Happy Friday, friends. Another week is in the rearview mirror and I am counting all my lucky stars that we didn’t get the amount of snow many parts of Canada and the US have received lately. I’m not ready for it!
That said, we did get what I call a “skiff” and even that was far too much for my liking.
This week feels like it was jam-packed with activities; buckle up, I’ve got a long HTF post!
*I’ll announce the winner of the Sprouted Giveaway at the end of the post.
BLUE SKIES, BLUE COURTS
The kids were off school on Tuesday for Remembrance Day and I took Indy and one of his friends to a local tennis court in the morning. The sky was brilliant blue. The weather was unseasonably warm. They had a great time.
I cheered from the sidelines for a while, and then happily picked up the book I’d brought along.
I’ve only read one book by Susan Orlean (The Library Book), but she’s a writing legend and I INHALED her memoir.
IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS
Growing up, my family didn’t decorate our (real) tree until mid-December and there were strict rules around when we could start listening to Christmas music. It drove me crazy.
As an adult, I can now better understand some of my mother’s reasoning. Just in time to have my own kids who are desperate to put up Christmas decor the second they’ve taken off their Halloween costumes and I figured… why not?
The evening of the 11th, we had a little decorating party. (John okayed us going ahead without him.) Belle continues to voice her deep displeasure over our ($24, thrifted!) artificial tree, but I think it looks great. And, I reminded her, if we were putting up a real tree it would have to wait another month.
There are still some odds and ends to put out, but for the most part our holiday decor is up for the season. And I’m loving the twinkle lights.
Belle did the mantle by herself again this year and it looks fabulous! I am thrilled to divest myself of yet another household responsibility.
At one point, before we put on ornaments, Indy hopped onto my lap and we sat and rocked in the Poang chair in the corner and it was lovely. I don’t generally feel sad about my kids getting older. I like their growing independence. But in that moment it did make me feel wistful for a time I could hold him in my arms.
I went in to snuggle Indy one morning (he was already dressed and had eaten breakfast but his sister had said something wounding—if you’re curious, it was that he was chewing too loudly—and needed some space), and I thought the view from his bed looked so very cozy.
And then another morning, after the main tree was up, Indy came in to snuggle (this time before getting dressed; thankfully, there were zero sibling battles at the breakfast table that morning) and when he went out he left the door ajar and the view of the twinkle lights was utterly delightful.
Another day Indy wanted to do an Art for Kids Hub activity (I highly recommend this YouTube channel), and we each drew a festive gnome. The tutorial suggested drawing in permanent marker, but I used a pencil and then outlined the shapes. It was also a great opportunity to identify which markers are drying out.
GNOME DOOR
Speaking of Christmas decor, when my brother and sister-in-law visited from Denmark last Christmas, they brought us a few Scandinavian holiday staples, including a gnome door kit. (Here’s the exact set they gave us.)
HOW UTTERLY ADORABLE, RIGHT? I’m tempted to put some fake snow under the ladder and make a mini Christmas card to slip into the post box…
AN AVERTED CATASTROPHE IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM
I know as family size goes, mine isn’t very large. But still I feel like I constantly have laundry to do.
On Tuesday morning (the Remembrance Day holiday), I had three loads on the go. When I went down to move the first load to the dryer, I discovered the spin cycle hadn’t worked. Cue some internal panic. I already had a load of whites pre-soaking in Oxiclean. So that made two wet loads of laundry without a working washing machine.
I Googled the problem and moved things around. No luck. I ran a short cycle of just water. No luck.
But I suppose it’s a bit like Roy’s mantra “Have you tried turning it off and on again“—a few hours later I decided to run the whites (the darks were still soaking wet) and when I went to check, they were spun out properly.
For now at least my washing machine is working. It’s a top-loading washing machine that is probably several decades old and I do NOT want a new washing machine because I know these days you look at an appliance sideways and it breaks. I feel very old when I say They don’t make things like they used to, but it is very, very true.
