Pines to Palms. Co

Best Things in Life…

ARE FREE! What a simple truth to keep with us in the upcoming months!

The gift guides, sales, and deals… they’ll all be pouring in soon enough. I’ll be passing on things that I love too. Giving, buying, researching… I get the fun in all of it. But… let’s just keep things in perspective.

Let’s not exhaust ourselves doing things that are kinda important and miss out on the things that are REALLY important.

My Holiday Reset is a brand new resource that can help you sort it all out! I hope it blesses you and gets you started in the right direction this year!

Go check out the link in my bio.

I don’t know about you…

but I want to do things differently this year. I love this season! (Christmas tree is coming out this weekend! 🙂. But before I know it, I’m harried and overwhelmed because I’m:

🗓️Filling up our calendars

📝Pouring over wishlists

🧑‍🍳 Researching recipes

🚗 Planning outings

📷 Trying to capture every moment

and more! Whew! Craziness right?

If you resonate with ANY of this, I’m super excited to share the launch of my 7 day Holiday RESET.

Through email, you’ll be guided through 7 days of simple reflection to help you get clear on your values and your non-negotiables. Before we start saying YES to everything, let’s get absolutely clear about what we want and what we can do.

Best part? It’s free and you can start anytime. It’s November 1st, you can start today!

Sign up through this link:

https://pinestopalmsco.myflodesk.com/gsbjb8u7wf

PS. Photos from one of my favorite places, Seabrook, WA.

I don’t want to just go through the motions this year.

Nov 1st is just 2 days away and then we’re officially in the holiday season!

I’ve been bracing myself this past week…. Like the moments on a roller coaster and you hear click, click, click as you make your up to the top of the ride. Hang on! Here we go!

I’ve been putting a lot of thought into how I want the holidays to be this year. For me, for the kids and our entire family.

What do I REALLY want this season to be about?
What do I REALLy want to do?
What do I REALLY want them to remember?

I’m working on something easy, meaningful and practical to help all of us get intentional about the next 2 months. I’ll be sharing more tomorrow! Check back!

How are you feeling about the upcoming holidays? Post an emoji below!

This is my goal. This is how I want to live.

Over the past year, I’ve been purging and slowly changing my habits. No more impulsive Target Dollar spot purchases or bargains I can’t resist and I haven’t missed a thing.

I want my home to be more like a sanctuary, rather than a warehouse.

Would you want your home to feel more like this too?

Follow along for more home inspiration like this. 🤍

STOP living busy and START living full!

I’ve grown to really dislike the word busy and try to use it less and less. We live in a culture that glorifies busyness. Always having something to do or somewhere to go gives us a feeling of significance.

But if I’m honest, busyness… doesn’t feel good at all. It make me feel tense, stressed, impatient and I get triggered by the smallest things. It definitely does not bring out the best in me.

Now fullness… can look the same from the outside, but feels completely different on the inside. I feel thankful, joyful, playful and have room for life’s unplanned moments.

Learning the difference between busy and full has made a world of difference in my attitude and has helped to choose and prioritize better. Some weeks we have to be busy, but my goal is to cultivate fullness and patience. I don’t want to be always looking for the shortest line, the fastest shortcut, and feeling annoyed the second I have to wait for something.

Where are you? Are you in a season that’s busy or full? Did you realize they is actually a difference?

If you want to move toward fullness…. check out my free Weekly Reset. I made it for myself and it’s a great tool that will help you organize your must dos and make room for your get tos.

Go to the link in my bio and get it sent to your inbox ! ⬆️

It’s been quieter here than normal…

I’ve been resetting. September is all about downshifting from summer and cruising into fall and the end of the year. How do we do that well? Getting back to your main things…Simplify.

When we show down enough to take inventory and remind ourselves of what we really want.. an amazing thing happens… PEACE! Freedom from needing to do it all!

We can all do a few things REALLY well!

I went through my photos looking for sunrise/sunset photos… I love that I’ve captured so many, it’s almost ridiculous. But THAT is what truly makes my heart full… making the smallest moments big and significant. Simple. Uncomplicated.

Leave a heart if you’re ready to downshift into FALL! 🍂🍁❤️

Check out my latest blog post. All about our entry!

Entryway Inspiration and Sources Learn how to create an easy entryway that is practical and reflects you and your family

I’m asked this question a lot, “How do you do it with 6 kids?”

