Call this a Christmas smorgasbord, call this a Tuesday edition of Happy Things Friday (Happy Things Tuesday??). Call it whatever you want, I have a few random festive things to share before it’s Christmas!
The last few days have been fairly wonderful. Let me be clear about something: this is a highlight reel post. It does not include pictures of the mini-meltdown one child had on Saturday morning that involved tears and something adjacent to gnashing of teeth over my AUDACITY to schedule a fun afternoon activity for them. Or the late-Saturday meltdown by a different child when they were told they were not allowed to buy Birkenclogs (to the tune of $250+ tax).
These things happen.
Another plant seems to have died, my allergies have been a mess, high winds blew roofing shingles off our house, I am behind on laundry. AGAIN.
Anyhoo. I suspect these posts sometimes give the illusion that everything goes perfectly all the time. Trust me, even in the picture-perfect moments there are always little irritants.
Onward to Happy Things!
Let’s pick up where we left off on Friday…
Friday morning I worked steadily and was extremely productive and I got to lunch time and there were still plenty of things on my to-do list, but I grabbed a cookie, a sparkling water and headed to my favourite chair (and eventually the couch) to read. I realized it was my last few hours without a child home for the next 15 days and I was not going to spend it hunched over a computer!!!
JAMES CLEAR
I have written many times about James Clear’s newsletter. It’s short, it’s punchy, and there is always so much food for thought. Last week:
- “Optimize for your desired lifestyle, not your desired title.”[I literally read his newsletter after I had been reading on the couch for two hours. I don’t regularly read on the couch for two hours on a Friday afternoon (not that there is anything wrong with that!), but this is one reason why I have slowly weaned down my work responsibilities. THIS is my desired lifestyle. Sometimes I feel less-than without a fancy title… but this day I felt extremely contented.]
- “Reflection requires stillness. One cost of rushing from thing to thing is that you lose the space to think. Hard work matters, but nonstop motion often hides a quiet truth: you could have used your time better. If you never pause, you confuse activity with effectiveness. Make time to think. Walk outside. Sit quietly. Create space. Then move again, but this time on purpose. [How do I want to use my time??? Or, asked a slightly different way, am I using my time the way I want to?]
- Writer Virginia Woolf reminds us that agency is not in controlling what happens, but in working with what we have: “Arrange whatever pieces come your way.” [Loved the visual on this.]
FESTIVE THINGS IN BLOGLAND
- I absolutely loved Bijoux’s post about vintage decor and the stories behind the pieces in her home.
- Stephany rounded up five of her holiday favourites (I got a little shout-out).
CHRISTMAS BAKING
I made my Peanut Butter Balls and I made my Peanut Brittle Bars.
Then we needed to do a little activity with a pint-sized friend that was visiting our house for a few hours. So, following Birchie’s lead, I made some of Kelly Neil’s Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies.
I only made a half batch, so we didn’t get many cookies (and I sent most of them home with our visitor), but it was fun to do festive cutouts. My brother gifted me Christmas stamp cutters from Denmark years ago and they are so fun! It helps that this recipe holds its shape well. And there was no adult intervention; just kiddos!
I haven’t made Ginger Sparklers in… a year? But they are my absolute favourite cookie. So I made a small batch and after the kitchen was clean, I sat down with a cookie, a sparkling water, and a book (see above) and it was DELIGHTFUL! The combination of warm spices—ginger, cinnamon, and cloves—with sweet tangy molasses. SO GOOD! I prefer soft ginger cookies (though I enjoy gingersnaps, too) and these are coated in a tiny layer of white sugar before cooking. *Chef’s kiss*
A PRODUCTIVE, QUICK PHONE CALL
By this point you likely know how I feel about phone calls. #LoatheThem
Last week I had to supply a major company with an official business document. I sent in what I thought would suffice, only to have my application denied.
I was stymied. But it wasn’t a case of me being able to easily call for clarification. So, I turned to ChatGPT to help me figure it out.
First, a gold star to ChatGPT which told me I needed to log into my Registry of Joint Stocks Account and order a Certificate of Status (which proves our business is of good standing/still functioning). I logged in but could not, for the life of me, figure out where to find this form. After twenty minutes of scratching my head and clicking in circles, I thought I might as well try calling the Registry of Joint Stocks. I had LOW expectations. (Government agencies aren’t always the epitome of efficiency.) I figured I would wait for an hour and be unable to get the help I needed.
Well, colour me thrilled that I got through in SECONDS and the agent was able to help me navigate to the right form in less than a minute.