PLANNING TIME WITH JOY
We had grand plans to go for a walk but it was raining incessantly so when Joy asked if I wanted to pivot to coffee at my place, followed by a planning session together, it took very little convincing.
I know I’ve said it before—and I will undoubtedly say it again—but this woman brings an insane amount of joy to my life. She helped me reframe some challenging and befuddling situations in a way that left me feeling motivated and re-energized. Then we sat at my dining room table and planned/worked in companionable silence for over an hour.
EXTENDED TIME AT HOME *WITHOUT* THE KIDS
Tuesday was exhausting. The kids were bickering all. day. long. I was so, so ready for bedtime which, now that the kids are older, comes a whole lot later than it used to. Thankfully…Monday was blissful.
The kids left for school and Belle was gone from 8:30 am – 9:30 pm (she went right from school to a birthday party and got dropped off when it was done). Indy was home after school briefly, but then went out with a friend, came home, we ran an errand, and then I dropped him off at the same friend’s house for supper.
I went to a yoga class (I haven’t been in ages because of my knee). I went to the grocery store. I did two loads of laundry (this was before the washing machine temporarily broke down). I did paid work. I washed and changed the sheets on my bed.
I ATE SUPPER ALONE. ALL ALONE. It was so nice. I love my family but I also love an evening home alone.
BONUS HAPPY THINGS
- Monday officially marked the final recap of the latest edition of the Cool Bloggers Walking Club. Thanks again to everyone who participated!
- Cottage cheese and plain yogurt mixed together. My family says it tastes like vomit (um, gross!), but I think it tastes delicious.
- Snail mail! I received a lovely, newsy letter from Jana, and a Moroccan postcard from Nicole. And I went to the post office (after I had sent out a lot of Christmas cards using “normal” stamps) and discovered the Christmas postage is available. It delights me to no end when I find faith-themed items and it shocks me that our public postal system can still produce nativity scenes BUT I AM HERE FOR IT. Also, it’s such a cute stamp!
- I got to meet and have coffee with my dear friend, Jan—a local author and illustrator. I neglected to take a single picture while we were together, but she very kindly gifted me one of her original paintings and it is heartwarming.
- I LOVE memes. Joy is one of the people who keeps my life full of these little delights and the horse one is so corny that I immediately burst out laughing. Also, Suzanne and I both love GBBO and I got an absolute kick out of her sending me this one related to the necklaces of the judge Prue Leith. (My dentist growing up had one of those bead mazes so pictures of it bring back so much nostalgia.)
- Indy and I had some time to use up before collecting Belle from an event, so we went to McDonald’s for ice cream. He noted the age range in the PlayPlace is 3-10 years old, and he very solemnly announced this was probably his last time playing inside the structure. I didn’t let him know that I don’t suspect there are any McDonald’s Age Police monitoring his use of the structure upon turning 11. We were the only people inside and he had a total blast. I timed how long it took him to get to the top of the slide, was beaten (three times) by him on one of the light-up games, and he just generally had a jolly, active time.
- Our house is from the 1970s and when we moved in there was… a lot that needed upgrading. We’ve slowly picked away at various odds and ends but, as I admitted yesterday, DIY is not a place where we’re able to save. We are practically hopeless with regard to anything related to home repair or upgrades. Our bedroom and little ensuite bathroom haven’t been updated and I suspect these salmon-vomit tiles are original to the house. Well, our painter wrote to say she has an opening in her schedule and WILL BE HERE ON MONDAY to paint our room and ensuite. I am so excited. It will be a BIG change (we also have wood trim in our room which we’ll have her paint white). Did I mention I was excited? I’m thinking of painting the tiles navy blue (maybe Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore?). We’re going to have a statement wall in our room in the same colour. Our main bathroom tiles (originally baby blue) were painted white by the previous owners and they show all sorts of dust and grime. So I rather like the idea of something darker (and bold) this time around. I am NOT a colour person on walls (Pale Oak forever!), but we have a painting in our room that I LOVE and I want to pick up the navy theme in that.
