My Kids’ 2023 Christmas Gifts

3-Gift Christmas

I was asked to share the gifts that we got our kids for their 3-gift Christmas, so here’s a quick run-down of those!

If you’re lost, see this post on what a 3-gift Christmas is.

I work really hard at getting meaningful things for everyone on my list. I keep a note in my phone through the year and write down ideas that come to me based on what they say or what I hear from other people.

So by the time Christmas rolls around, I usually have a pretty good idea of what we’re going to get for them.

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3 Gift Christmas

Part 1

When I was a brand new mom, I knew I wanted to keep Christmas simple. I knew the more children we had, the crazier it could get. And our family goal for Christmas was to always keep Jesus as the reason for the season.

When it becomes all about the gifts and the buying, it is easier to lose sight of that.

So, I saw a suggestion in a magazine (remember when we used to get those in the mail?) for implementing a 3-gift-Christmas. We started with our first child on her first Christmas, so it’s all our four kids have ever known. It has really simplified our Christmases as a family, and I’m so glad it’s the way we do things.

Each child gets 3 gifts, just like Baby Jesus. Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

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Did Grocery Budget Bootcamp Save Me Money?

A GBB review

In the fall of 2023, we sat down to do our budget and I saw on paper that the last month we had spent $1400 in groceries for the 6 of us …that was $200 more than my budget for the month and $400 from where I really wanted to be.

I consider myself a frugal person – I used to teach frugal living workshops…it was how I started sharing online. But I didn’t feel like I was spending on unnecessary items – I was TRYING to do a good job and I just really felt overwhelmed at the amount I was spending. 

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3 Best Reads of 2023

Books that made the most impact

I use the Goodreads app to track all my books – because heaven knows my brain is full and doesn’t need a book list taking up more space. I can dump by book list on that app and free up some space for thinking about important things to research on WebMD. If you know, you know.

I almost always aim for 4 books per month, 48 books per year. I’m able to get that in pretty easily between Bible study books, books for homeschool, and books I read for fun. In 2023 I finished 53 books, but I still have the goal of 48 for 2024.

Here are my top 3 favorites from 2023.

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A Change With How I Post My Kids

Giving them privacy

Over the holidays, Barry and I watched a movie that really made me start thinking about how much I show my children online. Then I started down the train of thought: how do people perceive them? It’s only from MY point of view – I’m not giving them the privacy they deserve or the ability to be their own people.

I started online as an outlet for me – my kids didn’t choose to be public figures (that’s so weird to call myself that). They were kinda dragged into this gig just because it was my job.

So I’ve decided to pull back on how often you see them online – their faces and how often I put them in videos. Of course, I’ll still talk about them and share stories, but I want them to be able to choose their own path, make their own stories – on their own.

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When You Get Traumatized…

Why I’m back to blogging

In November 2021, our family experienced a business loss that left us shell-shocked. If you’ve ever gone through a tramatic event, you know it changes how you view things.

At the time, I couldn’t see it, but God orchestrated those things and actually led us down that path for our good. We wouldn’t be as strong as we are now, or as close, if not for hard times to push us there.

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Homemade Granola

Man, oh man. I just love homemade granola! I love the crunchiness of it. I like how it has just the right textures and levels of yumminess.  Let me show you how to make your own granola and you’ll never look back!

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Pepper Jack Potato Soup

Potato soup is the perfect meal for those cold, blustery, winter days. Add a little spice via Pepper Jack cheese and you’ve got a real winter winner! This is a recipe I got back in 2011 from a friend of ours, Kim. It originally came from her sister, Martha, and we’ve just sort of adopted it as our own. So, let’s make some pepper jack potato soup, shall we?!

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Simple Chocolate Cake (with some really healthy ingredients)

This cake is gone. It went faster than a penny anywhere in a kid’s line of vision. At times, I was afraid Barry was going to carry it upstairs and hide it in his closet. Y’all…it got serious. I thought he was going to fight my Mama for it. But, Annie was watching so everything turned out fine. This simple healthy chocolate cake checks all the boxes: simple, healthy(ish), delicious, chocolate…you know, all the “required” items for a chocolate cake.

Let’s walk through how to make it!

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Cheeseburger Pizza

It was love at first sight…me and this cheeseburger pizza. Okay, so Barry and the kids ate some too. We were all quite smitten. It makes you do crazy things and act all nutso. However, the deliciousness makes it all worth the weirdo behavior. And because I love you, I’m sharing the recipe – so that way I won’t be nutso alone.

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