19 hours ago
The sun is shining bright on my face as I walk on a Saturday morning. Birds are chirping in the trees, and the ground is a bit soft after the foot of snow we got three days ago, but aside from that clue you would never guess at the swing from winter back to spring.
Birds are chirping and the breeze sways new buds on the aspen trees as I sit on a bench outside our library and eat a banana. The library opens in a few minutes, and I intend to claim the best table and set up with my laptop and homemade iced coffee.
My husband left the house with the kids this morning. He was out of town all week, and when he arrived home and I burst into tears, he recognized I was falling apart and needed some recovery time. I cried this morning when they left for a hike, feeling left out, but it only took me thirty minutes to remember that this is just what I needed. A day to recover, not just from this week, but from the whole school year. According to my husband, I get like this a little bit at the end of every homeschool year. I pour myself out all year long until there is nothing left. Time is needed to find my footing again.
Writing for my blog is my whole intention for this library visit, but I look at my drafts folder and realize I need to just write, not struggle through editing a rough draft or try to piece together a half-written post into something worthwhile. There will be time for that later, but today, we’re just going to see where this post takes us.
Spring Intention #1: Take time for recovery. Summer is coming, and I want it to be full of fun and memories, and for that I need to build my energy back up. And the only way to do that is to rest. My rules for this unexpected day to myself are:
Do not clean anything.
Spend time in the sun.
No listening to podcasts.
Enjoy the quiet.
Try to move my body a little bit.
Consume (books) and produce (a blog post, maybe a watercolor)
We had our last day of homeschool co-op yesterday, which was a field day. I was in charge of organizing the races, and I think they went quite well! We had potato (grain) sack races, three-legged races, egg-and-spoon races, water balloon toss, back-to-back races, and a blindfold race. The three groups were K-4th, 5th-8th, and high school. I think 5th-8th grade are ideal ages for this kind of thing, at least in this group of sweet, un-self-conscious homeschool kids; the younger group struggled with some of the races but had a grand time anyway, and the high schoolers were a mix of competitive and silly, and hard to organize because they were having too good a time together. But the middle schoolers took the races seriously, organized themselves promptly, and laughed whether they won or lost. I was exhausted by the end of the day, but it was still fun.
This year I was invited to join the board of our co-op, so this spring has been a flurry of interviews and planning meetings. I have become a pretty organized person over the last several years as my kids have gotten older with homeschooling, but trying to figure out what needs to happen with the co-op, and especially what we need to organize before the fall, has been a challenge. I’m already seeing glimmers of a lesson brewing: being organized is good, but I can’t control everything. Sometimes it’s good to just sit back and see how things shake out.
Spring Intention #2: Let some things go. Do what is required of you, but trust other people to do what needs to be done too. It’s best not to put everything on my own plate, which I am sometimes apt to do. This can lead to a crash-and-burn, and I know that from experience, but it’s easy to forget sometimes. For me this will look like:
Remembering that it’s okay for the house to be messy.
Saying no to some things.
Dropping some of our last lingering homeschool subjects. We’re on the home stretch.
Finishing a little homeschool planning (including a conference in June) - but then putting all thoughts of homeschooling and co-op on hold for a couple months. It’ll keep.
This spring has been rather bizarre when it comes to weather. In March we had multiple weeks of 70+ degree days, which is unheard of in the mountains. April was also quite warm, but then in the last two weeks we have had rain and snow multiple times. I am not sorry at all, because I will take some snow days over a bad wildfire season!
In April we walked around a lake in summer-like weather and got nearly eaten by mosquitos. But it was so nice to be outside and get some sunshine.
Snow in May will be just fine, because it will green up all our grass (which is already looking quite long for this early in the year). But I am so looking forward to more warm days.
Spring Intention #3: Get outside. I have been struggling with some health things this spring, and my energy levels have been non-existent, but whether I’m walking or just sitting, fresh air is invigorating. In the next few weeks before spring blooms into summer, I’d like to:
Take a walk every day.
Read on my porch.
Take the kids to a park.
Throw out some fresh grass and wildflower seeds.
Go on a picnic lunch.
Start some sort of nature journaling.
Buy some bird seed and a new feeder.
Spring is usually a high-energy time of cleaning things out and planning for the summer. I’m shushing that voice that is whispering that I’m getting behind, because it’s okay for spring to not be filled with tasks. This year spring needs to be restful, and quiet, and restorative. So that’s what I’m going to try to make it - before the pools open!
