Search Results for: christmas tree 2020

December 17, 2020 By Kelly 47 Comments

Merry Christmas

Well, somehow we have just about reached the end of this crazy year. My kiddos are finishing up school this week, and I’m going to take a few weeks off to spend time hanging out with them, whether they want to hang with me or not… :) I want to say a big thank you for spending a few minutes of your day reading my blog or chatting with me on Instagram. I love to share my ideas, projects, and recipes with you all, and I’m so thankful for this little community here! I still can’t believe that my little hobby has turned into a full-time job. I’ve had so many fun opportunities thanks to all of you for stopping by here year after year! The real MVP – ~~The Mr.~~ Charlie would also like special recognition of his many great contributions here on the blog.

The blog would not be a success without his superior photo bombing skills and vital assistance during brainstorming sessions.

He comes up with his best ideas while napping…

I normally post a little nighttime Christmas tour this week to wrap up the season, but since I didn’t really go all out this year, I thought I would just share a little camera roll dump instead. I also typically share our family Christmas card… yeah, didn’t get to that this year either… It feels very 2020!

The Mr. and I have been walking at night, partly for exercise and partly just as an attempt to stay sane and leave our house once a day. I snapped this shot of our house afterward last night. The Mr. couldn’t believe our children had every light on in the whole house (has he met them? I’m not sure they even know light switches also go down!), but I thought our house looked all warm and cozy.

Maybe because it was so freezing outside! The Mr. has outfitted us in the warmest walking gear complete with matching headlamps. I have to say I have been nice and toasty on our walks and the fresh air feels good. If you follow me on Instagram, you may be jealous of my full cat burglar outfit – I’ll link it below along with Dan’s heated vest he is obsessed with. The lake is starting to freeze, so pretty soon we may be able to take those walks on the ice which is always fun.

I will miss the sun shining on the water in the afternoon, but my kids are so excited to ice skate when it gets thick enough!

My three favorite guys hiking this past weekend. We are ready for some snow around here as it’s skipped us so far this winter.

While we are on the subject of the Mr. – I want to give him proper credit for snapping the above photo which turned out to be my most liked photo on social media this year. Well done sir!

Normally I’m ready to take my tree down right away, but I have to say I think I’m going to miss those twinkly lights this year.

Couldn’t resist snapping this cozy shot. And Charlie couldn’t resist the chance to cozy up with his favorite girl by the fire!

I think that’s all I have for you this year. I do want to take the time to invite you to my Church virtually if you are looking for a place to watch Christmas services. We have been missing gathering with our Church family, but our church Ada Bible has done such a great job with their online services every week, and I know they will have a fantastic Christmas service as well. You can check it out here – Ada Bible Online.

Wishing you all an extra safe and healthy Christmas and New Year – blessings to you and yours!

P.S. Linking our cold-weather walking gear for you below in case you want to be a toasty ninja too ;)

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Just click on the BOLD links.

Fleece Lined Leggings

Balaclava Shirt

Fave walking shoes (we both have them)

Heated Vest

Head Lamps

December 2, 2020 By Kelly 20 Comments

Red Berry and Cedar Garland Christmas Front Porch

It’s the one time of year I wish for a good snowstorm, and Michigan really let me down this week. I always love a nice sprinkling of snow for my Christmas front porch photos, but alas it wasn’t meant to be this year. I’m sure I’ve just jinxed myself, and the rest of West Michigan, sorry locals! A blizzard will probably be forthcoming now that I put it out there into the blogosphere.

So imagine a dusting of snow in all these photos. Also, imagine my red Merry Christmas welcome mat that I couldn’t locate anywhere. The Mr. is pleading his innocence, but I suspect it got tossed in the “great garage purge of 2020”. I ordered another one but it’s back-ordered.

Also, let’s applaud Charlie’s photobombing efforts as usual. ;)

I kept things pretty simple again this year. I start with a faux garland around our front door and add in cedar clippings from a local nursery. I attach the garland using 5 little white nails that I keep in the trim year-round. Then I use floral wire to attach the garland. I shared some video of this on my Instagram stories and saved it to my highlights if you are looking for tips.

