10 Things That Happened in December

Well, we made it. The end of another year. I feel like normally at this point, I’m feeling excited for a new year and ready to say goodbye to the old one, but this year feels a little different. I feel like I was just ringing in 2024 a few days ago. This year flew by, and I’m still processing the fact that it’s over!

It’s safe to say December was an absolute whirlwind of joy and chaos. We celebrated Christmas hard and had a blast. We definitely squeezed every second of joy we could out of the month, and it was truly such a magical holiday season.

I can’t let the year end without a final “10 things” post, so here we go. Let’s take a little look back at what happened in December.

10 Things That Happened in December

• We baked so many cookies and saw so many Christmas lights. I think this probably applies to most of us, but oh boy. I felt like we went even harder than usual on the lights and baking this year, and it was so much fun. We saw a bunch of new-to-us light displays around Austin this year, and it was fun to branch out of our normal a bit this year! If you’re local, I can tell you all the best spots around the suburbs for some really magical light displays!
• We added some arches to the sidewalk. I’ve been thinking about trying this cute Christmas decor project for years and years, and I’m SO GLAD I did it this year. It added so much sparkle to the front yard and I couldn’t possibly have loved it more. We regularly saw people stop for selfies under the arches, and even had a few neighbors say “thanks” for adding to the magic on our street. Doesn’t get much better than that!
• We rested. A lot. The Christmas season is busy busy busy. And every year, I try to squeeze in my normal work schedule while also celebrating. This year, I decided to cut myself a lot of slack (thanks largely to the influence of this book on my life!) and we slowed waaaay down. We read more books, played more games, and watched more movies. I took fewer pictures and lived in the moment a little more, and it was exactly what we all needed after a whirlwind year.
• We played a lot of pickleball. After hearing everyone rave about that silly game for years, Corey and I finally gave it a shot with some friends. And, well, we were instantly hooked! We’re not very good but we have a blast every time we play and we want to play nonstop. I bought myself a special pickleball sweatshirt and Jackson got me my own paddles for Christmas, so it’s safe to say we’ve joined the crowd in being obsessed.
• We learned new ways to make magic. This was Jackson’s first year knowing the truth about Santa (I told him with this book and it was the perfect way to have that conversation). I was really nervous about what Christmas might look like with that piece changed. Would it still feel as magical? Would he still love it as much? Turns out, I didn’t have anything to worry about – it was exactly as special and wonderful as it always has been, and he had a blast keeping the magic alive for his little brother. There’s a piece of me that is still really sad that that part of his childhood is over, but it’s so rewarding to watch him grow up and mature, and this felt like such a monumental and special milestone to reach with him.

• I absolutely crushed my reading goal! I set a goal in January to read 100 books this year, and I honestly wasn’t sure if it was possible. But, as I write this on December 30th, I’ve officially read 110 books, and I’ll add two more to that list before the end of the day tomorrow (one audiobook that I have 30 minutes left in and this book of short stories that I’ve been almost finished with for way too long). I’m going to set the same goal for myself next year, but I’m adding in that I want to read at least 1 non-fiction book each month.
• We had some family game nights. I wish we did this more throughout the year, but things get so busy and our schedules don’t always allow it. But, this month we took a few nights to slow down and have some really intentional family time, and it was so sweet. A few favorites include a family Mario Kart tournament (I won, as always), lots of rounds of this really fun card game, and a big family dominos game on Christmas Eve.
• We had some family photos taken! We used to be really good about doing this almost every year, but we haven’t had any photos taken since 2021 and it was time! I found a local photographer offering 10-minute mini sessions, and it was perfect. We went right before Christmas and got them done, and now we’ve got some sweet professional photos to capture these ages of the kids. Totally worth it!
• We surprised the kids with a couple of big gifts on Christmas – a go-kart for Grant and a 3D printer for Jackson. They were beside themselves with excitement and both gifts have been a huge hit that I think will get a ton of use for a long time! The gifts perfectly capture these little dudes and their personalities at this age (Grant loves anything with wheels that goes fast, and Jackson loves to create things), and it’s so fun to watch their interests emerge!
• And last (but not least), we made some big plans for 2025. I’m not ready to get into all of the details yet, but it’s safe to say that it’s looking like 2025 is going to be a big year for us. We have a few big surprises up our sleeves and I can’t wait to dive in. Stay tuned to see what’s coming, and remember that my IG stories family and my newsletter subscribers are generally the first to know about anything!

10 Things I Loved in December

• I got this adorable set of 4 glasses for Christmas and I couldn’t love them more. It makes me really wish I drank coffee so I could use them every single day but I’ll just be filling them up with water, or maybe an occasional cocktail!
• This is a niche one, but I got a new tripod for my phone this month and it has been a GAME CHANGER! This guy is so easy to set up and use, and it even comes with a remote that made taking our annual family photo by the tree a breeze. I’m so glad I grabbed this and I’ve pulled it out almost every day since it arrived!
• Corey and I take our next trip to Disney World in January, so I grabbed this adorable cardigan after lusting over it for months. It is exactly as perfect in person as it is in photos and I can’t wait to wear it to the parks! It was also one of the most-clicked things I shared over on Instagram, so it’s safe to say it’s universally loved.
• I think I’ve talked about these for multiple months in a row now, but this perfect basic long sleeve tee is on constant rotation for me. I have one in black, cream, maroon, and green and I find myself reaching for them nonstop! You can see the green one in our family photo above! I’ll probably end up with at least one more color before winter is over.
• I officially began my Spode Christmas dishes collection this year with this set of champagne flutes. I can’t tell you how much joy it brought me to have my Christmas morning mimosa from one, and I’m already thinking about what I might add to the collection next year!

• The matching set trend is such a thing this year, and I’ve found myself leaning in a bit. I got this set in black (pictured above) and it’s so comfortable I can barely even stand it. I love that it looks put-together enough to leave the house, but I can also wear it for movie marathons! I got this set for Christmas, and I’m also eyeing this cute set.
• I got this checkered blanket for Christmas and it immediately became my new favorite in the house. I’m probably going to have to order it in another color, though, because my husband is already threatening to steal mine.
• I read so many great books this month but if I had to choose just one favorite it might have been this one. It was riveting and so hard to put down. I also read this one start-to-finish in less than 48 hours, so I think it’s safe to say it was a winner too!
• After reading this book and falling in love with all things Lazy Genius, I ordered The Playbooks to help me organize my year, and I think they’re going to work great for me. I used it in December and loved it, and the way it is laid out works so well with the way my brain works!
• Got this set of dish towels from my mom for Christmas, and I was shocked at how great the quality is. My go-to Crate & Barrel dish towels have been discontinued, but these are just as beautiful and work just as well…for way cheaper! Definitely stocking up!

And, my friends, that’s a wrap on 2024. I’m really excited to see what 2025 has in store for us, and I can’t wait to share the year with you!

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