Happy Monday! It’s time for the Weekly Wrap with HoHo Runs and Taking The Long Way Home!
If you do a weekly recap post, this is a great way to check in with other active bloggers for extra support, sharing and accountability.
We are moving and shaking through December and would you believe it? I am finally just sitting in my big, cozy chair, with some pugs and a blanket, watching Dirty John and taking a breath. Shocking, right?
Not going to lie. It feels good.
Sunday – rest
We had been planning a day at the Jaguars game for about four couples for a few months and the day had finally arrived. To be honest, I wasn’t feeling well at all, so it was hard to get out the door, but I’m glad I did. We arrived early to tailgate, and the Jags decided to show up and win the game, so we were there until the victorious end! Yay!
In the meantime, my parents very graciously took little man to the St. Augustine Moms Blog Inaugural Donuts with Santa event. I was so sad to have missed it, but the team did such a great job, and little man came home with so many cute crafts and a gorgeous Santa photo from Megan Soto Photography.
Also of note, our Elf on a Shelf returned!
Can’t wait to see what kind of shenanigans she gets into.
Monday – rest
It was a fairly quiet Monday. My main job was painting. For the time we have lived in our house, we have never really done much with the front room. It hasn’t been really furnished and we never use the space. However, we were finally getting a hand-built farmhouse table and I wanted everything to be perfect. Stay tuned for the big reveal!
Little man was extra focused in karate that night. He has his next belt test coming up and has to be on point.
Tuesday – 6.1 miles. running
I was finally starting to feel a little better and was happy to get out for a run. My legs were absolutely craving it and though it was uncomfortable, it was needed.
I was able to meet S at the school to help do some door decorating for the classrooms. Both our boys have the same (incredibly cool) teacher – we gave her some choices of door designs and this is what she liked best.
Everyone loved it, including her!
Wednesday – rest
‘Tis the season for giving, and a dear friend of ours set up an afternoon of just that. She organized a stuffing of blessing bags. All the families who came donated things like socks, gloves, ponchos, chapsticks and wipes, and then the children stuffed big ziplock bags with the donations and handmade cards.
It didn’t even take an hour to get the work done and these bags were delivered to our local homeless coalition for distribution.
Thursday – 5 miles, running
On Thursday, I ran around lunchtime, after helping out with some more decorating in the school. My miles and enthusiasm definitely suffered for it.
Little man had his final dress rehearsal for his show on Friday night and I got a glimpse of what was in store for us. I couldn’t wait.
And then it was home to see the new table! Swoon!
I changed the walls from a dark teal to this fresh gray. I finally got some of our favorite family photos hung on the wall in a fun collage. The original area rug and drapes worked just fine and I was able to get some great table decor. In time, I hope to upgrade the small sofa and coffee table in the sitting area, and am on the hunt for a great lighting fixture and upholstered chairs for the ends of the table, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. We’ve been eating dinner there each night and it changes everything!
Friday – rest
Friday was a day of errands. Christmas is coming, so there is always something to do.
That evening was our big Holiday Story Night at the school. For a part of the evening, teachers and staff would read their favorite holiday stories as students rotate through, and then it was time for the music group’s performance: How To Teach Your Reindeer To Fly.
I am probably a little biased, but this was truly one of the greatest school performances of our time. Little man is in his second year of this group, and he auditioned for a speaking role without even telling me he was doing it! He and his fellows actors and singers all did an absolutely amazing job – I was so proud of all of them!
Saturday – 4 miles, running
Not my best run, but I was pretty tired and not into it.
I finished up and hustled myself to a quick Cub Scouts leader meeting.
We had a birthday party, and then plans to see the new Grinch at the movies. It was certainly not as great as the Boris Karloff version, but we all really enjoyed it. We stayed up way too late watching Elf on the couch at home and I was very, very ready to get to bed.
See? I told you things had quieted down. It was truly lovely and well-deserved. This week will be spent painting the stairwell to match the dining room/living area, getting our Christmas tree and working on all the holiday baking and wrapping. It’s such a wonderful time and I truly love all the traditions we keep here.
How was your week in training?
What holiday traditions make you happiest?
Busy busy busy but you still make time for family and running.
I love lighting the menorah and seeing all the decorations in our town and NYC.
We used to have a tree but the kids are grown so I decorate with lots of snowmen around the house.
Decorations all around are so beautiful. I just love the lights at night. It always makes everything so cozy.
Your new dining area looks great! Enjoy! I also started watching Dirty John going to catch up on last night’s episode later tonight. Have a great week
I absolutely adore it!
So I read the Dirty John series in the LA Times, listened to the podcast while running and am now enmeshed with the show. I don’t love it as much as the articles or the podcast but it’s just a chilling and terrifying story. I can’t wait to see how they handle what happens next.
I’m in love with the door decoration you made for the teacher! Very nice!!
It got tons of compliments!
That door is awesome! And I love that you were able to donate so many bags, that’s great!
The teacher loved it!
Wow – so much going on! I absolutely love the door decor, and my kids would love it too. And I listened to Dirty John though lots of runs last year and was obsessed. I may have to check out the show. And that new table, fresh paint and new pictures look great. It reminded me that I need to get some of my favorite family prints done too so thanks 🙂
Allie recently posted…The Rundown – Dare to Be Good (Enough)
The show is nowhere near as good as the podcast and articles, but it’s still so good.
I was really excited to order new prints. We need to do family photos again but it’s always such a pain getting the guys rallied for them. It’s like I ask for one small thing… LOL!
Such a busy week for you, as usual, but I love that you were able to get in workouts and family time!
Family time is the priority, for sure!
It doesn’t sound like things have quieted down for you! But all good. Your family room looks amazing! I so want to do some redecorating here–after the holidays, hopefully, we’ll get at it. I think after living somewhere 21 years, we should get a free redo. Right?
We really have only used that front room for our Christmas tree and very rarely for anything else. Any time the issue of decorating came up, it was like, well we don’t use this room, so we could buy furniture or we could go on this trip or do this other experience. Obviously, travel and experiences won out. However, the opportunity came for this table and if we were getting it, then throwing in a fresh coat of paint and getting some decent decor going seemed like the right choice.
Next up? The floors and kitchen.
What a busy week! I love the blessing bags, such a great idea. And your house update looks great, love the table!
The table is so amazing. My friend’s dad does woodworking as a hobby and he is beyond talented. This is a solid piece of furniture that will last forever Here’s to many happy memories.
I really like your new dining area! I have to ask, what shade of gray did you paint it? I’ve been on a never-ending quest to find a gray for my bedroom.
The blessing bags are a wonderful idea.
It’s Behr “sterling”. I have the slightly darker “Anonymous” in our family room, which I love as well. They are both very true grays and look great on our walls.
I was really happy with how the blessing bag day went. The kids really got into it and I loved how generous everyone was with their time and donations.
The new dining area looks beautiful! I love the table!
Sounds like a great week with lots of family time, and plenty of miles too!
I love it, too! It’s pretty much exactly what I wanted!
Wow, I am always so impressed how you balance everything!! Kudos to you for getting it done. We have an elf that visits too…always fun to see what they are up to!
Our elf is fairly low key, I can’t keep up with the crazy stuff and I’m not into making messes that I’m ultimately going to have to clean up. It’s fun though and our little guy loves it.
I love the farmhouse table! I spent a lot of time sprucing up our house to put in on the market. It made me question why I didn’t do it before so that I could enjoy it? Christmas is all about family traditions and making memories for the kids. Your little guy will have many wonderful memories to choose from. Thanks for linking!