Greetings, friends! It’s been a while since I posted a “Life Lately” update with phone and Instagram photos, so today I wanted to share a few behind-the-scenes moments from our home.
We hosted family for Thanksgiving, and the house was delightfully full of activity. With work, projects, kids, and a few pups under one roof, life here gets lively — and we love it. Those busy, noisy gatherings are exactly what home and holidays are for.
This season reminds me to let go of stress and simply enjoy the moment. When I start to feel overwhelmed or a bit Scrooge-like, I picture Christmas through a child’s eyes. Practicality can take a back seat — a small tree on the counter with twinkling lights might not be efficient, but it makes the whole season feel magical.
My husband teases me about all the furry blankets scattered through the house, but they make the rooms feel cozy. We turned our guest room into a little winter retreat so visitors can snuggle in and relax.
After a year without a proper kitchen, having a fully functioning one this Thanksgiving felt especially meaningful. We did a lot of cooking and enjoyed every minute of family meals together.
There’s nowhere we’d rather be than gathered in our cozy home. We work, play, eat, and repeat — grateful for the everyday moments that make up our life.
We’re always juggling projects. While cooking Thanksgiving dinner we were also packing gift boxes for the Dwell Well Collective — a little chaotic, but fun.
Jack, our goldendoodle, was in his element on Thanksgiving. He adores the activity and commotion — he’s a true extrovert and thrives on visitors and other pets.
With friends and family around, the food spread was always generous. We love gathering around the table and sharing good meals and conversation.
We’re fans of festive drinks — my sister’s Spanish coffee has become a new tradition. I’ll try to get the recipe to share; it was delicious.
Space is often tight when everyone comes over — tables, chairs, and pups all squeezed in — but we always make room for more. That’s part of the charm.
We feel blessed for our healthy, happy family and for the many small blessings that make life rich.
My sister’s dog, Luna, stayed with us for a couple of days. She and Jack became fast friends and had a blast together.
We also had a camera crew here to film videos for my books just before Thanksgiving. I’m excited to share those when they’re finished.
Because our home doubles as a studio and workspace, rooms sometimes shift from Christmas to spring styling and back again in a single day. It can be chaotic, but I’ve learned to embrace change and go with the flow.
Case in point: Bella decided a table (on top of a backpack, no less) was the perfect spot for a nap, despite our “no dogs on the table” rule. She sat there grinning like she’d pulled off the smartest trick — dogs keep us laughing every day.
Although I prefer no TV in the living room, we set one up over Thanksgiving so everyone could play a group game called Drawful on the PS4. It’s easy to join using your phone and it made for a fun evening.
We pulled up chairs, snuggled together, and played for hours. I’m not very good at it, but it’s always about the laughs and the memories.
By the end of the day, all the dogs were happily exhausted.
And the next morning, they were ready for more adventures.
Hope you all are embracing the simple joys of the season.
You can follow along with our Instagrams:
The Inspired Room // Jack the Goldendoodle // Doodles at Home // Pure & Lovely // Kylee // Courtney