My Focus Word & 21 for 2021 List

January 1, 2021 / Cami Grace / Leave a comment

Happy New Year! I hope you all are having a wonderful start to your new year! We had a pretty quiet evening ringing in the new year. Mikey made a delicious pot roast and then we watched a movie (Despicable Me – Gryffin’s choice), and then I was in bed by 10:30. Haha, big partiers over here this year.

Ok, so on with the point of this post.

The last couple years I have thrown New Year’s resolutions out the door. They always seem like a good idea but I have never stuck to them…ever. A few years ago I heard about some people using a one word theme for their year – something they want to focus on over the course of the year.

Over the last 2-3 years I have loosely chosen a focus word for the year. I have discovered at the end of each year that it has actually held onto a theme (however, it hasn’t always matched the word I chose). So, while I am somewhat loosely choosing a focus word for this year again, this is the first time I’m making it official.

It’s “Embrace”.

I originally had chosen “joy”, but it didn’t quite encapsulate everything I hoped to accomplish, while “embrace” did. I’m taking it a step further and making it more of a phrase.

“Embrace with joy”

For me, embrace means to accept circumstances as they are, to slow down and be in the moment, to accept who I am and who God is shaping me to be, and to buckle up buttercup because this year is likely going to be a wild ride, and I want to embrace it all with open arms.

In addition to the theme word I chose for the year, I have also created a 21 for 2021 list. This idea came from Gretchen Rubin’s “Happier” podcast. I’m not exactly sure if my list is set in stone yet, but it’s definitely a good start. It’s really nice to have specific things to look forward to accomplishing throughout the year.

I plan to do a deep dive on the list and go into how I’m planning this out throughout the year. Also, I’m dividing this into sections.

So here we go….

20 for 2021 List

~ Fun for everyone

Go on a family vacation
Do something special for each holiday, including minor holidays
Make a Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter bucket list

~ Personal

Read 12 books
Start vlogging
Be prepared (I’ll definitely expand on this in my deep dive)

~ House & Home

Deep clean the whole house
Revamp bathroom
Revamp laundry room
replace the deck
Put together a recipe binder
Weekly meal prep

Mind/Body/Spirit

Take 12 social media breaks
Get a facial
Finish my 12 week devotional

Relationship/Friendships

Go on 12 dates
Say yes to invitations from friends

Fitness/Dance goals

Perfect my posture
Do the splits
Consistent clean double pirouettes
90 degree arabesque

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So, there it is! I would love to know if you have any new year’s goals or a focus word for the year! I hope you all have a wonderful year ahead.

Cheers to the New Year!

Much Love,

Cami

Currently December 2020

December 30, 2020 / Cami Grace / Leave a comment

December! We made it through the year! What a year this has been. This month was insanely, insanely busy! So busy I wasn’t sure if I was going to get this post up but I didn’t want to break my streak! I’m so thankful I managed to blog throughout the whole year.

Anyway, as previously said, this months was busy! There was picture taking, and baking, and creating, and shopping, and wrapping, and packaging, and mailing. I’m so glad to be done now! All that work paid off and we had a wonderful Christmas :). My husband had to work Christmas night, so Gryffin and I woke up and I watched as he opened his gift from Santa and his stocking (I took a video so Mikey could watch it later). I have to say, age 3, is the absolute best age for Christmas! While I know Gryffin will be excited for Christmas next year, I’m not sure he will ever be as excited as he was this year.

Here’s what else we were up to this month.

Currently Watching

Mikey and I are finally back on watching The Mandalorian! We saw there was only 6 episodes in season 2 so we are starting from the beginning to try and stretch it out.

Family movie nights have consisted of…

WonderLand – This was such a cute movie! I highly recommend. It’s on Amazon Prime.

Finding Nemo – Finally! I have been trying to get Gryffin to watch this movie for months but he just wasn’t interested. We went through a Disney advent calendar where he got to open a new book every night and one of them was a Finding Nemo Christmas. We were finally able to talk him into watching it. He has asked to watch it just about every weekend ever since.

Finding Dory

The Grinch

The Star – I love this movie! This might even be our annual Christmas Eve movie for the next couple years.

Currently Reading

Nothing aside from my Advent devotional on the YouVersion Bible App. I talked about it a little more in my last post here.

Currently Making/Baking

I went a little crazy and baked 4 different kinds of cookies this year. Why did I think this was a good idea?!?! I baked them all in a matter of 2 days. I’m not sure what I was thinking! I baked Snowball cookies, Chocolate Peppermint cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies, and Sugar cookies (which turned out looking like a train wreck, but Gryffin loved them)

Next year I’m sticking to two different kinds,1 batch each, and that’s it, haha.

