Eeek! It’s December!
I love love love the holidays. Give me all of the Christmas music, decorations, baking, movies, and events! But last Friday I was feeling overwhelmed with the season after reviewing our busy calendar with my LEO the night before. I kept thinking about all of the things we “had” to do…and I realized I needed a real attitude adjustment! Those weren’t things we had to do at all-they were fun, festive things that we GET to do! And if there really were things I was dreading…well then let’s get them off of the schedule! This time of year can feel very exhausting/stressful/overwhelming/draining, especially for first responder families who are juggling shift work and solo parenting and missed holiday events and adjusted expectations. If there’s things that you can do to make it less that way and more festive/jolly/fun/Christ filled/family centered, then do it! It’s okay to say no to things that are no longer serving your family or just aren’t feasible for you this season, even if they’re “tradition”. You know what’s the best tradition of all? Actually enjoying the holiday season! Okay, I’m stepping off my soap box now, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk 🤪
Speaking of traditions…we recently added a new one into our home and it’s been so fun! A few weeks ago I shared that our toddler has been struggling with dad being at work, especially when he missed bedtime/wake up/school send off/etc. So we implemented something called “The Daddy Box” and it’s been working actual wonders! It’s completely turned those hard moments around. You can read more about it in this post and reel.
Okay, last question…are you someone who loves to wraps gifts, hates it, or falls somewhere in the middle? I put up a poll in my stories yesterday and it seemed pretty split down the middle. I for one do not enjoy wrapping, so I try to get all of it (as well as my Christmas shopping) done as early as possible. I think besides a few things that are still coming in the mail, we’re all done! If you still have gifts in your list to get, make sure to check out my gift guides-they’re full of fun ideas for you, your LEO, and your kiddos and are full of small shops and promo codes!
Merry Christmas, thin line fam! I’m so glad that you’re here! 🫶🏽🎄
As we all continue our online shopping for the season, I wanted to remind you how much I appreciate it when you use my links! Even if you don’t purchase the product I share, using my affiliate links helps support this little corner of the internet (and my little first responder family) at no extra cost to you. Thank you!
Here’s the top three things that y’all loved the most this past month(s):
Chom Chom. During Black Friday sales this pet fur getter was on sale and I asked in stories if anyone had it. Dozens of yall said you owned it and loved it! We have a German Shepard and it seems like no matter what I do the fur is never ending, so I’m always on the lookout for things to make our life a little bit easier…and a little bit more hair free.
These first responder Magnatile sets. This has been a favorite for two months in a row now! I got this police set for a Christmas gift but forgot to hide it when it came in the mail-so it’s already been played with! Needless to say, it’s a hit. This fire set is also super fun! We also got this larger set which actually did get hidden and will hopefully make it until December 25th 🤪
B. Monte Designs. Barb is one of my dearest “instagram friends” and even painted the cover for my devotional six (!!!) years ago. She has a ton of incredible pieces of artwork in her Etsy shop, including customs, law enforcement designs, New England seascapes, and more. She is one of the most talented people I know, and I love supporting her as a fellow police wife small business owner!
Here’s the top 3 posts y’all engaged with the most this past month. If you’re not already following along on Instagram, make sure to hop on board! My username is @ammoandgrace.
This month my gift guides were absolutely bursting with promo codes! I love love love featuring small shops whenever I can-especially when they’re owned by first responder families! So many of them offered us discount codes this years-dozens overall-and you can find them in each post.
LEO gift guide here.
LEOW gift guide here.
First responder kiddo gift guide here.
I don’t know about you but I have two cooking modes during the holiday season-all in gourmet meal cooking and absolutely don’t want to cook at all. It goes without saying that this “meal” of loaded mac and cheese falls into the latter category 🤪
Like any household with children we are a firm “mac and cheese is a staple” kind of family. Lately I’ve been buying these Annie’s Cups from Costco because they’re 1) super convenient and 2) actually have a really good amount of protein in them. Bonus: you don’t need any dairy or mix ins-they come with everything you need for the wise! If we’re all eating it then I’ll make an actual box or two (we buy the boxes of Annie’s as well). If you’re making a box with a cheese mix, try using Greek yogurt instead of milk and butter-it’s super creamy and yummy and adds a bit of protein!
Okay, so you have your basic base of mac and cheese-easy peasy! This is where the beauty of toppings comes in.
Obviouslyyyy we have the classic hot dog or sausage that goes together with mac and cheese like peanut butter and jelly. But I personally like chicken nuggets-the Just Bare brand is my favorite, especially the spicy strips! We’ve also done bacon strips/bits, grilled chicken, brats, and even leftover pulled pork. Sometimes I’ll add steamed broccoli (usually chopped up pretty small) for a veggie, or drizzle some buffalo and ranch on top to make my portion a little spicier and more “adulty”. The options are endless!
I think sometimes we get caught up in making meals that seem better/fancier/healthier than a box of mac and cheese, but the truth is that every meal has a time and place. And when you can make a simple meal like mac and cheese more appealing and nutritious that’s an added win! If there’s ever a time for boxed mac cheese it’s in the chaotic weeks before Christmas. And you don’t need anyone’s permission to proudly put it on the table for supper, but if you want it, I’m giving it to you right now. Bon appetite!
Okay it seems totally cheesy to recommend my own books, but here we are 😅
If you need a gift idea for yourself or a LEOW bestie check out my ebook, The Praying Police Wife. You can use code MERRY to get the biggest discount I’ve ever offered on it!
My devotional, ammo+grace: the devotional is also on major sale on Prime right now for $12 with free shipping!
