Welcome to Carrots! I'm so glad you're here. This is where I share thoughts on liturgical living, faith, parenting, culture, and an extra dose of Jane Austen. You can sign up for my email newsletter here to stay in touch, or look me up on Instagram!
Happy St. Nicholas Day! Life has been so busy busy. With Thanksgiving, launching our new book, starting Advent and just the usual crazy, it’s been nonstop. I’m ready to start the Advent sloooooow dooooown.
Last weekend we picked out our Christmas tree at the farm we always go to. It was Gwen’s first year in the thick of it and she loved it.
She also sported the nerdy Christmas sweater that I adore and made Lucy wear two years ago when Gwen was still in utero.
Lucy was the sweetest wee babe! But just compare the hair! Hilarious amounts of Gwen hair.
Benjamin was in charge of measuring trees. After examining this one, he told us it was too big. Helpful.
I’m super sappy about picking out Christmas tree day and I make everyone take a million photos.
Then that evening I took both the “big kids” to see their very first Nutcracker by the ballet company I worked for pre-Baby Gwen’s birth. So fun! They loved it. Lucy fell asleep in my lap after the Sugar Plum Fairy’s solo.
The Quotable Kids:
Lucy: “I want to be in da Nutcwacker.”
Me: “What part do you want to be?”
Lucy: “A dancing part.”
Me: “Which one?:
Lucy: “Cwara.”
Benjamin: “It wasn’t as exciting as I THOUGHT it would be. The fighting parts were…..a little bit weak. I think I should be their choreographer and add more cannons.”
Link Love:
I wrote about How to Advent for Catholic Exchange
Buttons, Lard, and Old Norse: The Invention and Abandonment of Home Economics: Daniel Bearman
Watch 100 Years of Makeup in Less Than One Minute: Buzzfeed
Chesterton the Glutton and the Drunk: Catholic Household
“We’re Ancestors”: Some Thoughts for the Holidays: Through a Glass Brightly (Oh, Wes Anderson, how I love thee.)
Celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe: Two Os Plus More
The Importance of Feasting as a Family: Real Housekeeping
Podcasts:
TV Shows About Dresses: Our Guide to Every Obscure BBC Miniseries Ever Made: Fountains of Carrots (we had WAY too much fun with this one.)
p.s. THANK YOU to everyone who has left ratings and reviews for us in iTunes. You are awesome!
And the Jen Fulwiler Show is now available as a podcast on iTunes! Hooray!
Christy and I had so much fun interviewing recording artist Colleen Nixon this week and the episode will be up on Tuesday!
So much thanks for everyone who has been encouraging us with great feedback about the new book and for the amazing support you all show Carrots by using my Amazon affiliate link for your Christmas shopping. What a huge blessing for our family! THANK YOU!
And I have a little thank you from one of the Carrots sponsors for my awesome readers. Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles is offering a 15% discount for Carrots readers through Dec 14. The coupon code is Carrots15 so head on over and be amazed by the gorgeous candles! We have been waiting to light this guy for weeks and today is the day! St. Nick’s Day!
Sponsors:
Be sure to give some love to this month’s sponsors! They keep the lights on around here.
- Lilla Rose (consultant Mandi Richards)
- Holy Heroes
- Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles
- Diary of a Country Mother
- Shining Light Dolls
Lots of love,
Haley
P.S. You can follow me…
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And remember that our original liturgical year book, Feast! is on sale for $4.99 during Advent. And through December 15th you can order our ebooks for 25% off using the code HAPPYFEAST 
Love Benjamin’s take on the Nutcracker. I feel like I am missing something as this is the first year in awhile that I’ve missed the show. 4 of my siblings dance, so it’s a natural part of our family’s Advent.
I hate years when I miss the Nutcracker! It’s pretty essential around here, too.
So glad I read this before making a few amazon purchases! I’m nt buying much, but happy to help one of my favorite bloggers. Do you know if I can use the link through the iPhone app?
Oh, thanks you, Patina! I think it should work the the app.
You guys are adorable in front of the tree
We went to a christmas tree farm for the first time last week. We’ve always picked one up at the hardware store before lol It totally makes the experience better to pick it out from the farm though.
Aw, thanks, Rachel! Isn’t it so fun? It’s a family tradition know and I think it would be hard to go back. The kids love it so much!
You all look *so* happy, I must say!
Christmas Tree Day is a very happy day
Gah, those kids of yours are adorable. And, baby Gwen and that hair!
I loved Daniel’s post, something I am very interested in as I am very much lacking in all domestic skills. It is nice to hear someone say I don’t have to beat myself up over it. I am very interested in learning some of these skills of days of old, though.
Thanks for sharing, Haley!
Oh, and I loved the 100 years of make-up video. I also know nothing about hair and makeup, but I really love the 1910s and the 1930s. haha
Ha, The Nutcracker TOTALLY needs more cannons. I think my boys would appreciate it much more.
Benjamin kills me.