Current Favorite

The quiet, peaceful, and still moments in the middle of the crazy and busiest season of all. The silent nights were comforting and also a reminder of how important it is to quiet and calm my heart and mind.

Also, watching Gryffin’s excitement probably makes it a tie. :)

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I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and here is to a much, much better 2021!

Much love to you all,

Cami

5 Ways to Get Into the Holiday Spirit…Even When You Don’t Feel Like It

December 12, 2020December 12, 2020 / Cami Grace / Leave a comment

5 Ways To Get In The Holiday Spirit…Even When You Don’t Feel Like It.

I have been having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit. I know I’m not alone here. For some this year has been extremely difficult in every way possible, and for that I am incredibly sorry and want to give you a virtual hug.

Even though things are weird this year I realized that it’s up to me to create my own happiness. All year I have fought through the “blah’s”. I refuse to allow Covid to take away my joy. Instead of focusing on what I can’t do, I’m choosing to focus on what I can do. Just because things are different doesn’t mean that it’s all bad. So, even though I haven’t been in the mood, here are 5 ways I’m getting myself into the holiday spirit.

1. Accept

First of all, it’s ok if we’re not feeling the Holiday spirit this year. Sometimes it makes it worse to ignore our feelings and pretend they aren’t there, when they very clearly are. Maybe you don’t feel like putting up Christmas lights – it’s ok. Maybe your family doesn’t have matching Christmas jammies – it’s ok (we never do!). Maybe you don’t want to bake Christmas cookies this year – it’s ok. Sometimes we just have to let go of the expectations and do what we can. I want to emphasize that last part “do what we can“. It will get better.

2. Turn Up That Music!

Sure, maybe I don’t feel like listening to music at the moment, but simply turning on the music and skipping songs until I find just the right one is exactly what I need. Bonus affect – turn on your Christmas tree lights. It definitely helps.

3. Make a Christmas/Winter Bucket List

I recently created a Fall Bucket List. I am often hesitant to do bucket lists for fear (for lack of a better word) that I will fail and not check anything off. However, the thing I’ve found about creating these lists is that it causes me to do SOMETHING, even if it’s just one or two items, instead of nothing at all. So, I keep making them!

I encourage you to get out a piece of paper and write down a minimum of 3 things you would like to do by the end of this month. It doesn’t have to be anything big or fancy, just something you think that would be fun. Ideas (which are also going on my list) would be to watch a certain holiday/Christmas movie, bake cookies – it can even be pre-made cookie dough if that seems too much, or drive around looking at Christmas lights. I don’t know about your city/town, but I’ve seen a lot more Christmas light displays this year!

4. Make a Thankful List

It’s easy to get caught up in things that are going on around you. When my feelings run away with me and I start feeling down, I like to make a list of things I’m thankful for and I start counting my blessings. I also do this when I’m feeling anxious. It really helps you see and appreciate what’s right in front of you and blessings you might not have really noticed before.

5. Read an Advent Devotional

I really enjoy Advent devotionals. It helps get my heart in the right place and helps me keep Jesus as the focus of the Christmas season. I’m reminded to calm my heart and mind and remember the reason why we celebrate.

If you download the YouVersion Bible app you can pick from a variety of plans. This is the one I am going through this season and I have really enjoyed it. There is an audio portion that gives it a special touch and I feel is really affective in calming and focusing my mind even more.

My favorite way to read my devotional is at night right before I go to bed with just the Christmas tree lights on.

I hope you know you’re not alone in this weird season of life and that maybe this list will help give you some ideas to still make it a special Christmas season.

Much Love,

Cami

P.S. I would love to know – what 3 things would you list on your holiday bucket list?

Currently November 2020

November 30, 2020 / Cami Grace / Leave a comment

Here we are on the last day of November. Between this month and last we have checked quite a few things off our Fall Bucket List. Last week we celebrated a very COVID style Thanksgiving. I was sick with a cold so it was just me, my husband Mikey, and our Gryffin. It wasn’t the first time it was just the 3 of us for Thanksgiving so it wasn’t that bad (aside from being sicky). Actually it was really nice because Mikey didn’t have to work for the first time in years!

We usually wait to put our tree up until the Saturday after Thanksgiving but we decided put our tree up Thanksgiving night. Gryffin was pretty excited about it! I’ve had a hard time getting into the holiday spirit, but since we’re the keeper of our own happiness I refuse to let my dismal feelings take control.

Anyway…here’s what else we’ve been up to.