My wreath is from Balsam Hill, and I added in the cedar clippings there too. I wired some faux red berries for a pop of red. These were from a local nursery (Flowerland for you locals) and it’s important to note that they are weatherproof faux berries. You don’t want to use regular ones as the color may run when wet.

My planters have the same little dwarf spruces, I bought 2 years ago now? I keep them watered until it freezes, and they have been doing great. The one on the right got a little dry this summer, but I’m hoping to nurse it back to health. It is perhaps strategically placed with its brown dead spot facing the door there…I always get questions about these planters. I found them in my parent’s barn and “borrowed” them a few years back, so I don’t have a link for you, but thanks, mom!

My window boxes are also feeling festive even though they are missing that magic dusting of snow. Again, I start with a faux garland in my boxes to give them extra fullness. Then I add in clippings and branches from my yard.

Why do I feel like someone is watching me??

I added a pop of red here too. Oh, and how could I forget my fun Christmas pillows? If you’ve been following a while, you will remember these are big body pillows I use as oversized lumbar pillows. I switch out the covers for the seasons. I decided to go with this fun classic red plaid I picked up at JoAnn Fabrics. Sewing is not my strong suit (if you follow me on Instagram you may recall my measuring mishap with this fabric). I cheated and used Stich Witchery this time. Which come to think of it, ironing is not amongst my top talents either but I made it work…just don’t look too close.

There you have it my Red Berry and Cedar Garland Christmas Front Porch – I’ll be sure to snap a photo if and when the snow arrives!

You can check out more of my Holiday decorating in these posts –

Fireplace Mantel Christmas Decor

Bronze and Neutral Metallic Christmas Tree

November 24, 2020 By Kelly 30 Comments

Bronze and Neutral Metallic Christmas Tree

Happy Thanksgiving week! I finished decorating my Bronze and Neutral Metallic Christmas tree just in time to spend a cozy slow week here with the kids. We have big plans to play board games, read books, and eat lots of pie. I’ve successfully paired down our Thanksgiving menu plan for the four of us with the exception of dessert. We all can’t seem to come to an agreement on what pie is the best (although clearly it’s pecan). So I guess I’m making apple, pumpkin, and pecan. We will just have to eat pie for breakfast, lunch and dinner the rest of the week. Not complaining – I happen to think pecan pie is the ultimate breakfast food!

I love changing my Christmas tree up every year. This time I went with bronze tones, metallics, natural wood, and wicker elements.

After almost 9 years of blogging, I have accumulated quite the Christmas ornament collection. So it’s really easy for me to switch up themes with what I already have, just by adding in a few new ornaments.

Mercury glass ornaments are always a mainstay on my tree. I also used some of the same gold tones from last year.

Of course, I used my cute candle lights…except I couldn’t find the remote that actually turns them on this year. My kids love changing them from color lights to white lights and back again, so I’m guessing one of them is hiding it somewhere!

The snowflakes are ornaments from a few years back as well.

The addition of the jute swags, wicker bells, and wood bead garland gave the whole theme a simple earthy vibe that I like.

My whole theme kicked off from these cozy fall pillows that I wasn’t ready to move on from yet this winter.

I’m also in love with the new tree basket I snagged on sale this year. It took a little finagling on the Mr.’s part to get it wedged down in there. My 9 ft tree has a wider base than most trees so it was a tight squeeze. We didn’t get it all the way down to the bottom, but we added weight to stabilize the whole thing.

I took these photos at a few different times of the day so you could see the tree all glowy in the evening. Below is with the lights off so you can see the ornaments better. Although I turn it right on every morning at 7 am because I’m a firm believer that no one can be crabby with Christmas lights on…my 12-year-old, non-morning person daughter may disagree ;)

Here is a close-up of the wrapping paper combo I went with this year. I was on the hunt for bronzey ribbon and this was the closest I found. It’s a little orangey, but still pretty.

Also, little-known fact – I’m horrible at wrapping gifts. You can see that one of my flaps came undone already on that gift haha oh well!

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving week filled with blessings, however that looks for you this year…and pie. Lots of pie!

You can find more details on my Christmas mantel here.

SOURCES:
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Just click on the BOLD links.

