How We Survive Christmas

Traveling for a week with a one-year old isn't the hardest thing in the world...but it's not always the easiest/most enjoyable thing either. I've been reading along with some mom's in a Facebook group I'm in, and it seems like everyone struggles in one area or another when it comes to managing kids + Christmas.

So here's 'how we do' when it comes to Christmas gatherings, parties, festivities, traveling and all that family stuff that can get tricky if there isn't clear communication in advance and throughout the season. Maybe it will help you with whatever Christmas-ing you have left or maybe you can file it away and be prepared for next year. ;)

1. We drive whenever Mav is happiest.

Some would say this means we're letting Maverick rule our world...but what sensible person doesn't chose to drive in the morning after breakfast and a good night's sleep? A happy kiddo = happy parents. If we have an evening committment in Manson or Ankeny, I try to arrive before lunch time so we're not driving during naptime or late in the evening. Plus, I get to spend more quality time with my mama's organizing their closets or watching Fixer Upper during naptime. This takes some planning ahead, but I'd say it's worth it.

2. I snap at my family...Josh can snap at his.

This is our rule, unless there is something that really needs to be addressed. If my dad slams a door, you better believe he gets snapped at (with love ;). I'm not sure why Wes Keil is prone to slamming anything that will open and close but sometimes I think he is the loudest person on earth. Bless his heart. He's getting much better.

Someone is happy to be home after a busy week.

3. We stick to our regular routine.

With so much craziness and junk food and over stimulation...I do everything in my power to keep our routine the same. Wake times, naptimes, and meal times are at their usual times (or within a half hour). Bottles, sound machines, and Maverick's normal sleep sack are all packed so he can adjust to his environment (within reason). I like to make his room as dark as possible too. I inform everyone of his schedule throughout the day and if that means we miss out on something happening between the hours of 1 and 4...that's what happens and it's ok!

4. Overpack and overprepare.

I never want to be caught somewhere without extra diapers or a spare outfit. It's like one of my biggest 'mom things.' In the winter being prepared also means packing boots and mittens and hats and big winter coats. We each have a suitcase and my rule is that we do not re-pack dirty laundry. I keep up with laundry when I'm at my parents house and/or dirty laundry goes in a clean garbage bag. I pack everything for all three of us, and it's easier for me to think through each person this way.

5. BEDTIME IS BEDTIME.

At home I like to start our routine by 7:30 so Mav is IN bed by 8. That fluctuates a little when we're busy with family but for the most part, he's down right around 8, give or take 15 minutes. This is key to all of us surviving...Mav keeps a good bedtime and mommy and daddy get to enjoy games and movies without constantly making sure Maverick isn't trampling the 3-month old cousin or getting trampled by the older cousins. Or climbing stairs (this is a big one since we don't have Mav-accessible stairs at our house). Even when he's the happiest little man on the planet at 7:50, his bedtime is still the same.

6. We do bedtime at home as much as possible.

This Christmas season we've had a couple events where we could have laid Mav down somewhere and then come home at 11 or 12 but chose not to. Simply because WE don't like doing it. Besides feeling awful for waking him up when I've worked so hard to get him TO SLEEP TWELVE STRAIGHT HOURS AT NIGHT, it's just not something I feel is necessary all that often. We did it when we went to visit new-cousin-McKenna and watch a movie with her parents...and we did it again when our favorite buddy Justin was in town. But those were both important occasions that seemed worthy of the whole transferring mess.

***This is made easier by our favorite babysitter (who also happens to be Aunt Jamie) being willing to spend the night at our house on occasion...meaning we can stay out as late as we want because BOTH of our babies are at home sleeping. We're all pretty blessed by this amazing Auntie.***

7. Don't be Uncle Eddie.

Our mom's have enough to plan for and deal with over the holiday's...now that I'm a mom I understand that better than ever before. We make sure we bring fresh fruit, snacks, Mav's 2% milk (my parents are skim milk drinkers), and anything else I specifically like having 'on hand' and I know might not be readily available. I also throw in snacks, drinks, chips, and whatever else I can to contribute. Holiday's with a kid are still a full-time job at this age...I feel like it's a constant dance of keeping our crap picked-up/contained, feeding Maverick, cleaning up the floor/chair after each meal...and doing it all over again. I just try my hardest not to expect our parents to help us with that kind of stuff. Because cleaning up the floor after Maverick's mealtimes SUCKS and it's not their job. They did their time on their hands and knees under a high chair. ;)

8. Wash hands. Wash hands. Wash hands.

I wash Mav's hands at every diaper change and before/after each meal. I also like to try and do a bath on the nights where we've been somewhere with lots of kiddos, with cousins on the farm, or around runny-noses in D6 at church. I do my best to make sure Mav is the only one drinking out of his sippy and that he's not putting dumb things in his mouth (like other sippy's, paci's, etc.). I'm not quite this obsessive during the spring/summer...but during sick season it just makes sense to be more on top of this kind of stuff. And they're all good things to get in a habit of doing regardless. Maverick has had a realitively healthy year and a half of life thus far and I'd love to keep it that way.

