112 | Creating Magic
reality tv and wide legged jeans
“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt.” - Lewis Carroll
What I’m up to
Creating small pools of light in the dark house.
My 6 year old insists on turning on the “big lights” and when her dad says not to (adults are preferring the coziness of the small lights), she says that she’ll use the big lights in her “fairy castle house” when she’s grown up.
It’s evening and I’m drinking a cup of tea from a snowman mug while the television plays a Bluey Christmas Lofi video. The kids’ cousins are over and they’re playing in the basement while coming up for snacks on occasion.
What I’m watching
Besides Bluey Lofi videos? ;)
Tis the season for reality tv. We’ve been eagerly waiting on our Wednesday night Survivor dates all season long. I loved Dancing with the Stars and was thrilled to see Robert win and equally as thrilled to see Whitney get a role on Broadway. We’re catching up on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives while also enjoying the comedic drama of St. Denis (okay, not reality).
Current favourite television watching snack? Rice pudding with cinnamon. 😋
What I’m gifting
Well if I told you then it’d ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it?
Some of the gifts I’m most excited about giving are:
Thrifted baskets filled with delightful, cozy treats.
Hasty Coffee for my son’s preschool teachers. (God bless every single one of them.)
Marketplace finds for my kiddos! (I found the Melissa and Doug broom set for my 2 year old!)
What I’m wearing
I have a love-hate relationship with jeans. This year I’ve practically sworn them off because I don’t like the tightness on my legs and how the cold air just cuts right through the fabric.
But I had an epiphany yesterday as date night led Trent and I to the mall - wide legged jeans are coming back in style for possibly this exact over-stimulation reason (okay, I know not really but maybe it’s a factor!). So I walked into the store where their jeans always fit me (we all have one in our old age?) and I declared to the 20 year old who greeted me, “I’m ready to join the wide leg trend.” She glanced down at my skinny jeans and nodded. “It’s time. Come with me.” She invited me into the store and helped me gather many styles and types. One pair in particular, I slid on my legs (such freedom!) and closed the button (not bad) and declared, “I like jeans again!”
Then promptly ordered them from the store’s website because the Cyber Monday deals were way better online. Urgh, Capitalism.
What I’m thankful for
My brother came to visit for Thanksgiving and we spent the entire day making our Thanksgiving favorites from our parents’ recipes. It was my first time making a turkey and my brother’s first time stuffing it with stuffing. If I may say so, we did a great job. And had a ton of fun doing it together.
The next day, my brother created Christmas magic not just for the kids - but for me too! He filled our stockings and brought fun holiday snacks. As a parent creating Christmas magic, it felt extra special to have my brother create magic for me.
What I’m remembering
A carousel of memories parades in my memory: magical Decembers where anything was possible, church Christmas pageants and performing them in local nursing homes, carolling around the neighborhood before I could read, gift-filled packages from family far away, Christmases longing to be inviting someone home, Christmases longing for tiny babies, tropical Filipino Christmases, quiet “New Year” festivals in Turkey, longing to be closer to family. Now snuggling these babies tightly while creating anticipatory Christmas magic. Choosing presence over chaos and minimizing, minimizing until the quiet mornings and dark evenings fill our souls with the same child-like wonder that filled our days so long ago.
What I’m Googling
a paw patrol christmas
trump costco
cozy winter quotes
Until next time,
cer