AND THE WINNER IS…
I’m thrilled to announce the winner of the Weekly Sprouted Planner is: Karen A
We’ll be twinning in 2026 as the planner you’ll receive is the same cover I showcased in my post. I hope you love your planner as much as I do. Happy planning, and all the best with nursing school! <3
Your turn.
- Have you had any snow this week where you live?
- If you celebrate Christmas, when do you put up your tree?
- If you could snap your fingers and have one room in your house magically updated, which room would you choose?
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If it were up to me, I want a new kitchen. If it were up to my husband, a new walk in shower. Our house is from the 70s also, and we are also not handy people. SIGH.
It sounds like a great week, even with the bickering. Love the blue skies (and then snow!) It rained quite a bit here today, which was lovely. A few days ago it was 80, and I’m DONE with that weather. It’s November for goodness sake. I need to get on my Christmas cards. We have nativity scenes some years, too!
I don’t know what I’d pick. Our basement laundry room/bathroom is functional but hideous. I *might* go for that. Though what I really want is a garage. But that would cost a small fortune and just doesn’t seem like a great investment at this stage?
That tiny gnome door! Sooo cute!
Having a friend like Joy really is gold. The way she cuts through the fog and helps you land on your feet is a rare skill.
I had a run this morning with a young woman in her 20s. She mentioned that she feels like something’s missing in her life and she’s struggling. I did my best to ask the right questions and to listen carefully, but I felt a little out of my depth.
I kept on thinking: this is exactly the moment when someone like Joy would shine. Joy needs to teach me her ways!!
Yes! Time with her really is like “cutting through fog.” She seems to always know the right thing to say in every moment and I really needed that yesterday!
Okay, my long , carefully thought out comment just disappeared. Sigh. Fat fingers early in the morning.
Dark blue is great for a bathroom – one of mine is and it feels luxurious .
A dusting of snow with all day flurries. No tree until mid-December. ( Team live tree here).
I’d renovated windows not rooms with my snap. We have 12 windows we need to replace in this old house. I curse them every time I have to wrestle with the heavy storm panes.
Are you wearing gloves at the court? You do run cold!
Oh no. I’m so sorry.
I feel like dark blue is luxurious, too! Stay tuned.
We replaced almost all the windows in our house. At one point, Belle’s curtain was BLOWING IN THE WIND from the draft coming through her windows (original to the house).
I run so cold! Yup, those are definitely gloves. I’m in headband/glove/winter coat season.
The gnome door is EVERYTHING!!! We used to wait until advent to decorate but since 2020 we are team decorate mid-November. I do the bulk of the work so it’s my decision to make and Phil doesn’t really mind. I can’t wait to bask in the glow of the tree!
We only got flurries and they did not accumulate thank goodness.
I wish I could redo our bathroom we have a giant soaker tub that we do not use since we are not bath people. I would get rid of it and put in a larger standing shower. And I would get rid of the double sinks because it’s just unnecessary! We are rarely in the bathroom together we do not need our own sinks! And I would have the towel bar next to the shower – it’s currently on the other side of the room which makes no sense. It’s like the bathroom was designed by someone who has never taken a shower.
For me it is 90% about the twinkle lights. That’s my favourite part of the decor. I would be bereft without the tree, but the rest is just icing on top. I’m sitting looking at it right now.
You know how I feel about baths. Blergh. I would definitely gladly get rid of our bathtub!
Haha! Now that you mention it, I remember your comment about the towel bar being in such a weird place. I have had that thought about a few things in our house, too. I wonder if people make design decisions just by looking and not really thinking through the functionality?
There are lots of happy things here! First of all, does anyone on the planet have a more apt name than Joy? I can’t have spent more than three hours with her which included watching a movie but there is just something about her.
