1. Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP)

A. You can dress up. 

B. You get candy. 

3. Exclusive characters. 

4. The atmosphere. 

5. Boo to You. 

2. Food and Wine

3. Dapper Day

Christmas and the holiday season is well in our midst, accompanied by presents, cookies, family, and many other things that happen only once a year. I'm not sure if you've noticed, though, but the holiday season gets more and more extreme every year. Every years it's earlier, brighter, louder, faster. Every year we want to do more, buy more, be more. This extravagant festive season is beautiful and wonderful (especially because it is a chance to spend more time focused on Jesus), but sometimes balance can be hard to find. 




We want to eat all of the Christmas cookies, but we also don't want to gain fifty pounds. We want to go to all of the parties, but we also need time to ourselves. We want to sing songs about Santa and snow, but we don't want them to dilute the message of the gospel. I feel this struggle, the fight for balance during the holidays. And so I present three ways to find balance and peace during Christmas. After all, we are celebrating the Prince of Peace! 

1. Find Balance in Body

Christmas is the season for indulgences, especially when it comes to food. Christmas cookies. Christmas dressing. Christmas candy. Christmas coffee. Christmas everything. Christmas is also a weird time of year where our regular habits of exercise and taking care of our bodies can be abandoned. How can we find balance during this season of excess? 

Here's my strategy: eat the Christmas cookies. 

Yes, eat the cookies. But only when it is special. When you're at Grandma's house and she baked you cookies, don't feel bad eating them. Give yourself permission to celebrate Christmas cookies at these special times. Buuut, don’t live off of Christmas cookies and such just because it's December and they're Christmas cookies. In your normal meals, try to make an extra effort to eat something that's good for your body because then you can enjoy those special meals and snacks even more. 

Also, be proactive in making time to be active. Maybe instead of watching two Christmas movies with your friend, go take a walk and then watch one. Exercise how you like to exercise, and have fun. Play Christmas music as you run, do yoga, or whatever you do. Every time the characters in a Hallmark movie stare dramatically at each other, do twenty squats. Be festive in your exercise! 

2. Find Balance in Mind

Christmas is a very social holiday, filled with family, friends, and random other people who all of a sudden feel connected to you. There are countless opportunities to celebrate with those around you, from Christmas parties to family reunions to Church festivities. On top of that, there are so many things to do in preparation for these gatherings. You must buy presents, bake a cake, find a white elephant gift, clean the house, and more. This can all get a little much, and some may desire a day of rest and alone time. 




That is okay. It is okay not to go to every party and see every friend in town. If you stretch yourself too thin, you won’t enjoy any of it. That said, with a little foresight, you can prepare for the avalanche of things to do and places to go by making sure that you spend quality alone time. Do something every day that rejuvenates you and gives you comfort. For me, I like to watch movies and read blogs. For you it might be reading, going outside, playing with your pet, or making something. Balance out the crazy schedule of Christmas with a relaxing time of peace and rest. (For more about how to meaningfully spend time alone, check out my article The Art of Being Alone.) 

3. Find Balance in Spirit

Sometimes the spirit of Christmas isn’t too easy on your spirit. The fluff and stuff of Christmas can distract our spirits from the Spirit of Christ. Now, I’m not about to go and say “Jesus is the reason for the season,” because saying that doesn’t really help much. No, we have to live in Jesus’ spirit of grace lavished upon us. We have to receive the gift of salvation from the hands of God, but we can’t receive this gift if we are busy holding onto everything else. We have to let go of trying to force the Christmas spirit into our lives, seeking that feeling that we cherished as kids. When we let go of our own efforts and simply receive the gift of Christ, we will find a joy in our spirits much like that we felt as children. Maybe that’s because as children we didn’t try to create, buy, and decorate Christmas. We simply received Christmas. Maybe it’s time for us to receive the spirit of Christ like little children. 




One way that I loved receiving the gift of grace from God during the holidays is through Advent. To learn more about Advent, check out my 2016 Advent Guide. Saturating yourself with the Word of God, prayer, and wisdom from other Christians continually points our souls to Jesus, the source of all joy and peace. If you do nothing else this Christmas, receive the gift of Jesus with a humble and joyful heart. 

