We’re in the giving season. It’s Christmas. So much of Christmas has become about the giving and receiving of gifts. And gifts are my love language. I love gifts.

I love selecting gifts and carefully wrapping them. I love selecting the wrapping paper and ribbon. I love making bows. I love placing the gifts under the tree and handing them to the recipients.

But this season is also very busy. We get weighted down by responsibility and to-do lists. I know I do. I have a full calendar throughout the rest of the month. Parties, gift exchanges, performances, volunteer work. Everything is important and nothing seems to be able to be removed from the list. And then, before we know it, it’s Christmas. Family is in town and we’re rushing around making food to feed an army rather than just hanging out and enjoying our time together.

But, for the obvious reasons, I love all of that, too. Though I may stay up late to get everything done and complain that I didn’t get enough sleep, I still love everything on the to-do list. But I don’t want the real Spirit of this season to be lost.

While I was out shopping recently, I picked up a copy of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I’ve only just begun to read this book, but I know that it is something I need to read.

I need to make a conscious effort, like Ann Voskamp did, to notice all the good around me. I want to keep my eyes open and take note of every single thing that I’m grateful for.

Life and its commitments are inevitable. And most of our commitments are things we can’t just walk away from. They make life challenging, sure. But the things I’m committed to, big and small, are mine.

My concern has been that I’ll be so busy with commitments that I stop noticing all the beauty around me. And I’m not talking about the obvious things. I will never stop noticing the people I love. I’m talking about the less obvious things. To be thankful for the rain and to truly appreciate the fact that I have a roof over my head.

I need to stop looking to the future and spend more time focusing on right now.

I picked up this book as a gift for a handful of friends because I love what it’s about. I know that I’m going to learn so much from it.

I have to start keeping my eyes open. I have to stop rushing around. I am so thankful for my husband, my family, my children, my friends and employment. I’m thankful for the first amendment and that I’m able to have this blog where I can journal.

But this is when I need to look around me and see all the things I have been missing because I’ve been moving too quickly.

I’m thankful for the smell of Cheer detergent and the way my heart flutters when I hug my husband when he’s wearing a just-dried shirt.

I’m thankful for the tantrum my toddler just threw because I know that he is spirited and passionate and I never want to crush that spirit.

What are you thankful today? Are you like me? Are you moving so quickly this month that the good stuff is passing you by?

“And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20

I’m so excited this day is finally here!

Over the past few years, Nina (of According to Nina) and I have both shared with you some of our absolute favorite items that we love and can’t live without. Some of these items are baby items, some are beauty items and some are our favorite things for the home. But I think you will all be very excited with the items on the list!

We decided to do this giveaway as a way to show our love and appreciation for our readers that make blogging so much fun.

As you can see, there are a lot of items that are in this giveaway– and there will be just as many winners! That’s 32 winners!

#1: One Stephanie Johnson iPad case in purple and gold

#2: One Thymes Frasier Fir candle

#3: One Sharpie Multi-Pack

#4: One Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash

#5: One Winner’s Choice Kelly Moore Camera Bag from Kelly Moore Bags

#6: Two (2 winners) Olivia Garden Round Brushes from Wisteria Salon and Nina’s stylist

#7: One Le Creuset 3.5 Quart Oval Dutch Oven from Kiks

#8: One Everyday Tailored Collection Set from Ashley Brooke Designs

#9: One Ruffle Robe and Matching Cosmetic Case from Monogram Chick

#10: Four (4 winners)  Personalized Straw Tumblers from Monogram Chick

#11: Decorative Card Holder from Willow House by Callie Parker

#12: Two (2 winners) $10 Starbucks Gift Cards

#13 One Holiday Movie Pack: Christmas Vacation, The Holiday, Home Alone and The Grinch

#14: One Photos with Santa Photo Album from WayCool Designs

#15: One Christmas Pickle Ornament

#16: One Personalized Picture Frame and Ornament Set from The Dahl House

#17: One Elf on the Shelf

#18: One Starbucks Fa la la la Ceramic Cup with Lid

#19: One Summer Infant Baby Touch Digital Color Video Monitor from Just Kids Store

#20: One Sophie the Giraffe

#21: Three (3 winners) Nancy Thillman Books – On the Night You Were Born, It’s Time to Sleep My Love & The Spirit of Christmas

#22: One Huge Ivory and Blue Giraffe by JellyCat

#23: One Yellow Little Giraffe Chenille Blanket

#24: One $50 Gift Card to Lulu McGee

#25: One $25 Erin Condren Gift Card

To enter, leave a comment on my blog. Be sure to let me know in your comment whether or not you’re a parent– this is so we can be sure folks are getting an item they want! That’s all you have to do! By leaving a comment on my blog, you’ll be entered in the giveaway. If you want a second entry, hop on over to Nina’s blog to leave a comment over there.

