New Year's Eve- 2016

Today is New Year's Eve.  I am looking forward to the 'clean slate' that 2017 brings.  This year wasn't great personally and the blog suffered for it.  I am thankful that you kept on coming to read my posts, encourage and support me. 

I started this blog because I love to write.  I wanted to have a little space of my own where I could express myself and this blog has allowed me to do that.  I never could have imagined the friendships that would grow out of blogging.  This has been the most rewarding part of this blog. 

I wish you all a safe and happy New Year's Eve.  I also wish you a wonderful New Year.  I hope that 2017 holds many happy moments for you.  

Thank you for reading.  I will be back in the New Year with my 2017 Goals/Resolutions.

2016 Recap

2016 is winding down.  I wish I could say that it was such a stellar year, but it really wasn't.  It most certainly had beautiful moments and happy times.  It also held heartbreak and challenges that took a lot of prayer and trust to get through.  

I looked back at my 2016 resolutions to see how I did with my goals for the year.  Things went well goal-wise and I managed to keep to most of them.  Here is a closer look:

Personal Resolutions:

-Finish the KonMari Method.  I did this.  It helped lighten the load for our move.  I didn't find it to be "life-changing" but it definitely gave me a different method to minimize my belongings.  This method was helpful and I look forward to continuing to pare down our possessions.

-Continue to develop a personal relationship with God through my prayer life.  My personal relationship with God is ever evolving.  I relied heavily on my faith this year and sought out different ways to further my relationship with God.  I feel that I achieved this goal and I will continue to work on this relationship.

Family:

-Go on a family trip.  We did this at the end of summer.  We went on a family trip to Red Deer, Alberta and Calgary, Alberta.  We visited a farm, the Zoo and Telus Spark.  Elizabeth had an absolute blast.  Hubby and I enjoyed ourselves, as well.  It was great and I am looking forward to the next trip!

-Build up our savings.  This happened.  It wasn't super easy with Hubby's job loss this year, but we managed to add to our savings.

Blog:

-Post on the blog 2 times a week.  This goal didn't work out.  With everything going on in my personal life, the blog really got put on the back burner.  I am okay with this goal being unmet.  My priorities have to be my own health and my family.  Perhaps next year will be more conducive to blogging.

-Post to Instagram 3 times a week.  This also was placed on the back burner.  Perhaps next year will work our better.

Relationship

-Go on a date night once a month.  We went on a date every month this year.  Not all of our dates were on "date nights", but we managed to date every month.  It was a great resolution and we really enjoyed having time together as a couple.

My word of the year was PEACEFUL.  My knee-jerk reaction to this is to scoff at my word choice.  This year felt anything but peaceful.  It felt chaotic and overwhelming.  The word choice wasn't meant to magically make my year peaceful.  I wish simply choosing a word could do that.  Thankfully, there was peace among the chaos.  My faith provided a sense of peace that I could never find anywhere else.  I am not saying that my peace never wavered, but I trusted God and He always brought me back to a deeper sense of peace.  I tried to help others find peace, or at least support, in their lives.  I tried to look for ways to help when I could.  It was a challenging year, but it made my faith deeper.

I am so looking forward to 2017 and a fresh start.  I love the New Year.  It always feels hopeful and untarnished.  I am excited to make new resolutions and new memories.  I will share my resolutions with you in January.

How was your 2016?  Did you keep your resolutions?  Are you looking forward to 2017?

Simple Christmas

Christmas is a beautiful and sentimental time of year.  It can be filled with joy, laughter and the company of family and friends.  For some, however, Christmas becomes stressful, overwhelming and difficult.  To be honest, I have spent some time feeling stressed and overwhelmed at the holidays and it wasn't fun.  I think that I truly have my Christmas spirit back in recent years.  Here is how I found it.

1.)  Cut Back.  We quit doing Christmas gifts on my side of the family and we have greatly reduced the gifts that we do on Hubby's side.  We are always looking to simplify our lives and gifts (however thoughtful or well-intended) were really making this goal difficult.  Our shopping list is extremely short and we always follow a similar gift thread.  Most of our gifts are either food or sentimental items.  Elizabeth makes gifts for the family members and they enjoy receiving something that she has worked on.

We have also cut back on the food that we prepare for our Christmas meal.  Growing up, I remember there was always 6 salads, 3 desserts and a crazy amount of baking.  I am sure it was stressful for those who prepared it and I honestly didn't like most of it.  At Christmas, I crave turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberries and buns.  We don't often eat turkey so it is a treat all on its own!  My Mom prepares our favourite Christmas treats and we forgo dessert so that we can enjoy the baking.  When I host Christmas I make a basic turkey meal.  Everyone is generally satisfied with that.  I usually bake one item.  If anyone offers to bring something, I ask for baking.  Dessert is taken care of and we can enjoy a variety of treats.

2.)  Focus on Faith and Family.  We try to be careful when making holiday plans.  I don't like to overbook our family with festivities.  It is a lot for everyone to handle.  We know that we like to see each family at some point during the holiday season.  We also value having time to enjoy Christmas festivities with just the 3 of us.  I try to figure out our plans well in advance and only book a few events.  Sometimes this means saying no to a Christmas party or other social event, but we find that guarding our family time is key to our enjoyment of the holidays.

We also work hard to keep the focus of the season on the birth of Jesus.  We do special prayers as a family during Advent and read books focused on the first Christmas.  We attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and try to keep our focus on the amazing gift that God bestowed on us.  A Child that was born to save us from sin.  It is a powerful display of love and one that I am eternally grateful for.

