51: week in review

December 24, 2023

baby beatrice christmas 2023 - M Loves M @marmar

Merry Christmas Eve, friends! I’m both happy and sad that the day is here. Was it just me or did December fly right by? I feel like we should have one more week before Christmas. As I mentioned last week, this year has been much more low-pressure and we’ve been keeping things simple around here. Thankfully the majority of my shopping was done in November, and because we only do one gift for the kids, plus stockings, I don’t have too much last-minute wrapping to do. I’ll chat a little bit about some of our traditions below that help to make this season feel special.

WHAT WE ATE

I plan to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning. 

MONDAY- Prime Rib Roast and French Bistro Salad- We had a special early Christmas meal with my mother-in-law before she headed to San Diego. The sauce for the roast was so yummy, but the French bistro salad was the winner for me. I could eat that salad every day! Unfortunately, I can’t find the recipe online (it’s from this cookbook) but it’s thinly-sliced radicchio and endive lettuces with blue cheese and candied pecans.

TUESDAY- Oven Pork Ribs and Mac and Cheese– These ribs were so good, and the homemade bbq sauce was even better. The mac and cheese was started overnight which made it extra creamy and delicious because the noodles soaked up the cream.

WEDNESDAY- Meatball Subs- Our goal was to use up some freezer leftovers this week. Pulled the extra meatballs out, topped with marinara and mozzarella, and baked on a hoagie roll.

THURSDAY- Sausage, Fennel and White Bean Soup– pulled this out of our freezer and it was just as good as when we had it the first time!

FRIDAY- Fish Tacos with Slaw- not the most seasonal but we used up the mahi mahi in the freezer, and the rest of a bag of frozen mango for the salsa.

SATURDAY- Sweet Potato Pierogis- another freezer meal I had stashed away. We loved this dish so much! It’s from this cookbook.

SUNDAY- Potato Soup and Garlic and Herb Bread Wreath– I love the idea of a simple Christmas Eve supper, a shepherd’s meal of potato soup and bread. This potato soup recipe is our favorite (printing the recipe as I type so I always have it), and the herb bread looks festive and delicious.

browned butter rice crispy treats with peanut butter chocolate ganache - M Loves M @marmar cinnamon spiced shortbread ina garten recipe - M Loves M @marmar

In previous years, I’ve gone all out with the cookies but this year I had to limit myself. I made these cinnamon-spiced star shortbread cookies because it was a fun activity with my littles who love to make cut-out cookies. I also made browned butter rice crispy treats with a chocolate peanut butter ganache that I am trying not to devour. It’s a recipe from my favorite dessert cookbook.

WHAT I WORE

I’m getting ready to put together a capsule wardrobe for our trip. I am so not a minimalist though, so already I’m debating bringing both these ballet flats: black and silver. Yes, almost the same style, but so different! I’m bringing these black jeans and this new sweater I got.

SALES TO NOTE

I listed a ton on my Poshmark this week! If you order before Tuesday afternoon I can send it out to you ASAP, otherwise, my shop will be closed until the end of January. But if you do order, message me on the app saying you’re a reader, and I’ll throw in a free beauty product!!

Everlane– Up to 60% so many great pieces. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, the quality on Everlane clothes is so good for their price point!

ON MY MIND

We wrapped up our Christmas Study on Thursday. While we didn’t do all the crafts (maybe next year), it was such a rich curriculum and we all enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to revisiting it next year!

Some of our Christmas traditions include reading about the birth of Jesus in Luke on Christmas morning, making a coffee cake that was Matthew’s great grandma’s recipe, exchanging sibling gifts, doing acts of service with The Giving Manger, making cookies, watching White Christmas and the old Frosty the Snowman cartoon, having our shepherd’s meal on the 24th and a more special dinner on the 25th with candles. This time of year is so special, especially with little kids. I would love to hear about any special things you do with your families or something you did when you were a child.

It’s been a very low-pressure cooking week because of the help from some freezer meals. It’s made me realize that during this busy season of life, I greatly appreciate an easy dinner. While I love to cook, sometimes it’s hard to keep Beatrice busy during that time of day. Next year I’m going to try to find more simple, make-ahead meals and, if I can, I’m going to make a double batch that I can freeze for a later date. The key will be not forgetting about it in the freezer so I think I’ll immediately add the meal to a future date on my phone calendar. That way, I’ll see it’s there and can prep thawing it in time.

Usually, the week between Christmas and New Year’s is one where I love to catch up on life, get organized, and just take things slow. This year, however, we’re getting ready to visit family in California so it’s going to be a little more hectic. We’re so looking forward to seeing family though and getting some sunshine! Sadly, Christmas will probably have to come down before we leave but at least we have our trip to look forward to. January can feel like a longer month so having this trip will boost our spirits for sure, and it will shorten our cold-weather winter!

I ordered a planner last week and it came so quickly! I have really missed having a planner this past year and after being targeted with an ad for Papier, I couldn’t resist. I got this print but there are lots of cute and stylish options. I have a code too for $10 off if you’re interested. You can use this link and/or code MARAFERREIRA

charlotte mason homeschool style- M Loves M @marmar homeschool room- M Loves M @marmar christmas tree sourdough scoring - M Loves M @marmar

I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Christmas! May you never forget that God loves you so much that He sent Jesus to us, our gift and our hope. I pray you feel His great love for you always, but especially on Christmas.

xox

50: week in review

December 17, 2023

black turtleneck and baybala green pants - M Loves M @marmar

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend! It’s been a fun one over here. Today I had some of my Book Club girlfriends over for a pie brunch. I really want to work on my pie skills so I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to try one out. I made one from The Book on Pie (a rental from the library but I would highly recommend for anyone serious about their pie game). It was a German Chocolate Pie with a coconut and pecan topping that was so yummy. My crust wasn’t perfect but, like I said, I need the practice. I was thinking that maybe next year I should challenge myself to make a pie a month. It could be fun, don’t you think? It would be so nice next December if I felt like I knew what I was doing.

