Currently // November + Announcing the Christmas Pajama Party link up

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Announcing// The Christmas Pajama Party link up! Joining a bunch of my favorite ladies we're back for another year of showcasing festive Christmas jammies! Link up with us on Thursday, December 15th through the 22nd!

Watching// Some of our favorite Christmas movies- Home Alone and Elf!

Reading// I hope magazines and blogs count as reading because I have been s-l-a-c-k-i-n-g when it comes down to picking up a book. Chalk it up to the busyness of the season. Truth be told, I sometimes go through boughts of none-reading and then go hard, so I'm at peace with it. But it never hurts to ask- have you read anything lately that you'd recommend?

Eating// Thanksgiving leftovers! I made two different kinds of potato dishes this year (one for my family's get together and another one for my InLaws) and I'm not sure which I love more yet?

Looking forward to// Getting our Christmas cards! In full disclosure, we just took family pictures on Sunday sooooo we're one of those families haha.

Loving// Spending the last 5 days at home with my people.

Planning// CHRISTMAS! I got bit by the Christmas bug wayyy earlier this year than usual and I'm not hating it.

Pinning// New Christmas printables!

Praying// 

Texting// The Hubby <3

Wearing// Plaid. The pattern of the season.

Decorating// The halls with boughs of holly. Falalalalalala :) 

Waiting

Linking up here.

   

   

25 Christmas Books for Children {The Great Christmas Roundup}

I am beyond blessed to be joining hands with Crystal, Liz, Justine and Stephanie for The Great Christmas Roundup! Not only do I adore these ladies but being able to celebrate this special season is an honor I don't want to ever take lightly or for granted.

I'm sharing our favorite 25 Christmas Books for Children. All of these are titles I love and that Kinsey and Brielana both enjoy. Some are classics, some are specific to this year, some are faith-based and some are whimsical but they are all great books to add your child's library. Enjoy! Affiliate links used. A small commission may be received if you purchase an item through my links. Thank you for supporting my blog!

In no particular order:

The Night Before Christmas- this title has to end our book Advent Calendar. This version is the one I grew up reading and still cherish.

Santa & the Christ Child- keeping the reason for the season in focus.

Duck & Goose, It's Time for Christmas! 

A Charlie Brown Christmas (Peanuts)- we ADORE the Peanuts Gang here.

You Are My Miracle- sweetest book ever.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell! 

Merry Christmas, Splat (Splat the Cat)

Counting Christmas (Classic Board Books)

Jingle Bells- the classic song turned book.

The Velveteen Rabbit- who doesn't get touched by this story of love?

Christmas Tree!- this rhyming book is awesome.

I've Seen Santa!

The Little Drummer Boy- Keats has soul-stirring illustrations.

The Gingerbread Boy- another one of my childhood favorites.

Home for Christmas

Christmas Trolls- Brett has the best illustrations! I also like the original Mountain Trolls version.

Clifford's Christmas

Olivia Helps with Christmas- the sassiest pig I know.

Peppa's Christmas Wish- the sweetest pig I know (lol).

Polar Express 30th anniversary edition- again these illustrations are wonderful.

The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition Book Only- we're having our inaugural Elf visit and I need to study up ;)

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!- You can't celebrate the season without that grumpy green guy. 

God Gave Us Christmas- I adore this God Gave Us Series. A bit on the wordy side I would say this is for older children 4+.

The Nutcracker- the classic ballet.

Olive, the Other Reindeer- the cartoon is sweet too! Olive is voiced by Drew Barrymore.

And if you do a Christmas Book Advent Calendar these would be great titles to include! Here's our wrapped books all ready to go!

Visit these lovely ladies to see what Christmas Cheer they're sharing:

Justine

Stephanie

Liz

Crystal

Linking up here.

   

   

Justine from Little Dove {The Mommylogues Series}

I'm so glad Justine is my newest Mommylogues Series guest! Not only is she a wonderful blogger but she is also an awesome designer and I have no shame in asking her for custom orders pretty regularly because she is that good.