3.)  Be organized.  Even though we celebrate a rather simple Christmas, we still have things to do.  I enjoy sending out Christmas cards to our family and friends.  We are hosting Christmas this year and I will be preparing a holiday meal for the family.  We make Christmas gifts and purchase a few gifts.  All of this requires some planning.  The more organized you can be, the more peaceful your holiday season will be.  Emily at Queen of The Household has an awesome printable to help you stay organized this holiday season! I enjoy making lists and breaking down the tasks.  I then write each item that needs to be completed on my calendar to ensure that everything gets done on time.

How do you enjoy a peaceful holiday season?  I would love to hear your ideas!

Fall Capsule Wrap-Up

I am really quite done with Capsule wardrobes for now.  Which is kind of strange because this Capsule was by far my favourite.  I like all of the clothes in the Capsule and they truly worked in my lifestyle.  I like finding new outfits within a small set of clothes and I like having less options.  My shopping in the Spring and Summer got out of hand and the Capsule really reigned that in.  

Although I quite like the Capsule Wardrobes, I feel that they have served their purpose for me.  I really don't have an urge to shop right now.  I also don't have the same access to shopping that I did in the Spring/Summer.  I am living in my small town again where it is simple to avoid shopping for clothes.

I plan to move forward in the Winter with access to all of my clothes again.  I also have a few items that I would like to purchase, but the list is quite short and won't blow the budget.  I highly recommend Capsule Wardrobes to people who wish to be more creative with their clothes and to people who need to restrict their shopping habits.  There are great lessons to be learned in these types of wardrobes.

I will leave you with my favourite Capsule outfits!  

Thankful Friday- 11.11.16

It is November 11.  The day that we, as Canadians, pause to reflect on the sacrifice of service men and women.  It is the day that we remember and thank our veterans for defending our freedom and rights.  I am so proud to be Canadian and I have immense gratitude for those who gave their lives so that we could live in this amazing country.  Thank you to who have served, are serving and will serve.  I truly owe you everything and I will always remember your sacrifice, honour and valour.  Thank you.

This week has felt like a hurricane and honestly, I am still trying to recover.  Today I want to share with you why I am so thankful to all those who have served this country.  Here are 5 things that sacrifice has allowed us to have.  I am so grateful I get to call myself Canadian.  

1.) Healthcare -  I love our healthcare system.  Is it perfect? No.  Is it awesome?  Yes.  Money is never a factor.  No one is denied proper health care in Canada.  I get the same treatment as the Prime Minister and that is how it should be.  We truly value our health care system and I am thankful that I have access to such an amazing system.  

2.)  Multiculturaism-  I get to practice my beliefs in my country.  I can freely attend church without repercussion.  My friends are free to do the same.  We are all free to speak the language of our choice and not suffer consequences.  We embrace our differences.  I am thankful for a country that accepts all of its people, regardless of race, religion or culture.

3.)  We Take Care of One Another-  Do we always get along?  No.  BUT, when push comes to shove we stand up for one another and help each other out.  When Fort McMurray suffered a horrible forest fire, the rest of the country pitched in money and supplies to people who had been displaced.  People opened their homes to strangers who had no where to go.  I love that about our country.  Caring for each other is one of our greatest assets.

4.)  Education-  This one is huge for me.  I have always loved learning and attending school.  I have always been a voracious reader and I passionately believe that education is a right that everyone should have.  I am thankful for an education system that is universal and accessible to everyone.  In many countries I would have been denied the right to go to school simply because I am female.  This is deplorable.  I am so thankful for my right to education, afforded to me by many brave men and women.

5.  Democracy-  I have a voice in my country.  I can vote.  I can run for office.  I don't think people realize how amazing this is.  In fact, voter apathy proves that people don't appreciate this right the way that they should.  Remember what is at stake.  People died so that we could have a voice.  People laid down their lives so that we could steer our country in the direction that we choose.  Excercise that right or someone else will make decisions for you.

I love my country and I will be forever indebted to people who sacrificed their lives so I could live in freedom.  Thank you.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I leave you with this song.  It is a wonderful expression of sacrifice and a reminder of what has has been given for us.   

 

The Trews- Highway of Heroes

Minimizing Screen Time

I have decided to give vlogging another go.  I tried it last year when I participated in Vlogtober with Whitney from Come Home For Comfort.  I have not done any vlogging since.  I really love YouTube.  I enjoy watching certain channels and I feel that it adds a dimension that blogging can't.  I plan to talk about simple living and how to apply it to your home life.  I hope you will follow along!

This week I am talking about minimizing screen time.  I used to be a T.V. addict.  We no longer have satellite or cable in our house and I am loving it!  My evenings seem to run more smoothly and I get a lot more done.  I also have cut back on my social media time significantly and it is also saving me a lot of time.

How do you control screen time in your home?  Do you find freedom in limiting your screen time?  I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

Fall Capsule Wardrobe- 02.11.16

We are supposed to have some warm days coming this week.  It has been a really cold Fall and I am looking forward to some sunshine!

I really like this top.  It is pretty and feminine.  Unfortunately, it really hasn't made it out of the closet due to the weather demanding a sweater (and winter coat).  I love the hat, as well.  I have seen them online quite a bit and I wasn't sure I could pull it off.  I found a black hat (black goes with everything!) and the brim isn't super wide.  I felt like the narrower brim and neutral colour made this accessory easier to wear.  

Happy Wednesday!