9. It might snow. Plans might change.

I remind everyone on both sides of our family of this a week or two before Christmas. And then again when we're a week out. If you have a husband with a job like this, it's a good idea to give everyone worst-case scenarios!  Last year Josh pushed snow on Christmas Day, meaning we left Boersma's early and he got to my parents house late. One year he pushed snow on Christmas Eve and got to my parents house well after midnight. What I've learned is that my main priority is OUR family. Whatever the circumstances (snow, ice, or otherwise), we try to do what is best for the three of us as a family...communicate that clearly to everyone on both sides...and go from there. This is like, my mantra heading into 2017.

10. It's a short season.

There will come a day when we can say, "go play downstairs" while I drink wine and play Banana Grams with my mom or "go outside a build a snowman with your cousins"...but this was not that year. And that's ok! Christmas week was fairly exhausting, but that's what the week after Christmas is for...pajamas, leftovers, naps, and hiding in our house recovering before the excitement of the New Year.

In other news...I got a Christmas Countdown on sale at Target last week and I've decided to start counting BACK UP to 25...at which point I will allow Christmas to be 'over.' It's going strong at our house until then because I want to cry a little when I think about the spring cleaning that lies before me once it's all taken down.

MmB

Christmas Favorites

This is a list I've carefully curated after combing through the past couple years of Instagrams and Facebook Memories. At the beginning of December Josh and I (and Jamie :) make a list of the things that are our TOP priorities...the best of our best Christmas traditions. The ones we would look back in January and think, "I'm so sad we didn't make time to do that this year." December gets crazy, that's why I think it's important to head into the month with events clearly mapped out and spread out evenly (if possible). Saying no to unnecessary stuff is important too!

1. Humbolt, Iowa
I know it probably doesn't make sense for most of you to drive upwards of two hours to see all that Humboldt has to offer at Christmastime...I count myself lucky that my little hometown is only about 40 minutes away. However...if you live within a one hour radius...IT IS WORTH THE DRIVE! Do some research beforehand (this is my dad's job every year) so you know when different 'attractions' are open. Our favorite is the giant, lit house and hill in Dakota City (make sure to get out and hike around!), but we also like the Christmas Tree Walk at the Methodist Church, and Kawani's Santa Land (free pictures with Santa!). There are numerous great places to eat, sleigh rides, and even a parade on Thanksgiving weekend! We are never able to do ALL six of those things. so we pick our favorites (trees at the church and lights at the hill!) add in a place to eat, and rotate doing the other activities each year.

2. Cutout Sugar Cookies
This is something I grew up doing every year and now it's a 'thing' for me. Even before we had Maverick, I would spend at least one evening each Christmas "baking" and frosting cutout cookies. It's not hard to buy a roll of Pillsbury dough and a container of frosting...so the little bit of effort I put into rolling, cutting, and frosting is worth it (especially because frosted sugar cookies are my #1 favorite Christmas treat). If I'm at my parents house I like helping my mom dip stuff in chocolate or shake puppy chow...but I haven't quite gotten there myself. I keep this pretty low-key/no-stress/easy...that will probably change when I have a three-year-old shaking sprinkles all over my kitchen...but that's what these darn tile floors and the Dyson are for. ;)

3. Jolly Holiday Lights
My family came down for this Des Moines attraction a couple times growing up, and in the past 10-ish years we've made it more of a 'tradition.' It's fun to hop in the car, bring cider/coffee/cocoa in travel mugs, crank the Christmas music and settle in for the drive. JHL was previously at Water Works Park, and for $10/car...it was a nice thing to enjoy for a good cause. Nothing spectacular, but nice. With the move JHL made to the Adventureland Campground this year because of flooding...there are more than double the displays! And they're all new! IT IS SO AMAZING!!! The stories of the kids who have been blessed by the Children's Miracle Network are updated and 'showcased' better, which I enjoyed. Easily worth more than $10 AND worth the drive to Altoona from anywhere in Central Iowa. Seriously. I can't stress this one enough.
***I'd recommend going on a weekday to avoid a crazy line.***

4. Visiting grandparents/neighbors
We see our grandma's on or around Christmas, but I always like walking across the street to visit our honorary G'ma, Norma for our annual spritz cookie + pop date. When we were little we would take a plate of cookies to all of our 'grandparents' in the neighborhood (which is why I need to get better at the baking thing) and spend some time 'visiting.' Now that we're adults with our own kiddo in our own little neighborhood...I'd like to start doing the same thing. I also like to arrange a special date with my G'ma Rose for coffee and to come see our house at Christmas. And we try and take a trip up to see Josh's grandparents at the farm before the craziness of the actual extended family gathering so we have quality time to visit with them all to ourselves. It's a special time of year to spend with the ones we love the most and sometimes accidentally see the least.

5. Bag Hunger
We've done this for the past couple years at our church, and I love it! It makes giving back in a tangible way SUPER easy amidst the December craziness. One Sunday we're handed a brown paper bag with a shopping list attached. The next Sunday we bring back the bag full of food and truckloads of non-perishable items are hauled to the MICA Food Bank in Ames. I like to make a 'special' shopping trip to just focus on what we're buying for our bag (it's so easy I think from now on we will do one bag per member of our family when this is offered at our church) so it's more of a focus than just throwing everything in with our groceries. This is also a grocery trip I try to make with the whole family so we're all involved (these things are easier because Fareway is five blocks from our house) I would encourage everyone to try and do something like this over the holiday's to take the emphasis OFF the expensive gifts and shopping lists and pretty houses and GIVE BACK.