Snowflakes – Balsam Hill

Mercury Glass – Balsam Hill

Tree – 9 ft Sanibel Spruce Balsam Hill

Falala Wrapping Paper

Jute and Wood Beaded Swag

Carved Tree Topper

Faux Jasmine Garland

Whitewashed Beaded Garland

Rattan Basket Bowl Tree

Espresso Glass Ornaments

Antique Duotone Ornaments

Gold Stipple Ornaments

Rattan Woven Bells

Winter Stripe Gift Wrap

Rug

Sectional – Maiden Home Sullivan Sectional in Oyster

November 12, 2020 By Kelly 42 Comments

Fireplace Mantel Christmas Garland

I’ve started decorating for the holidays, and I promise I’m not skipping Thanksgiving! I actually have a Thanksgiving tablescape planned for next week. I just need my little guy to finish up his 500 piece puzzle that is happening on the dining table first! Though the 3D shark puzzle pieces are adding a certain ambiance sprinkled in amongst my linen napkins. :)

I decided to share the one area of my house that is done – our fireplace mantel Christmas garland.

Fireplace Mantel Christmas Garland

Arranging the Christmas mantel garland is always one of my fave parts of decorating our living room. If you’ve been following along for a few years, you know I like to mix and match several different faux garlands to get a nice full look. I think I used 6 strands here?

I kept it pretty simple this year using my same garland technique in an asymmetrical swag. I’m sharing how-to videos of it on Instagram today and will be saving it in my highlights if you want to check it out.

I also hung the stockings on one side this year. I know who am I? Queen of symmetrical-ness getting all crazy over here! My stockings are the same ones I’ve used the past few years, they were a happy HomeGoods find. I found super similar ones and linked them at the bottom of the post for you.

I topped that off with these bells I used last year on my kitchen hood wreath.

I challenged myself to use mostly things I already had for my mantel decor this year. So you may recognize these candlesticks from years past too. They have been painted red, white, blue, and I think gray at one point?! They got another coat of spray paint today to change them up yet again. I was trying to get a pretty bronzey color to go with the earthy tones I’m using on the tree – sneak peek of the tree below.

I sprayed them with a coat of black spray paint. While they were still wet, I immediately hit it with a light coat of gold spray paint. In person they have a really pretty bronze look. They are photographing a bit dark in these photos.

I managed to untangle a few sets of battery operated twinkle lights to add to the mix. I like to use battery-operated candles on the mantel since it’s so tall to light. Oh, and I cut a few branches from the yard for my vase on the coffee table. Tip – I keep my branches in a vase of water and they will last me all winter that way. I actually insert a smaller glass vase inside the large stoneware one.

That’s it – simple, cozy, and done!

Well not quite, would any post be complete without Charlie photobombing somewhere? Check out that Angelina Jolie leg kickout action…

Thanks for checking out my fireplace mantel Christmas garland. You can check out all of the items I plan on using in my Christmas Decor this year here. Can’t wait to share the rest!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Just click on the BOLD links.

SOURCES:

Several of the garlands I’ve had for years and they are no longer available, but I did use these two newer ones –

Jasmine garland

Cedar garland

Candlesticks – I’ve had for 10 years and I think I originally “borrowed” them from my mom.

Stockings – HomeGoods here are similar ones

Bells

Chair – Maiden Home Leroy Chair

Rug

Coffee Table

Stoneware Vase

Red and Blue Pillow

Tan and Blue Pillow

Mirror

Stone – J&N Stone, Style Price, Color Quartz

October 21, 2020 By Kelly 13 Comments

Neutral Christmas Decor

Ok don’t throw things at me, but I’m starting to think about my holiday decor for the year. I know, it’s not even Halloween yet. However, last year by the time I shared my Christmas decor most everything I used was sold out. I’m just getting ahead of the game if you are on the hunt for a few new ornaments to add to your collection. I’m returning to a quieter neutral Christmas decor theme this year. In the past few years, I have used more color, I did a green theme and a silver and blue theme. Not to mention my kid’s colorful tree in the basement. I’m going a bit more subtle with warm metallics and textures like rattan and wood.

