From the Front Porch: The Evening Edition

Happy Friday from the front porch sweet friends and welcome to the Evening Edition.

I hope you’ve been staying nice and warm.

Goodness has it been cold, even in Florida!

Earlier this week I was watching a video from author, speaker, and podcaster, Rachel G Scott. She’s been leading a time of prayer and fasting as she walks her listeners through the book of John.

The video is full of golden little nuggets, but there was one thing she said that stopped me in my tracks…

“You can’t finish what you don’t start.”

The minute she said those words, I immediately thought about how many areas of our lives they truly cover.  

You can’t have healthy relationships if you don’t start actively listening and communicating well.  

You can’t grow your wealth if you don’t start figuring out where your money is going or finding ways to make better investments.

You can’t have a positive self-image if you don’t start eliminating negative thoughts and learning how to speak to yourself kindly.   

You can’t have a productive day if you don’t start investigating what’s keeping you up at night and making sleep a priority.  

You can’t step into your calling if you’re too afraid, or tired to start showing up. 

As I shared with the TCG subscribers on Wednesday, creating systems, routines, and rituals that serve us well begins with a series of healthy choices we intentionally string together to help make our lives better or easier.

They’re choices we make each and every day.

But we’ll never reach our highest goals and dreams, or live a truly extraordinary life if we’re unwilling to take that first step.

So, as we move forward into January, I want to encourage you to think about where you feel called to start.

And then I want you to take action.

As always, I’ll be cheering you on.

A Few of Our Favorite Things from Around the Web This Week…

Beautiful Home and Garden Tours:

• How amazing is this Atlanta Providence home tour from Bailey Ward Interiors?
• The portfolio of Grapevine Interiors feels like the best 5-minute vacation.
• There are so many elegant spaces in this home, A Family Estate on Kiawah from Tammy Connor Interior Design.

Seasonal Inspiration:

These cold winter months are the perfect time to craft items for Spring and even the holidays!

• The ladies of the Lifestyle of Love Blog Hop group got together this week to share quilt inspiration and there are so many different ways that you can decorate with them. The tags Cindy from County Road 407 featured were super creative.
• My sweet friend Anna from Skylark House had a fabulous post on How to Hand Dye Ribbon Using an Easy Hand Dye Method. I’m so excited to try her technique.
• Have you seen Cindy’s Chunky Yarn Winter Wreath yet? It’s really pretty.

Health and Wellness Inspiration:

• 24 Ways Less Will Be More in 2024 (via No Side Bar)
• Journaling Prompts for a Transformative Year (via Intelligent Change)
• Crafting Your Character (This was a really interesting podcast by Tonya Leigh)

Style and Travel Inspiration:

• 14 Classic Pieces Your Closet Can’t Live Without (via Instyle – bookmarking this for all the fabulous sales happening between now and Presidents Day)
• Timeless Makeup Inspired by Carolyn Bessette Kennedy (via the Westman Atelier YouTube Channel)
• Cozy Girls Trips to Take This Winter (via Travel and Leisure – excited to see some of my favorite places in the South make the list)

Simple Pleasures and Little Luxuries:

• This is such a cute Valentine’s Day gift idea if you have grands or littles!
• Speaking of which, how cute are these pjs? They have been all over social media lately.
• I love that these can be monogrammed too.

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

How to Create a Simple Nightly Routine in 4 Easy Steps

DIY No Sew Monogrammed Pillow Cover and Love is in the Air Blog Hop

How to Create a Hotel-Inspired Turndown Service at Home

Melatonin and Lavender Bath Soak

You Can Find Last Week’s From the Front Porch: The Morning Edition here, if you missed it…

Organizing the Week Ahead…

Words to Live By:

Dates to Celebrate and Commemorate:

• 01/23 National Pie Day
• 01/24 National Compliment Day
• 01/25 National Plan for Vacation Day
• 01/26 National Green Juice Day

Weekly Simplified and Organized Home Challenge Task:

• Create a Cleaning Schedule
• Create a Meal Planning and Grocery Shopping Strategy

3 Simple Ways to Celebrate the Season:

• Drink Water Before Coffee
• Eat Greens with Every Meal
• Continue Skincare Routine

Evening Routine Inspiration We Spotted Online at Amazon This Week…

(Amazon 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)

Alarm Clock (so many great reviews) * Weighted Blanket (got for Christmas) * Pajamas (have and love) * Tray (gifted for Christmas) * Glass Carafe (on my birthday wish list)

Face Towels (handy after workouts) * Kindle Paperwhite (currently using the app but would love this upgrade) *

Electric Blanket (have and love so much I wish I had a bigger size) * Yoga Mat (have and love in a different color)

Pillow Spray (my parents have and love) * Eye Mask (curious about this one after reading the reviews)

Smart Plug (have and love) * Book (gifting for Galentines Day) * Sleeping Pillows (have and love) * Echo (have and love)

Bath Tray (my sister has and loves) * Sleep Soak (constantly reorder) * Pillowcase (on my birthday wishlist) * Essential Oil (have and love) * Diffuser (have and love)

As always, we appreciate you more than you could ever know, 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