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We’re halfway through December and this is the first TWM I’ve had time to put together! I feel like we’re still recovering from Thanksgiving travel. Speaking of Thanksgiving…
We had a lovely time with family in Florida.
We snuggled our friends’ babies.
And we even went to the beach….because Florida.
Then we drove for two days to get back to TX. Why is the trip home always a million times longer than the trip there?
We only had a few days to catch our breath because Friday we were on the road again to Dallas to do a speaking engagement at a beautiful Advent moms retreat.
And this beautiful lady put us up! If you don’t read Rebecca Frech, you should. She’s the best and my kids are now obsessed with her kids.
The past few days have been settling back into life at the farm and trying to keep Advent simple.
We picked out a tree from the farm and it’s lanky and way too big for our apartment and perfect. The kids had a blast choosing one.
I’ve mostly been wearing this outfit every day because COMFORT, people. Welcome to my winter momiform.
And Daniel and I recently reinstated weekly date night. Even though we’re spending way more time with each other on the farm than we got to in FL, because we live in community, there’s other people around. That’s usually great because we like the other interns and staff, but we realized we hadn’t had much time JUST the two of us. So fixing that. We can’t afford to go out every week but we’re going to do date night in 3 nights a month and date night out monthly. (If you don’t know, date night in is when you put the kids to sleep early and pretend they’re not there while you cook a fancy dinner together and hang out.)
Lately at Carrots:
I made a gift guide! And this post struck a chord.
Podcast:
The podcast is back, folks! Our goal is to have new episodes every other week. You can listen to our recent interview with Emily Stimpson and stay tuned for our discussion of Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry.
Sponsors:
Be sure to give some love to this month’s sponsor! They keep the lights on around here.
And they’re offering a lucky reader a $50 gift certificate to their online store for 2016! To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post.
Wishing you all a wonderful week!
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Looking forward to the podcast! I have been admiring Toadily Handmade’s Advent wreath.
Your momiform looks wonderful, Haley!
I love our Toadily Handmade Advent candles. The candles we are using now have lasted us three years and this week my daughter and I will roll up a new set!
Love date night in. Although my husband and I don’t do it weekly, we do it frequently enough to really enjoy that steak while eating in a quiet atmosphere. ? And our beeswax candles make the Advent wreath so beautiful and rustic! Everyone comments on it!
Your hair is getting long
Yay for date nights! We really haven’t mastered the Date Night In concept yet, but we really need to in order to save our sanity! And I’ve been wanting to try some of Toadily’s Hand Rolled Candles. They look like they’re fun to make!
So excited that the podcast is back! You and Christy make folding laundry so much more fun :). I may have done an actual happy dance last week when I saw rhe new episode! What a fantastic giveaway from Toadily Handmade, I would love to win!
Glad you guys are happy to be back inn Texas!
So glad the podcast is back. I’ve missed you guys!
Love the beeswax candles but haven’t been able to get one myself yet. That gift certificate sounds amazing!
It is hard to slow down after a busy Thanksgiving (and birthday for our family). Thankfully we were forced to slow down because of major head colds. Colds are no fun but not leaving the property for a whole week sure is a great way to regroup and slow down
I’m crossing my toes for the gift certificate. I love those candles!
I thought we were the only ones who did date night like that, lol. I love the picture of Benjamin with the rabbit.
That picture of Benjamin is darling. Love it!
Date nights in are the only way for us these days. Planning a real life outing this weekend, but since we’re meeting up with friends, it’s not quite a date… but date nights in do work and are better than nothing. =)
Love their beeswax candles
Love the updates! The baby you are holding in that pic is such a DOLL! I’ve always wanted some Toadily Handmade Beeswax candles. Think I’m going to aim for the egg shaped ones for Easter this year!
I LOVE beeswax candles! But not as much as I love your blog, Haley. Thanks for bringing so much beauty to the interwebs.
Love that photo of Lucy and Gwen on the truck. Such beautiful girls!
I love that Toadily Handmade has started offering solid Advent tapers. It is really hard to find 100% beeswax ones!
We love the Toadily Handmade Advent candles we rolled ourselves this year! Thanks for the giveaway!
We ordered the simple advent wreath and the set of roll your own advent candles from Toadily Handmade this year. We would recommend them! Our family lights them each night during dinner and we say a special advent prayer along with our prayer before meals.
Oh, I love beeswax!
I had hoped to purchase some advent candles from Toadily Beeswax Handmade Candles, but that never happened…so maybe I could use this giveaway to plan ahead for next year.
Also, so excited to hear another podcast! Thanks!
My plan was to purchase beeswax candles from Toadily but missed out this year.
I mentioned to the kids last night at dinner that maybe next year we could make our own candles for the advent wreath and they were SHOCKED. I could take a lesson in joy from those small people!
Ah, he traveling totally grows everything!! We traveled just a little ways with our three little ones (one potty training!) for Thanksgiving and I thought I had everything under control as soon as we got home but…. The rest of the week was still so out of whack!!
Anyway, I wear the same momiform. Love it!!
I definitely need to get their candles for next Advent. The halfway-thru-Advent ones I picked up at the fabric store last year are going SO quickly! Or maybe it’s because our 4 year old takes forever(!) to eat supper??? In any case, the first violet candle is pretty much a stub already! Thanks for the miscellany and fun pics. I’m looking forward to the Hannah Coulter discussion – I enjoyed the book!
Date night in – hilarious and true. I’m nearing my due date on my third pregnancy so I’m usually asleep right after the kids, but I can totally unserstand where you’re coming from.
Date Night In sounds like a great idea!
I’ve looked at the Toadily Beeswax website so many times, and it’s all just so awesome!
Momiform… Ha! That ranks right up there with “drooly missal club” in terms of relatability.
thanks for the giveaway too! Would love to win and buy candles for our dinner table candlestick!
Hope Advent is going well on the farm!
I’m super excited for the podcast; I really liked “Hannah Coulter”!!!! I’m that that y’all are doing well! It seems like a lot of people (myself included) have found themselves having a really chilled-out, relaxed Advent-and I think it’s really cool! It’s a nice way to slow down and really find God’s peace, and not worry about the number of things we all get done.
I want to see the tree! =)
Just had our first experience making beeswax candles ourselves (great way to celebrate feast day of Santa Lucia!) so would love more supplies!
What a great idea for a “stay in” date night! We will have to try that. Also,per your suggestion we got our roll your own advent candles from them. Very pleased! Would love to win the c.f. and try out other things!
We LOVE date nights in! So much fun. I love Hannah Coulter too-can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
Our tree is also way too big, and totally perfect! Keeping advent simple has made it so lovely, and with my due date 2 days after Christmas, I’ve had a very different experience this year reflecting on the nativity. Difficult, hard, and lovely all together.
Love your date nights priorities! My husband and I just started doing a weekly date night too, and its been great for us. Once and while we’ll go out and catch a movie, but making popcorn and watching too much 30 Rock is pretty hard to beat
P.s. I love me some beeswax candles!
I love the momiform! If you can feel like you’re wearing pajamas, but look put-together you are winning at life.
As for beeswax, I am a huge fan. Our advent wreath candles are beeswax, and I only burn beeswax or bayberry candles in my lanterns. There is something sweet and warm and comforting about beeswax candles that you just don’t get with other candles.
rocking the red lipstick!!! Love it! Would love that gift certificate!
Your momiform looks a lot like mine these days, except mine’s in maternity! I’ve been wanting to try to roll beeswax candles with my two year old if I can get him to sit still long enough!
We would love to try some candles!
I love beeswax candles!
Love hearing about life on the farm
Momiforms and beeswax candles ftw!
I love their beeswax candles!!
Sadly, I missed out on getting my homemade advent candles in time….so I’m planning on ordering them in January and packing them away with the Christmas gear…so I’m actually ready for next year!!!!!
I love your site and would love the candles!
Merry Christmas from Chicago! xo
I love seeing you “momming it” in style, inspiring to this mom of six! I hope someday to get into the swing of date night ins, but it has to wait a bit, the three-month old is a party animal in the evening. Oh, to be young again!
I would love to try your candles for the first time, seems like many have positive things to say about your products!
You make that momiform look way better than I do! Last time I tried to wear red lipstick my 3 year old told me it “made him feel nervous”. LOL. Ok then.
Yay! I love TWM:)
LOVE beeswax candles
Oooohh Candles!
love your weekly date night plan! 3 in 1 out is genius! Definitely going to implement that around here.
I just bought Toadily handmade candles for the first time for this Advent and we have loved them!
Love date nights!
Thanks to you, we order Toadily Handmade’s Advent kit every year now. My daughter and I make the candles together on the first Sunday of Advent. Thanks for inspiring our new tradition!
What a blessing that would be! Happy Advent!
Love the sweet updates! Can’t wait for my podcast listening time.
I’ve been wanting to read more Wendell Berry, but I’m intimidated by how many options there are! Perhaps I’ll start with this one! And I’m so excited about more podcast!!!
Also, so many exclamation points!!!!!!!
Love, love, love beeswax candles!
Those candles are so happy! And that Advent Candle Holder, hoo boy.
Well now that you’ve informed me of how icky and dangerous paraffin candles are you practically owe me a new candle or two
Love toadily beeswax! We did their advent candle kit this year.
Beautiful candles! Looking forward to listening to the podcast.
So glad to hear the podcast is back!!!
The Advent beeswax candles by Toadily is awesome!
I love their candles! Would love to put some on my mantel.
I love beeswax candles. When I growing up my church used huge beeswax candles on the altar. I loved the smell. As a teen, one year while spring cleaning at church I found a drawer with all the stubs (2 inches thick by 14 inches long!) of the candles. I was so excited when they said I could have them! I found vases I could use as candle sticks…
Thanks, We love their candles!
We got their Advent candles for a gift and have been loving them!
Love the mommy uniform! That’s me but in NC it’s still t-shirt weather! Thank you so much for offering the gift card! I’m in love with theiradvent wreath votives.
Love me some beeswax!
LOVE the Toadily candles. This is our first year using them (thanks to your endorsement, Haley). We’ve almost gone through our first set of tapered candles, and I ordered a second set of the DIYs for the kids to try out. We’ll see if we have to make them before next Advent!
Love beeswax candles! Thanks for the giveaway!
I’m looking forward to having the podcasts back.
I’d also love to win the gift card for the candles. They’re my favorite!
I love the idea of date night in! But how in the world do you put the kids to bed early? I mean, how do they buy it? It wouldn’t work at my house. My older ones can read time.
I love the pillar and votive beeswax candles I have from Toadily already and would absolutely love to replace any and every other candle in our house because, wow, the beeswax is SO much better smelling. I can’t help but think “poison!” every time we blow out the (conventional, not beeswax) advent wreath and prayer candles.
Love the candles!