1) An Essential Oil Locket
I’m so excited about this new essential oil locket that was in the mail when we got home from our trip early this morning. You put 1-2 drops of essential oils on the little leather disc inside the locket and supposedly the aroma will last for 3-5 days!
2) Local Community
This is what love and community looks like.
I texted a friend on Monday to say we were going to stay home from Monday Group tonight because we had gotten home from the airport at 3 am this morning and our kiddos needed a crazy early bedtime as a result.
I didn’t say anything about how tired I felt. Or how much laundry we had to do. Or the fact that I’m leaving tomorrow for another trip and was a little bit overwhelmed by my to do list for the day.
My friend didn’t know any of that. But something prompted her to text back and say, “I’m bringing over dinner tonight.” It was like a love note directly from God to me through this friend. And it blessed me in an amazing way. It was like God saying to me, “I’ve got this. Trust me. I’m going to carry you through this day.” And He did — and it ended up being such a good day.
And it was topped off with this delicious and fun dinner dropped off by friends who didn’t know how much their gift encouraged us today.
If you’re prompted to do something for someone else, do it. You never know just how much they might need your love today. Or how your kindness could transform their entire day.
3) My In-Home Hairstylist
I have become a hair model. Or that’s how it feels. And I don’t mind it one bit!
Every single day, Kaitlynn (8) wants to try a one (or 5!) new hair style ideas out on me. This was one of her newest hair styles to attempt.
Thanks to YouTube, I doubt she’s ever going to run out of inspiration!! I love watching my kids trying new things and discovering their interests, passions, and gifts. It’s one of the most rewarding things as a parent! (I was reading a really good book when she snapped this picture and didn’t even know she was taking a picture! So excuse the intensely serious look on my face!)
4) A Special Vacation to Fripp Island
I was so blessed to get to spend the last few days on beautiful Fripp Island, SC with three of my dear friends. We enjoyed deep conversations, shared lots of laughs, cooked good food, watched funny movies, took time to read, walked on the beach, watched the sun rise and set, and planned for our lives and businesses for 2016.
5) Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
On the first day of vacation, I had Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for breakfast with coffee and devotions. At noon. Because I’m on vacation sans kids. Don’t judge. 😉
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are one of the few non-homemade treats I absolutely adore. And I can’t keep them at our house or that could be dangerous. But on vacation, I’m all about doing a little splurging!
Bonus: I may be a wee bit excited about these limited edition #ChooseJoy sweatshirts!! Look for a special offer coming in a few days!
What are YOU loving this week? Tell us in the comments.
Crystal, please, please, PLEASE do a post on exactly how you approached planning your life for 2016. What supplies did you bring? What “to do” list did you have in mind as you sat down to plan? How did you tackle it? Where did you put this plan? In a digital calendar? In writing? How many hours (days?) did it take? How can you guide us to do the same? Crystal, I would *love* to hear more about this specific part of your trip. I’m sure others would, too.
I’m still working on finalizing goals and planning for 2016, but you might be excited to hear that my husband and I are actually working on a very comprehensive goal-setting course that we’ll be teaching together in January to walk people through our exact process of how we set goals for each year and then how we follow through with those goals. I’m SO excited to get to share this with you all (it launches near the very end of December!)
Yay!!!!! Thank you, I am going to look forward to this. I’m sure many are wondering (and needing!) how to do this, but are paralyzed by a lack of “plan for the planning.” Very excited to know that this is on the horizon.
Merry Christmas and many blessings to you and your sweet family, Crystal.
Your hair is so perfect for being a hair model. Mine…not so much. Too much teasing on curly hair and it is over.
This week I’m loving:
1. another week to work
2. Christmas decorations
3. movie/snuggle night with my family
4. weekend away at my parent’s house for a Christmas party
Isn’t Fripp wonderful? It’s a favorite of my family!
5 things I’m loving this week
1) Trip to Home Depot with the family – I know….sounds silly, but it’s rare that we all go to a store together.
2) Pinterest – I eat low carbs, and sometimes eating the same things get blah…but Pinterest has so many great recipes out there. So, this weekend, I tried one of the yummy desserts, and it was delicious!!