6. Favorite Movie List
To say we're avid Christmas movie-watchers would be putting it mildly. We gradually start watching them in October (only the ones that start at Thanksgiving are allowed!) and by November, nothing but Hallmark movies, Christmas classics, TV Christmas specials (SNL Christmas is our fave!), Peanuts, and Christmas episodes of our favorite sitcoms are allowed. The ones we put in as party background or have going while we're working on wrapping or decorating (or to fall asleep to) are: Home Alone 1 & 2, The Holiday, Christmas Vacation, The Grinch, A Christmas Story, The Santa Clause, A Boyfriend for Christmas, and Family Stone. Hallmark airs Christmas movies 24/7 starting November 1st, but their best ones are on at 7 and 9pm and weekends so choose wisely. ;)

7. Hosting
We go nuts decorating mostly because we like living in our house like this for three months (yes I said three), but we also LOVE having people over! We usually start our hosting season with Thanksgiving, followed by ThanksChristmas...but we throw in parties here and there as much as possible (without over-doing it...I try to make sure it never becomes stressful and always stays FUN). This year we've been the first stop for two progressive dinners; enjoyed having my parents here last weekend; are having girls over tomorrow for our annual 'Dead Week Sleepover' (even though none of us are in college and it's not even Dead Week); and I fill in with having girls over for coffee during nap for catch-up/crafting time. The other day Josh's brother/sister-in-law/niece came over so we could spend the day hanging out making tiny trees and it was such a fun Christmas day! Even though we made a complete mess of the kitchen drilling into wood and cutting apart garland, it wasn't stressful at all!  Once the projects and decorating are done and the house is 'ready'...it's easy to keep it that way throughout the season. Opening our home for friends and family to enjoy our cozy Christmas Wonderland is one of our favorite things...it's kind of like our Olympics because it takes all year to prepare for the whirlwind but it's so worth it and so fun! ;)

8. Game Nights
Honestly, we struggle with this unless I force it. When it gets dark so early during this time of year all we want to do is be in pajamas cuddled in front of the TV! But a couple times a week once Maverick is in bed, instead of starting our movie right away we play games. Maybe just one game of Ticket to Ride or a couple quick games of Monopoly Deal...but it gets us using our brains doing something different than just watching movies for hours every night. Josh hates games, so on nights like this he usually gets to pick the movie. ;)

9. Reiman Gardens
You might think there's not a lot to see at Reiman Gardens at Christmas because it's freezing and going outside sounds miserable...but that's not true! It's the perfect place to spend a morning pretending you're in a tropical forest. The butterfly house and garden room are both kept at 80 degrees or warmer. WARMER THAN 80 DEGREES! Iowans spend most of the year complaining about the humidity, but yesterday Jamie actually said out loud, "I want my hair and skin to soak up all this MOISTURE!" And if it hadn't been lunch time (and Maverick hadn't just gone bonk and gotten a bloody lip) we could have stayed for another hour. The second Wednesday of each month is free (perfect for our little trip yesterday...which happened to be Jamie's day off) and is about as much as we enjoy going at this point since Maverick can't really run around and play. And I haven't even mentioned the best part! Besides the huge, beautiful, real wreaths, trees, and poinsettias they have everywhere...there's a 'Reiman Gardens Express' miniature train set up, weaving all around the warm garden room. So while Maverick stood and watched the train loop around over and over and over, Jamie and I drank our coffee in the glorious humid warmth. Highly recommend a trip.

10. Christmas Eve/Cornerstone Production/Church Services
The best for last. There's just something more special about going to church at Christmastime. The songs we sing, the trees up front, and the extra dramas, puppets, children's choir, etc. are all things that get me excited to celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus. We're even planning to swing though a live nativity this weekend in Ames! I like the balance we have of going to church at Cornerstone, but also attending at least one church service at my home church for the traditional Hymns and decorating I love. Whether we're super busy or have colds or have just hosted a party until 2am the night before...getting our butts to church during the Christmas season is a high priority. It puts in perspective what we're really celebrating all season long.

Things like decorating a gingerbread house, Tours of Homes (in both Pella and Manson!), touring Terrace Hill, the Salisbury Mansion (Des Moines), and the Smeltzer Mansion (Fort Dodge) are all things we like doing...but rotate through every couple of years. Or skip out on altogether if our month is too busy. We like to spend an evening driving around Ames to look at lights as a family...and Josh and I try and take at least one 'Christmas Date' now that we're parents to do some Maverick-shopping. But for the most part, we're able to pack in a lot of Christmas, without too many time-commitments and stress. If we have one 'big thing' per week and one 'small thing' per week...I feel like we're doing good. Other than that, I'm home all day every day, and we're home together almost every night this time of year...which is a really nice change of pace compared to the previous eight months we've had. ;)

This year, I found having my Christmas cards done and out by December 1st and 90% of our gift shopping done early in the month made a HUGE difference. I haven't felt like we've been rushed or missed out anything. I said no to a dinner with all the girls in Josh's family because it was a week we were heavy on some other events, but I felt great about it. We missed Santa Cow at Chick-Fil-A because it was the same morning we were doing family pictures..so even though I could have MADE both of those things happen, I didn't. On the rare occasion we end up having two 'events' per day...it's important we don't take on a third thing. That's when all three of us end up maxxed out, crabby...and the all 'fun-having' has stopped.

