This Week in My Haven: No. 9
This week in my haven was quite eventful in comparison to other weeks! My little business continues to evolve and each week brings new experiences, things to learn, and questions to answer. Even though there are ups and downs associated with all this newness, I mostly feel like I am making forward progress and for that I am extremely grateful. Which means I am extremely grateful for you because that progress wouldn’t be possible without you. So thank you! Thank you for following along by reading this journal, thank you for liking and commenting on my posts on social media, and thank you for taking an interest in my little business in whatever way you can!
Shop announcements:
There are two giveaways happening right now! One is being hosted by @chishoplocal on Instagram. Check out this post to enter to win a stocking from my shop and products from @einnimlifestyle. Today (Friday, November 20) is the last day to enter!
There is also still time to share what you are grateful for and have a chance (or two or three or ten!) to win a handmade apron for yourself and for a friend too! Participate in my giveaway on Instagram by commenting on any post in the month of November with what you are grateful for and tag a friend! Each comment is one entry. On December 1st, I will choose a winning comment. That commenter and the friend they tagged will both win an apron from the Haven Handmade shop! This giveaway is open to anyone with a U.S. shipping address.
What I’m thinking about: Expectations. There are so many expectations imposed on us by others, but we also place so many expectations on ourselves. This week was busier than recent weeks and I put a lot of pressure on myself to get a multitude of tasks completed. I didn’t succeed in doing everything on my to-do list and had to confront the fact that most of the deadlines and tasks I had set out to accomplish were self-imposed. It is necessary that I decide what needs to be done and by when since I’m running my business independently, but I also need to extend to myself the same grace that I would to anyone who was working for me. This is a lesson that I have had to learn over and over again!
What I’m making: This week my daughter, my daughter’s bestie, her bestie’s mom/my friend, and I had a chance to put together some simple ornament making kits to hand out to the girls’ classmates. I was searching for a way to use some of my fabric scraps and came across this cute cinnamon stick tree ornament craft. I thought it would make a perfect craft for first graders. The photos above are of Joanna demonstrating how to make it! It also occurred to me that this could become a service project to bring cheer to seniors who may feel especially isolated at this time of year. With the help of my friend and our daughters’ teacher, we were able to organize this service project where each student will make a cinnamon stick tree and write a card to give to a resident in a local senior housing center. I can’t wait to collect their completed ornaments after Thanksgiving!
What I’m cooking: Thanksgiving is next week! This is normally the best holiday for someone like me, who really enjoys cooking and sharing food with others. It’s not going to be the same as other years because Peter, Joanna, and I have decided it is safest to stay home, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t going to be delicious. We have each picked one thing we really want to cook or eat that day. I chose to make cornish hens for our main dish instead of a turkey. Joanna chose mashed sweet potatoes, which is something she’ll be easily able to help make. Peter is in charge of making a pie for dessert, but hasn’t chosen his recipe yet. The rest of our meal has yet to be determined. Do you have any favorite dishes we should try?
What I’m reading: I finished reading The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett and am wishing there were more to read! Each of the four main characters was so compelling that an entire novel could have been written about their individual journeys. While racial identity was one of the main themes of the books, it never felt heavy-handed. I felt like the story was really driven by the characters’ unique ways of understanding and dealing with their race and the expectations that society applies to people based on their perceived race. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a good read!
Before I sign off, I want to wish you all a delicious and safe Thanksgiving! However you are choosing to celebrate this year, I hope you and your loved ones all have plenty to be grateful for. I know I do!
(Disclosure: I do not receive any compensation for the recommendations or reviews I post here. All opinions are my own.)
