hope defintion: a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. We wait, we anticipate, we live with the great hope of his return.
Advent – Hope
Traditions
There is a lot of pressure around the Christmas season to host the perfect party, purchase the perfect gift, cook the perfect meal, and post the perfect Instagram photo while doing all of the above. This need for perfection has also seeped its way into family traditions. Acquiring a Christmas tree is now an expensive … Continue reading Traditions
Detroit Day Trip Ideas with Kids
Travelling long distances with toddlers can be torture especially when we refuse to stick a screen in front of them so they don’t miss learning the importance of boredom, but we try to plan our long trips accordingly. Sarnia is a three hour drive to Toronto and an hour to downtown Detroit. So when we … Continue reading Detroit Day Trip Ideas with Kids
Meaningful Gift Giving
Steph and I have been chatting about thoughtful Christmas gift giving and receiving. We both spend a lot of time thinking about what we are going to gift someone. It often involves making something or thrifting or researching the most sustainable option available to purchase. The receiving part of Christmas can be a different story. … Continue reading Meaningful Gift Giving
What does handmade and sustainable mean to you?
For the last three years Alison and I have been knee deep in this shop local, handmade, sustainable, eco friendly, ethical, and canadian made, movement. As Christmas approaches I wanted to look at some questions surrounding this movement. What does this all mean? Does buying handmade really make an impact? How do handmade and sustainability relate? Businesses … Continue reading What does handmade and sustainable mean to you?
Sleepover
My daughters each had a friend sleepover last Saturday night. It was a last minute decision, so there weren’t any grand plans. I bought snacks, inflated air mattresses and then left four girls, ages eleven to thirteen, to their own devices. For over an hour I heard chatting, giggling, and squealing before knocking my eldest … Continue reading Sleepover
Are we Robbing our Children of the Simple Joys of Childhood?
Controlling the toys and stuff that accumulates in our home is a never ending process. I wish I could say this wasn't a problem, yet here I am complaining about having too much stuff yet again! Yesterday I was watching the boys play and asked them if they had enough cars. They responded with "yes" … Continue reading Are we Robbing our Children of the Simple Joys of Childhood?
Embracing the Seasons of Life
When Steph and I talk about seasonal living, we focus on spring, summer, fall, and winter, and how we can embrace each season thoughtfully. We also want to pay attention to the seasons of life which are much broader and varied. These can include seasons of busyness, quiet, illness, conflict, newness, sadness, loss, and so … Continue reading Embracing the Seasons of Life
Letting Go and Making Space
I like to think of myself as the creative type. You know those people who love art, poetry, and well designed products. I love beautiful things and I love to express my love for creativity through design. Design for me includes fashion, home, art, photography, food, and so forth, but I realized recently that I … Continue reading Letting Go and Making Space
One Pot Wonder
I’m not a big fan of cooking, so when Steph suggested we share some recipes on the journal I knew I would share cinnamon buns over cornish hens everytime, but then I realized, this is MY season. This is the season of soups, stews, and one pot wonders. This is the season of a simple, … Continue reading One Pot Wonder