For selecting the winner, Nina and I will combine the list of entries and put them in an Excel spreadsheet and “shuffle” them to mix them up. Any of you could be a winner and you can double your chances of winning by leaving a comment on both blogs. We will have one winner per giveaway item! 32 winners!

Merry Christmas, friends!

*I was not compensated in any way for doing this giveaway. Nina and I purchased a number of these items to give to you. Nina and I also reached out to these companies and friends and asked for them to donate their items to our Favorite Things giveaway. We did not receive any product in exchange for doing this giveaway.

**Please read each item’s description next to the coordinating number for exact color(s) and details of that item, winning items may vary slightly from the pictures in this post. Some items will come direct from the companies and others will come from Nina and me.

All graphics were created by the talented Kelly Ashworth of Kelly Ashworth Design

It has been such a fun, busy week! I did manage to take a few pictures, so I’ll try to update you on what’s been going on that way!

On Sunday, I started decorating for the Holiday Market. And by Wednesday around 3:00 p.m., we were finished! I had an amazing committee and hopefully I’ll do a full post with all of the decorations. I took a few pictures of the table decorations and some other details the other day.

Santa Claus visited the Holiday Market on Friday night, so we took Hudson and Hayes. Hudson couldn’t wait to meet Santa and Hayes slept while we waited to see the jolly old elf. Then Hudson melted down as soon as he hit Santa’s lap!

I was completely inspired by our Holiday Market theme and colors and decided to play up those colors in my tree this year. My tree is a mix of ornaments of all colors, but I buy different ribbon every year to bring out my favorite colors for that year. This year I focused on the pink, green and peacock blue. Because I just hadn’t seen enough of it at Holiday Market yet! Our ornaments are things that we have collected at events and as souvenirs when we travel. I love going through all of them each year and remembering where we were when we bought them.

We had a fun Preview Party for Holiday Market and I got all dressed up to go. I had fun hanging out with my friends Emily and Misty. The band was so much fun!

Hayes has been so sweet! I’m so excited to be celebrating his first Christmas. Today, my friends Rachel and Katie came to town to shop at the Holiday Market. Afterward, I went with them to lunch and brought Hayes while Hudson and TC ran errands. He was excited to hang out with mommy’s friends!

Hudson and Hayes are excited that I’ll be home all week with them this next week.

Tomorrow, we’ll spend the evening tearing down the Holiday Market decorations, which will be a little bittersweet. But I’m eager to get my Christmas season started! I am looking forward to watching Christmas movies at night and wrapping presents.

My Jesus Calling devotions this past week have really helped me have a sense of peace as we’ve had so much going on. It’s a very busy time for TC, too, so we’re just all trying to pull together to keep things going.

I’ve missed my blog! Hopefully this means I’m back to regularly scheduled posting.

And stay tuned. On Monday, Nina and I have a very exciting blog event happening! Get excited!

For the past four years, this week has been the busiest week of the year for me. It’s Holiday Market week. I absolutely love it. I love the hustle and bustle, the decorations, seeing so many friends and preparing for a wonderful fundraiser that helps so many organizations. I love rushing around like a mad woman and being able to use my talents even though I’m a stay-at-home mom now.

Last night, we had our Preview Party to kick off Holiday Market. I was talking to one of my good friends there about this past week. It has been so much fun to be working so much, but I miss my boys so badly. And I feel so bad that TC has had to feed them dinner by himself every night this week and I just feel like I’ve missed a lot. I’ve left the house every morning by 8:30 a.m. and I get home around 7:30-8:00 p.m. Most nights I’ve gotten home in time to see Hudson and Hayes before they go to sleep.

I know this is just a week and that my absence isn’t scarring them. I know that TC loves his boys and wants to spend time with them. It’s not “babysitting” when he stays home with them and I’m not there. My mother-in-law and our wonderful babysitter pitched in a lot during the day while I was working and I’m so thankful for them. But why do I feel so guilty?

My heart breaks when I come into the house at night and Hudson speeds toward me and wraps his little arms so tightly around my neck and just laughs. I love that he missed me, but I also hate that I wasn’t there.

I have a new appreciation for working moms that juggle so much. My hours this week were a little bit extreme, but I know that so many moms have to do the juggling act and shuttle kids from one place to the next just so everything can get done. It’s not easy. At all.

I know that my kids aren’t “mad” at me and my super kind, understanding husband isn’t upset with me. I just miss my family. I went in the other night and just held Hayes and rocked him after he had gone to sleep because I just wanted to be with him. I love that sweet boy so much.

Having an outlet is so nice. I love being able to use my creativity and I love the socialization. I even love running around like crazy! But everything comes with a little bit of a price. I’ll be happy for life to return to normal so we can find our little routine again.