From the Front Porch
Happy Friday from the front porch sweet friends! We’re so happy to be with you today!
How are you holding up?
The Christmas Crunch is starting to feel very real, isn’t it?
Late last week, I heard my bestie S walking down the hall to my office. She burst through the door laughing hysterically which made me start laughing hysterically even though I had no idea why either of us was even laughing.
“Wait until I tell you about a dream I had last night!” she said wiping away tears.
I won’t go into the whole thing but the dream involved one of S’s closest girlfriends, a pair of peach shorts, and a very unfortunate accident that involved chocolate ice cream.
The thing that made the dream so funny is that this person was genuinely born to be a Girl Scout. She is always prepared for ANYTHING no matter what the circumstance. So, it was completely out of character for this unfortunate event to even happen to her.
At the end of the story with tears still rolling down her face, S said, “I can’t wait to tell her why I woke up laughing today.”
“Wait a sec,” I interrupted, “You mean you physically woke up laughing today?”
“Yes! This dream was so real I literally woke myself up laughing!”
“What a cool way to start the day,” I said giving her a high five.
Over the next few weeks, there will be a million different things vying for your time and attention. But there will only be one chance to wake up and start each morning off on the right foot so, make it count.
While you might not wake up laughing, you can start the day fully committed to choosing grace, joy, kindness, love, and generosity.
You can intentionally look for all the little things that help to make the Christmas season a truly magical one.
It’s not always easy.
It definitely takes practice.
But it is possible.
Because you never know who needs your kind smile, your word of encouragement, your well of patience, or your extra sparkle this holiday season.
So, choose to give your best gifts freely.
It could change someone’s day completely.
It might even change the course of their life.
A Few Of Our Favorite Things From Around the Web…
Give me all the chippy goodness! This home tour is gorgeous!
Wait until you see all the pretty European details in this home tour!
This is such a pretty way to dress up your kitchen for the holidays.
I love all the greenery and natural elements in this holiday home tour.
There are so many beautiful things to pin and love in this post, Magical Holiday Inspiration.
Speaking of pinning beautiful things, this post, 10 Holiday and Winter Vignettes to Admire was filled with lots of great ideas too.
This elegant living room looks like the perfect place to wake up on Christmas morning.
The farmhouse porch Rachel created for the holidays makes me want to snuggle up immediately!
And I loved Kim’s festive holiday bedroom tour. It’s so pretty!
Anna from Sky Lark House started a new series with some of my favorite bloggers and it’s packed with fabulous information and helpful ideas!
I can confirm this post, What Teachers Want for Holiday Gifts is spot on!
5 Fruits That Research Has Shown Will Help You Sleep Better
15 Small Festive Touches to Cozy Up Your Home, Swedish Style
21 of Martha Stewart’s Most Memorable Handmade Christmas Ornaments and they’re all just as amazing as you’d imagine.
How cute are these garden-inspired gifts?
Looking for more gift ideas?
S just gifted me a subscription to MasterClass. They have a 2-for-1 deal going on right now in case you want to check it out. I’m super excited to get started!
Also, we’ve totally ramped up our pledge to declutter in all areas of life, so I opted out of a gift-style advent calendar with lots of little things this year. Instead, I chose the Colleen Rothschild Discovery Kit. I’m only 9 days in but I love it so far and plan to do a full review in January.
Finally, I wish I would have seen these fantastic dog cufflinks earlier! They won’t be here in time for Christmas but would make such a sweet gift idea for birthdays and other special occasion events.
Just one more thing, I promise – did you know you can get the Generation 2 Apple Pencil engraved?
Words to Live By…
Fourth Quarter Books of the Month and Devotional…
(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)
- October: Celebrating Home by James T Farmer, III (This book was filled with so many beautiful tablescape ideas)
- November: How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind by Dana K White (I’m fairly neat and organized and I still learned lots of applicable tips from this book) OR How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis
- December: The Power of One More by Ed Mylett
- Devotion: Courageous Kindness by (in)courage
On the Menu this Week…
December 11th – December 18th
- 12/11 Sunday: Thai Shrimp Noodles
- 12/12 Monday: Sheet Pan Breakfast Bowls
- 12/13 Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Tacos
- 12/14 Wednesday: White Bean and Veggies Salad
- 12/15 Thursday: Flu Season Soup
- 12/16 Friday: Bavarian Apple Sausage Skillet
- 12/17 Saturday: Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken with Loaded Baked Potato Casserole and Roasted Veggies
- 12/18 Sunday: Christmas Fettuccine or Three Cheese Turkey Manicotti with an Italian side salad
Sweet Treats to Try This Week…
Chocolate Peppermint No-Bake Tart
Navy and Green Inspired Finds We Spotted Online at Amazon and Target This Week…
(Amazon and Target affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. As an Amazon and Impact Media 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)
Tote * Half Zip Sweater * Earrings * Wreath
Makeup Remover Balm * Packing Cubes * Dress * Loafers
Salt and Pepper Shaker Set * Foundation Brush * Luggage Set * Navy Sweater
Ribbon * Bowls * Nail Lacquer * Mug Holder
