On the outside you may see a girl who loves creating a special holiday or a cozy interior and spends too much time scheming up new ideas on Pinterest. I feel like I’m always wanting to do something more special then the years before when it comes to holidays and birthdays as my way of showing how much I care. I want everyone to feel celebrated, adored and comfortable whether its for a special occasion or in my home.

Christmas in our home has been so fun; especially with the little ones! One year we had a teeny tiny tree and another year we had two full trees that almost reached the ceiling. We’ve done holiday parties and girls crafting nights to an adorable theme. We have our yearly Christmas Eve Eve party with our kids and their aunties Fiona and Kristen. We have matching pyjamas and drink hot cocoa while listening to some Christmas tunes and enjoying the festivities.

All the kids come down the stairs on Christmas morning to linen sacks filled with wrapped presents. Santa arrived and filled their stockings and the magic of the holidays hangs in the air. A pancake, egg and sausage breakfast is made while everyone plays with their new toys… and mom and dad fuel up on coffee!

Pinch me, because this life doesn’t feel real sometimes.

It wasn’t always this way. When I was little we didn’t have Christmas decorations by the plenty. My sisters and I would pop popcorn and string it by needle and thread to make a very long garland. We’d wrap it around the bare tree and hang it like swag around our home. We didn’t have much money for presents so I’d ask my sisters; “what should I give you?”. My sweet sisters told me to find things around the house that I think they would like and wrap them. They acted surprised on Christmas morning when they opened their already used Celine Dion CD and baseball cap. We didn’t have big breakfasts and brunch feasts, but we celebrated the best we could.

Even when Nick and I first got married, we were still finding our footing. Budgets were tight and we definitely couldn’t spend money on new holiday decor. I ended up buying a used Christmas tree from the thrift store and finding a big bag of ornaments for $2. I painted the bulbs and repurposed a lot to make it a cozy first Christmas.

Today you may see Pinterest- inspired decor and crafting ideas, but that was born from a love of making the holidays special regardless of what we had or didnt have. I began with humble holidays and to this day am so thankful for the ways we can come together as a family and celebrate the season.

Wherever you are this season, remember it’s not what you have, but its who you’re with, who you love and always, self love for how far you’ve already come.

I wish you warmth and comfort this season.