Greetings, friends! It’s been a while since I shared some phone and Instagram snapshots in a Life Lately post, so today I’m catching up and inviting you into our home with a few behind-the-scenes photos.
We had family here over Thanksgiving, so life has been full and wonderfully chaotic. With work, projects, family members and several family pups all under one roof, it gets lively — and we’re loving every minute of it.
That mixture of joyful chaos and togetherness is what home and the holidays are all about.
This season is the perfect time to set aside stress and simply enjoy the moments. When I start to feel overwhelmed or Scrooge-like, I try to imagine Christmas through a child’s eyes. Don’t overthink it — a tiny tree on the counter with twinkling lights may not be strictly practical, but that’s part of the magic.
My husband teases me about all the furry blankets scattered through the house, but they make everything feel snug and cozy. This is our guest room — a little winter retreat for visitors to enjoy.
We’re doing a lot more cooking now that our kitchen is fully functioning again. Last year we didn’t have a kitchen for Thanksgiving, so being able to prepare a full meal this year felt especially meaningful.
There’s nowhere we’d rather be than gathered together in our cozy home.
We feel blessed to spend so much time together — working, playing, eating and repeating. This is our life, and we’re grateful for it.
Projects are always in various stages around here. While cooking Thanksgiving dinner, we were also packing gift boxes for the Dwell Well Collective — a little bit of celebration and a bit of work happening at the same time.
Jack was in his element on Thanksgiving — he loves the hustle, bustle and company of people and other pets. He’s a true extrovert and thrives on the activity.
With friends and family around there’s always plenty of good food and lively conversation.
We’re also fans of festive drinks. My sister makes a special Spanish coffee that has become a holiday tradition — I’ll try to get the recipe because it was delicious.
Even when we have to squeeze in extra tables, chairs and pups, we always make room for more company and more memories.
We count our blessings every day and feel grateful for a happy, healthy family.
This furry friend is my sister’s dog Luna — she stayed with us for a couple of days and the two pups got along great. Jack and Luna are good buds.
Just before Thanksgiving a camera crew visited to film videos for my books. I’m excited to share them once they’re finished.
Our home doubles as a studio and a workspace, so rooms often shift from Christmas décor to spring or winter setups in a single day. It can feel chaotic, but I’ve learned to embrace change and go with the flow.
Speaking of going with the flow, Bella decided a table (on top of a backpack, no less) was the perfect place to curl up — despite our unofficial “no dogs on the table” rule. Her proud, naughty smile made it clear she knew exactly what she was doing. Dogs bring so much laughter to our home every day.
I also prefer no TV in the living room, but over Thanksgiving we set one up in the main room so everyone could play a group game called Drawful on the PS4 — you play with your phones and it’s a great way to gather together.
We pulled up chairs, got cozy and played for hours. I’m not very good at it, but the laughter and togetherness made it worth it.
By the end of each day the dogs were happily exhausted.
But the next morning they were ready for more adventures.
Hope you’re embracing the simple joys each season brings.
You can follow along with our Instagrams:
The Inspired Room // Jack the Goldendoodle // Doodles at Home // Pure & Lovely // Kylee // Courtney
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