As it turns out, balance isn’t a foreign concept during the holidays. Finding health in your body, peace in your mind, and joy in your spirit make the holidays a season that you will look forward to in every aspect. So embrace Christmas cookies while you also take care of your body. Celebrate with friends and family while you also take time to rest. Enjoy the dazzle of Christmas while humbling yourself to God as He gives us all something that we can never earn, deserve, or even understand: Immanuel. May God be with you this Christmas like never before. 

Today is the first Sunday with no Downton Abbey.

*sighs in a British accent and fails*

But the ending of one of the best British sources of sass and drama doesn't mean the ending of our enjoyment of aristocratic entertainment. Rather, I have an idea for us.

Let's have a tea party. An official, pinkies up affair that will leave us all feeling a bit more like the Crawleys.



What do you say? Do you want to learn how to have the best Downton Abbey inspired afternoon of your life? Below, the Dowager Countess and I will instruct you on the proper way to have a post-Downton Abbey Depression Tea Party.


Step One: Planning

As y'all know, I love to plan things, and the same goes for a tea party. You don't have to think ages in advance, but pick out an afternoon, make sure you have the necessary supplies, and invite your fellow anglophiles! Try shopping at the local thrift and vintage stores to find some decor and tableware for your afternoon tea. If you want to make this official, hand out invitations a week or two in advance. (I made a couple of invitation templates, but I can't figure out how to post them. Please email me at hannahgirl06@gmailcom if you want them!)




You mustn't make it look like you planned it all, though. The Dowager Countess wouldn't approve.

Step Two- Baking and Cooking

Here's where we role play our favorite servants. Food makes or breaks a party, and so the treats must take priority. I've got you covered, though! Here is a great resource for tea party fun, The Vintage Tea Party. In it you will find a host of ideas on tea, desserts, finger foods, and even beauty tips.





Step Four- Play the Part

This is where we bring out our British accents, witty jokes, and proper manners.



You could also do what we've done in the past, where each person acts like a specific British character. Which is basically an excuse for me to live like sassy Elizabeth Bennet for an hour.







And we can't forget about dressing up. That's the most important part.



Step Five- Quote the Dowager Countess as Much as Humanly Possible

In case you forgot some of her best lines, I have a few stored up for you:


Or, when in doubt, just pull one of the Dowager Countess' looks. If you dare.

I love honey.

I think that my love for honey stems for my love for anything sweet, but honey tastes so rich and sticky and wonderful that I just want to put it on everything! My family buys giant jars of local honey from the hardware store, which makes it seem even more special. And because it's natural and healthy, I don't feel bad about smothering all of my food in the deliciousness.

And so I do.

And now I get to share the love of honey with you by listing five ways to use honey in your everyday life:

1. In Coffee

I like to make my coffee strong, with skim milk, stevia, and a good drizzle of honey. Although honey is not low-calorie, just a bit provides a richness and flavor that perfectly sweetens my new morning drink, (I just started drinking coffee while in New York training for ballet), and just a lot works fine too!

2. In Tea





Another drink that I now love also tastes great with honey: tea. Somehow the addition of honey makes the warm comfort of tea go down with even more delight!

3. As a salad dressing



Though a less common use for honey, drizzling it over a salad makes a sweet dressing. It's just so simple and complementary to so many salad combinations, especially fruit salads.

4. On Oatmeal



Ditch the brown sugar, honey is here! A little drizzle of this sweetener gives a bowl of oatmeal an instant boost! Add some dried cranberries and granola and you will look forward to eating breakfast every morning!

5. On Oatmeal Banana Pancakes




Speaking of breakfast, honey tops these oatmeal banana pancakes like none of our business! I may be partial to my first recipe ever posted, but honey could replace syrup for any pancake recipe. But really, you should try these easy and healthy pancakes!

As you can tell, we love honey in our house!

So next time you see some local honey, buy it! If it's a big jar, buy it! And then I hope that you find these ideas delicious and fun as you experiment with how you like to use honey during your everyday lives! Comment below how you use honey and how you can't wait to use it in the future!

Princess Hannah