I never really know how to answer this question. It’s simple, but layered at the same time.

For me, my faith is my foundation and then it’s truly being clear on what is important. Remember, that book, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff”?

I really don’t spin that many plates… our life is pretty simple. My important plates this season are: building faith and character in my kids, creating family memories, having a peaceful/ life-giving home, and pouring into myself so I can pour into others.

Last night, we ate a simple dinner @ 8, had a quick chat over dinner, talked with the kids about chores, left the sink dirty and I fell asleep before the big kids went to sleep.

Every season is different. Some seasons… 1 or 2 plates is all we can handle. We gotta just give those 1-2 plates everything we’ve got!

It really doesn’t matter what age or season you’re in, choose your plates!

What are the important plates for you this season? Share ⬇️. I’d love to hear! 🤍

Life Update part 3:

With every season, I know I can only do a few things well. This year, we have kids at every level - preschool, elementary, middle and high school! I homeschool our little 3 and our big 3 go to private school.

Totally nuts and a total joy! Seriously. not in a sugar coated way, but in an authentic, hard, but beautiful way. I have to pinch myself when I think about the fullness of this season. Trust me, I lose it. I come back. I ask for forgiveness and I try again. Rinse and repeat.

Here are my big rocks this year that have helped me create a rhythm that I’m really loving.

1. Saying no wisely, so I can say yes joyfully ☺️
2. Exercising regularly. Shooting for strong & healthy 💪
3. Editing my home so that we are living at 75% capacity. 🏠
4. Giving generously and holding things loosely 💝
5. Resting well. 😴
6. Know the difference between busy and full. ☺️

If any of these resonate with you, tap the heart and follow along!

Life Update Part 1:

Hey gang! Summer 2023 is done and I’m excited to get started with our 2023/2024 school year. Taking some time off online the last couple of weeks was so good. I hope you regularly take time off too. It’s so healthy. ☀️

A few things behind the scenes here:

August tends to be a transition month. Honestly, it can be a hectic and tense month. Planning, prepping and organizing for the school year can be a lot. But once, I get my bearings.. I’m ready to go! 🤓

Beginning of the school year energizes me! My rhythm, my clock, my mind tends to run better thinking September - June. 📆

This year… our youngest is heading into preschool and our oldest is a senior! We have both ends of the spectrum and 4 more filling in the middle. Crazy! 🚌

How are you transitioning into this school year? What seasons are you in? Share below! I’d love to hear! ⬇️🤍

Life Update Part 1:

Hey gang! Summer 2023 is done and I’m excited to get started with our 2023/2024 school year. Taking some time off online the last couple of weeks was so good. I hope you regularly take time off too. It’s so healthy. ☀️

A few things behind the scenes here:

August tends to be a transition month. Honestly, it can be a hectic and tense month. Planning, prepping and organizing for the school year can be a lot. But once, I get my bearings.. I’m ready to go! 🤓

Beginning of the school year energizes me! My rhythm, my clock, my mind tends to run better thinking September - June. 📆

This year… our youngest is heading into preschool and our oldest is a senior! We have both ends of the spectrum and 4 more filling in the middle. Crazy! 🚌

How are you transitioning into this school year? What season are you in? Share below! ⬇️. I’d love to hear! 🤍

Keeping it simple today.

Sharing an OOTD from this weekend. Wore this to farmers market and church. Trying something new and embracing wide leg denim. These one are from . They’re fun!

*mom reminder* get dressed, spend a few extra minute to put yourself together, you always feel better!

HA21!

Haha… we’ve been doing this a little while now. We told each other “HA21!” this morning and carried on with our day…and it’s all good!

Our best and biggest adventure started today, 21 years ago. Our story is simple.

Met at church in our 20s, were friends first and when timing was right, he gave me a wink, chased me down and was married 2 years later.

Like all of you, we’ve gone through ups and downs. We are sustained by our pursuit of Jesus and our unending gratitude for God’s faithful hand in our lives.

So… who got the better deal?! HA! Depends on who you ask. 😉

It’s time for a mid-year, mid-summer check in! How are you doing? REALLY doing? 😊

I talk a lot about slowing down and taking the time to look where you are at.

Get intentional.

Where are you right now?
Where do you want to be this year?

No one else can do this for us. Our loud, fast & distracted world is not going to slow down. We need to.

I loved the book, Atomic Habits. The message has stuck with me. Micro changes, micro habits can really create big change!

If you haven’t checked in with yourself friends… do it today!

Check out my favorite things from our travels this month. Everything is linked on the blog.

➡️ www.pinestopalms.co/blog

Not throwing anyone under the bus or anything just gonna share the facts and have a laugh. 😆

When we go on a family trip, we’re going into it with VERY different mental loads. Carey works incredibly hard and is the spark and spontaneity in our family. Me… I keep the ship running. We make a good team and we traveling our crew!

By the time we get on the plane, you’ll find him watching movies and I’ll be FAST asleep!

How does this play out in your family?

5 Things I’ve Realized Since Being Back
from Vacation.

1. We really have too much stuff!! We came home with more than we left. We didn’t go crazy, but all the little things add up. Living from a suitcase the last few weeks reminded me just how little we really need. Got some purging to do before school starts!

2. I really do love adventuring with my crew. We are all different and it can be challenge wrangling everyone, but shared experiences really fills me up.

3. I am inspired when I am out and about… in can be in nature or in the city. I love window shopping and can find inspiration anywhere. I can find ways to do this more at home too.

4. Slow and steady is my game. One big activity a day is really my speed. Knowing my pace and rhythms help me to feel less scattered and overwhelmed.

5. I feel best when I’m feeding my body well and moving to get strong. Our trip was amazing, but I wasn’t moving and feeding my body well. It’s time to get back to it!

How is the pace of your summer? What are you learning?

Summer adventures are the best!

Friends… don’t let budget or distance decide how you make memories.

Just BE where your people are, distraction free. Our time and attention is free and such a gift.

This summer has been all about discovering new places, appreciating God’s creations, pursuing passions and cheering each other on.

From ships to planes, from parks to courts and competitions, we’ve crossed paths with some amazing people. We try to lead with kindness and hope we’ve been a light wherever we are.

We had a great time on a family cruise to Alaska last week. We ate, learned, adventured, made new friends, talked to strangers, and of course, ate some more. 😄

There are so many reasons why I think adventuring as a family is important and why we make it a priority. I’m working on a longer post to share more.

But for now, one of the top reasons is that it makes us feel small. It love how it gives us perspective on our place in this world and it reawakens our sense of awe and wonder.

Awe and wonder… so easily forgotten, don’t you think we could all have more of it?

We’re in the midst of summer travel and I’m super grateful to be able to do the things we do.

I wanted to write a post of encouragement as summer starts and our feeds begin to get filled with everyone’s amazing summer highlight reels. It’s so easy to compare and all of a sudden feel less than and left behind. I’m not immune to it either!

But be encouraged, summer magic is not made by the places or price tags. Just ask your kids or think back to what you remember most.

With a small perspective shift, I hope you realize you have everything you need, right where you are. Lacking in nothing.

Have a great summer friends!

Happy Friday! Today’s Round Up is a simple mix of what I’m loving and what I’ve added to my cart this month!

Let me know what you’re enjoying this month!

May you have a beautiful kick off to your summer! 🌸

HOLD UP! WAIT A MINUTE!

I had to take a moment to gather myself last week. Let me know if you can relate!

FIRST DAY OF SUMMER:

ME: Summer is going to be great! I can’t wait to relax and make amazing memories with the family! 😎☀️📸

KIDS: I just want to stay up late, sleep in, hang with my friends, eat, watch movies, chill on my phone 😄📱🍿

1 WEEK LATER:

ME: Where is everyone?! 😡 All I’m doing is cleaning, feeding, shuttling all of you! I’m exhausted! 😤

I needed this reminder and maybe you do too.

Summer is for EVERYONE! Don’t play the martyr. Speak up, set expectations, and make sure mom gets some play time too!

Today’s round up is all about Summer Family Fun!

With our big family, I am always looking for games that:

1. Are easy to learn
2. Are inclusive of all ages
3. Can still be played even when a piece goes missing! 😆

Check out the blog today! ➡️ https://pinestopalms.co/family/summer-family-fun-ideas/

Let me know one of your favorite family games!

pc:

This is me at 47

I turned 47 a couple of months ago. Like many of you, I had NO idea what life at this stage would look like. But it’s been good! Life in my 30s was all about babies and building a life. We had no idea what we were doing… we hustled, survived and had many laughs along the way… just putting one foot in front of the other. It even carried over into my early 40s, I was blessed with our last little guy at 43!

