Disco Balls and Sourdough

I have a client who finds joy and fun in her everyday mundane tasks. There is whimsy on anything in front of her. Piano? Let’s paint it pink. Kitchen? Let’s paint it a powdery baby blue! New Year’s Day is coming? Lets put some disco balls in the living room! Bring your little girl to work with you? Hurry, we must make a handmade ornament to take home as a party favor from being at her house!! Just delightful!

I guess that could be where I got the idea, deep in my brain-from the impression that my sweet client left on me, for a New Years Eve tree. I was not ready to get rid of the lights at night, that glowy ambiance.

Why does Christmas get to be the holiday of fun and magic? I want to try to find that fun moving forward, if not for my kids, for me.

How does one create a Disco Ball New Years Eve Tree TM? Simply undecorate your tree, add disco balls, maybe a hat on the top, and sit back to enjoy the new sparkle to your living room!

It was great joy to start the year off, on January 1st, reading a journal entry in my new book, that was also on January 1st. (See below about the best book series I have read in some time)

I pulled up my chair right by the fire and escaped into the late 1800’s, while enjoying my modern day luxuries of reading by my a gas fireplace and picking up my groceries that were delivered to my door. It was quite the whiplash. I would never have survived back then.

Now, to the books. I think that I was in need of a classic, or a book that was written like a classic, but easier to understand. Do you know what I mean?

Imagine, “Pride and Prejudice” meets “Enola Holmes.” This series is currently 8 books. They started a few years ago, but are just now gaining some popularity I think. The 8th book just came out. The first several books are very short, and they get longer as the series goes on. “The Unsolicited Journals of Emma M Lion” is exactly that, journal entries written chronologically by Emma M Lion, the main character. She lives near London in the late 1800s.

Beth Brower gave me the perfect escape for the beginning of the year. I BLEW through these books. There is nothing overly exciting that happens in the series, as it is just her everyday life, but it still keeps you wanting more. I loved learning more about what it was like being a woman in the 1800s, hearing poetry and classic quotes, and picturing what life used to be like. Emma is witty, hilarious, and a detailed writer. I laughed out loud, teared up, and wished that she was my real life friend!

This series is a dream. I would recommend it to anyone. It is super clean and proper. The 8th book goes into some heavier topics, but I could easily see myself reading this with older kids.

I read this on Kindle Unlimited, but I plan on purchasing the hard copies to keep and reread!

Quick note: the first book builds the scene and characters. Give it at least two books to get into the series! I promise it is worth it!

The Sheep experience their first snow storm.

Banana bread muffins-Meme’s Recipe, with snowstorm

My grandma gave me this antique shelf, and we turned it into an upstairs library spot!

Gluten Free Sourdough bread

Now, it brings me to The Snow Storm of The New Year. This is our first true snow storm with animals, and actually, the most snow that our kids have ever seen. We spent the school day on Friday researching what to do to prepare sheep and chickens for a snow storm, and put what we learned to practice. We got heated bowls to keep the water from freezing, put down extra straw bedding, filled up food containers, cleaned up the yard, etc.

It’s truly a winter wonderland, but I am ready to see it move on. Our Very Long Driveway has successfully kept us snowed in. There is no going anywhere. I have organized, literally everything. I have purged, all the things. I have baked, some of the things. I have cooked, many homemade meals. I am really craving food that someone else prepared.

It has truly been a joy to snow down. LOL I meant to say “SLOW DOWN” and that was a typo, but VERY fitting, so I am leaving it. Thank you for reading, my few friends on here. I am loving sharing a little corner of our life through this creative space. I do have to admit, I found myself on my laptop watching Tims Weather World and asking for a snow plow contact on Facebook. I see myself using it as a resource that I have to actively seek out, instead of a way to pass the time! Living and learning healthy boundaries for myself! :)

Have a wonderful snowy week, friends! Let me know if you make anything yummy or read the EML series!

<3 Em