This time of year perfectly lends itself to all things home - to snowy days and nostalgic Christmas music and cuddles by the tree. Here are a few ways we are celebrating the season, setting rhythms, and building traditions in our home.
A R E C I P E T O T R Y
We've made it a tradition in our home to make cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. I am not a great baker so Daniel normally takes the lead and puts me on frosting duty. Mason has really been enjoying helping in the kitchen and even though a toddler with a flour scoop is a recipe for a giant mess, I love watching how proud he gets of himself to help out. This is why we own a vacuum. Our favorite tried and true recipe comes from one of my favorite books, The Life-Giving Table by Sally Clarkson. Not only do I recommend the recipe, but the book is a great source of inspiration on building family culture around the table.
Also, how sweet is this throw back photo of Daniel and Mason making cinnamon rolls last year? Time is just flying!
M U S I C T O L I S T E N T O
I grew up listening to this Christmas album. It holds a special place in my heart. My recent favorite is the song "Heirlooms" - I can't make it through the song without getting all teared up.
A M E M O R Y T O M A K E
Earlier this month I had a bit of a mommy meltdown over the stress to do ALL THE THINGS this time of year. How am I supposed to orchestrate a beautiful advent celebration, decorate our house perfectly, make four kinds of Christmas cookies, go ice skating, look at Christmas lights, host or attend about a bajillion festive parties, send Insta-worthy Christmas cards and pick out perfect gifts for every person we know, all while also having time to...well you know do frivolous things like shower and feed myself. Woof.
So... we've just picked a few to do this year and the others we've either edited down or let go of completely. We are choosing to fight for the slow moments, for the open spaces where the memories are actually made. So instead of giving you more things to add to your list to create a perfect Christmas memory, my idea for this month is to take one thing off. Say no to a good thing even if you have nothing planned in its place. Leave the time open and protect it fiercely.
I'm almost done with my soapbox, promise, but a quick story. This past weekend was a cray cray. So many fun things but also we all just desperately needed a moment to breath. So, we said no to some really fun things. Like really fun. Just for the sake of a breath. That led to an impromptu decision to pull out the ornaments and start decorating the tree. And let me tell you, it was pure Christmas magic. Mason was beside himself opening the ornaments and hanging them. Hadley was loving the lights and being able to pull up on the storage bins. And Daniel and I had about a million moments where we caught each other's teary eye just soaking in the gift it was to have that moment.
So...a memory to make? Just carve out some time to be slow. To not have a plan or an agenda or a task. Just be together.
A R T F O R Y O U R H O M E
And lastly, one little gift from me to you. Art for your home!
To download, right click and save to downloads. Print is designed to be 8x10. I'd love to see how you style this print in your home. Be sure to tag me in your photos @katiemuldercreative or use the hashtag #storiesofhome.
Cheers to the memories made and the love shared within the walls of your home -
Katie