Author Archives: Franci

Our Fall Traditions: Simple yet Meaningful

a box full of medium sized orange pumpkins

The air has cooled and the leaves are beginning to fall. Football season is in full force and I’ve unpacked our jackets. It is so nice to see the changing of seasons. A new start, a fresh wind of possibilities before us.

I love decoring for fall, drinking apple cider, and spotting pumpkins. Some of the best parts of fall or any season are the traditions that we create in our homes.

Early on in my mom life, I realized if we wanted to create traditions I was the one who needed to do the work to make them happen. I guess before I relied on my mom, aunts, and grandmothers to make the holidays special. Since I was now a mom it was my job to make the holidays special for my own kids. I’m not saying my husband doesn’t play a part in all this, but I’m the one that drives it. He has his own areas of responsibilities in our home, the holidays are an area I tend to lead in.

White mantle with a few pumpkins, books, a plant and a quote board.

How we Celebrate Fall

We try to keep things as simple and cost-effective as possible. One of the first things I do is buy this candle. It is fairly inexpensive and smells just like fall should smell, a mix of pumpkin pie, strong cinnamon, and some other magical smells that will forever remind me of autumn.

(more…)


How to Bring Back the Kindness: Have a Kindness Contest

Brown poster size of paper on a blue wall. Paper says "Kindness Chart" on top and lists names and tally marks.

I don’t know if your family struggles with this, but we’ve been having a horrible time being kind to one another. Not just the boys, me too. Not sure of the reason. Maybe it’s because we’re not really settled yet in our new home or we’re all still adjusting to a new life in Tennessee.

Perhaps its due to poor sleep since we’re camping on air mattresses. We moved into our house mid-August but are trying to paint the walls before we move all our furniture from storage. I know it is crazy but it is the way we like to do it. What I do know is the lack of kindness HAS TO STOP!

How to have a Kindness Contest

(more…)


Happy Friday From the Friendly State of Tennessee

Black and White text mural that says, " Nashville Looks good on you"
Mural by thenash.tn found in 12 South Neighborhood in Nashville, TN

So much has been going on around here. I have been making a list of all the things I want to share with y’all.

  1. First, people in Tennessee are so nice, I mean they go above and beyond nice. Our neighbors invited us to a potluck right off the bat, another neighbor brought us homemade cookies, and another neighbor and I have weekly coffee dates. It feels so nice to already be making connections since we are so far away from our Oklahoma people.
  2. The fences in Tennessee are so gorgeous. Full of history, made with beautiful materials, and so picturesque. Stone, picket, civil war style to name a few.
  3. Do you have a budding little typist? My friend, Heather, shared an awesome website that teaches the keys to the computer keyboard.  It’s free, too.
  4. I’ve been listening to the audiobook Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. I recommend it. I also was able to watch her movie in the theater, Made for More. In her book, she talks about how important it is to not break promises to yourself. So many times we keep our promises to others but don’t follow through on the things we’ve promised ourselves. (more…)