I am sending good washing machine vibes that your non-spin was a fluke one off event that never happens again OR that it’s the same cause as our Summer of Missed Spin Cycles. Our spin cycle started randomly missing and both Hubs and I convinced ourselves that it was just a fluke until it started happening every single time we did laundry. It turned out to be an inexpensive repair. Our repair guy told us that older washing machines last forever and can be fixed but that a lot of newer models are junk and are more likely to need to be replaced so yay for old machines.
We had a little snow early this week and it was pretty cold but we’re headed back toward good weather. In our house we have a No Decorating Before Hubs’s Birthday rule (right after Thanksgiving), but I’m glad that our neighbors are not subject to this rule because I enjoy seeing the lights at night while we’re walking the dog in the dark. If I can wave a wand and have one room in my house updated, it’s going to be the kitchen. The big stumbling block is that neither Hubs nor I know what we want to do with it, but the magic wand can read our minds.
Awww. I am oh-so-glad you got to spend time with Joy. She’s one-in-a-million.
Our repair man retired, so it will be tricky to find someone who fixes older machines for a reasonable price. But I am tempted to fix it, because I feel like it “has lots of life” in it yet.
Genius – a magic wand that can tap into our subconscious and know exactly what we want before we know what we want. I don’t really feel led to redesign my current kitchen, but in my dream house I would have a HUGE kitchen with a central island. A girl can dream, right?
That gnome door setup is adorable!! I wish I knew about that when my kids were little…heck, maybe I will still get one for me. I am with you on the fake trees, but we put ours up on the day after Thanksgiving because I feel like I am cheating on Thanksgiving if the Christmas stuff goes up too early (not a problem for you Canadians!) Speaking of Canadiens, Phil and I are heading to Canada this weekend! Not near you, I checked! Have a great weekend!
Darn. I wish you were going to be in Nova Scotia! It would make a great summer road trip for you (though I know you’re tied down in nice weather with the Ice Cream Cottage).
Isn’t the gnome door adorable???
Yes- Tell Belle that a huge benefit of an artificial tree is you can have it up much longer. We’ll get our (real) tree the week of Thanksgiving. Then there’s constant watering for the next month, and by New Year’s it is READY TO GO. I guess in a way that’s a good thing- I’m not as sad as I would be to take down the tree because it’s so old and dried out. I LOVE your tree and decorations, and I approve of early decorating! Everything looks so cheerful and festive.
I’m also excited by your upcoming house painting! You are going to love it. Now I want to paint an accent wall in our bedroom. But… EEK on the washing machine! I think my heart would have stopped- having a working washer and dryer are crucial. Glad it’s working again- maybe that was just a weird glitch that will never be repeated.
Ha- the gnome door kit! Nicole needs one!
It does look cheerful and it’s dark at approximately 3 pm (okay, not quite, but it feels that way) so having the tree all lit up in the corner makes everything feel a lot more manageable and less depressing).
I have to admit that I’m not generally a huge fan of accent walls, but I’m too chicken to paint my whole room dark blue…
The gnome door, I am dead. Dead.
Your house looks so great! We haven’t got ours decorated yet, it’s all happening on the 23rd and I cannot wait!! Eeee!
I also cannot wait to see the “after” pictures with regards to paint. Paint makes such a difference! Rob and I used to do all of that ourselves, now we outsource. Not that we need to paint a brand-new house, but you know what I mean.
Crossing my fingers that your washer continues to work. That is in the top three of “worst appliances to fail.”
I am hopeless at painting. I’ve tried a few small projects and it’s laughable (and horrendous) how bad I am.
The washing machine near miss has me on edge. Each load we’ve done since makes me wary, but so far it’s continuing to work.
Isn’t the gnome door so cute??????? I forgot we had been gifted it (we got it Christmas morning, so I didn’t set it up last year), but I am loving it. For very obvious reasons…
We usually don’t decorate until after Thanksgiving, but I think we will this weekend because it’s going to rain a ton, so it will make the extra time indoors extra cozy. SoCal doesn’t usually get big weather events, so we are looking to embrace a hygge weekend.
