Tuesday, December 15, 2015

The Alder Collective Link Party #10

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Hey, y'all! Hope you're having a wonderful week as Christmas gets closer and closer. We've only got three days left of school and I couldn't be more excited for this much-needed break. If you missed it, yesterday I shared a little tour of our merry, cozy little home. You can check it out here. Also, we will be taking a break from this link party for the next two weeks (12/22 and 12/29) so that we can spend time unwinding, traveling, and making memories with those we love. We're excited to see you back again here in 2016, when the link party continues on January 5th. Thanks so much for linking up, and have a very Merry Christmas!

Currently,
Kelsie


Welcome to The Alder Collective Link Party! We're so happy you stopped by to show off your stuff. A friendly reminder before we jump into the party: make sure you're visiting at least as many posts as you're linking up. This party is no fun if you don't see traffic and comments from it. Now check out what your hosts have been up to this week:

The Alder Collective Link Party
Clockwise from left:




Each week, we'll pin every link to the Alder Collective Link Party Pinterest board, where it will be seen by thousands of people. Here are our favorite links from last week's party:

Monday, December 14, 2015

Merry and Bright Holiday Home Tour

78 comments  
I've always been a big believer in the idea that decorating a home was a process, and one that I wasn't willing to spend a ton of money on. I like to say that it's a lot like planning a wedding, except for there's no deadline: you can take as long as you'd like and dream about things for as long as you want. I've found this to be a pretty fun outlook on the process, and it also rings true when it comes to decorating for Christmas. Piece by piece, I dream and plan and pin, patiently hitting up the clearance racks and adding just a few simple pieces each year. Our house isn't flashy or straight out of a magazine, but it's cozy, merry, and homey, and that's what I love most.


So without further ado, I bring you the Currently, Kelsie 2015 Holiday Home Tour. I've had so much fun getting in the Christmas spirit, and I even enlisted the help of Aaron's grandma this year as I decorated. Shout out to you, Grandma Alice- you rock! Welcome to our home, I hope you find it to be just as festive and cozy as we do.

Just a little fun for me to look at while washing dishes.
When it comes to Christmas decor, I've found that I'm a really big fan of the traditional red and green. I love bringing in soft pops of red in pillows, fake berries, and holly. I also love finding ways to bring white and green into a room to brighten in a bit. In the past, I've gone a little overboard with all kinds of Christmas cheer that didn't really match, so this year I toned things down a bit and went for a more fluid approach, using things I mainly already had. I spent less than $20 total on all decor this year.


I fell in love with this rug from Kohl's last year at Christmas, and I knew I had to have it for its $5 clearance price. I'm a huge Christmas music lover, so it was just perfect and I love that it's the first thing that greets our guests as they enter our home and puts them into the spirit with well wishes as they leave.

The Basement


Lots of people head right into our house and down the stairs into our basement. We spend the vast majority of our time down here because the TV and sectional couch are both down here. I love our fireplace mantle and flannel stockings, and we even have a little mini-tree that some friends gave us when they moved. Our Willow Tree nativity set was the most perfect June wedding gift that I would never have thought to give. When candles are lit and Christmas music is playing, there's nowhere more comfy and merry than this basement.

flannel stockings on the fireplace
joy pillow
Joy Pillow: Joann's Clearance.
hobby lobby garland
Hobby Lobby Garland. $6 on Clearance. Love love love.
joy sign
Joy Sign: Hobby Lobby Clearance.

The Front Room


The front room already has a nice mix of black, white, and red going, so I played on that and just added little touches of green garland and pine cones around to capture the Christmas feel. We moved around our bookshelf to make room for the tree, so it's normally on the other side of the room, but I like how it turned out.

An important reminder this time of the year.
I'm not real artsy, but this is the one thing I've ever painted. I switch it out with other decor this time of the year.
I love this little Hobby Lobby clearance find from last year. He's the perfect colors and really brings some fun youthfulness to the room, which is perfect since it's also the room with the tree!


I'm a Hallmark kid, and every year my mom got me an ornament that was mine to put on the tree. Once I moved out and got married, Mom gave me all those ornaments, and boy am I thankful! All my ornaments were from the puppy collection, so now my tree is full of cute puppies and festive glittery balls from Hobby Lobby Clearance. We went with red lights on the tree this year because our multi-colored strand bit the dust. It's different from the traditional white, but it looks good with the rest of the room and I like it for this year!