What are your plans for the rest of this spring?
Currently I am…
Watching… my kids swing at the park. The weather has been unseasonably warm, and they convinced me we needed a park day. I would be enjoying the weather if it weren’t for the increased threat of wildfires. Everyone in my state is pretty anxious about the summer months because of a general lack of snow this winter. Usually I hate having a cooler, rainier spring, but I would gladly take one this year. (Also, as I sit finishing this post later at the library, I hear the librarian discussing her hope that it will be like that one year when it started out dry and then closer to summer it started raining every other day. So I’m not the only one worried about it.)
Drinking… a Tazo iced chai latte.
Reading… still, a year later, Anna Karenina. The thing is, I’m actually loving it, but it’s so long. I’ve realized I’m in a season with only snatches of reading time, and when I do read I often want something light and quick-paced. It might not be the time in my life for doorstops. I am enjoying two other fiction books. The first is called Hearts Overboard by Becky Dean, and it’s a YA about a teenage girl that is stuck in her routine and her arch nemesis and sort-of friend convinces her to try something new every day. It’s cute. The other book is Wander Lost by Laura Martin, and it’s about twin boys whose mother will not allow them to play board games - ever. Then suddenly she disappears, and I think we might be able to guess where she went. It’s intriguing so far!
Planning for… the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence! We will take the last month of the school year to do a crash course in early American history (for my little girls especially), and we will probably continue the patriotic education over the summer with books, music, movies, and some instruction in flag etiquette. I may put together a post with resources I plan on using soon, but I’d love recommendations if you are similarly planning much ado about America’s birthday!
Working on… several Substack articles. Despite my lack of posting lately, I am brimming with ideas. I decided for the next few weeks I am going to take a couple hours each afternoon to head to the library and just work until I get all my half-written posts finished. In the queue are:
How To Grocery Shop Once A Month
Should I Join A Homeschool Co-op?
Reading Goals For 2026 (is it too late in the year for this one?)
Books For Kids Who Love Horses
A Defense Of The Checklist
Wishing… people I love wouldn’t move away. I’m pretty good at long-distance friendships, but every friend that goes leaves a hole that no other friend is going to fill in exactly the same way. I’m thankful when my dear friends put the effort in to be good at long-distance friendship back.
Considering… digging the kids’ summer clothes out of storage, and if I do it will be the earliest I have ever switched the clothes. It has to be considered when the weather has been so warm! It’s forecasted to be 68 degrees tomorrow up in the mountains, and up to 91 degrees this weekend in town. Those kinds of temperatures are unheard of in March! The trees are even starting to bud and flower. I’m torn between wanting to lean into the sun while praying for precipitation. I read somewhere that early Christians would pray that God would not listen to the prayers of a traveler regarding the weather, because the local people know what is really needed. I think about that whenever I pray for rain.
Excited… that the end of the school year is in sight, distant though it sometimes feels! We are at the point in the homeschool year where I start considering powering through the last 20% of the book so we can drop a few subjects off our plates. We will see.
Enjoying… chocolate turtle cookies from King Soopers (or Kroger, if you are out east). If you see them, don’t think, just buy them.
Buying… new spring clothes. The trickiest season for dressing is spring, with its finicky weather and winter nipping at our heels with summer right around the corner. I was griping to my husband about my wardrobe - how everything felt wrong for the season and ill-fitting - and he told me to just take a set amount of money and go shopping! So I did, and it did indeed make me feel better about the weirdness of spring fashion. I got this dress, another dress, this jacket, that shirt, and this cardigan, and I don’t regret any of it.
Researching… reading lists for my kids. I have a range of book problems to solve - kids that read faster than I can screen books, picky readers, readers who need to stretch their skills slowly. I am drowning in book lists and reviews, and it’s a book lover’s dream, honestly! I have so much fun trying to find good books for all my kids’ reading wishes. I typically use Honey For A Child’s Heart, Honey For A Teen’s Heart, Living Heritage independent reading recommendations, Redeemed Reader lists, Reshelving Alexandria booklists, Read Aloud Revival booklists, and a smattering of bookish Instagram accounts for ideas.