I am here for all things hygge (how very Danish of you)!
It really does make everything feel cozy and lifts my spirits! It’s so dark and cold here (and rainy – ugh, so much rain this week), so seeing twinkle lights really adds some needed warmth and comfort. I’m off to make a pot of soup, as well! Definitely craving comfort foods that are warm and nourishing.
We had a dusting of very unexpected snow!
If I could change any room in the house, it’d be the bathroom. It is so very, very tiny. But we are renting, so … However, they did let us paint (perks of family renting?) and I painted every room in the house, lol. Amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do to change a whole atmosphere 🙂 Can’t wait to see your after pictures!
Yes, paint can make SUCH a difference. It can be hard to envision the after (and we aren’t stylists by any measure), but I know it’s going to feel so much “fresher” and I can’t wait!
We had snow last Saturday. I don’t really want to talk about it. *sad face*
We’ll put up a tree after American Thanksgiving. It’s late this year, though, so we’ll probably only have it up for a month or so. Maybe we’ll let it hang out a little later in January to make up for the short time between the holidays.
That is another perk of Canadian Thanksgiving. Since it happens so early it feels like there is zero overlap with Christmas (I mean, they’re over two months away).
American Thanksgiving is LATE this year, so that really shrinks the tree time. I vote for leaving it up into January. One year I re-decorated my downstairs tree for Valentine’s Day and I was such a big fan of having twinkle lights longer.
Oh, Congratulations to Karen winning the planner! It makes me happy that someone who can really use won – nursing school is hard and the planner will bring a little brightness to it!
Yes! I hope this planner is a real asset to her planning in the coming year which sounds like it will be busy!
My toploading washer lasted about 25 years. Finding a new one was stressful, because of that made-to-break method of manufacturing. The one we got has computery buttons to push instead of manual knobs to turn, which makes me nervous, but we’ve made it 5 years so far.
How can anyone live in Canada without a garage?? (Did I read something wrong??) This seems like it would be a wise investment in home improvement, and a completely necessary one.
I took one bath in about 20 years, and then one day I decided to fill the tub to sit on the edge and soak my feet. The stopped device fell out in my hand, so I found a contractor to remove the tub and replace it with a walk-in shower. That was the best remodel I’ve ever had (not that I am an expert. . . we remodeled the entire house before moving in 27 years ago.)
Where we live it’s actually fairly common to not have a garage. I KNOW. It makes zero sense. Most newer houses have garages, but it’s not overly common for older homes to have a garage.
We had a carport, but it was old and rotten and had to come down a few years after we moved in. It was an eyesore but I MISS that thing. It was so lovely to come outside and not have snow on top of the car and the windshield was never steamed up or icy.
I hate baths. Ugh.
Lots of good things – I just love that Indie sat and rocked with you for a while. So sweet. Your Christmas tree looks great. I like your flip side conversation with Belle – if we got a real tree, we wouldn’t have it up already. Paint for your room sounds like it’ll be quite the upgrade. That’s so exciting and something to look forward to. You are lucky to have such a great friend who lives nearby to connect with.
We tend to put our tree up mid December, but we’ve run into a low supply of real trees so I think it’ll be earlier this year. A new trend for us. One room that I’d welcome an update – I’d say my family room if that included new furniture. The couches are threadbare and I’m not planning to replace them until I’m done with my daycare. A few (5?) more years. My formal living room with be my second choice. I made the curtains in that room, enough said? We’ve had a bit of snow – out of nowhere, but today is in the 60s and it feels amazing.
Fingers crossed that your washing machine doesn’t die on you.
I think it sounds wise to wait until your daycare days are over to upgrade furniture!!
I love how cozy and festive your Christmas decor looks! While I start to feel claustrophobic if I put up Christmas stuff too early, I thoroughly enjoy seeing it in other people’s homes.
Yay for supper alone at home! Yay for a self-repairing washing machine! Yay for fun mail! And that gnome door is delightful!