I love how our star peeks up and can be seen from multiple levels.
The faint red glow of the tree in the evening just seems so right.

The Dining Room


This is one room that I simplified a bit this year when it came to decorations, because I felt like I had too many things hanging in too many different places. For the centerpiece, I went back and forth, but ended up with this for now. I love the traditional red and white, plus a different shade of green that looks great in this room. I forgot I had the holly candle holder, but it went perfectly with what I was looking for. The globe light is a Kohl's clearance that was out on our front porch. Throw a few holly stands from Hobby Lobby into a jar to finish.





I made this little ornament garland strand a few years ago out of some Target dollar store ornaments my mother in law gave me. I found a piece of green twine, looped the ends so they could be hung, and then spaced all the ornaments out. It's one of my favorite things in the whole room. Just fancy enough to look classy but still Christmasy without being over the top. And it literally cost me like $2.



Friday, December 11, 2015

Five on Friday: Holiday Cheer and Dear Friends

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I couldn't be more excited because ONE WEEK from today is the last day of finals, and then we are out for Christmas Vacation! Although finals week and the week before can get a little crazy with all the grading, reviewing, and frazzled students trying to pass last minute, having two weeks off for Christmas is definitely a major perk of being a teacher. And this week we've been pretty spirited around these parts. The thing I love most about these few crazy weeks is the time spent celebrating (and anticipating celebrating) with all sorts of my very favorite people! It's been a crazy week, so I'm keeping this pretty short, but here's what we've been up to for the last seven days (and what we're also looking forward to). Have a wonderful weekend!
Throwing it back. Clearly, I was very attractive.

Christmas Tea


I was on the planning committee for the Women's Christmas Tea at my church this year. Monday night, all of the planning and prepping came to fruition. This annual event is highly anticipated, and is always a lot of fun as women decorate tables, share yummy desserts, and spend an evening together celebrating the true meaning of Christmas and a reminder to slow down during this busy season. A few of my beautiful YoungLife girls even came along, and it was such a joy sharing the night with them.

Aren't they gorgeous!?

Catching Up


Sometimes your very best friends get married and move away after college. Sometimes you don't see them but every six months or so. And then sometimes you randomly get to see them and it's just awesome! One of my very favorite parts of this week was an impromptu reunion with one of my very favorite people. Jenn had some time off and came into town, so we got to spend all of Tuesday evening together dominating a 9 Rounds workout, enjoying a yummy meal my hubby cooked, making peanut butter balls in a surprise stop at my parents, and just talking as much as we possibly could. Having friends you can just pick right back up with is such a joy, and I think all the time we got to spend together was something that I took for granted in college.


Holiday Spirit Week


It's been a fun week at school, as kids have been collecting spare change for charity and dressing in holiday spirit gear all week. Monday was PJ day, Tuesday- Festive Attire, Wednesday- Candy Cane Day, Yesterday- Dress Nice for Santa, and today is holiday sweater day. Thanks, mom, for always lending me this beaut of a vest so I can participate in style :) Thankful that my school helps make these kind of stressful times more fun and festive. And who ever said you had to grow up and stop having fun once you got a "real job"? Lies.

Christmas Shopping


I've been cranking up the gears on Christmas shopping this week, and I've been doing a lot more of it online this year. Is anyone with me? I loved hitting up the malls over Thanksgiving break, and of course I'm always a sucker for Kohl's cash and using my coupons to get incredible steals, but I've also really been loving shopping in my sweatpants on the couch while watching Home Alone and other Christmas movies. I'm excited to hopefully finish up this weekend, and I'm trying to make some of my gifts a lot more meaningful this year. If you're looking for some meaningful ideas as well, check out this post from earlier this week!

Basketball for Days


We're excited to cheer on our high school girls basketball team tonight. They took second at state last year, and are making a run back at the title this year with "unfinished business". We weren't able to make the games earlier this week because of the tea and our last YoungLife Club of the semester (which was Christmas Sweater themed), but we are excited to go the championship game in their tournament tonight. We're also looking to become freshman bball team super-fans and hit up their games multiple nights next week (with possibly some Fatheads in tow). Pretty excited to share that time with my hubby and superfan of a friend Michelle, while also meeting and hanging out with some awesome YoungLife kiddos!
The LHS "Staffires" and also some of the members of the faculty bball team. Who says work can't be fun?
Hope you've had a great week as well! Looking forward to some big college graduations, festive holiday gift swaps, and lots and lots of holiday cheer.  Be on the lookout for a little peek into our Christmasy home next week!