So here's to hoping we all find the balance and are able to enjoy our Christmas season to the fullest! With all the best traditions and good food and friends and family...while we remember the real reason for it all. Our Savior was born!

MmB

Countertop Cocoa/Cider Bar

We packed about as much as any of us could handle into one weekend (family pics, progressive supper, church production, snow plowing, + my family camping at our house for the weekend) and today we are recovering....with yoga pants, coffee, and Fuller House on Netflix.

But now that it's nap time and I've had my third cup of coffee of the day I've gotten a second-wind. And I have a blog to share that might make your Christmas-hosting a tad easier this season. :)

This 'tray' came from our shed last week (it seems it might have been a butcher block somewhere in a past life?). I didn't ask for the specifics on 'where' Josh found it, but he stressed it needed to be wiped down well. Really well. So I did that to my standards and now I think it's a pretty dang cute, useful tray on my counter!

If you are capable of opening six packages...you can handle this cute little display on your counter.

I present to you...my "recipe" for an adorable Countertop Cocoa/Cider Bar that's so easy even Caleb Boersma could pull it off if he wanted to.

First...buy all the 'fixings' at the grocery store. I bought a big container of cocoa, a box of cider packets, marshmallows, cinnamon sticks, candy canes, and red hots.

Second...come home and empty everything into cute jars and baskets. Vases or mugs would work too. We use mason jars for drinking glasses around here so I just yanked a couple from the cupboard.

Third...tuck everything into a nook in your kitchen/dining room/entry-way on a counter/shelf/buffet. I like to keep ours next to my mug rack on the counter to make filling mugs with water and popping them in the microwave easier...but it could go anywhere! Especially if you own a carafe for hot water...the tray could travel to a play room, the coffee table, or downstairs for a movie night.

Fourth...throw in a chalkboard with some cute 'directions' from Santa...all of mine are occupied at the moment, so I didn't take it this far but I'm sure Pinterest has some ideas for you.

Fifth...there's literally NO MESS. No crock pot of homemade cocoa to clean up at the end of the night. No pot on the stove full of sticky cider that needs to be dumped. None of it 'goes bad' if it doesn't all get drunk. Clean-up is as easy as putting a few mugs in the dishwasher. This is my favorite part.

I pulled this out for our connection group progressive supper last night, and now I plan to just leave it on the counter until after Christmas. With all the friends and family we've had here lately, and the two parties we're hosting next weekend...this thing just does all the work for me. You want cider? I have everything for you to make it yourself. You want three mugs of hot cocoa in four hours (DAD)? Knock yourself out. It makes kicking back and enjoying the company that much easier...and that's what hosting is all about.

Enjoy. :)

MmB

Find your Christmas 'ness

I would HIGHLY recommend starting your Christmas season with 10 boxes of fresh lights. New lights always go on my tree so we don't get to December 21st and the bottom half of the tree is dark (just ask both of my mom's about very problem). I re-use lights from year-to-year on garland and smaller trees because those are easier to 'fix' if the lights burn out. 

Last week I posted an Instagram about a blog I'd be posting soon. Something about how I mix everything we love together and vomit it into our house to create Christmas magic.

Here it is...finally. ;)

I already shared with you my best secrets for keeping decorating easy and fun...I did the same thing last year too (without realizing some of my tips are the same...that must mean they're just THAT good ;). Every year I take on decorating our house for Christmas, I enjoy it more and more. It takes weeks to perfect, but I swear to you, it's not stressful at all! My style has certainly changed and we've added quite a bit to our collection of Christmas decor over the past six years...but this year I had fun reinventing each room and using some of my stuff in a fresh new way. I tried to keep everything as neat and clean-looking as possible...but still went all-out, decorating every inch in every room.

We have a one-year-old...eight trees just weren't going to happen in 1,200 SF this year. Shockingly, I'm fine with it. And Maverick has yet to break one of my glass antique ornaments! Pretty trees ARE possible with babies, I just have to really stay on top of the instruction/discipline/re-direction all day every day. #worthit

This year our house is more uniquely 'us' than ever before...and I like to think I'm encouraging everyone who reads from my little corner of the Internet to decorate as creatively as possible while keeping everything special, unique, and affordable. Maybe it starts with a trip to Target for $6 berries. Maybe it starts with a trip to your G'mas garage for a metal bin that needs new life on a front porch filled with logs. Maybe it starts with a trip to your garage for an old wooden ladder that can be propped against a wall in your living room with stockings hanging from the rungs.

I love that I've never in my life, seen a Christmas tree decorated quite like ours. For so long I copied what I saw in stores, or magazines, or what I'd seen in someone else's house and kind of liked. It took five years to figure out exactly what Mollie Boersma loved about Christmas...then translate that onto our one-of-a-kind-crazy tree.

