Life Lately
what I've been up to...
Recently I’ve shared a bit about how my parents sold their home this fall & set off to live full-time in their camper. They’ve already been soaking up the sweetest adventures on the road (you can catch my mom’s monthly recaps on our blog under the “Lifestyle” category), & I’m truly so happy for them. With no real “home base” anymore, our family gatherings — & especially the holidays — have started to look a little different.
This month I picked up Calm Christmas & a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton, & it has been such a gentle companion. The book guides you through thoughtful questions & small activities to help you uncover what you genuinely love about the Christmas season.
It has me thinking a lot about what a calm Christmas actually feels like. Not the picture-perfect version, but the meaningful one — the kind where you can breathe, slow down, & notice the little things that make the season yours.
One of the ideas from Calm Christmas & a Happy New Year that I’m loving is that we each carry our own “story” into the holidays — connection, magic, faith, heritage, abundance. & we get to choose which one(s) we want to lean into. There’s something really comforting about that, especially when life, routines, & family traditions shift in new ways.
The book has been such a gentle reminder that the holidays don’t need to look the way they’ve always looked. They can evolve with us. They can be simpler, quieter, softer. They can hold both joy & a little tenderness.
If you’re hoping to rethink how you spend the holidays — or simply want to understand yourself a little more — I can’t recommend it enough.
Here’s to celebrating the season in a way that truly nourishes your spirit — whatever that looks like this year.
Piper’s Sunday POV last week: my mom just told me Thanksgiving break is over & we have to go back to school tomorrow. send help
On the bookshelf this week!
Truly, there’s nothing cuter.
I mean come on.
BIG snugglers over here.
Another soup-er Friday!
No worries, Piper. I wasn’t watching anything anyway.
December staff goodie! These cups are darling & would be a great stocking stuffer (a pack of 2 cups for less than $4)!!
First snow of the year!!!
Piper & I went on two different therapy visits this week to local colleges to help students destress a bit before finals. I had to continue my tradition of getting a diet dr pepper for the road of course.
rice sisters 🤝🏼 jonas brothers
We grew up loving Jesse McCartney & the Jonas Brothers & seeing them live with my sisters was the ultimate dance party! Such a full circle moment & truly the best concert we’ve ever been to, hands down. Already looking forward to the next one!!
We’ve always loved going to concerts together! Can’t wait for many more!
Had to go to Sonic to try out their peppermint brownie bark shake. I personally like Braums’ peppermint ice cream better.
outfits of the week...
I’ve started to consistently share my OOTD (outfit of the day) just for fun! I’m typically able to link most pieces, but I also just share it to hopefully give a bit of inspiration & show you that you can recreate my outfits by just using pieces from your own closet.
crew is sold out.
in case you missed it...
Since I share my OOTDs throughout the week in my “Life Lately” blog posts, I figured I could compile all of them throughout the month for simplicity’s sake! Here is the post of all the outfits I wore in the month of November!
As you may have seen, I started a new weekly post where I share my Weekly Sale Finds! I’ve been sharing them daily on my Instagram stories & I figured I could compile all of them from the week into one post so that y’all can see them, too! You can click here to read that post.
Next up is my Friday fashion favs post!! Click here to read that one. It’s a goodie if I do say so myself. ;)
I am focusing on my health & wellness during 2025 with LiveGood. If you’re interested in clean, healthy, AFFORDABLE products, i would be happy to share some info with you. There is a quick, easy & FREE health assessment (linked here) that will show you what products are best for your needs & goals. + some info on how to earn some extra $$ along the way (linked here).
& if you’re not ready to commit to anything yet, that’s ok! I’m thankful you’re here regardless. & I hope you stick around for cute clothes + my health journey!
Follow me on Instagram (@simplysmalltowncounselor) or on LTK (simplysmalltowncounselor) for more outfit inspiration!
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