What Have I Been Up To?

March 28, 2024April 10, 2024Leave a comment

Hello, dear reader. I hope you have been doing well, and your March has been wonderful!

I know the blog has been kind of quiet lately.

To be honest, it has felt good. I love to write, but I’ve been at a loss since I mentioned that my faith has changed in December, as far as this blog goes. I didn’t realize just how draining the negativity I received after writing that post would be. I want to live a life of positivity, light, and love. So that is what I’ve been doing lately, and I thought I would share some of my month with you today.

Spring has warmed up our little homestead, and it is just glorious. I like to take some time outside each day, walking amongst the trees on our property. It is so life giving. Lately, my children and I have been indentifying wildflowers that have emerged, and we are also making garden (and fairy garden) plans. Such a fun way to spend our time.

I’ve been digging into my aromatherapy studies, and I am officially 85% finished with a Level 1 Certification with The School of Aromatic Studies. Hooray! I became certified in French Aromatherapy with this school in 2017. I have spent a lot of my time studying and formulating lately. My skin care routine is now almost entirely homemade. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. Perhaps I will share some of my recipes with you soon. My favorite formulation at the moment is a salve made with calendula herbal oil and wild grown lavender from France. I grew the calendula myself, and I am hoping that I will be able to grow and harvest this sweet herb again this year.

Our homeschool studies have almost come to a close for the year. I have a senior, and at the moment she is hoping to study herbalism upon graduation. How fun! She has always been a little gardener, from the time she was seven years old.

My husband and I celebrated our 19th anniversary on the 19th (which I thought was neat), and we spent two nights away at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, GA. Oh, it was so nice! Our cottage was near enough the waterfalls that we could hear them. We hiked a ton. On the night we arrived, we walked to both Cherokee and Hemlock Falls, and conquered the 600 steps it took to reach them. The next day, we walked a nearly 5 mile rim trail, and the views were magnificent. On the morning we left, we hiked to Cherokee Falls one last time.

We also ate at a Mexican restaurant, Cracker Barrel, and Logan’s Roadhouse. We can’t forget about that!

It was so nice, but by the second night I missed my children so much. I was so happy to get back home to them!

Home is definitely my favorite place. I’m so excited that it’s spring, and is almost planting time!

Thank you so much for stopping by today, friends. I hope your day is full of love and light!

Blessings, Nicole

Monday Home Blessings

March 11, 2024March 7, 2024Leave a comment

Hello friends, and welcome.

What a lovely month it has been so far! The ground is warming around our home, and so many green things are poking their heads above the ground. Birds are chirping, and life just feels almost magical.

I love this life of mine. To be able to stay at home most days is the sweetest blessing, and I enjoy it so much.

While it might not be right for everyone, I personally love centering my life around my home and family. My house feels like a safe little cocoon, and it is so much fun caring for and beautifying it.

I picture it as a little cottage tucked into the forest. I enjoy thinking about how I can make it a better place for all who enter.

Our homes are usually the centers of life for our families. We can make it warm, cheerful, and lovely.

At the moment, I am battling a cold and am feeling a little tired. I am comforted by being here. I’ve got blankets, and books, and my laptop. I can write while hearing my children talk about their current adventures in the next room.

Could there be a more beautiful life? Not for me.

Friends, I really think we should try to value where we are and what we have. So much time is lost when we complain and worry. If you are going through a tough time, I fully believe a beautiful story is being written for you in the background. Don’t be afraid to trust that your experience in this world is impacting those around you in a positive way. You, your people, and your home matters!

My heart is so happy today, and I hope that yours is, too.

Thanks for stopping by. May your day be blessed!

Live Simply For Your Own Sake

March 7, 2024February 27, 20242 Comments

Hello friends, and welcome. I hope you’ve had a lovely March so far!

Spring is sneaking up on me, and I am just so excited. Each season brings such beauty and wonder to our world.

I’ve been enjoying a lot of family time and writing on my new blog about life and spirituality. Garden plans are in the works, and I can’t wait to see how my plants look this year. This will be the fourth spring at our property, and each year the landscape changes, bit by bit.

Anyhow, onto some stoic encouragement from Epictitus!

“Don’t be puffed up with pride if you are able to provide for your needs with very little cost. The first task of the person who wishes to live wisely is to free himself or herself from the confines of self-absorption.

Consider how much more frugal the poor are than we, how much better they forebear hardship. If you want to develop your ability to live simply, do it for yourself, do it quietly, and don’t do it to impress others.”

Such wisdom can be found in living a frugal life. But of course, it is best not to be proud if we’ve discovered how to do so. I think there are many blessings to be found in living simply. Sometimes we forget this in our consumeristic culture.

Slowing down and spending our money wisely can definitely help us stay focused on the most important things in life.

Thank you so much for stopping by today, friends!