47 has been good. I feel a peace and clarity that comes with experience and perspective. You wouldn’t necessarily tell by looking at us… life has not slowed down, still sifting through the world’s ridiculous expectations. But I know what it feels like to be harried, rushed and survive life in a blur. I don’t want to run that race anymore.

Now, I unapologetically choose slow and less. I’m not missing out. I don’t need to do it all. I don’t feel bad for needing rest. I allow myself space. I know what is important and what is not. I’ve seen how quickly the years pass and I just want to be here for all of it… physically and emotionally.

47… 20 years of marriage down, 18 years of changing diapers and too many stories and adventures to count in between. Everyday I get a front row seat… I get to see life through the eyes of a 4 year old and a 17 year old.

This is 47. This is fun!

It’s time to celebrate all the fathers in a couple of weeks! I polled friends and family for round up ideas this week.

Check out my favorites! ➡️

Happy Friday! It’s Round Up Time!

This week I’m talking gift giving essentials. Truth be told, I’m a last minute, work best under pressure kind of gal, but I’m really trying to get better. It’s too stressful!!

This time of year, I feel like we’re doing a lot of gift giving with teacher gifts, grad gifts and now thinking about Father’s Day and summer birthdays!

I now have a basket of all my packaging favorites… ready to go! Bags, boxes, fillers, ribbon, tags and labels. Best thing is… they can be personalized and work for ALL occasions! No more last minute trips to the store!

Take a peek! ➡️
Hope get some inspiration!

Drop a ❤️ if you’re enjoying these round ups!

I’m just a girl who loves beautiful things. Being a mom hasn’t changed that and I don’t believe it has to.

I love sharing my favorite things. Check out my round ups every Friday over on the blog, www.pinestopalms.co

A new round is posted every Friday. All links are in the post.

This week… sharing my summer favorites from Aerie. 👙

Be inspired. Make a wishlist. Live beautifully! 🌼

POST HOLIDAY RECOVERY

I love holidays. I love traditions. I love the magic of making memories.

BUT… all of it takes work, time and energy.
Despite what we see on all the socials! It can be exhausting!

I used to be a grit my teeth and get things done kind of gal, all the while allowing resentment to build up. It’s not healthy. Anyone else? Let’s do this better!

Friends, we don’t need to do it all. Read on to learn 3 ways I try to recover WELL from the holidays.

I love home and I love all things that go into a home. I’m far from a minimalist, so I came up the word “intentionalist”.

As an intentionalist, I want a home that has meaning, that tells the story of the people who live there AND that has space to create more stories.

Simply, it’s all about keeping just the very best and letting go of the rest.

It’s a mindset, not a project. It’s ongoing, not a one time thing.

It’s not easy and can be overwhelming. But that’s why I’m here! Inspiring and helping you to love your space.

SPRING CLEANING 2023

Ok friends! Let’s do this together. This spring!

Enjoy your home more this summer by getting rid of the things you don’t need so you can enjoy more of the things you want. ❤️

Tap through to get all the details. ➡️

Leave a comment ⬇️ and I’ll send you our schedule!

Starts in 1 week! DM me to join! 🌸

SUNDAY

Yesterday was a unicorn of a day…. we had absolutely nothing on our schedule!! Our Sabbath Sunday was such a blessing.

This is what it looked like:

Early morning yoga class
Farmers Market
Washed tons of bedding
Went to the park
FINALLY assembled the trampoline (xmas gift)
Watched a movie
Went out to dinner
Helped with HW
Reset for the week

There was space for everyone and filled all of us up! It was full, but we finished the day feeling content, not exhausted and empty.

So just a reminder for me and maybe for you.

Create and protect a day of rest.

It gives us space for us to say YES when we would normally say No.

LIVING LIGHTER

I dropped off a meal and a card for a friend who just had another baby and wanted to give her some words of encouragement. Of course, like in so many things… I could use the same encouragement and reminder myself.

I said something along the lines of…

Keep your To do list short
Mother from a place of rest
Let God do the rest

Changing my mindset to hustling less and resting more has given me so much more joy and peace this year. I want to mother with the long game in mind.

Life feeling heavy these days? Maybe you’re ready for a change too. Give this a try!

In this together! 😊

LIFE UPDATE PART 2: WHAT GETS TO SHINE RIGHT NOW

Like I said yesterday, we’re coming out of a super full season. I survived it and truly found joy in it. I didn’t find any supermom power. Nope, it’s the exact opposite.