Totally get the claustrophobic feeling. Overall our decorations don’t change much about the flow of our house, but not putting up the second tree downstairs is making things feel less cluttered this year.
You have so many happy things here, Elisabeth! I’m smiling so big right now! Of course, my favorite is the gnome door. I had no idea there were gnome doors! Don’t be surprised if you see one popping up on my blog one of these days! I love the Santa gnome you drew! And the lovely art from your friend. And the light up gnome in Indy’s room! Ahhhh, so many good things! Everything in this post is delightful!
We didn’t get any snow. In fact, November has been so mild, it’s getting worrisome. I saw a dandelion blooming today! That’s not right! Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying the weather so much! I’ll put up our Christmas decorations soon. I usually wait until the day after Thanksgiving here, but I’m feeling lilke I need some extra and early Christmas cheer this year.
I hope you manage to find a gnome door! I figured this would get your attention <3
A dandelion IN NOVEMBER???!!
We have an old school washer too and there are a couple not catastrophic things that can cause that spinning issue. The drive belt can be going, for one. It can also be as simple as the spin switch in the lid is a bit sticky so it won’t engage every time and that prevents it from spinning as a safety feature. There are a couple potential issues too. All of these are very fixable!
We don’t decorate early and my kids are deeply annoyed. My three year old has a hilarious statement the other day that was a complete non-sequitor about decorating. He gets out of our van and sees the car next to us also has snow tires on. “Oh, look that car has its snow tires on too. They must also be people who don’t decorate for Christmas until they get their Christmas tree up!!” The three year old mind is inscrutable.
The lid switch seems to be working; I’m thinking it might be the belt that’s starting to go? There is also a chance there’s a motor going, but for now it’s working. The challenge is to find someone to do the fixes.
We had 3-4 inches of snow on Monday. My Bible study is Monday night at church, and my drive home was not fun! I truly hate the snow. We don’t decorate for Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving. We have two large artificial trees and many smaller ones, along with a lot of decorations we inherited from family. It takes about 4 days to do everything. Honestly, it’s not my favorite thing, but it makes the rest of the family very happy.
We’ve been in this house for 13 years now and we’ve updated every room, some two times already. No more major projects here, just painting and updating lighting as needed.
I hate snow. Ugh. Except on Christmas Day when it’s lovely. The rest of the time, I wish for fall (or warmer) weather.
FOUR DAYS! Wow, that’s a lot of decorating. Belle would be in heaven.
A new-to-me word, skiff! I love it. I am firmly a post-American Thanksgiving person when it comes to Christmas decor, but I applaud your embrace of the ultimate adult privilege- doing what you (and your childhood self) want to do! I love the gnome door so much. I’m considering buying, but this is making me pause as I really should be figuring out gifts for my nieces and nephews. Analysis paralysis!
It’s ironic how frequently I forget that I can make executive decisions as an adult! Why is it so hard to remember?!
The gnome door is very adorable, but has a limited season of being relevant! I had forgotten my brother had gifted us this, so it was extra fun to open this decoration up and set it out for the first time.
Nicole is going to covet that Gnome door—it’s utterly delightful!
I love your decorated tree and home…I remember being wooed by it last year as well. I get it. Kids want to decorate and Hurry Up and celebrate. You are the best mom and I love that you explained to Belle that if you had a REAL tree, you’d not be able to do so, this early. Compromise.
My Linds used to give her sister (and us) hell for food noises. She has misophonia, which caused a bit of strife at times. Funnily, she said this past week that her new baby making those sounds is NOT in the least annoying to her. HUH? So, it’s just eveyone else? HA.
The memes are hilarious. I’m a big fan of puns in general.
I hope your washer can keep it together, at least until 2026!
Awww. I think it is PRECIOUS that the baby doesn’t trigger that annoyance. (A good thing as she’ll be hearing a lot of those sounds!)
Could you please teleport here for a quick minute to let Belle know she has a good life? Heavens to Betsy, she sure doesn’t think so lately!