The homeschoolers have been keeping a secret, Reader …

And maybe I’m breaking the homeschooler code by telling you this, but here it goes:

When we started homeschooling, one December day we finally cracked. We vulnerably told our seasoned homeschool friends, “Oh boy—how are you all doing this so effortlessly?”

They smiled and said, “Oh, we all take December off from school.”

Wait…that’s allowed?

Yep. You make the rules.

Here in Arizona, we want to enjoy December’s cooler days. We rest during this jam-packed season and gladly do more school in June when it’s 115° and we’re hibernating from the heat.

So if your to-do list started multiplying like unopened Amazon boxes on the porch—and you’re not totally sure what day it is anymore—same here.

Give yourself permission to take some big things off your list.

Here are 5 things I’m doing to stay grounded before things go full tinsel tornado:

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1. Set Up Your Guardrails​
What are your non-negotiables? For me, it’s the Sabbath, prayer time in the morning, and just simply practicing the presence of Jesus.

The year can speed up to an all-time high speed, but at bare minimum … those are protected moments of peace throughout the whole season.

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2. Finish Your Family Photo Project—You’re 90% There​
While you’re ordering your Christmas cards, order your photos for the wall too. You already have your favorites chosen and the photos downloaded—let’s bring this project to a close.

Simple as 1, 2, 3 … follow these steps:

1. Go through your gallery, choose the photos you want to frame, and download them
2. Order them as prints & then drop them into a Christmas card —get both checked off in one fell swoop
3. As soon as they arrive, get them framed!

Don’t put off step 3! Just finish it and enjoy your new photos all around your home.

Psst … Click HERE to grab the free checklist for printing & displaying your family photos! I walk you through it step by step—including folder organization.

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3. Get Outside & Move with Intention​
Take a slow walk. Breathe fresh air. Feel your mind come to calm. Enjoy the quiet. Get your blood pumping.

In the middle of the chaos, it’s easy to forget that fresh air and light movement is essential.

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4. Quiet the Noise​
If this gets me kicked out of the marketing club, so be it ... But your peace matters more.

I think the stat is that we see upward of 10,000 ads a day … and oh boy, I can only imagine what the number jumps to over Black Friday.

While we can’t control them all—you can delete social media, take the mail app off your phone, and unsubscribe from email lists.

… No hard feelings if that means this is where we part for the season.

Right now, I can’t think of one thing I really need. One week from now, my inbox will be bursting with emails telling me I can’t live without their products.

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5. Plan Out Your Christmas Movies​
Something about Thanksgiving being later makes it feel so much harder to fit in the holiday classics.

Sit with your calendar & pencil in what you’re watching when.

Pro tip: Last year, we decided to make it a tradition to eat pumpkin pie & watch It’s a Wonderful Life *before* Thanksgiving. Because some things (like Zuzu’s petals) shouldn’t get lost in the shuffle.

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You don't have to do this perfectly. Pick one thing and try it this week—give yourself permission to do less and enjoy it more.

Here’s to staying calm when everything else is spinning.

Off to pack my camera bag for my last 3 minis—then it’s pumpkin pie time!! 🥧

Warmly,

P.S. Christmas cards overwhelm you? I put together a little blog post & a *free* printable checklist for you to get it done quick & easy → ​

P.P.S. Apparently I’m just out here breaking all the unwritten rules today—from the homeschoolers' circle and the marketing club. Don’t tell on me. 😉

Grace's ASU Senior Photos

“When do we ever need to worry about rain in Arizona?!”

That was Grace’s and my email the week before her session. Grace’s ASU Senior photos session is going down in the books as one of the most memorable senior shoots I’ve ever had.

The morning of her session it was cold & rainy. I packed my clear umbrella and as we started driving it started POURING!! We were walking through ASU bundled in layers and rain jackets.

BUT we could see a bit of blue skies peeking out! And just in time for her session the rain stopped and the clouds started to part!!

We captured some gorgeous photos of Grace … and that is a true testament to her willingness to roll with it & sit in the occasional puddle (seriously a trooper!) And the power of professionally done hair which withstood the elements!!

​CLICK HERE to see so many more beautiful photos & hear the whole story of her unpredictable session →​

Check out Her Session on the Blog! ->

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