December: Preparing For The Season

The twinkling lights glowing day and night and the extra greenery brought inside fill our home with wonder. With little effort, we all can turn our homes into a snow mountain lodge overlooking the frozen lake (that’s what imaginations are for- wink!) This is the month for stringing up a little tinsel, sneaking a kiss under the mistletoe, and sampling the entire array of hot chocolates – embracing all the simple joys! yay!

Our family loves December because it’s the month we get to spend extra time together! …and Christmas! Full of advent readings and carols, we also enjoy the mood with a few fun activities. Over the years, many of these have become traditions.

Here are the activities we’ve been up to:

  1. wearing our flannel plaids

  2. making stock pots of soup

  3. listening to Christmas music all day long

  4. trekking across a tree farm for the perfect Christmas tree cutting

  5. burning seasonal candles like “mulled cider” and “fresh balsam”

  6. diffusing essential oils that complement our freshly-cut tree (3 drops cedarwood+3 Douglas fir or 2 wintergreen+2 rosemary+2 peppermint)

  7. trimming the tree and decorating the house – the kids love it!

  8. making cookies

  9. advent readings

  10. popping giant bowls of popcorn

  11. roasting chestnuts

  12. filling up our Christmas book basket

  13. making homemade hot chocolate (recipe coming soon-yum!)

  14. writing cards to friends near and abroad

  15. taking the obligatory cheesy smile portraits

  16. making a bucket list for our upcoming Christmas break (sharing it on the blog tomorrow)

What do early December days look like at your house?

with love. Damaris

Fall Essential Oils

I’ve shared on here before how much I love change! A delightful way to revamp your space is by filling the air with the beloved fragrances of fall.

I am quite the candle addict. Even just lighting a candle is a relaxing ritual to me. There’s nothing I love more that walking around the house greeted by the spicy scents of fall! A flickering candle makes me all warm and cozy inside. The sweet aromas of “Pumpkin Cupcake”, “Warm Sugar Cookie”, “Hot Maple”, and “Caramel Butter” evoke all my favorite feelings about crisp autumn days.

I would love to burn a candle in my home all day long, but they get expensive, and many candles are not free of toxins. I don’t feel deprived, though! There are many essential oils that we’re pretty excited to use this fall season, too!

This is the diffuser we have. If we’re running it in the living room, I add 15-20 drops with the water. If we use the diffuser in a bedroom, we do 5-10 drops. Whether it’s upstairs or downstairs, we always set it to be intermittent. On this setting, it will last all night.

~ 9 drops sweet orange (I use this for moping too)
~ 6 drops cloves

These two are the basic elements for that festive autumn fragrance. A couple more favorite oils to add to the basic recipe are ginger and cinnamon bark. This is an inexpensive way to add freshness too and enhance the smell of your rooms! Also, if it’s a cold-air diffuser, you’ll profit from the therapeutic benefits.

What are some of your quintessential fall scents?

with love. Damaris

Family Currents

This week, we celebrated Mother’s Day. My mom was only a phone call away, and Nathan’s parents live within a half hour from us. We spent the afternoon with them after church. This Mother’s Day was beautiful! The simplicity of it made it beautiful – Nathan and his Dad made every effort to prepare Sunday dinner, and it was a delectable success. I made a Red Velvet Trifle (with chocolate ganache – decadent!).

In the mornings, we read Scripture with the kids. Recently we’ve read through the Psalms, but this week, we have been enjoying God’s Battle. We have previously read God’s Names and God’s Design. These short readings at the breakfast table always encourage my heart, and I pray it turns the children’s thoughts toward God as they begin their day. Each chapter even has questions at the end – although we rarely make it into those, ha!

We have been loving this diffuser and this set of essential oils! My favorite oil blend is so relaxing! I try to remember to refill it at night with a purifying oil blend. When I go downstairs in the morning, the house smells so clean! I know one of my maids has been working (wink, wink).

These cuties are sporting new shoes! While the big kids were at art class, the three youngest and I found this sale, and oh how a girl loves her shoes!

with love. Damaris