Currently,
Kelsie

I'm linking up with A. Liz Adventures,  The Diary of a Real Housewife, Uniquely Unfolded, Grace and Love Blog, Grace and Truth, Running for Cupcakes, Momfessionals, and Life in Leggings.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

The Alder Collective Link Party #9

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Hey there! Can you believe Christmas is basically two weeks away? Crazy. I'm about halfway done with my shopping, and I hope to finish up this week with several ideas from my Meaningful Gift Ideas for Anyone on Your List post. Check it out if you're looking for fun, personal, and memorable gifts to round out your list! Hope you're having a great week full of Christmas movies, pretty trees, and twinkling lights. Thanks for linking up!


Welcome to The Alder Collective Link Party! We're so happy you stopped by to show off your stuff. A friendly reminder before we jump into the party: make sure you're visiting at least as many posts as you're linking up. This party is no fun if you don't see traffic and comments from it. Now check out what your hosts have been up to this week:

The Alder Collective Link Party
Clockwise from top middle:

Each week, we'll pin every link to the Alder Collective Link Party Pinterest board, where it will be seen by thousands of people. Here are our favorite links from last week's party:

Sunday, December 6, 2015

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Meaningful Gift Ideas for Anyone on Your List

103 comments  
I love giving gifts. It's one of my biggest love languages, which makes Christmas my favorite holiday ever. But as the years go by, it can be a bit of a struggle to find the perfect gift for everyone. Let's be honest, many of us are very blessed and there's not much that we truly "need" for Christmas, our birthdays, or other special events. And so, the constant dilemma: how do you give a meaningful, fun gift that won't add clutter to a home or be returned?

Here's a list of meaningful gift ideas for anyone on your list. While I've got Christmas on my mind now, these gifts could be given year round. Some of them require more time and effort than others, but they're all affordable, show a little thought, and are sure to be loved by anyone who may receive them!

meaningful gifts for anyone

1. Creative Photo Gifts

Photos are the perfect way to capture life, and what better way to celebrate someone than celebrating life with them in it? If you're like me, you've got tons and tons of pictures, but you don't always want to print all of them. Problem solved with amazing photos gifts to show them off in creative ways:  ornaments, canvases, and more. I'm loving anything photo transfer right now, like these super cute transfer ornaments from Landeelu. 


There's also my personal favorite: a photo map. If you've got lots of photos with your favorite travel buddy, you can make a big map like the one I made in the pin below. Here's how I made it. If you don't have quite so many photos, you could still find some for places you first met, a hometown, where you got married, or where you went to college- then create something cute.


2. A Heartfelt Video

This can work really well for birthdays or special events like graduations, but you could easily come up with an awesome video gift for any event. For my hubby's 25th, I made him this video with footage from 25 friends and family members who shared memories and what people love about him. (Excuse the lovey dovey beginning.) Just send a Facebook or text message out, have them send you their footage, and use iMovie to compile.


If you've got a "words of affirmation" gift recipient, then this is one of the best gifts you could ever give! Even if it's just you saying something you normally wouldn't, or maybe you can't be at a holiday event this year, videos can be the perfect way for someone to feel your presence (and they also capture your words and face, making them timeless)!

I also really love the 1 Second Every Day App. You could take video footage (one second every day), and then compile a video at the end of the year (perfect for Christmas next year) where you could show your special someone a video memory of your entire year together! Totally worth the $2.99 on iTunes. I have one from last year and I can watch all the months tick by in less than 6 minutes. Can you imagine having an entire decade on video- and you can watch it in less than an hour?

3. An Activity to Do or Enjoy Later On (Maybe Even Together)

Some of my very favorite gifts have been tickets to concerts, events, or games. These are the best because they aren't over once a holiday is over- there's still something to look forward to. I seriously will never buy myself a massage, but if someone gives me a gift certificate for one? Best day ever. Remember, these events don't have to be pricey! Board games could even count as an "activity to enjoy". I love to start my initial search with Groupon and scan the "things to do" list for our area. I mean, who wouldn't enjoy a little bubble soccer, wine tasting, or acting like a kid at an trampoline park?