Turns out everything could be done online AND as a bonus, ChatGPT told me to expect to pay $80 for this certificate with a 3-day processing time.
It cost me $12, and the certified document was in my inbox in less than five minutes.
The cherry on top? When I submitted this new document, it was accepted!
A DAY WITH INDY
On Saturday, Belle and John headed into Halifax to do some errands and collect my father-in-law from the airport which gave Indy and me the day home together.
I’ll admit, after all those snow days (and other days off and weekends) I wasn’t exactly falling all over myself with delight of having to come up with activities to fill the day… but we went to my parents’ for coffee and a cookie. We watched two Hallmark movies. We coloured (pattern here). We played Sorry (I won one, he won one). We played Virus (he won six, I won…NONE). I “watched” him play Minecraft (which meant I glanced up occasionally from my book to see him build a bridge or harvest a wheat crop).
BONUS HAPPY THINGS
- It doesn’t happen very often, but getting to Inbox Zero (across ALL my mail accounts) always feels like cause for a little happy dance.
- John had a lot of EARLY morning calls last week. When he’s not travelling, he works out of our home office… so his morning commute is pretty short. But he likes to have a coffee ready to be heated in the microwave if he has to start a call super early. I started making a coffee for both of us at night. Because we do pour-over, there is a bit of work involved in the process and it’s so nice to skip that and go right to having HOT COFFEE to drink in the morning. I never used to make my coffee up in advance, but I’ve been loving it.
- Years ago—when I was still in the stages of parenting small children—I used to get literal bags of picture books out each Christmas. At some point Silly Dilly Christmas Songs worked its way into our pile and a tradition was born. We spent many hours singing these ridiculous lyrics set to the tunes of familiar Christmas songs. Belle asked me to PLEASE make sure I ordered it in from the library again since it’s tradition and it arrived this week. (If you have small kids and don’t mind a bit of potty humour, there are some really funny songs in here!)
- Pickleball. The hype is real. I am not at all athletic and am not coordinated but even still this has been an absolute blast. No one in our group takes anything too seriously, but everyone is competitive enough that it is so much fun. My favourite part of the experience is that we’re doing it at a family (minus Belle!). It’s fun to play together… and it’s fun to play against each other. It’s just a lot of fun!! Finally, a type of exercise I truly enjoy! I played non-stop for 2.5 hours last night and I am sore and EXHAUSTED!
Long time readers know that I use Good Friday and Christmas Eve as a time to share more specifically about my faith. So I’ll be back tomorrow to talk about that.
Thursday is Christmas!
Friday is Boxing Day (aka: turkey dinner day in my house)!
I’ll be back in this space… sometime after those two days to recap holiday gifts, the books I read in 2025, and maybe a bit of goal forecasting for 2026 (I was feeling undetermined on this, but then my copy of Best Laid Plans arrived on Sunday and I spent an hour with a pen, paper, and highlighter in hand getting more and more inspired to set some goals).
Your turn.
- What Happy Things can you tell me this “Christmas Adam”?
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YAY for ZERO Inbox Zero across all your accounts! What a satisfying win, I LOVE an empty mailbox.
You’re such a thoughtful mother, Elisabeth! All the activities you planned on Saturday, with cookies, movies, and games, really show how much you care about making these little days special (even if some teeth-gnashing happened along the way, nobody will remember that part, haha!).
Trust me, there are MANY moments when I feel like I would rather be doing anything other than mothering and many times I ask the children to please LET ME READ A BOOK IN PEACE.
I am counting on the fact the kids won’t remember the teeth-gnashing. I do feel like kids (mine at least) have an unfillable tank. They want as much as I can give and then some. But sometimes I have to stop and reflect on all the things I DO do (because they would take even more) and reassure myself the kids are doing “just fine.” And hoping one day, maybe when they have their own families, they’ll realize all the special things we did together!
I do think age and perspective is necessary before you realize understand how much energy it took for your parents to parent! (I certainly appreciate my own parents a lot more now than I did as a teen!)
Yay for reading BLP! I’m also feeling more inspired to implement her ideas this year. I feel like I already “ sort of” do a lot of what she recommends, but not in an optimized way at all lately. I’m looking forward to following the guidance better in 2026 and see what differences it makes!!
I also love James Clear and those same quotes stuck out to me too recently. I’m so truly happy for you for taking steps toward your more ideal lifestyle!! 🙂 You deserve all the happiness and contentment in the world and I’m so glad your job change has helped cultivate even more of that for you.
So many other great things in this post. 🙂 I’m looking forward to your Christmas faith posts. 💕
I enjoyed reading a chapter this morning with my coffee and felt so inspired. I will definitely have a goals list for 2026 🙂
Thanks for being such a supporter of this blog in so many ways; I feel especially seen when I post about hard topics (not hard, exactly… what’s the word… sensitive?). It really does mean so much to me every year to know you’re cheering me on <3
I love all your Christmas posts so much!!! I can’t say I’ve been relaxing on the couch reading lately, but I’m still managing to enjoy the season even though this week has been INSANE. But… I’m looking forward to relaxing on Christmas Day. And, I took Boxing Day off of work, so I have TWO days to relax!
My biggest happy thing is something I mention in my blog post today- my son and husband cleaned the house while I was gone on Sunday. It was the best gift in the entire world.
I READ YOUR POST and I am deliriously happy for you. What a wonderful gift, indeed and will make Christmas Eve (and the pressures of hosting) feel a bit less daunting.
Yay for being off on Boxing Day. I hope there are naps involved 🙂
I can’t wait for my book to arrive! I ordered it from an independent book store and it didn’t arrive there until Friday for some reason so it will arrive at my house next week. But I wouldn’t have made time to read it this week anyways since I’m working on 11/22/63, and it will be a nice little post-Christmas treat to read!
Today is my last day of work for the week and then I’m off until next Monday! I’m excited for an OTF workout to start the day tomorrow, our Christmas Eve service and then the party at Phil’s cousin’s house. And then we leave for my parents the morning of the 26th. So I am glad we have lots of plans over the next 5 days. Lots of plans are essential for 5 days of being off work/not having childcare! And then the last week of the month will be pretty quiet with only one child at home and some quiet days at work!
You will love the book. I’m working through it slowly (with a highlighter) and it has definitely been inspiring.
Your plans for tomorrow sound like the perfect mix of activity, fun, and reflective.
And I am SO EXCITED you have a week with only Paul at home. And it’s a win, win since Taco loves your parents so much <3
Love all your happy things!
I’m still in there’s too much to get done mode, mostly due to cleaning that needs to get done, and some baking. Lots of in-laws descending and I am already pre-exhausted, especially emotionally. 😅 Say a prayer for me lol.
Eeks. There is so much to do this time of year, ESPECIALLY if you’re hosting. Not to mention all the fatigue that comes from having small children and expecting another. You have a lot on your plate. Praying for moments of peace and calm and some time to rest.
Also, I totally get the emotional exhaustion. It is real and it can be WEIGHTY.
The stamped cookies are a work of art! You are so talented…even in the kitchen. Now I’ve got a hankering for a ginger cookie of some sort….
Zero mail in your inbox? That must be a record!
I’m thinking about the newsletter bits you shared…I love the “Desired Lifestyle” goal. This makes perfect sense, and if you think about it, who needs a fancy title? Isn’t Being Human a good enough title? I think it is, and I’m enjoying mine.
Wishing you a beautiful Christmas week my friend. XO
The stamps make it look so difficult when it is, in fact, a cookie cutter that you can also press down to stamp an image into the cookie. 10/10 recommend!
Being Human can be… a lot of work; a job in its own way!!
Love all these happy things! We don’t have Boxing Day here so not really sure what that is, but I hope it’s fun 🙂
I don’t know where the name comes from (all the boxes from Christmas??) but it’s a big “sale” day in Canada and many people have it off of work.
Nobody appalled that you heat up coffee in the microwave? Just me? LOL (I am a coffee snob – don’t listen to me).
I also received SHU’s book in the mail last week and I cannot wait to dive in and read over the holidays. I still haven’t decided on my planer yet, but maybe it’ll help to get my “planning brain” in gear. I am looking forward to a few days off.
Hooray for inbox ZERO (I need to get on that bandwagon – I let things sit in my inbox all the time!) and those cut-out cookies look amazing. I haven’t baked anything this year but I am hoping to make a small batch of Vanillekipferl this afternoon.
I don’t put creamer in it, so it gets reheated black and tastes…just fine to me!
I love the idea of working towards a ‘desired lifestyle’, and that it can be as simple as recognizing that this is your last chance to chill out for a couple of weeks, and taking it. You are such good parents, and you have such good kids, but wow, to be an introvert with extroverted kids must be a LOT. I think of the three of us, our daughter is the most introverted, so I rarely felt drained.