Simple has been the theme for most of my decor this year. In talking with you on social media, a few of you are feeling the same! A lot of you have kids or spouses schooling/working from home and there is a lot more stuff in your house in general. I’m definitely feeling that with the Mr. spreading his stacks of paperwork, etc. all over the dining room. With so much extra stuff going on having a quiet calm space at home has been appealing. That said, if you want to have your own holiday extravaganza with a 30 ft. Santa Claus in your yard and 36 Christmas trees knock yourself out! It’s 2020 we all need to find our own happiness however that looks. For me, that’s keeping things simple and natural and less eye twitchy. I already have a lot of metallic and mercury glass ornaments. I’m just adding in a few new touches here and there to mix it up.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Just click on the BOLD links.

Neutral Christmas Decor

Jute and Wood Beaded Swag – I love how unique these swags are.
Carved Tree Topper – The wood tone of this will be perfect with our rustic mantel.
Faux Jasmine Garland – I love to combine a few different varieties of garlands on my mantel, and the texture of this Jasmine will be a nice addition.
Whitewashed Beaded Garland – These just arrived in the mail yesterday and they are so gorgeous in person! I also think these would be pretty in a decorative bowl year-round…
Rattan Basket Bowl Tree – I upgraded to a larger tree a few years ago, but I never upgraded my tree collar. The one I have now actually won’t fit our new tree so I’ve been using an old blanket. I love the look of this basket!
Espresso Glass Ornaments – I love the warm tone of these ornaments – they will be perfect to mix in with my mercury glass ornaments.
Antique Duotone Ornaments – I love the antique look of these.
Gold Stipple Ornaments – I can’t wait for these to arrive, the subtle gold color is so pretty.
Rattan Woven Bells – Ok and the texture on these – love!
Faux Cedar Garland – I actually tried to order this last year and they sold out before I could. I found one at a local store but I had wanted two for the fullness. Snagged another one this year!
Winter Stripe Gift Wrap – I’m thinking of mixing in brown kraft paper with this gold paper for my gift wrap, maybe some bronzey ribbon too.

I’m loving the warmth and coziness of the fall pillows and blankets that I added. So I plan on keeping those all winter as they fit right in with the warm tones of the ornaments I’m using. A few of these items have already arrived so I’ll be sharing on Instagram later this week!

November 19, 2020 By Kelly 25 Comments

Neutral Thanksgiving Tablescape

Thanksgiving may look a little different for most of us this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still set a pretty table! Just because it’s only the 4 of us, and my son wants PB&J instead of turkey, doesn’t mean we can’t go all out. I want to make the table feel special, and take time to be thankful for all the blessings in our lives amidst a crazy year. I picked up a few new accessories to make our table festive, and I’m excited to be partnering with The Home Depot for today’s post. They have quickly become one of my favorite places for online shopping for basically everything you need for your home. Their shipping is fast and their prices are great.

Charlie has chosen his seat for Thanksgiving this year, I don’t blame him that blanket is so cozy!

Obviously he should be the guest of honor, and he is definitely on board with turkey on the menu.

I’m normally a white dishes only type of gal, but I’ve been wanting to add another neutral color to my dining collection. These earthy gray dishes were a perfect choice. They are so pretty on my table. I also love the contrast they have added to my glass cabinets when not in use.

They have a really earthy handmade feel for an extremely reasonable price tag.

I’ve been trying to keep my decor simple this year, and this table is no exception. Warm neutral textures, a touch of brass, and some flowers I picked up from the grocery store. I have a little collection of brass candlesticks already, but I found a few at The Home Depot to add to my stash. I always favor a collected mix and match vibe, so I bought a few different kinds.

These candlesticks have a really pretty vintage patina. They pair really well with the hammered metal napkin rings.

I went with a deep charcoal linen napkin to keep the table monochromatic. I always find dark cloth napkins to be a more practical option with kiddos in the house.

You can catch a sneak peek of my unfinished tree back there, because yes, I totally think Christmas and Thanksgiving decor can coexist peacefully in your home.

I love the tulip shape of this pretty stoneware vase. It looks like an antique stone urn. It comes in a few different sizes as well. This is the smallest one, and it’s a really nice size for a dining table. The larger size would be great on a sideboard or entry table. It makes arranging flowers a breeze because they naturally fan out.

These rattan placemats are a favorite of mine, and instantly add texture and interest to every table.