3) I’m loving the devotional I’m reading right now – And the Word Became Flesh by Kathy Gossen – I’m learning more and more every day, and these are scriptures I’ve been reading for years.
4) Singing hymns and choruses last night together as a family at home.
5) Reading this blog this morning.
Glad you had a good week. Fripp Island looks beautiful!
My 5 Favorites from the week
1) A new blog I discovered by Christi Gee – The Cheerio Trail
2) Swagbucks! Earning some extra $$ to help w/Christmas
3) New Cheesy Bacon Dip recipe
4) Ann Voskamp’s Sticks Notes for Your Soul. Free printables!
5) My son learning to cook this week
Bonus: Packers win game with a hail mary!!
I also discovered the Cheerio Trail lasts week from a blog hop and I really like it too!
I totally want to go to Flipp Island after seeing just that one peek of the beach.
5 Things I am loving this week.
1. My 31 tote: My husband and I neglected to think that I would need groceries before he dropped me off at the hotel to write my eBook and then left me without a vehicle. Luckily there is an ALDI near but I am thanking the Lord for a strong shoulder and my 31 tote groceries are heavy.
2. A family who gives into my crazy ideas: As you know I went to the gym Friday intending to just be okay with not completing my goal of 1 eBook done this year. I came home with the crazy idea of hiding away in a hotel room for 5 days and 6 nights and just getting it done! I thought for sure the hubby and children would say no but they all said go for it! (should mention my kids are much older 13 to almost 20 so they can survive on their own more than I like to admit–where are my babies?).
3. For timers: I am getting so much done just by breaking work down into time slots and then setting a timer and going for it. I even put a timer on when I treated myself to a bit of time off this afternoon for reaching a word total goal.
4. For Adult Coloring Books: The hotel room has horrible cable (good thing really as it would be a distraction otherwise) so I am coloring each night while listening to podcasts and loving it. A BIG thanks to my daughter who let me bring her coloring book.
5. Peanut M&M’s: They are my peanut butter cups and I might just be eating them right now.
Timer went off time to get back to writing.
Have a great week!
Let your daughter know that my daughters think she is amazing at doing hair (I have shown my girls some of your other posts featuring her work). She needs to start her own YouTube channel – my daughters would follow her. 🙂
Your hair looks adorable and your trip sounds very refreshing!
My 5 things:
1) Enjoying the very simple but cozy Christmas decor in our living room.
2) Staying home to rest and watch a family movie yesterday.
3) Working on edits for my upcoming eBook. It feels SO good to carve out a little time for writing!
4) An awesome sale at AG right now: GIFT20 code for 20% off full priced items, LASTFS for free shipping through tomorrow on orders of $100 or more, plus today’s daily deal is the Grace doll for $84. Paired with her pajamas on sale for $16 and the free shipping code, both items will ship for exactly $100. (Without the deals, it’d be $160.95 shipped): http://www.americangirl.com/shop/sale/twelve-days
5) Being almost 50% of the way done with this year’s homeschool curriculum so we can take a solid 2-3 weeks off for Christmas break & start back refreshed in January.
Thank you for these posts – this week has been a whirl of busyness and self doubt, but there is so much to be thankful for. I appreciate you helping us to look at the positive and improve our attitudes!
I look forward to these weekly posts. I follow several blogs that share favorite things/links on the weekends and it makes for some fun reading. I always leave inspired by new ideas.
Here are my five favorites from this week: http://atmulberryhill.blogspot.com/2015/12/five-favorites-from-this-week.html
Been going to Fripp for 30 years! Love it!
LOVE Fripp Island – a magical get away.
Love these. Um, hello choose joy sweatshirt! I may be sporting one for Christmas 😉
Hi Crystal, I enjoy reading these kinds of posts. You are an inspiration to me, I’m hoping to buy your books in the next few weeks. Our family is going through a hard financial time (husbands a student, I’m busy at home caring for my 4 little ones) and you have inspired me to get some affiliate links on my blog which I’ve been writing for a few years. It’s only on blogspot at the moment but I really want to make a word press blog but I have to wait until I can afford to pay for the host etc. Please pray for my family. Blessings, Peta