Decorating with pink at Christmas is pretty non-traditional, but there's still something so traditional about using ornaments that were made in the 40's and 50's and used on trees during WWII that makes me weak in the knees when I think about their past-life and their new life in our home. I can't see myself ever going back to decorating our home the way I used to (anyone want to buy an insane amount of silver and red plastic ornaments from me???).

Mason jars from our farm filled with Christmas lights from our Humboldt Hill friend, Merlin. When you see a 5-gallon bucket of burned out Christmas lights, it never hurts to ask the owner what he's planning to do with them. ;)

I know it's not everyone's style. Some people probably come to our house and think, "that is the ugliest table cloth I've ever seen," and that's ok! It is kind of ugly...but sometimes vintage is ugly and that's why I like it. ;) Just find stuff that speaks to you or holds a special memory in your heart and find a way to incorporate it into your decorating. Items that have a reason or story behind them are the best! I'm not usually one to get emotionally attached to 'stuff' but darnit if the stuff I pull out of my Christmas totes doesn't get to me every. year. Find your 'ness and RUN WITH IT. I promise it's not hard. And I promise you will love it.

 MmB

I'm living proof that a special, breakable, glass nativity CAN SURVIVE A CHILDHOOD. My G'ma Phyllis bought this for me when I was one, and it is one of my most treasured Christmas things. Jamie has one too, and it's in near-perfect condition...so she's living proof of this phenomenon too!

Stockings don't have to go on a fireplace! I sat in my living room and thought about where and how I could showcase these beauties...everything from the entertainment center shelves to the buffet, to the foot of our bed were options. I settled on using a heavy-duty magnet to attach them to the antique ceiling tin on our living room wall.  

I'm a big fan of doing whatever it takes to make sure every garland is LIT. They sparkle so much more! Josh and I love turning all the lights off in the house and only using Christmas lights while we wrap presents and watch movies every night. I'd highly recommend giving it a try.

Christmas Letter 2016

By now this little letter has hit the mailboxes of our friends and family...so it was time to share on the blog!

Merry Christmas from the Boersma family!

We've had a crazy, beautiful, fun, blessed year...here's a little about what's been going on at 422 13th St...

Josh: To say Josh has been 'busy' would be the understatement of the year. He works all day, every day, and when he's not working...he feels like he should be working because there is always so much to do! I regularly remind him that he has this 'problem' because people love him so much. He argues that's not the case...but he can't help that he's so popular and adorable! I think we both agree it's been a bit of a struggle for him to find balance between being a husband, a daddy, operating a successful business, and trying to relax...especialy since he's not known for doing anything 'halfway.' So honestly, there's not a whole lot of balance in our lives when it comes to BLC but it's the season we're in. God has greatly blessed Josh (and the business he started when he was 12!) again this year, and we are so thankful.

Highlights for Josh this year include: Shooting guns whenever possible; purchasing a truck from his Uncle Rick; grilling and eating steak from G'pas cows; drives around Twin Lakes; family walks around downtown Ames; seeing Switchfoot twice; & when Maverick does anything remotely exciting.

Mollie: I would say this past year has literally been a dream come true. It's finally my job to stay home and 'play house' and I'm thrilled about it. Josh keeps me busy with voicemails, billing, and some marketing for BLC. Maverick keeps me busy demanding three meals + entertainment all day every day. They both dirty more laundry and make bigger messes in our living room than you would even believe, but I love that it's my job to take care of them. Coffee dates with other moms, craft projects large and small, and decorating for showers and weddings (eight this year!) all keep me plenty busy. I've had a lot of fun jumping into serve on Sunday's at D6, joining women's Bible study, and spending Tuesday mornings in the Cornerstone gym with tons of other mom's their kiddos, and our coffee. It's a little crazy how good of a 'fit' this mommy thing is for me...I don't think I could love being home and taking care of my boys more.

Highlights for Mollie this year include: A fall trip with Josh to Galena; planning & celebrating Maverick's first birthday; finally sleeping through the night; a new washer & dryer; skipping rental turnover due to consistent (and clean!) renters; & as always...writing this letter & decorating for Christmas way too early.

Maverick: Our sweet baby turned one on September 1st and it's impossible to believe the year went by so fast. He's changed so much...as I write this he's jabbering and 'walking' around the coffe table. He's happy to play for 30+ minutes by himself; puts himself to sleep easily for naps and night; and is pretty easy going unless he's working on a tooth. He doesn't like vegetables (like dad) and only wants to eat bread, pasta, and fruit (like mom)...so we're working on that. The most challenging part of our year was that Maverick didn't sleep 12 hours through the night until he hit 10 months...despite our best efforts to follow all the 'rules' and do everything 'right...apparently even BabyWise babies pull this kind of crap. He loves playing in his classroom on Sunday's at church, throwing everything he's handed on the ground, the vacuum, walks around our neighborhood, and being my adorable side-kick wherever we go.

Highlights for Maverick this year include: Learning to crawl on his first birthday; seeing puppies every week at the Farmer's Market; going to the fair; being babysat by fun Salt girls, grandparents, and Auntie Jamie; watching Charlie Brown with dad; & going on dates with mom to Chick-Fil-A.