My kids are the resident dishwashers at our house, which means we lose a dish or glass here and there. I seem to be down to 7 wine glasses, not one of which actually has a matching partner, let alone a matching set. It felt like a good time to be a real grown-up and buy a new nice set of wine glasses. These glasses are a beautiful shape. They didn’t break the bank, so I won’t cry if my kids drop one.

I’ll link all my new favorite items from The Home Depot below. How about you, will you be serving PB&J at your Thanksgiving this year? It’s 2020 so I guess anything goes! :)

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Just click on the BOLD links.

SOURCES:

Modern Matte Grey Dishes

Charcoal Napkins

Napkin Rings

Wine Glasses

White Stoneware vase

Rattan Place Mats

Short Brass Candlestick

Larger Brass Candlestick

Triangular Brass Candlestick

Chunky Knit Blanket

November 17, 2020 By Kelly 22 Comments

Flannel for the Family

Winter is on the way, which means the temps are dropping here in Michigan. I’m preparing by stocking up on all the cozy things to keep us warm this season. I’m so excited to partner with Garnet Hill today to share one of my favorite fabrics for winter – flannel. From sheets to pajamas, I basically want a layer of flannel on my body at all times! Garnet Hill has been specializing in flannel since 1976. It is gently brushed multiple times to make it the softest flannel ever.

I’m sharing a few tips to incorporate flannel into your home for the season.

Tip 1 – Switch to Flannel Sheets!

This is always the first place I start. The Mr. likes to keep the house at 62 at night, so I need all the added warmth I can get. I’ve always been a fan of a classic ticking stripe. So the Cozy Ticking Flannel sheets were the perfect addition to our bedroom. Our kids each have a set of flannel sheets for their beds too.

I leave the room for one minute and someone made himself right at home…you can tell Charlie is a fan!

I couldn’t keep Charlie out of the bed while shooting this, so he can really vouch for the softness. There was a lot of napping on the job…

Even while sitting up :)

Tip 2 – Why stop at sheets? Add a flannel duvet cover too.

I have had scratchy decorative duvet covers in the past, but I’m craving cozy simplicity this season. This white flannel duvet cover is the perfect winter bedding staple to add to your collection. Our whole bed feels like one big cloud to sink into at the end of the day.

I also added their Dream Quilt for an extra layer of warmth.

Tip 3 – Treat yourself to Classic Flannel Pajamas.

Coffee in bed on a lazy Saturday morning is so much better with a cozy flannel robe and pants. The red stripes are perfect for opening gifts on Christmas morning.

Tip 4 – Don’t forget the rest of the family! Bonus points for matching kiddos.

Flannel pajamas are not just for sleeping in 2020! The Mr. has been known to wear these flannel pajama bottoms with a button-down shirt for zoom meetings… They are so soft and cozy I don’t blame him.

You know I had to get matching Christmas pj’s for the kids. I will continue this tradition until they have their own babies! Garnett Hill has the cutest prints, and I love the classic feel of the red plaid. It’s perfect for our annual Christmas tree photo.

You can shop all of Garnett Hill’s cozy flannel collection here and I’ll link everything below as usual!

SOURCES:

Flannel Ticking Sheets

White Flannel Duvet Cover

Dream Quilt

Rosewood Stripe Flannel Robe and Matching Pajamas

Bluestone Plaid Pajamas and Heather Gray Robe

Kid’s Red Flannel Pajamas

Eucalyptus and Juniper Wreath

November 5, 2020 By Kelly 13 Comments

Holiday Gift Guide for Men

Ok, let’s get to the hardest person to buy for in the house – The Mr. He is the worst. Typically if there is something he wants, he will just buy it for himself, which makes gift buying tricky! I’m pretty darn proud of myself with this list because I put it together without his initial input. When I showed him, he immediately tried to add several of the items to his cart – ha! There are a few things he already has and loves, and like I mentioned a few he is hoping Santa drops off at our house. :)

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Just click on the BOLD links.