Loving… a little quiet time for myself, but not too much. Right now our routine is for my husband to take the kids to Awana each week, and I take the evening to read the history text that I’m teaching for our co-op. It’s not a curriculum I picked, but I think it’s worked pretty well in a co-op setting. I love when the house is quiet, and I can put things back in order, then sit down with my dinner and this massive textbook to prepare for my class. I usually finish in about an hour, and then I read my own book or watch some silly show until everyone comes bursting back through the door. I enjoy the quiet, but nothing is right again until everyone is back home.
On St. Patrick’s Day, the car was running as I sat and painted my nails a pink-red. I honked the horn once, and the last kid came running out the front door and hopped over a bag of books as the minivan door slid shut.
We took part of the morning off from homeschooling to do something that I used to do all the time when my kids were little - go to the library, grab a coffee, and stop at the park on the way home. I remember when these simple little outings were a lifeline in my day, when my kids needed so much help to get anything done, and before I really figured out what I was doing with homeschooling.
We didn’t go because I was at the end of my homeschool rope. Not at all. We went today because it was sunny, and my oldest is in high school, and I owed my kids a sugar-filled slush from Sonic as a reward for finishing their checklists last week. And also because sometimes I get the urge to recreate a good memory.
Even though those little days were so hard at the time, I find myself looking back at them with fondness and trying to relive them every now and then. I was barely scraping by, but it was precious, and magical, and I miss it.
On the way home, as my oldest worked on his algebra, and my kids worked on various subjects in the back seat, I played an old episode of a favorite podcast. That got my mind spinning on all the podcasts I had loved and that had helped me keep perspective back when I had five kids all under eight years old. So I thought I would share some old favorites here.
Sometimes I think the early days of podcasts are better than more recent episodes, as if all the best tips and advice were shared up front. It’s not that the recent episodes are no good, but the older episodes have a depth and level of effort that comes from the hosts being new at something. Older episodes are sometimes a bit better.
So if you take my recommendations here, I hope you’ll click that little “more episodes” button and scroll back to the beginning. Pick an episode and see what you think.
The Read Aloud Revival Podcast
The hopping, happy music at the beginning of this podcast conjures up all sorts of sunny afternoons driving down the winding road to our library. We used to all listen to this podcast together, and my kids were delighted by the clips at the end of every episode of kids sharing their favorite books. I got so many great book suggestions from the early episodes of this podcast, and it helped me understand the importance of reading aloud in developing vocabulary and language in kids.
Helpful episodes that I’ve listened to multiple times:
and a whole bunch of others!
Your Morning Basket Podcast
If you’ve ever heard of a morning basket in the context of homeschooling, it probably originally started with this podcast, now re-named “Homeschool Better Together”. I first started implementing enrichment subjects because of this podcast. The idea of having a basket of resources that we could loop through made things like music appreciation and memory work so much less intimidating.
Episodes that stand out in my memory:
The Smiling Homeschooler Podcast
I started listening to this podcast after hearing Todd speak at a homeschool conference when my oldest was only in first grade. It became my go-to for when I felt overwhelmed or like I was doing homeschooling all wrong. Todd has a way of reminding you what really matters - academics are important, but so is having a good homeschool experience for myself and my kids. This podcast helps me keep things in perspective.
P.S. I just have to note here that Todd Wilson is also an excellent story-teller. Our family loves his Christmas story collection, and you might enjoy this free short story about a homeschooling mom!
Episodes that helped me keep things in perspective:
In writing this post I went back and listened to a few of these episodes, and my premise holds up - there are good things in the archives of your favorite homeschool podcast. I hope this post gives you something new to listen to, or reminds you of old favorites that you may need to hear again! And if you are new to homeschooling, check out all the episodes I linked above for some evergreen encouragement.
I had a hard time getting into a groove with fiction this year - my fiction reading was mostly overshadowed by my unsuccessful attempt to finish Anna Karenina before January 1st. Anna Karenina is so good, it’s just so long. I occasionally found myself binge-reading a lighter fiction book on the side, and that’s how I read all of these. Cheers for good fiction to get a person out of a Tolstoy-induced reading slump!
Yes, the photo does not match the books actually mentioned in this post. I’m sorry.
The Vanishing At Castle Moreau by Jamie Jo Wright
This was my first book by this author, and wow! If you want a creepy mystery that will keep you on your toes, look no further. Cleo, mysteriously on the run at the beginning of the book, is hired by a millionaire to help his grandmother with her hoarding - in a castle, no less. However, creepy noises around the castle and sightings of a ghostly lady make this more than a decluttering project. What exactly is going on in the castle? The pacing of this book was just right, and everything comes out okay in the end. I recommend it.