I’ve stopped trying to do it all!

No one can do it all. Here’s what I’ve chosen to put centerstage and what I’ve chosen to put in the background, for now.

Centerstage stuff: (It gets to shine now)

• Getting the kids to where they need to be. It can be exhausting, but we’re really so thankful for what they get to do.

• Homework help. My older 3 kids, “the bigs”, have adjusted well to private school after years of homeschooling. We are super proud of how hard they are working.

• Playing and getting out with the little ones. Our 3 younger ones, “our littles”, are growing up fast. I try to say yes as often as I can to their requests to go to the park and play.

• Making time for me and the hubs. 2022 was so full of hustle. This time last year, my husband had just left his job to pursue his own business. He loves it, but it requires working incredibly long hours. It took a toll on both of us. This year, when it comes to making quality time for us, we say yes as often as we can.

Background stuff: (It will shine later)

• Writing and creating content. Creating content takes hours. The thinking, the planning, the writing, the photography, the editing, the linking… I love it but it take a huge chunk of time. It will be coming back soon.

• House projects. Many of my shelves have been completely bare since taking down our Christmas decor. I also have new shelves that I are just waiting to be put up. Not to mention gardening!

• Home care. Mostly laundry and dishes. It just never stops coming!!! 😆 We’ve been on survival mode these past 2 months.

• Meals. Home cooked meals?! Barely! We’ve had more than our share of take out and just food thrown together on the fly.

So take heart mamas. Choose what gets to shine now and what gets to shine later.

LIFE UPDATE PART 1 & CENTERSTAGE

Where do I begin? It’s like being out of touch with a friend for so long, you don’t know where to start. But there are always those old friends where you can always pick up right where you left off.

I like to think of you all as one of those old friends. 😊

Like I’ve shared before, the last few weeks have been heavy on sports and everything else has been in the background. I am catching my breath.

Sports have taught our kids so many good lessons and where they’ve met some of their best friends. We’re so thankful for their experiences… the amazing highs and also the lessons learned from the lows.

What gives me peace in a crazy season? When I embrace the idea that only a few things can fit on center stage at a time.

What’s been center stage for you in this season? And what has had to be in the background?

When we allow one thing on stage at a time, we make room for it to shine.

Stay tuned for part 2 when I’ll share more about what I’ve had to put in the background. 😊

I love home and I love being a mom. Making beautiful spaces to make memories with my gang is one of my greatest joys. But who can think about decor when you haven’t seen a clean floor in days?

I’ve been there many times and last year, I finally slowed down enough to ask some hard questions.

That’s where this all started.

I’m super excited to share the very first version of the REST Reset with you! God truly inspired me to put together a simple plan to help you get a handle on your season and find more joy in it!

It’s a short, 4 week journey that starts with you and will overflow into your family and of course, your SPACE!

I’d love to do a first run of this course with a small group of you! DM me if you want to find out more!

It won’t stay like this for long. But wanted to share a quick happy fall table with you all.

The recipe is simple. The core pieces I use over and over again.

Fill a large wooden tray with grocery store pumpkins and pinecones and add battery operated candles for extra fall coziness. 🍁

Links shared in stories. 🍂

We dressed up. We ate. We danced. We had a fabulous time at a work event with my husband this past weekend.

It was a great reminder to:

* Not take ourselves too seriously
* Dance if you want to
* Seize the moments. Not everyday is a dance party, but there are moments all around us.

The carriage turned back into a minivan at midnight, this mom was in her pjs, and it was good. 😊

Hello September!

I love the rhythm of the change of seasons. It’s the perfect time to reset and refocus. At the beginning of every season, I like to pick just a few areas to focus on. We can usually sense which areas need some attention.

What’s my focus for fall?

• Feeding my body well. Drinking more water, mindful eating and eating plant based as much as I can.

• Putting technology to sleep before I do. Getting into the habit of keeping my phone out of the bedroom was the best thing I started last May. Committing to it again.

• Taking more walks. Especially with the dogs, they love it. Kids and husbands are bonus. 😁 Always good when it happens. Just need to do it when I don’t feel like it.

Small things done regularly, really make a difference! Building good habits take time.

What areas do you want to put some attention to this fall?

We’re celebrating 20 years! The adventure continues. The main things never change.

Love God.
Love each other.
Love others.

“Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery,