From the Front Porch

Happy Friday from the front porch, you guys! 

I’m heading down with my Mom and sister for the last Extravaganza of the year.  We’ve been very selective about the events that we’ve actually attended this year so I’m interested to see how it all goes.  

Everything is going to be mostly outside, on 117 acres so there’s plenty of room to social distance. Of course, we’ll be wearing masks and practicing safe hand hygiene, and taking precautions as always. 

Our pod is not set to meet again until Christmas and since we won’t be seeing each other for Thanksgiving, this feels like an extra special treat.

I don’t really need a lot but I’m hoping to find several larger ironstone pieces and possibly a Christmas centerpiece for the dining room table. 

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

An elegant home tour you don’t want to miss.

33 Christmas Towns That Will Instantly Transport You to the North Pole

An “All is Calm Christmas” is totally my jam this year.

Speaking of all is calm, have you seen this Christmas home tour yet?

If you need some gift tag inspiration, these are really pretty and super creative too.

The #1 Holiday Interior Trend for 2020

This blogger’s Christmas home tour is as epic as always – those trees, right?

A fabulous DIY project you can use all year.

A beautiful way to shop small this year if you’re still looking to pick up a few presents.

This home tour feels like a vacation sweet spot.

 17 Tea Latte Recipes to Enjoy This Season

14 Daily Happiness Habits (that are totally doable)

What did you think about Oprah’s Favorite Things list this year?

This creative DIY 2020 Ornament made me LOL and is such a funny way to remember the year.

Speaking of, has anyone ever heard of this? Apparently, it’s all the rage.

Quote of the Week and Free Printable…

Self-Discovery Journey: Books We’re Reading…

**(Affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost for you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)

Wow, you guys, is our November book of the month, Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist perfectly timed or what?

I’m about halfway through and really enjoying it so far.  I hope you are too!

HERE’S A LIST OF THE BOOKS WE’LL BE READING FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR IN CASE YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND PICK THEM UP TOO…

• December – Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person
• January – The Home Edit Life: The No-Guilt Guide to Owning What You Want and Organizing Everything

IF YOU’VE MISSED ANY OF OUR OTHER BOOKS, YOU CAN FIND THEM HERE:

• October – Welcome Home: A Cozy Minimalist Guide to Decorating and Hosting All Year Round 
• September – Eat That Frog: 21 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time 
• August – Love Does 
• July – The Art of Showing Up: How to be There for Yourself and Your People 
• June – Get Out Of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts 
• We also added,  Be The Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation 
• May –The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming
• April – Rhythms of Renewal: Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose 
• March – The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions 
• February – The Compound Effect 
• January – You Are the Girl for the Job: Daring to Believe the God Who Calls You 

On the Menu this Week…

Week of November 22 – November 22

• 11/21 Saturday – Spinach, Tomato, and Goat Cheese Quiche 
• 11/22 Sunday – Spicy Baked Pasta with Cheddar and Broccoli Rabe 
• 11/23 Monday –  Fall Panzanella Salad 
• 11/24 Tuesday – Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken Chile 
• 11/25 Wednesday – Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board (these are so creative) 
• 11/26 Thursday – Thanksgiving Day (US)
• A Gluten and Dairy Free Thanksgiving Menu 
• 34 Thanksgiving Appetizers Your Guests Will Devour 
• 60 Thanksgiving Recipes That Are As Easy As Pie 
• 11/27 Friday – The Best Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes 
• 11/28 Saturday – Shrimp Farro and Red Pepper Soup 
• 11/29 Sunday – Parmesan Baked Chicken with steamed roasted veggies

Sweet Treat to Try This Week…

50 Traditional Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas 

Blush Inspired Christmas Décor We Spotted Online at Amazon and Target This Week…

**(Affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost for you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)

Throw * Shadow Palette * Candle Holders * Gray Chargers 

Stocking * Glitter Trees * Sweater * Ribbon 

Ornament Set * Boxes * Tabletop Tree * Slippers 

Crown Ornament * Garland * Deodorant Remover Sponge * 

Paint by Numbers Kit 

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

Simple Ways to Decorate with Frames Blog Hop

Treat Yourself Advent Calendar Basket 

A Super Easy Thanksgiving to Christmas Place Card Idea

How to Plant Kale in Ironstone Containers

52 Weeks to a Simplified & Organized Home Challenge …

Here’s a look at what we’ll be working on in the month of July as part of the 52 Weeks to a Simplified & Organized Home Challenge …

• 11/07 – Christmas Card Contact List 
• 11/14 –Thanksgiving Menu/Grocery Shopping 
• 11/21 – Christmas Paper & Gift Wrap Supplies 
• 11/28 – Christmas Shopping/Naughty or Nice List

Dates to Remember and Upcoming Posts…

• 11/26 Thanksgiving (US)
• 11/27 Black Friday (US)
• 11/28 Shop Small Saturday (US)
• 11/29 Advent Begins
• 11/30 Cyber Monday (US)
• 12/01 Buy December Birthday and Special Occasion Gifts
• 12/10 Christmas Home Tour Blog Hop
• 12/12 USPS Shipping Deadline for Christmas Delivery

TCG Housekeeping…

Just a quick heads up, we’ll be taking off Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, and Friday next week so we catch our breath and relax a bit before the holidays really get into full swing.  

My plan is to post next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday so if you’re a subscriber we’ll be sliding into your inbox those days.

On a slightly different (but maybe related) note…

In late September and for parts of October, our website was down intermittently for a variety of reasons.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but around 128 comments inadvertently got placed in the trash folder instead of our inbox. 

I’m in the process of going through them all now but I just wanted to apologize if you left us a comment and it went unanswered during that time. 

We love hearing from you and value your time so much. Honestly, I didn’t even know that could happen. I promise to do a better job checking all of our folders in the future.

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!

Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo