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advent calendar

11/20/2025

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I've always loved an advent calendar. It feels like a warm hug around the holiday season, when I fill it with intention. 

An advent calendar can also feel like just another thing to do + maintain. Instagram + Pinterest give us the impression that everyone is having so many magical experiences which easily translates into pressure to do more + more.

I'm advocating for something different. ​
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​i made this little booklet for an advent calendar workshop i gave this week (+ for you)  :)

This is a great time to take a moment to think about how we want this holiday season to feel.​ We may be used to thinking about how we want our people (children, families, parents, partner, friends) to feel. We want to think about that too, but first let's consider how we want to feel. Maybe come up with 3 to 5 words or phrases. When you think about the holiday season ahead how do you want it to feel to you? 

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For some of us, our minds will go toward what we don’t want to feel first + that’s such a good starting point. Those thoughts can provide a contrast that moves us toward words that embody intention rather than dread.

​Next, let's think about the people that celebrate with us. How do we want our people to feel this holiday season? 

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When it comes to putting an advent calendar (or a holiday gathering) together, the trick is to combine these two priorities. It's impossible for me to know how those questions have been answered, but my hope is that this one thought is a relevant offering in that direction: simple pleasures.


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I love to think of holidays as bringers of delight + wonder + peace + hope + connection...and my desire is that we can all experience this. Simplicity just might be the key.

​The things that bring joy to a small child still create delight in us as adults, if they have space to be noticed + savored. Things like taking a moonlit walk, singing loud in the car or noticing when the snowflake streetlights come on for the first time still bring me such pleasure. 

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​This holiday season doesn’t have to be every single day making cookies or bringing a cake to the neighbors or going ice-skating. It can be fun to sprinkle a few of those activities in, but we have all winter to do these things. I've sent Happy New Year cards instead of Christmas cards, when I haven’t gotten them done in time. Valentine's Day works too!  :)

An advent calendar can be as simple as 25 hershey's kisses in a bowl...one for each day. It can be 25 hand written things appreciated about the recipient (extra points for silly) clipped to a ribbon. It can be a little star that moves along a path of numbers. 

​My simple offering is to ask: What are the simplest ways that I can offer delight + ease (or whatever your priorities are) this holiday season? 


Whether an already-made advent calendar is waiting to be filled or a new one is about to be made, fill it with simple pleasures + prioritize the feels. 

Love,
Jane
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present

12/26/2024

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By Christmas morning, I was feeling at peace with the efforts I'd made to prep for a simple holiday with my people. There was enough calm to savor a slow moment collecting a little fragrant sage from the garden. Stepping outside, I wondered if sage was meant to have fresh green leaves so late in December. Squirrels were chasing each other's tails around tree trunks + house finches were gathered with mourning doves at the feeder. The air was subtly opaque with white fog instead of white flakes. 

I struggle daily with the knowing + the holding of so much heaviness while also having the desire for light + love to reign in my mind. This morning, however, Christmas morning...I felt free to embrace the beauty in front of me completely. I felt free to let the heaviness of climate change recede as I stepped out into the foggy air, free to appreciate the soft, fragrant leaves, free to smile at the clatter of squirrels on the fence, free to feel the anticipation of time spent with my girls + my partner. Surely Christmas is a day to be present with the beauty in front of me...with a prayer for peace + love + beauty for all others too.

Wishing you light + love + beauty in your moments at this time of year + always,
Jane
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celebrating

7/4/2024

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I haven't quite known what to do with this holiday for a number of years. We know too much to celebrate an incomplete story. We are too interconnected to celebrate borders. And yet, we are (some of us) people at work. We are (many of us) listening + learning + reaching toward connection + collaboration...and that deserves spots of celebration along the path toward the better.

I thought I'd follow Imogene + Willie's lead and celebrate a few of my favorite brands that are doing things right...honoring neighbors + the land under their feet by mindfully making clothing close to home. Since 97% of the clothing sold in the USA is made across oceans, the work these brands do is worthy of celebration.

