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Maggie Whitley Designs

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

You are here: Home / family / Maxwell’s first Christmas tree.

Maxwell’s first Christmas tree.

December 10, 2013 · 2 Comments
Filed Under: family, holidays

christmas-tree-gussy-sews

christmas-tree-gussy-sews

christmas-tree-gussy-sews

christmas-tree-gussy-sews

 

christmas-tree-gussy-sews

Over the weekend we picked out our Christmas tree, a milestone for our little family of three! Maxwell was asleep in the Jeep while we were driving to a tree farm set up within the city of Los Angeles, and I thought for sure he was going to sleep through the whole thing. But he can clearly smell excitement because he woke up right as we said, “this is the one!” I think Zack’s a little embarrassed over our tree, because it’s a bit wee compared to what we could have bought. But I think it’s perfect. It’s the right size for our little 600 square foot apartment. It’s also basically the same size as me, ha! But our ornaments look absolutely perfect hung on it’s branches, and the gold yarn garland I made (see the DIY here) is a great compliment.

This is Maxwell’s first Christmas tree… I truly can’t believe it’s already this time of year. It’s magical. Max has been changing so much these last few weeks. He is clapping on his own, he seems to understand a few phrases that we say to him, and his favorite book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear. He’s a pro at drinking water out of a regular cup, and all of Bauer’s toys are so! fascinating! oh my word. He’s also the fastest belly crawler I’ve ever seen.

I thought last year was perfect because Zack surprised me on Christmas Eve, when I arrived back to Los Angeles after a week in Michigan visiting our families, with a Christmas tree and presents under it. We weren’t going to exchange gifts last year, but he must have run into Santa while I was out of town, because he definitely stopped by our apartment. And now this year, because of an amazing year for Gussy Sews we bought our plane tickets home for a generous amount of time. AND, it’s Maxwell’s first Christmas. This year will definitely, definitely be perfect :)

PS. only one week left to shop Gussy Sews! There are still a handful of gems inside the shop, and I’d be so so grateful if we could completely sell out before December 16th. (xoxoxo)

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2 Comments
Filed Under: family, holidays

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Comments

  1. Kick says

    March 18, 2014 at 8:21 pm

    In our case, we use a lot a steamer and a inoodr grill. You can have dinner ready in less than 30 min. The veggies and potatoes in the steamer take max 15 min, and the meat (pork, beef, chicken, fish) max 20 min. You can use different spices for the meat to make it more interesting. An on top of the time, you are eating healthy. The steamer is about $25, and the grill about $30. It’s a good investment.

    Reply
  2. Febo says

    March 19, 2014 at 1:16 pm

    anonymous 2:53, good point. Usually people are obese becusae there is another serious problem, usually psychiatric. (I put on 30 pounds during my last serious bout with chronic depression. Just as you mentioned, I comforted myself with food.)Part of it may be that the word “fat” is still shrouded in the language of moral judgement. Obesity is thought to be a sign of moral weakness, when in reality it’s more likely the symptom of an underlying problem that doesn’t go away even after the obesity is cured. Drug addiction is still viewed in a similar way– people turn to drugs to compensate for a psychiatric ailment.Still, a patient is responsible for seeking proper treatment and sticking to that treatment. Part of doing this is letting a doctor or therapist know when the prescribed treatment isn’t working– or getting a second opinion.So, if I were a doctor, I would still say, “Yes, you are fat. Doesn’t make you a bad person, but your weight will kill you if you keep this up.”But if I were that obese patient, I’d have the right to respond, “Look, you’re not telling me anything I don’t already know. That’s why I came here, so I could find out how not to be fat anymore. Can you suggest something for me?”

    Reply

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ABOUT MAGGIE WHITLEY DESIGNS:
Maggie Whitley weaves her writings around joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith, and simple living. She homeschools her children, enjoys a quiet room while reading, and roars with laughter over the challenges & delights of motherhood. Maggie and her husband, along with their four young children, live in metro-Detroit. She has been writing online since 2008.
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recent posts:

  • On writing regular letters. January 19, 2021
  • The books I hope to read this year. January 12, 2021
  • Merry Christmas! Plus, adding a little warmth to my home. December 21, 2020
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  • 10 “field trips” ideas for your homeschoolers (Detroit & beyond) September 2, 2020
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JOY in motherhood & homemaking 🧺🌿💓✨

maggiewhitley
seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming the Laundry Beast (as a family of 6). Who wants the inside scoop? ✔️🧺👏🏻
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The house is quiet. The heat is on. The pages are The house is quiet. The heat is on. The pages are turning. The tea is calm. 🖤☕️🧺📖
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Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to read this year. Plus my reading goal for the year. And a few practicals ways I fit in reading as a mama of four young children & homeschooling them. Basically, all the good stuff ☺️💓📖 #maggiewhitleydotcom #readersofinstagram #read #readmorebooks
It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the fu It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the furniture as we took the tree down Tuesday midday. Def one of my fav things to do.🎄👋🏻 We made it through our first week back to school since mid-December! It was rough to begin but ended with high fives. ⭐️✏️This morning I zoomed with a mama friend and I’m impressed with the many topics we covered. Sisterhood is sooooo necessary! ☕️👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏼

Just a few cheery memories from my week! How about you?
Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activiti Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activities. I finished my last book moments before 2020 ended, which brought my started list to a close. Small joys add up to big joys ;)

What are you reading this year? Currently?