Holiday Gift Guide for Men

Shinola Leather Apple Watch Strap – The Mr. is obsessed with his Apple watch, but since he bought it last year, he has been meaning to get a nicer band for it. This one is gorgeous and a bit of a splurge, but something he would never buy himself.
Swees Leather Band – Here is a less expensive dupe that has great reviews too.
Vuori Banks Shorts – The Mr. has been wearing the same running shorts since college and they were starting to fall apart. I love Vouri brand leggings for myself, so I upgraded his workout wardrobe with these shorts. He loves them and immediately had me buy another pair.
Nike Air Zoom Pegasus – These are his absolute fave workout/running shoes of all time. They pull double duty out and about on the weekends with jeans and a hoodie as well.
Air Pod Case – With The Mr. and I sharing an “office” aka the dining room, we both have AirPods in all day to drown each other out. The only problem is we routinely mix them up. He made a client call the other day and it started ringing in my ears – oops! This personalized case will keep him from grabbing mine…or a girl can dream anyway!
Vuori Jeffreys Pullover – Working from home, his casual wardrobe has been in the mix more and his suits are mostly collecting dust in the closet. This pullover is nice enough for zoom meetings, but great for weekends too.
Whiskey Wedge and Glass – If you follow me on Instagram, then you know The Mr. makes a mean cocktail. It has become his hobby while we are missing grabbing a drink out at night. These glasses are so cool! You pop them in the freezer to get a perfect ice wedge.
Leather Phone Sticker Card Case – The Mr. currently has an old stick-on neoprene cardholder on his phone’s case that has seen better days. This would be a definite upgrade! He hasn’t used a wallet in a few years and finds this is so much more convenient.
Cocktail Bitters Set – Again with the cocktails! His drink of choice is typically an Old-Fashioned and this collection of bitters would be fun to experiment with. Flavors include Citrus, Chili, Aromatic, Orange, and Ginger.
Beer and Bourbon Nuts – A little something to soak up the bourbon. If you combine the whiskey glass, bitters, nuts, and a bottle of bourbon, it would make such a great gift basket for your husband, brother, or dad.
AcuRite Weather Forecaster – We have had this weather station for a few years now and it’s great. The Mr. monitors it religiously to make sure the humidity levels are perfect in our house. I know, total nerd alert.
Moleskine Notebook – He is constantly jotting down notes and has a few of these Moleskine notebooks floating around our house. I bought the bright red so he can find them easier. This theory has not helped him find the ketchup in the fridge, unfortunately. ;)
Switch – How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath – I always share my book recommendations, but it occurred to me I should share some of his too! He is an avid reader as well, although he prefers more personal development and business-minded books. Books are always a good stocking stuffer, and this is one of his favorites. He actually has a whole PowerPoint on this book that he teaches at work, but I assured him my readers should be spared…
No Rules Netlflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer – He just finished this last week and really enjoyed it. It explores the distinct culture at Netflix and how it was designed to fuel innovation through talent density and leading with context vs. control…Can you tell the Mr. wrote that part? He had about 300 words written and I told him to condense it to a sentence. I tell you he is trying to take over around here!
Ice Cube Tray – We have these molds that make giant ice cubes and we both love them. They melt slower so your drink doesn’t dilute as much, plus they just look really cool.

That’s all for my holiday gift guide for men, and concludes gift guide week here on the blog! I hope I didn’t burn you all out with holiday shopping. I actually set up my Christmas tree earlier this week. I plan on decking the halls this weekend, so stay tuned for Christmas content coming next week!

Find my other gift guides below –

Tween Girl Gift Guide

Boys Gift Guide

March 25, 2020 By Kelly 10 Comments

5 Tips to Get Your kids to Read

Hi strangers, how are you doing? Hanging in? I didn’t mean to go radio silent on you all, but this has obviously been a weird time. I’m not sure what it’s like by you, but we are on week 2 of schooling from home/working from home (for the Mr. too). Michigan is I think 4th or 5th in the country for the most cases of the virus, so our state is on complete lockdown.

We are all adjusting to the new norm of working around each other (as I’m sure some of you are doing as well). With 2 kids’ online schooling, I can’t seem to get a turn with my computer, so I will try to pop in over here when I can. That said, I have been working on a few fun projects. Being trapped in the house with a basement full of random paint has somehow yielded a little kitchen mini-makeover! I will share it next week once I get it all put back together.