With the beauty of the Christmas season comes hope in the promise of our Savior, Jesus. We pray if you haven't, this is the year you find that hope. Wishing you a Merry Christmas............Josh, Mollie and Maverick

Christmas is Coming...

This was my favorite new little nook to decorate this year. Our kitchen "entrance" is always a hard spot for me because it's not much of an entrance. So if I'm not careful it just looks cluttered and junky. Then again, maybe you're looking at this thinking it looks cluttered and junky...haha. I like it though. ;)

I started decorating our house for Christmas promptly on November 3rd. It's been an interesting week with a couple extra house guests, a mobile one-year-old, busy weekends, plus a month filled with LOTS of events...but I've squeezed in some time to write a little Christmas bloggy for you.

These are my top five can't-live-without-when-decorating-for-Christmas...items? things? products?

It's just stuff I'm thinking of that might be helpful to someone. Yourwelks.

DAVE BARNES PANDORA RADIO
Stop what you're doing and go make this station right now. It is the literal best Christmas music station I've ever heard, and it's all thanks to my buddie KatieK for the stellar recommendation. A station that gives me Justin Beiber and Chris Tomlin? Bing Crosby and Relient K? Point of Grace and Kelly Clarkson? JUST YAS. It's what keeps me in the mood to decorate when it's 75 degrees outside.

LITTLE WREATHS + TINY TREES
I knew it would be hard to squeeze 10 big trees in our house once we had kiddos, so I've simplified without sacraficing too much of the decor I love. Instead I've fallen in love with the 'Tiny Tree' section at HobLob. They fit easily in small spaces, on desks, dressers, table tops...and they're just 'sdarncute. Don't even get me started on the tiny wreaths...I have six and could probably use four more. They're the perfect addition to windows around the house, and my new favorite...tied with red velvet ribbon to the backs of our new dining room chairs!

COMMAND STRIPS + HOOKS
One might have thought I would've made this discovery MUCH sooner than I did...since I spent all of college decorating my dorm rooms and apartments with Command strips and hooks...but it honestly didn't come to me until a couple years ago. I keep these on hand now at all times for switching out decor in a much less permanent way than nail holes...though pounding 13 nails into a wall doesn't scare me, it's not something I want to do just to hang a garland. My recommendation is to start the season with a couple of fresh boxes. ;)

BERRIES
Target sells these berries for $6 a box. SIX DOLLARS. I think I've picked up a box of these goodies each of the past three years and I'm telling you...I can never have enough! I stick them in those tiny wreaths I just mentioned. I place them on our pretty shelves for some texture. I even stuck them in my cotton wreath for a subtle pop of color. One of the best finds I've ever had at blessed Tar-shay.

They can be tricky to find unless you know what you're looking for, so I've included a picture of the asile where you can find them. Third shelf up in a clear plastic box tied with red velvet ribbon. You can thank me later.

PLAID
It took me a few years to realize this one too, but three Christmas's ago I became full-on obsessed with plaid. Something about it is so classic. So traditional. It's can be really bold and busy, so balancing it out with solids and different textures is important, but once I found that balance I started sticking it everywhere. Wrapped under a tree as a skirt, sheets on the beds, and onesies for the boys are my personal favorites places to deck the halls with plaid (and you may have noticed I've even been wearing a buffalo plaid DRESS recently). I could be wrong, but I don't think it's a phase I'll be leaving aaaaanytime soon.

I've tried not to bombard your Insta feeds with Christmas pictures since it's the beginning of November and everything, but it will likely be happening sooner than later. I am pretty in love with how our house turned out this year (though I ask Josh what he thinks after I finish something and he goes, "Needs more garland. Needs more lights." And you WONDER why I go so overboard...it's not even me!).

Happy decorating!

MmB

How to vacation when you and your husband are complete opposites...

Dropped Mav with G'ma and we were on our way!

I mentioned on Instagram last week, but I feel like Josh and I have finally hit our vacation stride. And I could not be more thrilled about it.

At first glance...you may have thought we spent all our time shopping, because that's pretty much what you go to Galena to do, right? And that means this trip was mostly a 'Mollie Vacation,' right? Wrong. We did do a lot of walking up and down the historic streets, but we mixed in a LOT of Josh stuff along the way. In fact, when we came home last night and I unloaded all of our vacation 'loot' on the dining room table...it was almost exclusively "Josh Goodies"...salsa, whiskey, moonshine, a Charlie Brown book, steak sauce, and a whiskey glass purchased from an interesting antique store owner who carried his 'change' cash in a huge roll inside his grungy sweater.

Now...just because I've come to enjoy everything on that list, doesn't mean it didn't come without some growing pains. Josh and I haven't taken tons of trips or vacations, so this list isn't exclusively about traveling I suppose. At times it's been hard to get the hang of how to embrace our differences and also support each other's hobbies and interests...and it was on this vacation that I finally realized we sorta have that part of this marriage thing down. ;)

1. No kiddos.

This was our first 'extended' trip without Maverick. I started planning it last year at this time when the girls in Josh's family took a trip to Galena and I stayed behind because we had a four week old. Since I had been to Galena once before, I knew the lay of the land a bit...and knew I did NOT want to travel there with a four week old. But I did know I wanted that to be the first getaway with Josh once Mav was sleeping through the night and done breastfeeding.