All of these brands just happen to be located in the USA where I live. I'd love to hear about your favorite brands made close to where you live too!

More goodies right this way. Photos via Black Crane, Pansy, Jesse Kamm, Christy Dawn, Jenny Pennywood, and Imogene + Willie.

May what you celebrate swell with big love + deep laughter!  :)

Love,
Jane
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a heartfelt, last-minute gift

12/17/2023

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We are a family of readers. One of us has an advanced degree in library sciences + has worked in a library for ten years. We don't have to own a lot of books, but we know that they can be truly good gifts.

I was trying to find a book to give each of my people for Christmas...knowing that it's hard to find a book we will want to keep...that the librarian hasn't already read or couldn't grab during any ol' work day. A few titles surfaced that I can't wait to share. I can't purchase all of them, so an alternative gift came to mind that is perfect for this last week before Christmas.

I'm making a (short) list of books I find just for each person. I'm writing a little bit about why they might like each book + including money to purchase one they think they'd like to keep. If they'd like to use the money to buy a few warm drinks to accompany library books, that would warm my heart as well.  :)

Thoughtful gifts are my favorites to give + to receive. Things are just things, but thoughtful gifts are something more. They are a true offering of connection. 

A recent white elephant gift exchange sparked conversations + deepened a sense of connection + shared interest over as varied topics as the benefits of Japanese hot springs, the inspired writings of Rick Rubin + the life giving magic of eating colorful salads in winter months. Beautiful.

May all your gifts, given + received, be recognized as offerings of connection...and appreciated to their fullest potential.

Much love,
Jane
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gifts with different costs + benefits

12/5/2023

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Internet minimalism comes with a lot of talk about the purging of stuff. True minimalism will have a decreased emphasis on letting things go over time, because it will emphasize diminishing the acquisition of things. Even still, periodic inventory taking is necessary, and maybe this is the time of year to use it to peak advantage.

Things are resources. They require resources to make + take up space as waste. These days, brand new things don't necessarily have more life in them than previously used things. New things are the more culturally acceptable category of gifts, but we can imagine a different way.

Here are a few ways I can imagine our ready-to-pass-on things becoming good gifts:
  • A group of people is invited to a shared document with two columns: one for items they are looking for, one for items they are looking to rehome. Matches become gifts in either direction!  :)
  • A group of friends or family with children trades toys rather than purchasing new ones for each other. The same might work with clothing for teenagers or adults.
  • People exchange books from their own shelves with notes included about why a book was chosen for that person. Maybe a specific genre is chosen for a group with a common interest...like craft books or cookbooks with projects/recipes highlighted + notes included.
  • Exchange pre-enjoyed puzzles or games + a favorite homemade snack. This one could provide the evening's entertainment as well!
  • Exchange a propagation of a plant! Maybe an extra pot could even be found. Planting them together could be fun too (only one bag of soil to be purchased).
  • Agree that what is done with a gift after it is given is the recipient's choice. Responsibly passing something on (again) allows it to be a gift to someone else, and that is beautiful.
  • Don't pass on things that just become someone else's responsibility to dispose of. If in doubt, ask first with special sensitivity.
  • Notes are gifts. Take time to write a few words or have your little one draw a picture of why their cousin is going to love playing with this toy. Mmmm...squishy feels!
  • Treat it like a gift. Depill the sweater. Shine up the baby shoes. Wrap it beautifully. Presentation infers value.

Many of us find frustration in having too much. Maybe we found value in that book at one or many time(s), but we have many other books too. Maybe our child loved that toy for a year, but now has a new interest. Maybe we always reach for a different sweater. At the same time, many of us are going to shop for books, toys + sweaters. 
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Again, gifting has so much to do with expectations. This sort of gifting may only work with a handful of like-minded friends + family. Then again, maybe one conversation is all that it takes. Best wishes for a comfortable gifting season full of generosity + connection!

Love,
Jane
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five dollar faves

12/5/2023

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One way our family has fun with gifts is to gift personal favorites. We often set very specific terms like gifting everyone the same gift that costs $5 or less. We have fun hearing why the giver loves this item + why they think we have to try it. These are things we might not usually talk about...a favorite pen, new snack discovery, a cherished ritual...and it always prompts a variety of connecting feels.

