How was your Christmas this year? We were incredibly fortunate to spend it with my grandparents, who drove 17 hours to see us here in Texas. Grey was in his glory baking cookies and pies with his great-grandma, and we soaked in every second with them since it had been years since we’d seen them last! This week I’m looking forward to doing a deep clean of the house after having company – and a big ol’ mess from lots of time spent in the kitchen and absolutely none in the laundry room ?. That, and time for reflection and gratitude as we look ahead to the New Year! Here are our favorite finds of the week:

Make It.

My Gram has made these cookies for as long as I can remember. The carrots are subtle and sweet, the frosting is delectable, and since they technically have vegetables in the ingredients, we can pass them off as healthy, right?!

Also, how cute are these two?

Read It.

As we look ahead to the New Year, I’m re-reading an old classic. This is one from my Dad’s library that has always been a favorite. I started reading his Peale collection each summer when I was a kid, and this one I read on Spring Break in college. I’ve taken little nuggets with me since, but can’t wait to re-visit this perspective as we set new goals and mantras for 2021. If you haven’t yet read it – I know this is one that will be especially impactful for you.

Listen to it.

This new-to-me podcast is a wonderful find. Most episodes are around 6 or 7 minutes and they pack so much wisdom into such a short amount of time! I especially loved Father Martin’s call to action for us, and it was a great journal trigger this weekend: What moves me?

Feel It.

Tap the arrows for some of the quotes we saved throughout the week. I especially liked 8 Things That Change Your Life in a Year!

Try It.

Everything new on Netflix in January! (Notice we didn’t have a Watch It this week? There was absolutely zero television with family in town, which was lovely. But did I miss lounging on the couch with my people? ?. Can’t wait for these new releases!)

This is such a beautiful idea: 5 Nice Things.

Santa put these in Jon’s stocking and they were a hit. It makes date night in a little more edgy ??.

I miss a lot of things about life before I was gluten-free, but baking and baked goods take the cake! These GF baking tips are so helpful! And first on my list to try are these GF Gingerbread Donuts – ready in 10 min!

The Free People tunics can be a little pricey, but they last. My favorite one is worn weekly (looks ?? with leggings and boots), and is at least 5 years old (size down unless you like it really baggy).

I know none of us are having big New Year’s Eve parties, but how fun would these be to do with your immediate family, or even to mail to friends?

One of the most likable actors of our time is actually related to Abe Lincoln. That and a bunch of other interesting facts about Tom Hanks.

Why you reach for comfort food (according to a neurologist), and how to stop.

But if we need a little more comfort – Ina Garten’s 5 Ingredient Cookies!

I’ve been watching these beautiful boots, and look, they just went on sale!

All of these ideas are fantastic – how to get kids to eat vegetables. Numbers 1 & 2 work so well for us!

According to tradition, it’s customary to keep Christmas decorations up until January 6th. (Ours are down ?) What about for your family?

2021 Predictions according to PopSugar.

We can't wait to see you in the New Year! But in the meantime, we'll be posting again tomorrow with our Part of the Pack series - reflections and New Year intentions with my best friend, Holly Conti. Did you see last week's premiere with Meg George on ways to give? Thank you for spending time with us today!!