Turns out the no kid thing was a good idea. We didn't have to spend two to three hours of 'down time' sitting silently in the hotel each day so Mav could nap. And we didn't have to be 'in' every night by 7:30 for jammies and bottle and bedtime by 8. It just took all the 'kid logistics' out of the equation so we could fully enjoy our time together. We decided a 'real family vacation' probably won't happen until our youngest is at least 2/3...and we're good with that. It's a season and it will go by so fast. In the meantime, I plan to perfect the 'day-trip' and small, close, weekend getaways like this one.

A wise couple in our connection group once told us, 'Vacations are just the two of us...Trips are with all the kids. They are two very different things.' And I would have to agree. To be honest...we hardly talked about Maverick at all...is that bad?

This kid literally didn't even miss us at all. Punk.

2. Don't have a plan...but also, have a plan.

I admire people who can jump in the car and take off without a care in the world and just go wherever the wind takes them. Josh and I are not those kind of people. This trip was delicately planned around irrigation shutdowns and Josh's last application of chemicals for the season. Months in advance. So while we didn't have anything super structured about the trip itself...we knew we wanted to eat at certain places and hit certain tours. Once we arrived, we took one day at a time, bouncing ideas off each other and making sure we were both seeing what we wanted to see. Also...when we go somewhere, we get in the car and drive straight there. We both HATE stopping or wandering somewhere other than our destination along the way. We travel well together because of this, and traveling with anyone other than each other tends to annoy us (unless it's Caleb...we've gotten good at traveling to far family things with Caleb).

Drinks at Miss Kitty's Grape Escape before supper. I highly recommend the Russian Rockstar. Best $11 drink I've ever had. Ever.

3. Be prepared.

Whenever we go anywhere overnight, I lay out each of our outfits...right down to the socks and underware and belt. This ensures I don't forget anything and we can get through the trip without an argument about how I forgot compression shorts. I lay everything out, think through each day, the potential activities, check the weather, and then load everything into the suitcase. I can't tell you how many times we've gotten somewhere only to find Josh's black shoes didn't make it...or his belt never ended up in our luggage. Then we have to problem solve and either have to go buy new, or if that isn't an option, figure something out. In the past this has led to an argument, but this way I'm able to easily avoid that, even if it means occasionally over packing (most people think it's ridiculous I'm always laying his clothes out and packing for Josh...but he works 90 hours a week and this is just one way I can make his life easier). I pack everyone and everything and clean the house before a trip, Josh loads the car and does the driving. It's actually a pretty fair arrangement if you ask me.

This note is mostly for the girls...I find that showering at night on vacation makes things a lot quicker in the morning. Josh spent up to a half hour in the shower...and during that time I run around packing my bag for the day, laying his clothes out, getting dressed, and doing minimal make up + cute hair (which is way faster when it's already dry!). Then when we came back to the hotel at 4/5:00, it was super easy to change and add a little more make-up for our 'night out.' This saves hours of irritating and boring waiting for Josh...and I still get to look cute during the trip!

It's impossible for Josh to be anywhere on this side of the state and NOT stop to visit the Field of Dreams.

4. Find a good balance.

This is a good one and it's easier on some vacations than others. If we toured an old house I really wanted to see...we made sure to book the distillery tour for the very next day. If we ate at a burger place...more of a 'Josh' meal...we agreed to get sushi for lunch the next day. We stopped to look inside all the decor stores...but also spent a lot of time taste-testing the hot sauces and salsas and dips at Galena Canning Company. We attended a casual wine tasting...but tasted a couple of different whiskey's while we were there too. I'm convinced...Galena is like, the PERFECT Josh and Mollie Boersma Vacation Destination.

It's taken a couple days for this little peanut to adjust back to normal life and the word 'no'...but that's ok. :)

 5. Leave time to be lazy.

Josh got to enjoy a couple hours in the hot tub. I got to read 152 pages of Magnolia story. We both slept in and enjoyed our respective MonsterTea and lattes each morning. It was the perfect mix of sight-seeing and being active + relaxing and enjoying some RARE time to be lazy, just the two of us. On Sunday we woke up and realized we hadn't taken a walk in Grant Park to see the giant levy, the river, and the old cannons, and that was something Josh had mentioned a couple times he wanted to see so we made sure to do it. This will shock you, but I'm more outspoken about making sure we see certain things (if Josh planned a vacation it would be to Twin Lakes and he would nap at the cabin and only leave to eat at the Palmer House all weekend...but he likes doing things when I 'make' him!) so it's good to make sure everyone gets to do everything they want to do.

If you don't enjoy hearing about old stuff and looking at old stuff...this vacay is probably not for you. Otherwise I would highly recommend it!!! It's about a 3-ish hour drive from Ames (totally do-able) and Josh is already talking about going back sometime this winter when it's their 'off-season' and really cheap to go during the week. Now...if we could only 'plan' around those darn Iowa snowstorms. ;)

Here are some pics of our trip!

BELVEDERE MANSION

Pictures weren't allowed inside (it's privately owned and people actually LIVE here) but this tour was super cool.