If You’ve Missed Anything from the Blog Recently or the Archives, Here’s a Peek At What We’ve Been Up To…
Personalized Watercolor Gift Tags
Soft and Romantic Farmhouse Christmas Tour
How to Make Gingerbread Cookies From a Sugar Cookie Mix
Say Yes Advent Calendar (It’s not too late to countdown to Christmas)
December Bucket List…
- Observe Advent
- Celebrate December Birthdays and Anniversaries
- Donate to the Sweater Drive
- Hang a Stocking for Piper
- Attend Dance and Piano Recitals and Cheer on The Littles
- Sip Cocoa at The Lights Festival
- Christmas Lunch with Extended Family at The Farm
- Make Christmas Fettuccine and Watch The Holiday
- Celebrate Christmas with The Pod at Bliss Barracks
- Leave Cookies and Milk for Santa and Veggies for the Reindeer
- Enjoy Holiday Vacation
- Set Goals, Dreams, and Intentions for 2023
- Create a Vision Board for 2023
- Celebrate New Year’s Eve and Midnight Gift Exchange
- Read the Book of the Month
- Keep Sundays Sacred
December Simplified and Organized Home Challenge…
Focus of the Month: Holiday Planning & Preparing for the New Year
- 12/03 – Mail Christmas Packages
- 12/10 – Finalize Christmas Menu & Grocery List
- 12/17 – Purchase New Planner & Set Goals for the New Year
- 12/26 – Organize Holiday Storage Items
TCG Housekeeping Notes, Dates to Remember, and Upcoming Posts…
- 12/09 Christmas Card Day
- 12/11 Third Week of Advent: Love
- 12/13 National Cocoa Day
- 12/14-17 Shipping Deadline for Christmas Ground Delivery
- 12/17 National Wreaths Across America Day
- 12/18 Fourth Week of Advent: Joy
- 12/18 Hannukah Begins
- 12/24 Christmas Eve
- 12/25 Christmas Day
- 12/26 Boxing Day
- 12/26 Hannukah Ends
- 12/26 Kwanzaa Begins
- 12/31 New Year’s Eve
As always, we appreciate you more than you could ever know, and we hope your weekend is peace-filled and relaxing.
If you’re a subscriber, we’ll be dropping in your inbox tomorrow for the Lifestyle of Love Blog Hop. I’m finally sharing our Sweet Shop Inspired Christmas Tree!
Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Many blessings,
CoCo
There is so much truth and wisdom in this!! I love the message!
I really appreciate it, Susan, thank you so much. Hope your weekend is filled with all good things, CoCo
Hello my friend,
I had so much catching up to do and first the bubble gum machine is precious.
Your home is always stunning and I’m still wanting that deer you have. I have been searching for 2 seasons now and I begin my search early.
Your porch is always a favorite. I’m Pinning everything and I’m checking out the cookie recipe now.
I bought John Dachshund cuff links back when he was wearing suits to work, and he loved them so much!
I totally get ya, Cindy! I feel like I’m still catching up from our time at the cabin over Thanksgiving. I’m so excited you like the bubble gum machines. They were fun to make. I got the deer at a thrift store several years ago while we were on vacation. This is the first year I haven’t used it because we did the sweet shop theme but she’s one of my favorite pieces. I’m still keeping an eye out for you too in case I ever see another one. I love that your husband has dachshund cuff links – that is super cool. They would make such a special gift! Hugs and happy holidays, CoCo
I love contagious laughter. Thank you for the great words of encouragement. You do that better than anyone else I know. Thanks for all the eye candy too. Wow, that post with the holiday and winter vignettes was amazing! Merry Christmas CoCo.
Me too, Cindy! You just keep laughing and wiping away happy tears and yet have no idea what is even funny! It’s the best! Thank you for the sweet compliment, I really appreciate it. As much as I love home decor, DIY, and all things lifestyle my prayer is that anyone that comes to visit TCG leaves feeling a little more encouraged than when they came. Sending you tons of hugs and can’t wait for our blog hop tomorrow. It’s going to be so much fun, CoCo
Happy Friday!
We, too, have ramped up our household decluttering. I’m trying to give away an item a day on our local Buy Nothing Facebook group. (I’ve discovered this works much better for me than posting a ton of items at once.)
Another thing I do occasionally on my “Buy Nothing” posts is to ask potential recipients to share a funny story or special memory, one that relates to the item in some way.
So, for instance, I was giving away a bunch of toiletries, and I asked potential recipients to tell me their funniest/worst hair cut story (if they were comfortable sharing). So many people shared hilarious stories–it was great!
That is such a great idea, Corrie! I don’t use Facebook so I didn’t know they had Buy Nothing Groups like that – that is so cool and super helpful in building community too. I love that you asked people to share their funny stories. It’s like a double gift, you know? I feel like everyone is running out of steam around this time of year so it’s a great way to lift each other’s spirits. Hope your season is off to a great start and you find the most amazing gifts in the most unexpected places! Big hugs, CoCo
Holy Smokes CoCo! Thank you so much for mentioning my new series with Cindy, Lora and Regina. That was the best Christmas gift ever! I’m literally without words. 😲. I truly appreciate your kindness!
P.s I love that S woke herself up laughing. Oh and that Essie nail polish is EVERYTHING. ( so many colors and so little time)
So much holiday inspiration packed into your Friday front porch post. Love it all! Thank you for sharing my bedroom tour CoCo. I am so appreciative my friend. Wishing you the most wonderful week ahead.
How joyful it would be to wake up laughing! I’m not a morning person and one of our dogs wakes me up every morning at 5 am or before! So I rarely wake up happy, let alone laughing! Anyway, thanks for sharing so many wonderful links and ideas with us! Hope you have a fabulous week!