4. A Surprise Night Out 

If you've got a surprise lover on your list, then you won't find a more meaningful gift than a planned night out (bonus points if you can keep where you're going a secret). My hubby and I try to do this for our birthdays and for special date nights every few months. It can be as simple as reservations at a new restaurant followed by walking around a new part of town. What means the most to those quality time lovers is the gift of uninterrupted time with you that they get to enjoy (without even having to plan it!). Here are a bunch of ideas from my most popular post ever, Why I'm Still Dating my Husband.


5. A Celebration of a Memory 

Some of our very favorite gifts are ones that take us back to a special time or a special place. They help us celebrate, commemorate, or reminisce about a happy day or a silly event. For those nostalgic gift lovers in your life, consider the gift of your own words, the memories of others, or maybe even finding something that's collecting dust and turning it into a fun way to remember something special. I love these t-shirt canvases, and they would be a super easy way to turn a bunch of t-shirts that never get worn into fun memories and home decor at the same time.


I also love these super cute coasters. What a fun way to remember and celebrate a vacation or an amazing adventure you've shared. A thoughtful gift for anyone.


You could also try something like Sue at Home did with her 40 Envelopes with 40 Memories for a 40th Birthday.

Here's hoping that this list gets you a good jump on your next gift giving opportunity. I've found that the times I've stopped and taken the time to think about and put these plans into action have led to the most wonderful gifts I've ever given. Have questions? Need help pulling one of these gifts off? Let me know.

Currently,
Kelsie

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Oh, what a week it has been. Number 5 has been particularly wonderful, but I honestly can't pick a favorite. I'll just...
Posted by Currently, Kelsie on Friday, December 4, 2015

 I'm linking up with A. Liz Adventures, Motivational Monday, Modest Mom Blog, Me, Coffee, and Jesus, What Joy is Mine, The Diary of a Real Housewife, Uniquely Unfolded, Grace and Love Blog, Grace and Truth, Running for Cupcakes, Momfessionals, Life in Leggings, Tell it to Me Tuesday, Bliss and Faith, Raising Fairies and Knights, Sweet Little Ones, Testimony Tuesday, Intentional Tuesday, The Painted Teacup, Twinkly Tuesday, Women with Intention, Quintessential Mommy, Messy Marriage, and DIY Just Cuz. 

Friday, December 4, 2015

Five on Friday: Ponchos, Pretty Lights, & a "Dumbphone"

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Oh hello there, Friday! I actually felt like this week flew by, which is not always the norm in the crazy world of teaching. Having three days off last week and thus enjoying a five day weekend probably helped the case. But I'm happy to report that the post-Thanksgiving Break blues I expected didn't show up, and it's been a fun week full of lots of celebrations, changes, and anticipation and excitement for the upcoming Christmas season. Here's what the Ks have been up to this week!

Poncho Selfies for the Win! 

1. Thanksgiving Traditions


Every year for 40 plus years, my dad's side of the family has participated in a family football game on Thanksgiving day. We all trek down to an open area of my grandpa's land that has been specifically reserved for said game. Ever since I can remember, we've rushed the quarterback and caught touchdowns in the trees, all in the name of a little family fun. There've been snowy years and years where we played in shorts. But this year was a little different. Enter the poncho game. The torrential downpour can't keep us down, friends! We may have cut the game short but we still got some plays in, all in the name of tradition and burning off some of that turkey. We also had a great time relaxing with our families, enjoying a meal, and spending the Saturday after Thanksgiving shopping and getting a head start on our Christmas shopping!

2. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas


Aaron was an absolute champ this year and he surprised me by buying all new LED lights and getting them up on our house the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (which turned out to be a fabulous decision because it rained the next three days and got super cold). I love having our lights on to welcome me home from various nights out. Aaron's Grandma took us to breakfast that morning and then proceeded to help me "Christmas-fy" our house all day. I love love love decorating for Christmas, and I tried a few new things this year. I'm a big believer on not spending much, using what I have, and then purchasing a few small new things each year from Hobby Lobby (on clearance) to round things out. I think I'll have a house tour up soon (along with the new dining room updates!).

