From the Front Porch: A Cozy Little Christmas

Hello from the front porch and welcome to the Cozy Christmas edition of this weekly series.

Thanks so much for spending time with us today.

How has your week been?

Recently, I gave one of my oldest friends a pep talk.

I’m grateful it resonated and many of you found the post helpful.

Today I wanted to address those of you who want to name and claim how you want to show up but have a hard time convincing your brain you can actually be that person.

For example, if you want to be “bold and confident” before you give a presentation, but your insides are filled with butterflies, your palms are sweaty and your mouth is dry, it might be hard to convince yourself that you’re truly “bold and confident.”

So, if you’ve ever found yourself in a similar situation, here’s a simple tip that might help.

Decide in advance what role you want to embody.

As I shared above, when you’re giving a presentation you could embody the role of an educator, a detailed oriented team member, a CEO, a passionate changemaker, or a philanthropist.

After all, those roles usually embody boldness and confidence.  

An example from my own life is attending my nephew’s football games.

Most of his games have been at a school that holds bittersweet memories for me. If traffic is bad it can take up to 2 hours or more to get to the stadium. And given it’s difficult for me to be in the car because of an accident I’m still working through, by the time I get to the game, I feel like a sweaty mess.

The thing that carries me through those tough moments is embracing the role of showing up as a supportive and loving aunt.

I know that might sound simple at first.

But showing up as a supportive and loving aunt means I need to wear our family’s signature game day outfit. It means I need to make sure I’ve eaten a healthy dinner, so my blood sugar doesn’t drop. It means I need to utilize breathing and other therapeutic techniques in the car so I can show up in a good mood ready to cheer my nephew on with joy and excitement.

Those things have to be decided in advance.

So, this holiday season think about what role you want to embody and how you want to show up.

Especially, if you have tricky family dynamics or will be attending a lot of holiday events.

You can embody a rich aunt, a funny uncle, a creative sister, a doting grandparent, a patient parent, a nurturing caregiver, a supportive partner, a festive friend, an excited travel companion, a kind coworker, a compassionate boss, a thoughtful gift giver…truly, I could go on.

While there are times we don’t get to choose some of our roles, we can choose how we show up for them.

Most importantly, we can shape any role by consciously choosing what authentically reflects our values, how we embody those values and how we purposefully inhabit each role.

As always, I’ll be cheering you on.

A Few of Our Favorite Posts from Around the Web this Week…

Beautiful Seasonal Home, Garden and Project Inspiration:

• There are so many fabulous spaces in this post, The French Connection and this post from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles.
• Every detail of this Basket House in Connecticut from Moore House Design is amazing.
• I’m still thinking about this classic evergreen Christmas home tour from Wildflower Home Interiors.
• Rachel from The Ponds Farmhouse customized these stockings in minutes and they’re gorgeous.
• These brass and bronze Christmas decor ideas from The Lillypad Cottage are perfectly cozy.
• MaryJo from Master “Pieces” of My Life shared a fabulous display of deer that’s layered with lots of texure.
• Speaking of cozy, have you seen these rustic decorating ideas from Sanctuary Home? They’re beautiful.
• This moody mantel is one of my all time favorites from Craftberry Bush.
• Miss Mustard Seed makes the most amazing salt dough ornaments. They look like they’ve been shipped over from Europe.
• Wait until you see these 12 Christmas Wreaths that Bring Holiday Magic Inside and Out from Town and Country Living.

Health and Wellness Inspiration:

• This Easy Morning Habit Can Make You Feel More Awake and Focused (via Self)
• 20 Completely Free Ways to Romanticize the Holiday Season (via The Everygirl)
• The Gentle Art of Saying No (via LifeHack)

Makeup, Style and Travel Inspiration:

• Princess Kate Approved: 13 Surprisingly Chic Colour Combos (via the always fabulous Kate Middleton Blog)
• 7 Makeup Tips That Make a Big Difference for Women Over 50 (via Real Simple)
• Just added the The Six Bells Countryside Inn to my travel bucket list. It looks just like a storybook!

Encouraging Words…

If You’ve Missed Anything from the Archives or the Blog Lately, Here’s a Peek At What We’ve Been Up To…

Blush and Burgundy Holiday Home Tour and Blog Hop

(33 Beautiful Homes to Explore)

Simple Jeweled Christmas Ornaments

Blush Pink Gift Tag Ornaments

How to Age Paper for Magical Letters to Santa

Hot Cocoa Bar Essentials

Our Best Holiday Gift Guides

(hundreds of ideas to explore)

Shopping Notes…

(Amazon affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)

• Pullover (gifting this year, 9 colors to choose from depending on size)
• Multitool Pen (9 features in 1 pen and makes for a great stocking stuffer)
• Cologne (spicy and seductive)
• Docking Station (gifted the lighter brown version and it was a hit)
• Golf Trunk Organizer (gifted to my Dad and he couldn’t believe how easy it was to organize)
• Airplane Phone Holder (a great idea for any who travels, other colors also available)
• Tire Inflator (have and love, gifting my Dad)
• Trimmer (18 pieces and perfect for beard, face, hair, and body)
• Beer Mug (gifted to my BIL along with a variety of speciality craft beers and he loved it)
• Ball Tatt (gifting my Dad. lots of other designs available)
• Sweatshirt (my BIL loves his, 8 colors to choose from depending on size)
• Car Battery Jump Starter (have, love, Dad and BILs requested)
• Dude Wipes (budget friendly and great stocking stuffer idea, we keep these in travel bags and vehicles)
• Cooler (my BIL has the white one and they take it everywhere because it travels so well)
• Rangefinder (bought this for my Dad several years ago and he still uses it)
• Headphones (these are an updated version of the red and black ones we have, love and use daily)

That’s all for now!

As always, we appreciate you so much and we hope your weekend is peace filled and relaxing.  We can’t wait to share even more with you next week!

Many blessings,

CoCo