Hello and happy Thanksgiving week, dearhearts!
I’m thrilled that all my chicks will be back in the nest this Thanksgiving. The older my kids get, the more precious time around the table with all of them becomes. We’ll also have our dear friends and “framily,” the Petersens, joining us, so it should be an extra good time.
I shall soon hop into the kitchen to make cranberries and the cornbread ahead of time! But before I do so…I have some favorites to share!
If like me you’re taking advantage of some sales to do a bit of shopping this week, I believe several items on this list will bless you or someone you know and love. I’ve included a couple of items that relate to Christmas traditions for my family and me, too.
So, onward and upward with this month’s list!
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
Gingerbread Festival Tea: After coming across this in a Texas store, I ordered this tea. GOOD NIGHT IRENE (to borrow a phrase of my daddy’s), it is DELISH. With ginger, cinnamon, and molasses, it’s perfect for this time of year! I love combining it with the Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea for a delightful cold-weather-cozy in a cup!
Turtleneck Split Hem Sweater: This oversized sweater is fantastic! (I’m wearing it in the above pic.) It’s so soft, comfy, and can be dressed up with nice jeans or down with yoga pants. It comes in tons of colors, and I love it.
Made for Friendship by Drew Hunter: Y’all, this book is one of the best nonfiction books I’ve read on friendship. It explains why we need friends, how to find the friends we need, and God’s design for friendship with others and with Him. It’s simply marvelous. Since the holidays can sometimes feel especially lonely, I added this to my list because it will encourage you in your horizontal friendships as well as your vertical friendship with Jesus.
Ginger Molasses Cookies Recipe: My sweet friend, Lindsey, posted this recipe on her socials last month. I immediately clicked it and put its ingredients on my shopping list. My daughter loves molasses cookies, and since we were traveling south to see her, I made them and brought them along. They were a hit! Even after a few days in my plastic ziplock bag, they were still chewy and tasty!
Milk Frother: I love to make chai lattes at home with the help of a milk frother. Well, a few months ago, my frother suffered a tragic end when *someone* đđťââď¸accidentally placed it in the microwave. (Y’all, I have no defense as to how this came to be. My mind was obviously elsewhere!) Anyhoo, this new one is great with lots of fun features.
Rifle Paper Co. Christmas Candle: For the last two years, I’ve placed this candle in my kitchen at Christmas time, and it’s my favorite.
Old Navy Flannel Jammies: Since my kids were babies, I’ve bought them new jammies for Christmas. This year, I scored plaid jammies from Old Navy for about $9 each. If you could use some new jammies yourself, these are a great option! At some point in the future, I suppose I’ll stop this tradition. But not this year.
Old Navy Jeans: Earlier this month, Old Navy had an incredible sale on jeans. I ordered some for my daughter who really needed a pair. She loved them so much that she made a point of telling me so. Bonus: they were around $20! Sadly, the exact kind I gave her is completely out of stock, but they have lots of other styles that, if not currently on sale, will likely go on sale soon!
Old-Timey Glass Tree Ornaments: When my husband and I spent our first Christmas together, we didn’t have any ornaments for our little tree (or any money for the ornaments). So, I bought some Christmas ribbon, cut it into sections, and then tied the sections into bows. VoilĂĄ! Christmas tree decorations! Several years later, I heard my friend Jen say that she was giving her children an ornament a year so they would be set up to decorate their own tree one day. This inspired me to do the same with my own kids. I gave them one like these last year.
Prepare Him Room by Susie Larson: At the Creative Collective conference last month, I heard Susie Larson speak for the first time. Holy smokes, she was fantastic, and I took PAGES of notes. When I saw she had authored this Advent devo, I ordered it lickety-split. I’ve only read the intro, but I know I’m going to love it.
Speaking of books, here is a list of other Advent book selections for you. I’ve read all of these (and have re-read several of them), and I love them all.
One more thing…I now have an Amazon storefront, which is a fancy way of saying I have a one-stop place for the various Amazon links I’ve shared in my “Favorite Things” posts. Amazon books and products listed above and in my shop are affiliate links, which means I get a small commission for each purchase made through that link. However, that adds no extra cost to the purchase price or to you.Â
I hope you and yours have the best Thanksgiving. And if this Thanksgiving feels rather lonely for you, or if you’re missing someone around your table this year, I pray that you’re surprised with an extra dose of God’s blessings that tell you you’re seen, loved, and valued above and beyond.
I’m thankful for you, dearhearts, this time of year and always.
I love me a good ‘Favorite Things” list! These are so fun! Have a wonderful holiday season with your people my friend!
xo,
Stacey
P.S. I also LOVE blog comments.