it seems, because they are so perfectly cozy. I have these (Target) and these (IKEA).

∇ Stew. Stew is everything that is good in this world. Sometimes I follow a recipe, sometimes I follow my heart,* always is my stew simmering in a dutch oven for hours upon delicious hours. The best fix-it-and-forget-it meal!

What are your fall favorites right now? I’d love to hear and adopt some more! We need all the cozy we can get.

*my most recent stew included radishes, and nobody was the wiser! Hahaha I’m so clever!

This letter contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase after clicking through one of my links, I may receive a {very small} commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting this blog! It means the world and a cozy fall day to me.

Photo by Stella Rose, Sarah Ehlers and ERIC ZHU on Unsplash

5 Favorites From July

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July was a month of illness for our family, which shouldn’t be allowed in summer yet here we are, still blowing our noses and coughing up unmentionables. Thank you, modern medicine, for your merciful assistance. Thank you, essential oils and Vitamin C, for making me smell like an apothecary but also feel better.

Here you are, my five favorites from July!

∇ Essays on The Art of Simple. It’s where I go for self-help direction (ahem-always need more of that), life encouragement, and recommendations on all sorts of things. Here is one that I really needed to read: Transform Your Relationship With Your Teen…

∇ Birkenstock sandals. Up until this spring, I thought Birkenstocks were an ugly relic from the 70’s, but I was young and naive and now I am still young but also wiser. Wiser because apparently there are many styles of Birkenstocks and you don’t have to wear the kind your hippy aunt is still wearing from her flower child days, if you don’t wanna! My sisters Naomi & Keturah each bought their own pair and since they loved them so much and I want to be like them and do everything they do, I bought my own to try. I’d been wearing super flat sandals which just aren’t meant for constant wear and were causing my feet and legs to hurt. My Birkenstocks are a world of difference in support and I literally wear them constantly. {The first link is to the exact pair I purchased as an online-only special, but you can also find a variety of styles on Amazon.}

∇ Trendsend by Evereve. This July I received my fourth (fifth?!) box and while I’ve kept an article of clothing from each one in the past; this time it was a simple tassel necklace I adore.

∇Sniffle Stopper from Plant Therapy: this {kid-safe} essential oil blend has long been a favorite; everyone notices an improvement in their breathing when we diffuse it. LOVE

∇ Old favorite, often on repeat, thank you Ingrid dear:

You can find my June favorites here.

Photo by Brittany Neale on Unsplash

Letter 40 {6 quick things on turning 36}

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Dear Candace,

Now that I’m 36, I’m living in the fullness of myself and have come to terms with a few things.

One, I still forget to switch the laundry to the dryer.

Two, giving myself a manicure is an arduous task requiring a ridiculous amount of Q-tips and toxic polish remover, and I still end up with nails that look like they were done by a 6 year old.

Three, pie is my always and forever weakness and a crust made with lard makes my knees buckle. I could eat pie every day of my life and never, not once, feel guilty. Pie is life….

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Sisterhood of the Traveling…BB Cream?

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I have five younger sisters (yes, FIVE), of which I am proudly the oldest and tallest. {Someone has to be higher up in order to be looking out for everyone all the time.} If our faces didn’t look so similar, I might be inclined to believe the story that I was adopted (specifically, found on the side of the road), since they are all miniatures wearing ridiculously small shoes while I’ve been clomping around in size 10’s and towering over everyone like a giraffe since age 12.

Remember that movie about a magical pair of jeans which fit four different friends perfectly? We have our very own version of that, a sort of connecting thread.

Due to our height, and general body shape differences we have three camps: Very Petite Sister, All the Other Sisters, and Me.  No one can wear my shoes or clothes. I can wear their stuff only if it is giant-sized. However, there are two things which us Oldest 5 love and use frequently. And these two things we can share and share alike.

Sisters at the beach

Oldest 5 took Dad on a surprise trip to the beach. l-r: Naomi, Esther, Mara, Me, Keturah*

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Weekend Favorites

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Closing out this weekend with a few of my favorite things…

∇ Because she is the sweetest, and this music video is adorable:

∇ How to Overcome Comparison: An Open Letter From a Recovering Perfectionist {Soul Scripts}

“My life is not a competition–neither the messy parts nor the marvelous parts are a measurement of my worth.” I’ve been following Jordan on Instagram for awhile; she’s the real deal! Encouraging women to live in their identity in Christ and follow hard after God. 

∇ The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle

Wow, this is a unique wealth of resources. I was first introduced to the bundle last year and was so pleased with my purchase! It has ALL THE THINGS. 

∇ Do you have what it takes to travel the world and be a flavor finder? Noosa is looking for yogurt superfans!

Thank you to my sister, Mara, for bringing this to my attention. I would apply except I have not actually yet tried Noosa yogurt and therefore feel unqualified for such a mission.

{You can see last week’s Weekend Favorites here.}

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase after clicking through one of my links, I may receive a {very small} commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting this blog! It means the world and a weekend full of favorites to me.

Rose Gold Favorites

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This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase after clicking through one of my links, I may receive a {very small} commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting this blog! It means all the rose gold in the world to me.

Rose gold is the new black. A couple years ago I said mustard was the new black, and I was sincere though misguided. I amend my previous statement to clarify that rose gold, not mustard, is the new black. What does this mean, exactly? If you have to ask then you don’t know. Just leave this blog now and go search your heart. Is any of this confusing? How about we just get to what’s important, which is my obsession with all things rose gold:

∇ First of all, these Signature Rose Gold Leather Earrings from Nickle & Suede. I gifted them to myself for Christmas (sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do) and then, surprise! My mom gave me ANOTHER rose gold pair in a different shape. I think I’ve exclusively worn both pairs in 2018. They are so light I forget I’m wearing them, and they go with everything. People are constantly asking me about them when I’m out in public so if you are an extreme introvert be aware of this side effect of potential human interaction.

∇ Hoop earrings from Target. When I was checking out at Trader Joe’s recently, my cashier was wearing these hoops which accentuated her adorable pixie cut. Naturally, I had on my own rose gold earrings and so we complimented each other on our extreme good taste while also discussing the contents of my cart: cheese, olives, and rice mochi snacks.

∇ This Romeo & Juliet jacket from Evereve. IT HAS ROSE GOLD STARS NEED I SAY MORE.

∇ Rose gold clogs via Lotta from Stockholm. {Plan: buy these clogs, go to Stockholm.} I do not own this adorable footwear, but someone might mention to my husband that they’d make a great gift and would match my leather earrings and therefore improve my quality of life.

∇ For a perfectly glamorous wire basket suited to all your basketing needs, check out this coppery rose gold Project 62 basket.

∇ My French Press has got to be a decade old, and showing it, so I’m thinking of replacing it with this rose gold number that gets great reviews on Amazon.

Is that all? No. That is never all. But it will get you started! Do you have rose gold favorites, too? Share the links here; I’d love to see!

Oh look-here’s a photo of me wearing the above mentioned jacket + earrings:

Me with my lovely sister, Esther

Photo by Kara Michelle on Unsplash