ULYSSES S. GRANT HOME

It's pretty cool how this place is almost exactly like it was when the Grant's lived there. It was donated 'as is' by the kids/grand kids, furniture and all.

Behind the kitchen was the original COPPER BATHTUB.

Can I get a few praise hands for these $30 fring-y fall boots that mimic the ones I see Joanna always wearing? I don't think you'll see me wearing anything else for a while.

SHOPPING

This is how a lot of our time was spent. Josh found a little first-edition Charlie Brown book from 1971 for $2 in here. :)

I feel like I have more mom-street-cred now that my Converse are a little more scuffed up and dirty.

This would be one of the many stores we walked through, just so we can take a peek at their intricate tin ceiling and huge old beams and doors and exposed brick walls and chandy's and amazing hardwood floors...

BLAUM BROTHERS DISTILLERY

Ever since finding a few under the floor boards in the barn out at our acreage, Josh loves whieky old bottles. They had the whiskey in these bottles tested to make sure their new recipe matches as closely as possible.

This distillery and that old whiskey doesn't exist anymore because of Prohibition, but these are the guys who worked downtown at the old Galena Distillery.

This giant ridiculous thing was imported from Germany and that huge thing on the right is all copper that was hammered BY HAND.

When soldier's got sick, they would mix whiskey, gun powder, and MERCURY to feel better. So they drank that mixture for a cold or something...and ended up going blind and then dead.

This crate that's part of their display is literally the exact same thing we use for Mav's toy box! :) We came home with a candle, a bottle of their Knotter Bourbon Whiskey, and some Moonshine. And I know this was a good tour because I remember a lot of random trivia from it.

MORE SHOPPING

You might not believe me, but Josh loved these stores and spent more time combing the shelves than I did.

The next time we go back, I think we will do the Trolley Tour to see a little more of the town and hear about the history...I spotted this cutie on one of our drives.

Aaaaand then I bought this cute cabinet...eyeballing it, the thing looked like it would easily fit inside our car. Factor in that we forgot to leave the stroller with my parents and this is what happened. Josh unscrewing the bottom off for 20 minutes. 

This was actually PRIOR to us finding out it wouldn't fit. And we had already paid for it. Josh has been known to get mildly frustrated in situations like this, so I spent 20 minutes silently praying it would all be fine...and it was. :)

The Kandy Store made up for that cabinet thing though. He went along the aisles and delicately scooped different candy in the exact amounts he wanted. There was a soda shop at the back. It was like middle-school-Josh heaven.

GRANT PARK

It's impossible to get a good picture of what downtown Galena actually looks like...it's crazy how perfectly preserved it is!

We aren't huge history nerds, but Josh inspected each canon while I read the history to him. His favorite was one we took from the German's in WWI and brought home as a 'trophy'...haha. Darn right we did that. Different states were entitled to more 'trophy's' the more soldiers they had serve in the war. 

FIELD OF DREAMS

Original bleachers from the movie! Signed by Kevin Costner, as his character Ray (I'm literally laughing out loud as I type that sentence because I actually don't care about this at all, but Josh was so giddy about it).

Josh tried making friends with the guy staining the bleachers to see if he was the owner. And then he asked when the barn was going to get a new roof soon, because it needs one so bad. And THEN he spent the drive home talking about how great it would be to live there. You guys...I can't even be mad because it's 100% my fault he even knows this place exists.

FARM TOY MUSEUM

We each paid $7 to tour the Farm Toy Museum in Dyerrsville (please just insert the big-eye-shocked-face-emoji here)...we were there for a little over an hour and I was honestly surprised how much stuff they changed things from when we were there four years ago. This would be pretty cool for little kids 5-10ish, I'd say. Since we were just there a few years ago, I didn't snap too many pictures...but I was excited when I found this little antique cowboy named Maverick. ;)

PLAZA ANTIQUES

Maybe it's because this is a place I obviously don't frequent...but it was a GOLD MINE. I could have gotten pretty crazy in here bringing home every crate and corbel I saw, but kept it to one ammo crate for Josh + two corbels for me.

SEE? AREN'T THEY BEAUTIFUL?! These are my Christmas gift from Josh's parents. Patti loves when I do her shopping for her, so this arrangement worked well for us. I won't get to put them up until after Christmas...but I have big exciting plans for them. 

Now that pretty antique scales are a 'thing' and everyone wants them, I've had a hard time finding one I want for the right price in the right color. This is a postal scale, but I don't care. It's cute. :)

I can't tell you how many hours I've spent in antique stores, never buying anything. Honestly! I rarely buy anything but Christmas ornaments! And I have no idea why, but this little thing spoke to me. I envisioned it as a cake plate, and for now it looks cute on this shelf.

And that's it! We have vacation hangover pretty hard over here, which is unfortunate because Josh still has a ton of work to do. But there's no time to mope...I'm decorating for a wedding this weekend and our dear friend from DC is spending all next week at our house. Then it's decorating for Christmas, the Faith Women's Conference, and ANOTHER wedding! All fun, exciting things...but I'm secretly REALLY glad I get five days in between each weekend to clean my house and drink my coffee in my pajamas and 'recover.'

MmB