I’m working today and tomorrow, but then I’m off until Jan 5th, and I am really looking forward to that. I have some chores I want to get done while we are all home, I want to go to a museum exhibit in San Francisco, and I want to chill out and relax. I think there’s time for all of that with a week and a half off. We’re spending Christmas and Boxing Day with family, but other than that I think it will be just us, which is perfect.
Those cookies look amazing, and even more wonderful that you didn’t have to make them!
I feel like Clear’s newsletters always leave me thinking (in a good way).
I am so introverted compared to my kids and it is A LOT. I always feel drained!
Hooray for an extended time off. I hope it’s wonderful and refreshing in all the best ways.
Awww, thanks for the mention. I’m glad you enjoyed my vintage memory post. Those cut out cookies are beautiful. And I also love big, soft ginger cookies. I made them a few weeks ago and froze most to get out for Christmas. I make buckeyes, similar to your peanut butter balls, but the chocolate covers all but a small circle at the top to resemble a buckeye (nuts from a tree we have here). I look forward to your faith posts, but might not be able to visit again till next week. Merry Christmas!
I was so happy with how the cut-out cookies turned out. And SO easy!
I didn’t realize a buckeye was a nut. That makes more sense to me now!
That top photo is so pretty. Is that something you arranged?? If so, no wonder you feel so busy!
James Clear is full of wisdom but I often skip those emails because they feel like one more thing I need to spend time thinking about and memorizing and incorporating. There is an infinite number of such advice and wisdom available and it makes me feel like a loser when I don’t follow it.
Great job on tackling that potentially hideous phone call, navigating all the red tape. . . life is unnecessarily complex. Probably most of that stuff is government and huge companies’ attempt to avoid lawsuits, appease insurance demands, and try to avoid fraud (and maybe to keep people employed with jobs of annoying customers).
Pickleball came to my town 2 years ago and has dominated people’s lives. I tried it a couple of times and it was fun, in spite of my aversion to all forms of sportsball. If my feet weren’t too numb for court shoes, I’d probably be playing. It is like human-sized pingpong, which is one of three sports I’ve ever enjoyed in my life. (Went through a badminton phase and also a tennis phase because in spite of being completely non-athletic, I found those enjoyable.)
If I had a microwave, I’d be tempted to make coffee the night before too. “Pour over” —Does this mean putting the grounds in a cone and pouring the hot water over? That’s how we make it, but I didn’t know it had a name.
I looked up Ginger Sparklers. I love molasses and all those gingerbread-type seasons (yeah, pumpkin spice is the same). I am so tired of saying no to sweets and really miss cookies. Been cheating a lot but lying to myself that it doesn’t count because it is mostly dark chocolate.
No, that is a stock photo!
I actually feel the same way and sometimes DON’T read Clear’s newsletters (in part because his advice is so short and snappy and I feel like I SHOULD be able to incorporate it). Here’s the thing: I forget 99% of that sort of advice, but even when I forget it, I do think that the momentary inspiration can help me make microchanges that are positive. Maybe I forget about it in an hour, but in the first ten minutes I adjust my behaviour a bit in a positive way. Does that make sense? It’s how I can consume a relatively high number of inspirational newsletters without feeling overwhelmed.
I love badminton and tennis! Racket sports are the most fun in my opinion. I played table tennis (ping pong) a lot when I was a kid, too. I especially enjoy it right now because we’re doing it as a family sport!
I LOVE microwaving my coffee. Works like a charm. I would be bereft without a microwave. Yes, a filter in a cone when you pour water over it can be called a pour over!
Ginger Sparklers are soooo good! I love the warm spices and always double them so mine have a “punch”!
Do you have a favorite recipe for the Ginger Sparklers? These would be a nice addition to my Christmas cookie rotation!
I do! I’ll make a note to post it in one of my Christmas recap posts <3
Thanks for linking to my post! <3
My happy thing right now is de-Christmasing my apartment. I love having everything up but I am ready to take it all down once Christmas is over, haha. That's why I put it up so early, I guess!
I love Christmas decor, but I am itching to take at least some of the things down. My father-in-law leaves today and all the holiday decor is stored in a guest room cubby (under the stairs, like Harry Potter), so I can start to more easily dismantle items once he has left!
Tell me your secret to getting to Inbox zero. I have been trying to wiggle it down but I still have over 2000 mails…
Not sure my secret but I do go through my e-mail multiple times/day and I archive A LOT of things, but only after I’ve dealt with them. It doesn’t happen often, but it feels soooo good when I get it to zero.