I have been on Instagram just sharing fun tidbits throughout the day (like how cardboard boxes are still the best entertainment out there!) trying to maybe be a fun distraction from the news. As I try to keep things light and fun here, I will probably continue to do that and hopefully be a bright spot in your day. Just know that I am praying every day for all of you struggling job-wise, health-wise, and maybe sanity wise with your kids? ;) I’ve had so many messages on Instagram encouraging me to keep on with some normalcy so that’s what I’m going to shoot for….in between hiding in my pantry with my wine glass…

Charlie is very concerned about the state of the basement…

I actually started writing this kid’s book post weeks ago, and I never had the chance to finish it before all heck broke loose. So maybe the reading tips aren’t the most helpful at the moment because we are all just in survival mode. Also taking kids to the library isn’t really an option right now, but you can always file them away for later. I figured now may be a time where your kids are looking for some good books, so I’m adding a list of my kid’s faves at the bottom. They each have a kindle for reading, as well as the Libby app where they can check out books from our library electronically. They also have been loving audible books too, so that’s a great option for being cooped up at home right now too.

I shared this shot of my kiddos reading on the beach over Christmas break and I received SO many messages asking for tips for getting your kids to love reading. Both of my kids are thankfully major book worms. We have finally reached that holy grail of parenting where my kids are both happy to sit on the beach with a snack and a book and actually relax for a bit. Now trust me we still got our fair share of whining and I’m bored coupled with lots of wave jumping and tossing the football on the beach too. I also don’t claim to know that anything I really did was some magic formula for getting kids to read. I think some kids just genuinely enjoy it more than others. However here are my tips for getting your kids to read or the things we did at least.

5 TIPS TO GET YOUR KIDS TO READ

The Mr. and I are both huge readers. We constantly each have a stack of books on our nightstand. We definitely read way more than we watch tv. So they see us reading all of the time. We actually have family reading time on Sunday after church where we all hang out in the living room with a snack and read our books for some quiet time.
My mom took me to the library once a week when I was little, and her mom did the same with her. So naturally, I started when my daughter was a baby hitting up storytime once a week at the library as well. Having something your kids are genuinely interested in reading is key for my kids. I take them about every other week now and let them pick out whatever interests them. They both always have a stack of books next to their beds.
I’m pretty strict with electronic time (post on this coming soon too because I have had some requests for that also) so sometimes they are bored and they have no other option but read. Whenever I hear “I’m bored!” I suggest a book. They definitely grumble sometimes but once they get going in a good book, they rarely want to put it down.
We have always read to them as part of their bedtime routine since they were little. Now they both can’t fall asleep without reading to themselves a bit. I always have them in their rooms by 8 on weeknights, but they are allowed to read for as long as they would like every night.
Try listening to audiobooks to get them interested. We have always listened to audiobooks with them on long car rides (which is often since we live 30 minutes from everything – school, church, the grocery store, etc). I think that has increased their level of interest in books in general. I have also employed the “oh we listened to the first book of the series on audible, I picked up book two at the library for you!”

I think that’s really it? Not sure any of that contributed or not, but it’s worth a shot if it’s a struggle in your home. Ok now for my kids’ fave book lists.

My son is 8, but he reads at a higher grade level (he shares books with my sixth-grader a lot), so I would say his faves here would be good for 8-12 just depending on their reading level.

Diary of the Whimpy Kids – not a shocker here, but both my kids loved this series.

Harry Potter, of course, will always be the best.

Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan – he loved this series!

Magnus Chase by Rick Riodan – he seems to be just working through all of Rick Riordan’s books.

The Charlie Bones Series by Jenny Nimmo

Story Thieves Series by James Riley

Wings of Fire Series by Tui T. Sutherland

The Treehouse Series by Andy Griffiths

The entire Roald Dahl collection (I bought him the box set for his 8th birthday last year)

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Ring Series by J.R.R. Tolkien

Ok and here are a few of my 12-year-old daughter’s faves. Most of the above are ones she has loved too, but here are a few recent ones as well.

Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart

Because of Mr. Terrupt series by Rob Buyea

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

The Alchemyst Series by Michael Scott

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Any books by Gordon Korman

Any books by Carl Hiaasen

I hope your kids discover a love of reading as my kiddos have. Let me know if you have any other good book recommendations for this age group. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home :)

Search Results for: christmas tree 2020

Fireplace Mantel Christmas Garland

Neutral Christmas Decor

Holiday Gift Guide for Men

Have The Lily Pad Cottage delivered right to your inbox

C'mon you know you want to...