How many books are you planning to read? What’s your goal?

I’ll share what’s on my list for 2021 soon as I received some nice titles at Christmas. 📖✨🤍
We’re driving home in the dark of the winter nig We’re driving home in the dark of the winter night after a beautiful, hard & intentional couple of days working on a project ✨I’m committed to work on this this year; 2021 is already great. 🤩🤐😘
Ohhhhh, this year. Ohhhh, specifically these last Ohhhhh, this year. Ohhhh, specifically these last 3 months. I’ve had more anxiety than ever, and it’s seriously putting me on my knees in prayer —almost daily. My mind and chest aren’t unfamiliar of the attacks, but the grip it’s had on me since September has been so strong. The attacks are painful. But... Worship music has been one of my main healers. 🎶I know God is close to the broken-hearted (Psalm 34:18), and singing this truth really soothes me. Social media has been a big trigger for anxiety for me. I don’t want to “miss out on my life”, which is why I’ve hugely stepped back in posting and scrolling. 

One song in particular comes to mind:

“We step into Freedom. 
We step into all you have for us.” -Bethel Music & Jenn Johnson

There IS freedom from the anxiety attacks. For me: music, scripture, eating healthy, vitamins, rest, crying, prayer, honesty — these things help tremendously. Also getting up and MOVING when my anxiety sits on me like a boulder, that helps too. 🖤

Another soothing truth is from the end of Psalm 34:19 — “many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the lord delivers him of them all.”

Seriously. Thank you lord. Thank you for music and for rest and for the words in your book. I need them. I need You. I need Your freedom. I trust you’ll deliver me.
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We piled in the car this morning for a nature walk We piled in the car this morning for a nature walk. When I finally walked out and sat down, they shouted, “THE QUEEN! EVERYBODY CHEER FOR THE QUEEN!” (yes, they really call me that...☺️💓☺️)

I brought our basket of mittens and gloves and hats. The older two brought RC cars. Bauer the dog came along; we had a wonderful time on our walk.

The afternoon was harder, but overall the day was sandwiched between two really sweet time slots.

Bedtime tonight was wonderful. We read two chapters from our read aloud and Max lost another baby tooth.

This job I have, it really wears me down AND fills me up. It’s a constant take away AND fill up. Even when the moments feel so fitful, I know the story is rich. 

🕯🌙 Hello, sweet slumber. You’re carrying my babies away to a peaceful land. Goodnight, my children. Goodnight.

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The sound of Julia Robert’s calming voice is playing in the background of our playroom. Yesterday we finished another read aloud, Charlotte’s Web, so today my children are watching the movie. Knowing in-detail the lessons they are learning, along with reading books together, definitely adds to the joy of motherhood; the joy of teaching my children and being with them for so many hours each day. We experience so much together. Even when things feel chaotic at home, when I can’t call something by the correct name they still long to be near me and work alongside me. Tired has been a dear companion to me for the last seven years, but my children are gentle with their responses.

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This guy is my steady; my Zack. This is a latergra This guy is my steady; my Zack. This is a latergram from October, from one of our many fall adventures with the kids. We had so many fun day trips, I don’t even remember where this was taken 👏🏻⭐️. I’m gonna guess Cranbrook Gardens.
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Well kiddos, we had a great summer together! 🥳👏🏻🛴⛱🍦🤸🏼‍♀️🎨🎹🏊🏻‍♂️🧺🎠📚📺🍿🌿🌷☀️🚲

Thanks for coming along with me to the pool, nature trails, the park, hosting friends in our backyard, reading adventures, popcorn & movie night, art, planting flowers, planting a garden, bike rides, neighborhood walks, lake swimming, and supplying the ice cream truck w/ roughly $84 this summer. 

I loved our time together! 🥰🧒🏼👩🏻👧🏼🧒🏻

And the great news is this: we have autumn to enjoy together, too! 👏🏻🌾🍃🍂 so thankful.
Even if you don’t have students learning at home Even if you don’t have students learning at home, these ten “field trip” ideas will give your day a boost. 

When your mind feels foggy, step outside. When your home feels too small or too big, step outside. When the bickering is loud or your internal criticism is high, step outside. 

Give yourself (and your family) the joy of an adventure away from the home. 

🌾Visit my blog for the full post, link in profile or #maggiewhitleydotcom
It’s come to my realization there’s plenty of It’s come to my realization there’s plenty of time these days to craft a letter when I wash dishes, take my kids on a walk, or take care of our garden. All that silence, it makes my internal monologue even louder 🤣. 

Many times we are out & about in the neighborhood and I think, “oh the flowers surrounding your porch are lovely!” Or, “wow” (to the elderly man) “you have such a great smile, thanks for sharing it with us!” Wouldn’t it be great to jot that down in a card and send it through the mail as well?

We are always in need of community & kind words! 🌷💬

I remember many years ago, when nearly pregnant with another baby and our personal finances were THE PITS, my best friend came over with $500 cash. Just to bless us. She also included a personal note. Of course, I’ve always known how special personal notes are, but this card really meant so much.

And so I’ve decided as the year-end nears: wouldn’t it be nice to send a letter a week for the final 20 weeks we have left in 2020. Me thinks so 🙂. 

Community & kind words: I’m coming for you!

PS. wanna join me in sending 20 cards by Dec. 31?
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