Blue Shoes And Happiness & The Good Husband Of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith
These are the next two books in the No. Ladies’ Detective Agency series, which is an ongoing reading project for me. The events in these two specific books don’t matter too much - all the books in this series are similar to me in that the characters charmingly tackle not-too-serious mysteries, with all their foibles and quirks and bits of wisdom thrown in. These are my nighttime comfort reads, and I’m sure I’ll be reading more in 2026.
Ecochondriacs by Douglas Wilson
I got this Kindle book for free in November, and started reading it on a whim, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A climate scientists accidentally reads an email thread from her superiors which reveals man-made climate change as a massive scam. A hit is put on her once her bosses realize what happened, and she must go on the run with her Christian neighbor. Through the book she is forced to rethink everything she believes. Wilson’s voice in this novel is really unique among fiction books, as he writes as an omniscient narrator with a good dose of humor thrown in. He also writes Christian characters in a non-cheesy way, and I really appreciate that.
The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson
This book was a fluffy read for me at the tail-end of the year. Bryony has written a book that she hope will save the immigration center her Grandmother founded, but she can’t get a publisher to pick it up…until Jack, a literary agent, says he’ll take her book on if she will ghost-write for another one of his authors. Bryony finds herself writing best-selling books for this other author, while her book languishes. This was just a fun read, especially for anyone who is interested in the publishing industry. I think Ferguson included some of her own publishing experiences and insights in these pages. I will say that the book felt a little wordy or wandering in places, and I do wonder if the immigration aspect was prompted by recent political issues (if so - annoying). But overall it was cute.
That’s it for my 2025 books - I will be sharing a stats post soon, along with my reading hopes for 2026!
Let me clarify that these are not all the history books I read in 2025, but these are the ones I read in the last quarter of the year. Keep an eye out for a reading analysis post soon to get the bigger picture of what I read, but for now, here are a few historical books I enjoyed!
Once again, disclaimer that the books in the photo do not match the books in this post! It would take me too long to request the books from the library and take the pictures again, so please just tolerate my mismatched photos.
Everest, Inc. by Will Cockrell
I have an ongoing interest in the topic of mountain climbing, even though I have never even climbed a 14-er myself. I especially am fascinated by the conditions when climbing Mount Everest - how the early mountain climbers accomplished that incredible challenge, and how the experience seems to have been cheapened or tainted in more recent years.
This book was an overview of the history of climbing Everest, but taken from a sympathetic perspective to those who still feel called by the mountain today. I thought the author struck a really nice balance in presenting the problems with the industry today, but also honoring the accomplishments of those who have climbed the mountain. I tend to lean toward the view that it seems like any Joe-schmo with enough money can climb the mountain these days and that cheapens the accomplishment, but this book challenged some of my biases (though it also confirmed others).
Christian History 101 by Sinclair Ferguson
When I ordered this book I expected to receive a massive tome - imagine my surprise when I realized it was just over a hundred pages! This is an excellent and accessible overview of church history through the centuries, and I really appreciated the length. This year was more difficult than I would have liked, and as a result I didn’t read as much history as I would have liked - it was nice to get some history reading in through this very approachable book.
Meet Martin Luther by Anthony Selvaggio
Our family celebrates Reformation Day, so October was a great month to pick up this little biography of Martin Luther. I’ve attempted a massive biography before and was never able to finish it in this busy season - this one was a perfect length. I was so glad I read it when we watched the Luther movie in October, because I understood all the events the movie alludes to! Highly recommend for a balanced overview of Luther’s life, including his strengths and weaknesses.
The Freedom Of The Christian by Martin Luther
I picked up this book in October as well, the first book I’ve read actually written by Martin Luther himself. The length of this book was perfect if you are intimidated, but it still packed a punch. It was interesting to read some of the thought processes that led to the Reformation from Luther himself, and I found various parts not just academically interesting but personally encouraging.
The Year 1000 by Robert Lacey
I finished this one up during the last week of the year after taking a long break in reading it. This book goes through the months of the year and tells how people living in medieval times would have been living through the different seasons. I found it very engaging and interesting. This was a recommendation for my son’s high school history curriculum next year, and while I mostly think it would be a great read, I would have him skip the “November” section, which had to do with the relationships between men and women. Other than that, I very much enjoyed it and would recommend it as an approachable book about the social history of the Middle Ages!