Hi there, I’m Justine! Wife to Mike (my best friend, editor, and human selfie stick), mom to four little cuties under the age of seven (official models and taste testers), lover of Diet Coke and chocolate cake, nerdy game and nap time enthusiast, avid DIYer and baker, fan of using too many commas, wanna-be running rockstar, and supermom in training. I blog at Little Dove and have been for 6 years now! In fact, I'm running a giveaway right now over on Instagram to celebrate and I'd love for y'all to have a chance to win. I am so excited to be writing a guest post for Whitney today—she truly is one of my favorite bloggers (and best customers, wink wink). Dear kiddos, 

I'm sorry mommy is tired. That my temper is short and my patience is thin. That some days I function purely in "survivor mode", "auto pilot", whatever you want to call it. My main objective on those days is to make sure that you are all still alive and fed by the time that your dad gets home from work. Bonus points if the house is still intact. Gold star-level rockstar status if I'm wearing actual clothes and a little makeup by that time. 

I'm sorry mommy is so busy. All the time. The laundry is never-ending, the cleaning is never-ending, the errands are never-ending. Some days I'm so busy that you're cooped up inside all day while I try frantically to catch up on cleaning. Some days I'm so busy that you spend the entire day being shuttled in and out of the car while we run one errand after another. And as much fun as that is for ME to take four young children on a six hour day of errands, I'm sure it's even more fun for YOU. No wonder by the end of the day we all resemble POWs. 

I'm sorry mommy is forgetful. And I don't mean that I forget to make you hot chocolate like I said I would (although I am), or that one time I forgot to pack you a lunch (Hey, I remembered in time to bring it to you later that day! Crisis averted.). No, I mean sometimes I forget that being your mom comes first. Before being a blogger, before being a small business owner, and right on par with being someone's wife. 

I am human. Imperfect. A work in progress. And yet, you all love me anyway. Your love seems to be unconditional, from sun up to sun down. Being the tired, busy, forgetful mom to you four has taught me so much about love and about what's really important. But, like I said, I'm a work in progress so I often need reminding. Also, mom brain is really real—see point number three above. 

But thank you, thank you for being able to see past all of that and know how much I love all of you. Because my love for each of you is also unconditional. I never knew how much I could love someone I had just met until I became a mom for the first time, and then I continued to be astonished how much my love just continued to grow with each of you that came along. I want to be the best mom I can for you because I know that you all are the best kids for me. So I will continue to work on my patience, my priorities, and my memory. No promises on that last one though—again, mom brain.     

Thanks so much to Whitney for having me over today, and thanks y'all for reading! You can find me over on my blog, and you can also pin me, tweet me, gram me, and face me. Wait, that doesn't sound right... 

Justine

***

Archives:

My Journey to Motherhood {Introduction to The Mommylogues Series}

Amanda from Tickled Pink

Elizabeth from Chasin' Mason

Beth from Our Pretty Little Girls

Stephanie from Wife Mommy Me

Courtney of Sweet Turtle Soup

Danielle from Sparkles and Lattes

Aubrey of Aubrey Zaruba

Sarah from Seeing All Sides

Jess from Scott Family of Maine

Meghan of The Adventure Starts Here

Liz from Ellie and Addie

Desiree from Macke Monologues

Amy of keepin' up with the Smiths

Jess of Secrets of a Stay At Home Mom

Sarah from Foxy's Domestic Side

Courtney from Shiraz in my Sippy Cup

Nina from The Joni Journey

Crystal from Hall Around Texas

Claire from Wedding in Central Park

Whitney from Mama & Mister Blog

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Happy Thanksgiving!

For forests tall and oceans deep
For canyons wide and mountains steep
For sunset skies of pink and gold
For every sunrise we behold

For Winter's snow and springtime's thaw
For Summer's warmth and Autumn's awe
For roofs that keep the rain away
For walls that hold it all at bay

For work that puts food on the table
For health and rest to keep us able
For friends and family around us
For years to come, may they surround us

For soldiers fighting for our peace
For days to come when wars may cease
For hope, so burdens won't enslave us
For thy forgiveness which will save us

For feast, and those with whom we share it
For loving hands that did prepare it
For all that makes this life worth living
We take this time on this Thanksgiving

To bow our heads and bend a knee
And pause to look around and see
For all that was, is, and shall be
We have none to thank, Oh Lord, but thee.

Linking up here.