I have a feeling this is becoming an annual sort of post. It's just that time of year again, and I love this sort of thing! It ticks all the boxes for a simple, gratitude-inducing, inexpensive, thoughtful, low waste sort of celebration in my book.

It really is a fun way to gift, and prompts us to rediscover reasons we love what we already have too! I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things...simple things that I use over + over again with pleasure. I hope they are a little different this year, but I can't guarantee it!  :)

  • Le Pen :: they last forever + come in sweet colors. I come across them every once in a while + sometimes pick up a new color. This year, I've been choosing a color or two from my little collection to highlight my journal + calendar each month.
  • a ritual to try :: it would be so interesting to hear how one finds value with this one
  • a pomegranate or two makes a lovely decoration + tastes like a special treat too :: lots of options here...sumo orange, a nub of ginger + a lemon...yum!
  • a new spice discovery + a list of ways to use it :: this one tastes great on so many things from eggs to roasted veg
  • a printed photo of a special memory + a bit of nature to go with it :: these little bits are my favorites to spark feelings of connection over + over again
  • an air plant :: it doesn't require much effort, but offers a welcome sign of life through the grey months to come. a found shell or spare terracotta saucer is an inexpensive companion.
  • homemade fire cider
  • a $5 gift card for a fave drink of the moment

I really feel like I could go on + on with ideas, because they come as easy as looking around me. Gifting is so much about expectation + agreeing to something like this makes those expectations very clear + simple to meet! 

Happy simple gifting, friends!
Jane
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with what i have :: holiday party

12/1/2023

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An invitation to an evening, holiday party has me thinking about what I have in my closet that could look appropriate + a bit festive too. While I think it could be lovely to have a dress or two that get pulled out for such merriment, I don't.

Instead, I have what I now recognize as clothes for the daytime. Since I'd rather not shop for a single event, I'm going to try to look creatively at what I have.
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I have a few more days to decide what I'll wear, but my thinking is going like this so far:
  • All black :: When I want to look a bit more dressy, the simplest thoughts I have are towards dressing in all black. I like a black jumpsuit or black cashmere sweater in a minimal wardrobe, because they can be really versatile. 
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  • A playful element that says, "Holiday!" :: Something about the image of the red plaid bow tied at the neck of the gingham smock stopped me in my scrolling tracks the other day. I have a white linen button-up that could look playfully festive tied up with one of these colorful ribbons from Madre Linen (or another wide ribbon). Alternatively, it could be fun to wrap a ribbon around my head + tie a big bow under my looped ponytail or at the side of my head (if I got really brave).  :)
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  • Dressier shoes, coat, hat... :: A pair of dark jeans or a jumpsuit that I usually pair with trainers is instantly elevated when paired with dressier shoes + a longer coat. I think a red beret could add a playful, festive touch.

  • Playful thinking :: This one is purely theoretical, but I'm wondering if (hoping that) displaying a bit of playfulness on the outside might allow me to sort of live into this attitude. Mingling activates my shyness, so I'm consciously asking my clothing to imbue me with a little lightness of spirit. I believe it's possible. :)

I love this sort of creative exercise. Minimalism offers us so many opportunities to stretch our imaginations toward different ways of being + that makes me so happy! Wishing you all the most fun + festive of holiday seasons!

All lovely photos via links.

Love,
Jane
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remembering simple :: holiday

11/21/2023

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The chaos of life has a way of clouding out the simple way sometimes. How did I end up standing in the grocery store moving from lavender to eucalyptus trying to cross "greens for the table" off my list thinking, "No, I'm allergic to that one too"? I felt like the light came back on in my dusty mind, when I suddenly remembered the still lively green sage in our back yard...free, beautiful + already mine! It will look lovely + lush on our Thanksgiving table!

