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HoHoHome Sweet Home—Christmas Decor

Filed Under: Christmas decor, home, home decor // December 12, 2018

This post is sponsored by Christmas Tree Shops but all opinions are my own.

I’m starting to think I should begin decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving. It feels like Christmas is so soon and I’ve only just put the final touches on our indoor decor, which I take the reigns on. (I leave most of the outdoor decor for my husband to do.)

This past weekend, we finally decorated our tree and added some festive touches around the house with Christmas Tree Shops decor. It’s a night I look very forward to because our tree decorating night has become a bit of a tradition filled with Christmas music and movies, hot cocoa or coffee and with the kids placing (more like attempting to place) the star atop the tree.

OH CHRISTMAS TREE

I hadn’t unveiled our real Christmas tree yet because we hadn’t decorated it yet. We picked up poinsettia pins and ornaments at the Christmas Tree Shops. Christmas Tree Shops has so many ornament and tree decor options. We, however, kept it simple this year to keep R from getting hurt when he grabs at the tree.

It might come as a surprise that the poinsettia pins were my husband’s idea! Admittedly, I was hesitant at first but I actually love how they look. I actually think they really dress it up and it’s pretty much my favorite part of the tree decor.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN

We believe in Santa in our home! It never really was a discussion between my husband and I because we both figured we’d stick to our childhood traditions of believing. Playing Santa will be fun!

I get giddy setting out Santa’s cookies too because I can’t wait to see S’s face when he sees the cookies we’re eaten! Also… I love cookies so there’s that. We’ve set out this cookies plate from Christmas Tree Shops as decor for now but S knows what it’s for come Christmas!

HOT COCOA WITH MY HUSBAND

When my husband saw a hot cocoa and s’mores set featuring Nutella he brought it to my attention. And I brought it home with us! It’s all yummy. Plus, we love coffee so the mugs will last us way past Christmastime- so it was a win-win. It’s hard to sneak in moments alone so sometimes a quiet morning sipping our coffees will do just fine.

Believe it or not, Christmas Tree Shops don’t only sell Christmas decor and items. They offer an exciting, changing seasonal assortment of affordable and stylish decor year-round. I’m talking furniture, wood signs, items for pets and even a variety of foods! So don’t hesitate stopping in even after Christmas!

The Prospect of Moving

Filed Under: home, moving // September 12, 2018

Recently, the prospect of moving upstate came up.

On the outside, I played it cool. On the inside, I was f r e a k i n g out. I love being near family and don’t want to move far away from them. We moved back from Chicago so we could live near them and have their support, especially for our kids (and boy, have they been a big help from babysitting to helping with our moves)… I also don’t want to move to a colder climate. There has to be palm trees to get me to move away again (kinda kidding, kinda not).

Still, I decided I would be supportive and could see the pros of moving. I’m an optimist, remember?

A surprising concern of mine was brought to light during this time: my growing love for where we’ve moved and currently live meant I didn’t really want to leave. We’ve had such a great experience in our short time living here. We’ve made plans. We’ve met new friends. I am finally starting to feel like this is home. (I probably have maternity leave to thank for it because I’ve been able to really explore and appreciate the area during my time off.) And then, there’s our house! We’ve made it our home and already it holds some of my favorite memories.

Ultimately, the prospect of moving made me realize that I love where we live… genuinely and without having to consciously choose to. It’s been some time since I’ve had that feeling (since Chicago to be exact). It feels so good to have it again.

In case you are wondering, I’m happy to tell you we are staying put!

*Check out my post about what three things you should discuss if you are thinking of moving.

home, house, homeowners, new home, new house, suburbs, new york, new york suburbs, lawn, flagpole, mailbox

Where I’m Meant to Be

Filed Under: Brooklyn, home, life, wanderlust // August 14, 2017

I was born, raised, and currently live in Brooklyn, NYC.

In between all my years as a Brooklynite, however, I have lived in/on:

State College, PA

Barcelona, SP

Oahu, HI

Chicago, IL

I have traveled to countries and continents I had never even imagined traveling to when I was younger (i.e. China and Brazil). I truly consider myself fortunate to have been afforded the opportunities I have had as a young adult.

So, where am I going with all of this?

Well, sometimes I don’t feel like I belong where I am… or in any place really. And this feeling is not new. It is far from it. In college, I was homesick at times. In Barcelona, I wanted to be at my college sometimes. In Chicago, I missed NYC. And now that I’m back in NYC, I miss Chicago. And yet,

I still read my college and Chicago newspapers, and sometimes I think it’s because I miss those places so much. Recently, though, I realized that while I might miss other places, I don’t necessarily want to live there anymore.

I am where I belong, r i g h t n o w.

For good? Who knows. No one can tell the future. But certainly, for now.

Every now and again, I get bursts of love for NYC… its diversity, and endless options for food and activities. It makes me want to enjoy where we are more. Because where we are works for our family situation better than any other place we could be at the moment. So, for now (or forever, because like I said, who knows), we’ll vacation to places we daydream about, and return to the place we call home.

After all, wherever my loves are is home. Because to me, home is more of a feeling than anything else.

Love where you live

Filed Under: Brooklyn, home // February 21, 2017

After reading this post by Chelsea last week, the part about loving where you live stayed with me. My husband and I often discuss where we’ve lived and whether we are where we truly want to be. He is used to moving around every few years since he was in the military. I have lived in a bunch of places (Penn State, Barcelona, Chicago, Hawaii) but home is and always has been NYC.

So when we talk about whether we should stay here or move to a hotter city by the beach, or whether we should stay put, it’s always a debate. I often ask myself: Am I happy here? Do I love where I live? The short, easy answer: Yes. And while it’s more complicated that that, I think holding onto what I do love is most important.

Because what good would it be to dwell on the negatives? After all, no matter where I’ve lived there have been things I didn’t like. At Penn State, I couldn’t find Spanish food ingredients. In Barcelona, I was the most homesick I’ve ever been, which I suppose is normal after moving to a foreign city I’d never before visited. In Hawaii, I felt so far away and isolated from the rest of the world. In Chicago, I was lonely without my husband (for a year) but then still really missed my family and best friends when he did join me… I did love each of those places more than I disliked any one thing, though, so there’s that.

No matter where I’ve been (whether it be a a physical place or a stage in life),I’ve learned that loving where I am makes me happy to be there. Now that I’m a mom, having and giving off positive energy is more important than ever. I wouldn’t want my child(ren) to resent where we live based on fleeting negative opinions of mine.

Basically, we’re here, I love that we are, and I really do want to appreciate it (especially, because I know “the grass is always greener on the other side” rings true). So after reading Chelsea’s post, I did some thinking and realized I need to be outside and exploring parts of the city I like more. I was pretty intentional this weekend about our plans. We took advantage of the nice weather and we spent time exploring outside at the park and in DUMBO, a super cute (and recently popular) area in Brooklyn with a view of Manhattan.

And let me tell you, it made me fall in love with the city we call home all over again.

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