Thanks, Aaron, for not dying while you crawled up to the top of our roof to hang lights. The things we do for love.

3. New Hair


If you know me well, you know that I only cut my hair about twice a year. So when I do go get a cut, I want to get my money's worth. I pretty much always cut off four or five inches, get my layers put back in, and that's about it. But this time around, I decided I was ready for something a little different. I wasn't quite gutsy enough to go shorter than my shoulders, but let's just say that I have significantly less hair than I did a few days ago. It feels so much lighter, and I'm loving learning how to style it a little differently. Thankfully, my hair likes to be wavy when drying so I don't have to do much with it if I don't want to. I don't have a picture of me with the new do yet, but this was my photo inspiration (so think this but just a little longer).


4. Blogging Changes


As you may or may not have seen, I just recently opened up the Moments section of the blog to all interested contributors. I started dreaming of guest posts last January when the blog started, but wanted to decide a good name for them, if I wanted them on a certain day, and how frequently I wanted them. Aaron helped come up with the name moments, and it started up in July. We've had some really awesome contributors already, but then I sort of got caught up in the crazy world of life and fell off of asking people and giving them actual deadlines. So I've decided to gear up and focus on building that section of the blog a little bit. At the heart of the blog, I'm hoping to provide a place for real, honest conversation- one full of laughter, wisdom, and reflection. In the spirit of this vision, I hope to share not only my own voice and ideas on loving, learning, and living fully, but also the voices of others. If this sounds like something you're interested in, you should check out this contact form and contribute. I can't wait to see what you beautiful people come up with!


5. Social Media Break 


My smartphone has become more of a "dumb phone" recently, as I removed all forms of social media from it. This change is a result of my desire to slow down, waste less time on social media, and to be more present with those I'm really with (which I shared more about in this post). I still tinker with social media here and there on my laptop, but I have been amazed by the results in only one week. At first it was really weird to not be able to Instagram something fun that was happening (like the Thanksgiving poncho game), or to wake up and have no Facebook to check. But you know what? It has actually been really freeing. I'm taking photos to remember the moment for myself, and not to broadcast it to others (though I do love me some Instagram, and you can totally follow me here- just probably after Christmas ha). I also find myself being more engaged in conversation, being more intentional, and honestly just feeling less stressed and less overwhelmed.

Looking a little social media lonely around here.
I can't wait to keep you posted on things as the weeks progress! Looks like it's going to be a beautiful weekend here in KC. We've got several fun Christmas events and wedding showers this weekend, along with the time I plan to spend watching Christmas movies and getting some Christmas cards ready. Did I mention I love this time of the year? Happy Friday, folks!

Currently,
Kelsie

Have you liked Currently, Kelsie on Facebook yet? I'd love to have you join our community and get notifications of all the recent posts, silly photos, and posts of other amazing bloggers that inspire me! 

I'm linking up with A. Liz Adventures, Motivational Monday, Modest Mom Blog, Me, Coffee, and Jesus, What Joy is Mine, The Diary of a Real Housewife, Uniquely Unfolded, Grace and Love Blog, Grace and Truth, Running for Cupcakes, Momfessionals, Life in Leggings, Tell it to Me Tuesday, Bliss and Faith, Sweet Little Ones, Testimony Tuesday, Intentional Tuesday, The Painted Teacup, Twinkly Tuesday, Women with Intention, Messy Marriage, and DIY Just Cuz. 

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

The Alder Collective Link Party #8

14 comments  
And we're back, friends! I hope you had a really wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. It's been really rainy around here, but we managed to get Christmas lights and decorations up, I bought and wrapped presents, and I even painted our dining room. I also had a great time dreaming of Greece this summer and reminiscing on Florence yesterday. If you ever hope to make it there, you should check out this post. Thanks for joining us this week!

Currently,
Kelsie


  Welcome to The Alder Collective Link Party! We're so happy you stopped by to show off your stuff. A friendly reminder before we jump into the party: make sure you're visiting at least as many posts as you're linking up. This party is no fun if you don't see traffic and comments from it. Now check out what your hosts have been up to this week:
Week 8
Clockwise from top middle:

Each week, we'll pin every link to the Alder Collective Link Party Pinterest board, where it will be seen by thousands of people. Here are our favorite links from last week's party: