We’re three weeks into January, and chances are, you’ve set a few personal or professional goals for yourself. I’ve noticed a lot of people diving into post-holiday organization, clearing out the clutter, and sharing their progress online. While I totally get the motivation, I also feel the overwhelming pressure to “do all the things.”
In full transparency, I’ve had to tune out the noise that constantly floods our social media feeds. Messages like: Do more. Buy this. Try that. Here’s the latest and greatest thing you absolutely need can quickly become too much.
It’s a lot.
Here’s where I’m at: I want practical solutions that work for our family. I approach organizing by first assessing what we already have at home. Then, I figure out how to make it work without overspending on trendy organizational products.
Two Pain Points in Our Home:
Too many water cups sitting out around the house.
Constantly digging through the pantry or fridge to find things—only to realize I have to move five items to get to the one I need.
If you’re tired of washing cups nonstop or filling the dishwasher’s top rack every day, let me introduce you to the simplest solution that’s been a game-changer in our home, magnetic cups! The best part? It’s affordable!
Want to know what happened when these small changes were made in our home? It gave our three boys responsibility they could control with their water cups. There was no longer a question about, “who’s cup is this?” Our 4-year-old listened to directions about how to use the cup one time and took ownership in getting his own water, dumping out what he didn’t drink, and putting the cup back on the fridge where he can reach it.
Kids want responsibility.
Now, let’s talk about the fridge and pantry. Do you have family members who open the fridge, take one look, and immediately ask you where something is? Let’s be honest—most of the time, they haven’t even tried to find it.
I came across these acrylic lazy Susans at our local TJ Maxx, and I instantly knew they could help. They’re perfect for organizing condiments, cooking essentials, and all those pantry staples we reach for regularly.
These two small, affordable purchases have made a huge difference. The counters are clearer, and it’s so much easier to find what we need in both the fridge and pantry. This two pack would be perfect, Lazy Susans
Cheap. Practical. Problem solved.
I’m reminded of a verse from Ecclesiastes 4:6: “Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.” It’s such a grounding reminder that more isn’t always better. Sometimes, less is exactly what we need—less stuff, less striving, and less pressure to keep up.
Let’s lean into finding solutions that work for your family—starting with what you already have at home. You might be surprised by how simple changes can make a big impact.
There is something nostalgic about creating a cozy haven during the holiday season. From the moment I pull out the storage boxes brimming with decorations, the magic begins. It starts with putting my favorite childhood Christmas vinyl, Once Upon a Christmas by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, on our son’s record player—a tradition carried over from my parents, who always played it as we decorated our childhood home together. That familiar music instantly transports me back to those warm, joy-filled moments of stringing lights, hanging ornaments, and marveling at the twinkling glow of the tree.
Now, as a mom myself, I feel the same excitement when transforming our home for the holidays. Each piece of decor tells a story, and each tradition we honor—or create anew—brings its own special kind of joy. This year, I’m reflecting on the little moments that make Christmas magical for our family: the sweet smells of baking with my mom, the laughter of my boys as they exchange gifts, and the quiet evenings Adam and I share once the house falls silent.
These are the traditions that make our home feel like a haven during the most wonderful time of the year.
Our Family Christmas Traditions
Hungarian Pastry-Making with Mom One of my most cherished traditions is baking Hungarian pastries with my mom, using a recipe passed down from my grandmother. This heirloom recipe is a delightful treat filled with a pecan center, surrounded by a dough that is made a day in advance. The following day, we hand-roll the dough, cut each individual pastry, stuff them with the pecan filling, roll them up, bake them, and finally sprinkle them with powdered sugar when they are fresh out of the oven. It’s a process that requires time and care, but it’s one that I always look forward to. Perfecting this recipe has been important to me, but more than anything, I have treasured the time spent with my mom.
Thanks to today’s technology, we can even ask Alexa to play the same Christmas record while we bake, no matter where we are. Over the years, this tradition has evolved; some years have included babies in tow and adjustments to our usual routine. Yet one thing has remained constant: the joy of spending time together while creating a family favorite.
Driving to see Christmas Lights
Another family tradition is driving through neighborhoods to see Christmas lights while listening to Christmas music. The awe and excitement that our kids exude when they see the bright lights is so much fun to witness. Our youngest, in particular, is a BIG-TIME Grinch fan. This year, we’ve made a special point to take him to see as many Grinch decorations as possible because his over-the-top excitement every time he spots one is absolutely contagious. These outings have become a highlight of our holiday season and a tradition we look forward to year after year. We’ve also added in ice skating at Fenton in Cary and seeing the lights at the downtown Cary Park as a newer tradition if our schedule allows each year.
Christmas Eve Church Service This tradition brings a sense of peace and spiritual focus to the holiday season. The service culminates in a breathtaking moment: with the lights dimmed, the congregation lights candles and sings “Silent Night” together. The glow of the candles and the harmony of voices create an overwhelming sense of serenity and connection, reminding us of the deeper meaning of Christmas.
The Boys’ Gift Exchange (New Tradition!) This was the first year I had the boys select a Christmas gift for each other. Bonus, they didn’t have to spend their own money but I did have them wrap the gifts. After returning from Christmas Eve service, they ran to the tree begging to open 1 present. I knew that was the perfect time for them to open their gifts to each other. It was such a sweet moment watching them connect after opening the gifts and one new tradition that we will keep going for years to come.
Reading Favorite Christmas Books The excitement of Christmas morning is always at an all time high but the kids have never been more motivated to go to sleep. We settle down by reading a couple of their favorite Christmas books before lights out.
Couple Gift Exchange: Our Christmas Eve Nighttime Tradition: This tradition began long before we had kids. We used to live two hours away from family and would travel to spend Christmas with everyone. But that left us wondering—when would we exchange gifts with each other? It felt impractical to pack up gifts for one another, only to bring them back home unopened. And so, a new tradition was born.
Now, even with children, this has become a cherished part of our Christmas Eve. Some years we don’t exchange gifts at all, but instead, we simply enjoy the quiet time together. Often, we’ll make a festive holiday cocktail, sit in the glow of the Christmas tree, and just talk. This uninterrupted time allows us to savor the moment and open gifts slowly, without the usual chaos of the next morning. With three boys, Christmas morning is nothing short of lively, so having this peaceful tradition ensures that our focus is entirely on them when the big day arrives. It’s a sweet, meaningful way for us to reconnect and celebrate the season as a couple.
I hope you will consider starting this tradition with your significant other.
Gingerbread White Russian was something new we tried this year.
1:1:1 Ratio of Vodka, Vanilla Kahlua and Trader Joe’s Gingerbread oat milk creamer. We actually measured out 1.5 of each, less of the Kahlua for less sweetness. Having the TJ’s seasonal oat milk creamer on hand proved to be a delightful twist and made it a seasonally crafted cocktail that had just the right amount of spice.
Crafting a Christmas Card Flipbook Don’t throw out the Christmas cards you receive just yet. Several years ago, I found it difficult to let go of the beautiful cards we had received and brainstormed ways to hold onto them a little longer. I dug through my craft kit, found a box of binder ring closures, and got out a hole punch. Now, I have a few years’ worth of cards packed away with our Christmas decor that I set out each year in a decorative bowl.
If keeping every card isn’t your thing, I encourage you to at least save one of your own cards each year to create a flipbook. Your kids will love flipping through them and seeing how they’ve changed over the years.
Order your supplies today! I’ve linked everything you need to create your own Christmas card keepsake here. (Link supplies), here.
Annual Cookie Bake with Kids
A few years ago, my childhood friends and all of our children began one of my favorite traditions we share. We all gather and make a variety of cookies. It’s such a sweet morning together.
2024 Decor showcase
The Mantel Moment
This year’s mantel is, without a doubt, my favorite. It came together during a craft day with a friend when I made a dried orange garland. Paired with delicate gold leaves tucked into the garland, twinkling fairy lights, oversized bells, a Peace garland (a clearance find from last year), and layered ribbon in my go-to color scheme, it feels absolutely perfect to me. The combination of textures, lights, and personal touches creates a centerpiece for our holiday decor that I’ll definitely recreate next year.
If you want to incorporate dried oranges in your decor next year, I’ve shared the how-to here.
Foraged greenery for porch pots, vases and table decor.
Encouragement & Reflection
As I look back on our holidays, I’m reminded that the true beauty of the season is found in the simplest moments. The true magic lies in the connections we build, the memories we make, and the love we share.
Creating a cozy haven for the holidays is more than just decorating—it’s about fostering a sense of belonging and joy for everyone who enters our home. Each garland hung, each card kept, and each ritual observed weaves together a story of love, gratitude, and togetherness.
My hope is that this post inspires you to embrace the traditions that bring you joy and to find new ways to make this season special for your own family. From my family to yours, may your holiday season be filled with warmth, laughter, and cherished memories.
The key to a successful month commiting to the requirements of Whole 30 is to set the goal with friends, a family member and your spouse/significant other.
Last January, my womans small group and a close friend of mine, Ashley, committed to trying Whole 30. For some it was the first time ever and for others, it wasn’t. Ashley really helped me to kick things off with a bang because she’s one heck of a meal planner, including planning for left overs from dinners, and had recently completed Whole 30 so had so many recipe recommendations.
It’s my hope that this can be a resource for you if you’re considering to do Whole 30. Pinterest can be overwhelming with ideas, all of which require different ingredients. My list of favorite recipes will help to streamline your meal planning and take the burden off of buying so many ingredients that can really add up.
It is important to understand what you CANNOT have for the duration, apart from no alcohol, grains, dairy, added sugars, other ingredients need attention when you’re grocery shopping. I’ve never known how much sugar was added to SO MUCH of what we buy. For example, meats, bacon, sausages, etc. There’s no need to add sugar to meat, manufacturers. Let me tell you, compliant Whole 30 bacon is so much better.
I benefited from this lifestyle and saw my carpal tunnel symptoms disappear completely by the end of the first 2 weeks. Most of the things you cannot have on Whole 30 are inflammatories.
Focus on simple ingredients you can cook with and should have as staples. This can be done for relatively cheap now that most groceries, including Walmart, stock them.
Buy:
Tapioca Starch (optional unless you tackle the casserole recipe below)
Coconut Aminos (Trader Joes for less than $3)
Rice Wine Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar
Garlic
Almond Butter (Costco – It’s also Peanut Free and huge in volume for $8)
Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
Ghee
Nutritional Yeast
Coconut Oil
Olive Oil
Primal Mayo
Compliant Salad Dressings – Primal Kitchen and Tessa Mae’s
Nut Pod’s Creamer – Vanilla is my favorite, Hazelnut is second. Can be found at most groceries now
I also recommend you buying TRUE ROOTS by Kristin Cavallari. I wish I had this cookbook prior to starting whole 30 because it has more than 100 recipes free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar.
Below I’m listing out our favorite Whole 30 Recipes, 95% of them we have kept in rotation after the 30 day commitment where we’ve maintained an 80/20 lifestyle. (Holidays aside, okay?)
Hands down our favorite Whole 30 Recipe. For the chili sauce drizzle, I use Primal Mayo, Franks Red Hot Sauce, and garlic powder to taste. (Thanks to the suggestion from my friend, Ashley.) I also like to stretch our money and find that buying a head of purple and green cabbage each will let you cook this meal 2-3 times vs. buying bagged cabbage.)
Sweet Potato Hash from True Roots cookbook
I substitute out the breakfast sausage and apple for compliant Chicken Apple Sausage (which you’ll find in multiple recipes i’m suggesting)
This recipe is almost identical, just add 1 heaping cup of kale (stems removed) and cook until wilted as the final step.
Chicken Apple Sausage Stir-fry from the kitchen of Ashley
1 package of chicken apple sausage, cut into slices
1 large vidalia onion (or yellow), sliced
1-2 bell peppers
1 tbsp of coconut oil/olive oil
2 gloves of garlic minced
Trader Joes Sauerkraut
Add oil, onion, bell pepper, garlic to a large skillet. Cook until fork tender and/or onions are translucent. Add in sliced sausage and cook until warm.
Serve in a bowl and top with 1-2 tbsp of sauerkraut
Marinated Grilled Turkey Tenderloin
2 compliant tenderloins (1 package from Trader Joes)
1 tbsp of Dijon Mustard
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar
2-3 tbsp of coconut aminos
Add all ingredients to a gallon ziplock back, allow to marinate all day until grilling. Pair with Roasted vegetables, cauliflower veggie rice, sauteed asparagus.
Loaded Veggie Rice
Grate 1/2 head of cauliflower (After this is prepped, it can be frozen to make it easy to cook when needed in the future.)
Add olive oil to a skillet with 1/2 bag of frozen peas and carrots and any additional veggies you may have on hand that are family favorites. Cook for 5-8 minutes then add in grated cauliflower.
Season with minced garlic, seasalt and pepper.
Add protein – either cooked shrimp or leftover turkey tenderloin
Chicken Fajitas – in lettuce boats or over Salad – From my kitchen
6 chicken tenderloins, sliced thin
1 large onion sliced
1-2 Bell Peppers sliced (we like to use 1 green and 1 red)
For Fajita Seasoning:
Mix 2 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of cumin, 2 cloves of minced garlic, a few shakes of chili pepper flakes, a few shakes of paprika, sea salt and pepper, mix in a bowl and add to a skillet of all ingredients mentioned above. Cover and simmer on med-low until chicken is cooked thoroughly.
Meanwhile, make my famous guac.
2 ripe avocados
Juice of 1 lime
1-2 cloves of garlic
Sea Salt to taste
Fresh Cilantro – Mix and mash all ingredients until blended.
Serve fajita mix in salad boats or over a bed of mixed greens and top with fresh guac and fresh cilantro
BBQ – From the kitchen of Ashley
Kirkland pulled pork (it’s compliant), top with Tessa Mae’s BBQ Sauce
Slaw mix from Trader Joes – mix with vinegar, Primal Mayo, and seasoning to taste
Top bbq with slaw
Serve alongside roasted diced sweet potato
Breakfast Casserole
6-7 eggs
Handful of spinach
Bell pepper & Onion for a Western Style (top with Franks Red Hot and avocado slices once cooked…so good.)
Any left over veggies you have on hand
Seasalt, pepper to taste
Bake in pie dish at 350 until center is firm. Aprox 20-25 min. Cut into pie slices and eat for breakfast each morning.
Hardboiled Eggs & Prosciutto
This one is as easy as it sounds for breakfast. Find compliant prosciutto at Costco in bulk, wrap 1/2 piece around an egg and enjoy. I like to top each bite with Frank’s Red Hot. (I put that ___ on everything)
Another tip, look at your family favorite recipes and determine if they can be made compliant with different ingredients. ie- My homemade spaghetti sauce can be made compliant by purchasing canned goods that don’t have added sugars and served over a bed of zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.
Keep meals simple. Grill or bake protein & serve with fresh vegetables. Use leftover protein over a salad for lunch the next day.
Best of luck to you. I know you can be successful!
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