When I let the majority of my time, focus +/or energy go to my job, I can end up surrendering to a skewed view of convenience. I find it comical to realize that our society is designed to make us think convenience is driving to the store hoping it will have what we think we need rather than looking out the window first. 


Thanksgiving really is a wonderful time to tune in to simplicity + to let it set the tone for the holiday season to come. The best Thanksgiving decor is grown in the natural world + is compostable...pumpkins, dried foliage, edible persimmons, fresh herbs + beeswax candles placed in jars already in the kitchen. The best food is grown in soil + doesn't need fancy, new recipes to make it worthy of sharing.

The memory of bringing the piano bench, desk chairs + stools from around the house to the table in my childhood home doesn't make me think we needed more matching dining chairs. The pile of coats on my parents bed didn't make me wish we had a fancier coat rack. A house filled with family, friends, laughter, warmth + food was the whole thing! And the memories still make me smile.

Wishing you simple joy and the will to take it in + savor it this holiday season!

Much love,
Jane
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blue super moon

8/31/2023

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Sometimes ya just gotta celebrate...something. The blue, super moon last night (which will not occur again until 2037) seemed like a worthy event! A blue moon occurs when there is a second full moon in a single month. This full moon was also a super moon, since it happened when the moon's orbit brought it closest to earth.

Celebrations like this are really great for grounding us in the present moment. I also appreciate them for not coming with any preconceived expectations. No pressure...just fun! Here are a few of the things we did to make it a celebration:
  • to decorate: found things found around the house
  • to eat: round (full moon shaped) thai pizza topped with round carrots, radishes, cucumbers + green onions...honeydew cut into crescent (moon) shaped slices...round, blue berries (which are also a super food!)  :)
  • to drink: blue lemonade with spirulina + magnesium

A few things we did to make it a ritual...we:
  • discussed a moonlist together
  • chose crystals (from ones everyone brought) that spoke to us...put them into a jar of water...and charged it under the moon
  • wrote down things we wanted to let go of (because full moons are apparently good times to let things go) + put them under the charging moon water
  • frolicked through the sprinkler in the moonlight (because the moon is in Pisces right now...which is a water sign)
  • drew cards as ways to think about our past, present + future
  • drank some of our moon water + watered some plants with it too

So...for us, this feels like a mix of reverence + silly fun. I think that is a pretty fantastic actually. Connections with my favorite people, my body, my spirit + the natural world were all facilitated + celebrated...and that feels really good.

Love,
Jane
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gifting :: (last-minute) evening favorites

12/21/2021

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A cozy evening spent relaxing with loved ones is one of life's greatest gifts. Evenings are long + spacious these days...what a luxury. (That's one way to look at it.).  :) Thinking through what brings comfort, light + laughter in our own evenings might just offer some great inspiration for last-minute gifting. 

When it comes to last-minute gifts, it's nice if we can use some things already in our own cupboards or perhaps find them at a distance no further than the grocery store. Here's what comes to mind for me:
  • a favorite evening snack or the things to make one :: make some sweet + spicy nuts to share or give some popcorn kernels along with your favorite toppings + recipe 
  • a list of favorite podcasts or a playlist could be added to the above
  • a month (or a few) of their favorite streaming service for music or viewing (I loved receiving 3 months of ad-free music last year)
  • journaling (or conversation) prompts :: download a digital copy + offer it along with a blank journal for recording 
  • all they'd need to make a favorite meal :: tie it all up in a piece of fabric or reuse a basket, box or one of those extra tote bags  :)
  • a lovely candle (these are easy to make if there is time)
  • a craft kit :: it might be possible to gather supplies from our own collection :: or offer a lovely skein of yarn (you haven't gotten around to knitting yet) along with a favorite hat, scarf or sock pattern 
  • a previously enjoyed book :: add a lovely note or conversational post-its throughout
  • an offering of babysitting (yes, this is a real gift!!) (as long as it happens)
  • a game or puzzle (we enjoyed this one recently + then passed it on)
  • a suggestion for a new evening ritual to share

Enjoy your holiday evenings, friends! Wishing you health + love + laughter too.

Love,
Jane
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