Next up: the fiction books I read to finish out the 2025 reading year!
You may notice that the books in these photos are not actually the books I’m sharing in this post. A few weeks ago I took photos of the books I still needed to write about, but I ended up combining them into different posts than the photos. If I wait until I can regather all the books from the library and re-take the photos, these posts will never get published, so please just view the books in the photos as previews for what is to come, and not necessarily for the particular post!
At the start of 2025, I created some reading goals and categories. I am going to revisit that post soon, but one category I did not include was reading about fashion and clothing. Maybe I thought it felt too frivolous for Substack at the time, but one of my unspoken goals was to read books to help me rethink how I shop for and wear my clothes. I’m sharing two of those books in this post.
One category I did not include, and indeed would probably never include, in my reading goals is to read books about philosophy. It’s just not my jam. But that’s what I accidentally did end up reading a couple times this year. So there are two books that dip into philosophy below as well.
How To Dress Your Best by Ellie Jean Royden
This book was great for helping me to analyze my personal style from a different angle. Royden has created her own systems for developing personal style, the most original of which is her “style roots” system. I really resonated with this method of thinking about style, and it has helped me understand the common themes I am drawn to in my clothes.
I also really appreciated her way of explaining “dressing for your body type”. She has broken down body lines by width, length, and curviness, and her advice has given me a new understanding of why I like certain silhouettes on myself and dislike others. Her approach is very body-positive in that she doesn’t want you to think of one body type as superior of another (this is disconnected from weight). Overall, I found it very helpful.
Note: There is one sort-of nude picture in the middle of the book - all critical areas are covered, but I was careful when reading that page around my kids.
Overdressed by Elizabeth Cline
I listened to this book over the summer, and what stands out to me as I reflect on it now is the historical information about how fabrics were produced in the past vs. now. The author explores how clothing has become more and more disposable. She focuses on the impact to the environment and the conditions for factory workers in developing countries. A great book to make you think about the clothes you buy.
Shop Class As Soul Craft by Matthew Crawford
This is one of those books that is impossible to absorb upon the first reading - I feel like I need to read it again even to explain it well. This is a philosophy of work, particularly the trades and the value of working with your hands in some way. My takeaways from this book are that the trades have been branded as being for the people that are not “smart enough” for college, but in reality require a ton of intelligence, creative-thinking, and problem-solving skills - and are often more intellectually satisfying than many of the desk jobs that require a college degree.
One of the chapters stands out in my memory because it made me think about how as everything has become more computerized, we have lost a tangible, physical connection to our belongings. People no longer understand how to fix basic machinery, as they once did, and indeed it is sometimes impossible for an average person to fix their own appliances because we have computerized too many things. It has made the world more disposable in our minds.
Those two things are just a sampling, there was so much in this book. I need my own copy the next time I read it so I can annotate and highlight to my heart’s content.
The Kingdom Of Cain: Finding God In The Literature Of Darkness by Andrew Klavan
I was interested in reading this book because I have picked up some of Klavan’s fiction books and enjoyed them, and I’ve also put down some of his fiction books because of overly graphic content. In this book, he talks about being a writer of crime stories and his philosophy behind doing that as someone who considers himself a Christian (as an aside, I can never figure out whether he is Catholic or not). I was expecting a little more literary analysis in this book - instead it’s a lot more about analyzing movies inspired by real-life murders, and the trail of evil philosophies behind them. He discusses several real life murders as a jumping off point for some of his philosophical and moral points, weaving his own conversion story into the book.
While there was a lot I agreed with, there were many points that I disagreed with. He at times veers toward a touch of sacrilege, and he comes off somewhat cavalier toward certain serious sins (getting involved with dark subjects to research books, for example). There were also theological points he made that I don’t think are biblical. This review would get far too convoluted if I tried to address every point that I took issue with. I’ll just give one example – Klavan suggests that death did not come into the world as a result of sin. He speculates that perhaps Adam and Eve would have died anyway, but that may be death wouldn’t have been such a terrible thing if not for their knowledge of good and evil that came as a result of the Fall. This is not in line with what Scripture teaches. Of course Klavan takes one of the very verses I would cite and abandons the plain meaning of the text, interpreting it in a way as to support his own thinking on the subject. I generally urge caution with Christian writers who treat Scripture that way.
When Klavan shares about his journey from being an atheist to coming to faith in God, that is where his writing really shines. Some passages were really beautiful. So whether I agreed or disagreed with various parts, this book was at times inspiring and gave me plenty to think about.
Content Notes: Several murders are described in all their depravity, though Klavan tries to be delicate in explaining certain details.
Every Believer Confident by Mark Farnham
This book is a “philosophy” of evangelism in a way, but at the core it is a very practical book about how to engage unbelievers in spiritual conversations. Notice I didn’t say “how to present the gospel” - the author does cover that, but he doesn’t believe in beating people over the head with the gospel whether they like it or not. Farnham promotes having real conversations with people about what they believe, in order to fully understand them, and then includes how to naturally move the conversation toward the truth of the gospel. I love his emphasis on gentleness and also on clarity. He explains how to be clear about the gospel and warns against phrases or techniques that will leave the listener feeling ambushed, or leaving the truth of Scripture muddied. I learned alot from this book that I hope to be brave enough to put what I learned into practice. I will be having all my kids read this at some point in high school. I highly recommend it as a bridge between learning about apologetics and actually practicing it!
I have two more book posts to share in the queue, so stay tuned!
In the old days of blogging, this sort of year-end summary was ubiquitous, and I think we need to bring it back. It’s a great way to share highlights and ideas! My old blog buddy, Michelle, borrowed this format recently, and I am borrowing it from her.
(Photos courtesy of our New Year’s Day winter hike.)
BEST ADVENTURE:
Our travel this year was almost entirely to see friends, and I can’t choose between those trips, so I’m going to say my favorite was our camping trip to Wyoming. We saw 4th of July fireworks in Cody (which were very good for such a small town); visited Yellowstone National Park; walked through geyser pathways with a death-grip on our clumsy kids’ hands; shook our heads at tourists we saw chasing down bears and buffaloes for a picture; almost entirely skipped the Grand Tetons because the traffic was absolutely nuts; had an electrical glitch in our van in Jackson, and held our breaths for the entire ten-hour drive home, but we made it.
BEST MILESTONE:
I have five kids with all their own milestones, but this year we officially have a high schooler. I am a mom to a high schooler. He could technically start driving within about a year on a learner’s permit. It is hard to wrap my mind around it.
BEST FAITH GROWER:
As I’ve mentioned vaguely many times, the beginning of this year was taken up with a health scare. I would like to say I reacted in a perfect, faith-filled way, but I didn’t. I mostly dealt to the anxiety by zoning out with meaningless podcasts or videos, and completely failed in my Bible reading plan. I didn’t pray nearly enough. I couldn’t see my own mismanagement of the situation until I started reflecting on the year over the last month or so, and realized this whole thing was one big spiritual attack, and it was working! The Lord really opened my eyes to the fact that I had been letting go of the most important things, and that was hurting me more than the health issue and anxiety. It has been really humbling, and has reminded me how gracious God is to give me eyes to see anew how much I need Him.
FAVORITE BLOG POSTS WRITTEN:
These were my best posts, in my opinion:
BEST TREND YOU TRIED:
I actually have been trying hard to disconnect my style from trends this year. One thing that is trendy right now, but that I am trying to make more of a normal thing for myself, is to thrift for more of my clothes instead of buying new. I am looking for clothes that are harmonious with my own style (not driven by trends), and that are made with more high-quality fibers, because I would like my clothes to feel less disposable. I have found a “good” thrift store, and I always find something there!
One “trendy” thing that I have been purchasing new is western-style boots - and I have given myself a looser hand with this trend precisely because it is NOT a trend to me! I live in a western state, one of the defining words of my style is “mountain-ish”, and cowboy boots are never out of style here.
BEST BEAUTY PURCHASES:
A couple years ago I actually put myself on a makeup buying ban, because I had a stockpile from various sales already. I finally broke the ban this year and bought a few new non-essential makeup items. These are the ones that have been the best:
This blush has the perfect amount of pigment and looks really natural! Just blend it properly. It’s also a great price!
I rediscovered how a good highlighter can give such a refreshed look. I like these Grinch-themed highlighters - there is a subtle pink one, and a goldfish-white one.
My old standby foundation, and I am on my last tube, so I will be buying more soon. It’s the most precise match I have found for my very-pale skin, and I like the “illumination” variety best.
I am picky about face sunscreens, because if I pick the wrong one I will get acne. This sunscreen is a great base for makeup and not oily!
BEST HABIT YOU CREATED:
This year I started making sourdough bread, which is somewhat of a habit - I can’t let the starter languish too long. A habit I have struggled with and re-established, and which I highly recommend to homeschool/stay-at-home moms, is waking up well before your kids for a cup of coffee and Bible.
BEST NEW RECIPE:
This Christmas I combined this sourdough cookie recipe with this frosting recipe, and added some lemon flavoring to both, and it got great feedback from kids and adults alike! And for the sake of not losing recipes…every year I make thisjalapeño bacon cheeseball for Christmas (my family would stage a mutiny is I didn’t), and this marshmallow frosting-filling recipe is the most perfect one for any variety of sandwich cookies.
BEST LIFE HACK:
I can lay no claim to this hack, as I was actually the beneficiary of it, and it’s not technically a “hack” since it doesn’t make life nicer for yourself but for someone else. But here it is: I think we have lost the art of hostess gifts, and we should make an attempt to bring them back.
I invited a friend’s boys over to our house this fall for an afternoon, and she actually sent them with sunflowers. Just for a little playdate, that I suggested! Then I hosted a last-minute cookies and cocoa event for our co-op because we couldn’t have the party at the church where we usually meet - and this same friend brought me a jar of homemade raspberry jam! In our casual mountain community I’ve never encountered someone who brings hostess gifts, and never thought to bring one myself. While I would never expect a gift as a hostess, it was such a lovely surprise. It made me want to make it a habit to bless others the same way when they host.
BEST NEW TRADITION:
It’s hard to say whether something is a tradition until you’ve done it a few years, and then it isn’t “new” anymore - but I think I can say with confidence that a new tradition this year is having all the kids stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve. This is the first year all my kids made it to midnight without falling asleep!
BEST LITTLE LUXURY YOU’VE ENJOYED:
I have been enjoying wearing earrings every day, and the more sparkly the better. I always have worn earrings, but over the last couple years I have added more sparkly earrings to my collection. They instantly make any outfit just a little fancier, and I feel more put together with a little sparkle.
BEST BOOKS:
My top five books would be:
-My Dear Hemlock by Tilly Delahay
-The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
-Everest, Inc. by Will Cockrell
-Every Believer Confident by Mark Farnham
-The Road To Roswell by Connie Willis
I have three book review posts to share in the next couple weeks to finish off all my 2025 books, so watch for those!
BEST MOVIES:
I didn’t see many new movies, but remembered again how much we like these.
Eagle Eye (Re-watched with the kids.)
Jurassic Park (The kids were introduced this year.)
Single On The 25th (A well-done Hallmark movie).
Carry-on (A Netflix thriller that was pretty good).
Oklahoma (Introduced to the kids, and now we all have “Poor Judd Is Dead” stuck in our heads.)
BEST TV SHOWS:
All Creatures Great And Small (Watching with the kids and enjoying it.)
Downtown Abbey (A re-watch).
Shark Tank (Another one of our family shows.)
Outlast (A survival competition show that alternated between fascinating and infuriating us.)
Deal Or No Deal Island (A spin on the old game show. We watched with the kids, and all enjoyed it together.)
BEST ALBUM OR SONG:
Farther Along by Josh Garrels was the top song for me this year, because I found the mood and message comforting after a tough year and sad events this fall.
Here are my top five:
BEST DAY OUT:
My husband booked tickets for my girls and me to see the Nutcracker performed by a big city ballet. I have seen amateur productions before, but seeing a professional performance was a whole other experience! It was worth the ticket prices. I also got into a whole conversation with an older lady while waiting in line, and she told us all about how she has been taking her daughters to the Nutcracker since they were babies. It was neat to be surrounded by so many people who loved the Nutcracker and have made it a tradition, and it was a perfect festive outing for the girls. (My sons got to do a boys camping trip with my husband in the summer, so I didn’t feel bad leaving them out on this one.)
BEST FAMILY MEMORY:
We had alot of good family memories this year. I was going to say the hike we took on New Year’s Day, but then realized that would be a 2026 memory, so instead I’ll say the hikes we took this fall. All hikes are highlights for me for similar reasons. It feels so good to get outside and enjoy the beautiful colors and scenery. I felt driven to get out into nature more than in years past, and there is something healing about the brisk air and sunshine on our faces. We listen to modern hymns and favorite songs on the drive, we find some really pretty hidden glades and meadows together, and we top it off with candy or hot chocolate. The best memories are sometimes the simplest ones.
What were your “bests” of 2025?
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