WHAT WE ATE

I plan to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning. 

MONDAY- Southwestern Sweet Potato Chili- from this cookbook but this recipe on her blog is very similar.

TUESDAY- Roasted Mushroom and Onion Quesadillas- easy and delicious! We made guacamole to go with it…yum!

WEDNESDAY- Skillet Orzo with Turkey Meatballs, Green Olives and Feta– This was an easy one-pan dish, although I did make the meatballs the night before.

THURSDAY- Salmon Larb Bowl with Coconut Rice- We are all obsessed with how good this coconut rice is!

FRIDAY- Pesto Lasagna Bolognese- very similar to this recipe which has rave reviews

SATURDAY- Grilled Flank Steak with Crispy Roasted Potatoes– We made the basil vinaigrette (of course), and I topped the potatoes with a delicious mustard herb vinaigrette

SUNDAY- Chicken Parmesan Tagliatelle- from this cookbook (like most from the week to be honest)- Trying to use up some of our freezer and pantry items before heading into the new year.

southwestern sweet potato chili - M Loves M @marmar

WHAT I WORE

I love the look of a black turtleneck tucked into jeans, a silk skirt, or a pair of trousers. For brunch today, I wore one tucked into these pretty pants from Baybala. The quality of the pants is so good and even the kids commented on how much they liked them. They felt festive, too, in an evergreen shade.

cozy nuuds sweater - M Loves M @marmar

I got this v-neck sweater from nuuds and it’s so cozy and soft. I love how luxe it feels and I know I’ll be reaching for it a ton!

SALES TO NOTE

Not quite a sale but Everlane is offering free expedited shipping on orders over $200. They have so many great pieces that would make wonderful gifts. It could be a one-stop shop!

Gap– 40-60% off their best gifts

J.Crew– Extra 70% off 3+ sale styles

LOFT– Up to 60% off

Sephora– Beauty Insiders get 20% off full-sized fragrances

Williams-Sonoma– If you know anyone who loves cooking/food, they have so many great options on sale, including $100 off Kitchen-Aid Mixers.

Nordstrom– Up to 70% off Designer Clearance- Always a fun sale to look through!

ON MY MIND

On Monday, Tidy Style Home came to reorganize my closet and WOW I am still so beyond impressed with how they were able to rework the space. It is so incredibly organized and I just love how they maximized every inch. My biggest takeaway was how they hung up everything. I had some shelves that had tee shirts and sweaters tumbling down and matching loungewear pieces piled up. They hung everything, even grouping the matching loungewear pieces together. The sweaters are folded on the hangers in a way that prevents them from stretching out and it just makes so much sense. On the shelves they brought in my underwear and socks that were previously in my dresser and put them in woven bins. I love that I can now get completely dressed in my closet without the need to go back into my bedroom. If you’re in Boise, I highly recommend them. They have implemented systems in our kitchen that we still use 3 years later, and now I’m so happy my closet is organized as well. You can also follow them on Instagram for their tips too which I find so helpful!

In-N-Out opened in Boise this week which has been a HUGE deal! For the past few years, everyone has been counting down. I wasn’t planning on going during the opening week because I heard the lines were crazy. On opening day I had a friend wait for 5 hours! She said it was worth it, but that is just way too long for me. My friend Halley convinced me though so I joined her in line at the end of the week and luckily we didn’t have to wait more than 30 minutes. In-N-Out is so nostalgic for me because it was a special treat when we’d go on family road trips to see my grandma in northern California. I have so many memories of those meals off the I-5 with dog, and then dogs, in tow. My order is a Grilled Cheese with grilled onions and pickles. The best! I had to get fries too (with mustard) and I couldn’t resist adding in a chocolate milkshake! The kids were extremely excited, and Matthew was very jealous because he was working. We’ll have to go back again, although it might be in California next month !!

This year I have removed a lot of the typical Christmas pressure I’ve felt in previous years. We’re keeping things simple, I’m not sending cards out and I’m not doing an elaborate Advent calendar. We only give a few presents to the kids and thankfully I bought gifts in November so this has been a slow and sweet month savoring the Christmas season. I know many of us sometimes think or wish we could be doing more but it’s been good to remind myself what Christmas is truly about. Also, the stage of life we’re in sometimes dictates what we can and can’t do. Resting in that has been so freeing.

It’s been getting so cold here lately but I’m still trying to get out for afternoon walks when we can. Augustine and Corinna have found a play spot along our neighborhood creek trail and that has been filling our afternoons lately. In the right clothing, the weather is tolerable, but it still feels extra nice to walk inside a warm house after playing outside.

in-n-out opened in boise, idaho  - M Loves M @marmar winter house decor - M Loves M @marmar

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Can you believe next Sunday is Christmas Eve?!

xox

49: week in review

December 10, 2023

christmas dinner table- M Loves M @marmar

I hope you all are enjoying your weekends! It’s felt so merry around here lately. The house is all decorated for Christmas, we’re playing our favorite carols and celebrating with family and friends. We went to my brother-in-law’s house tonight for our second annual gingerbread night which has been much anticipated. The kids watched the old Frosty the Snowman and were laughing so hard. Corinna wore her high-up shoes and they both loved the blondies with ice cream for dessert. It was so cold outside which made it even merrier inside!

WHAT WE ATE

I plan to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning. 

MONDAY- Creamy White Lasagna Soup– wow this was amazing! I am printing this out and making it again for sure. I liked that I could use up some half-empty packs of lasagna noodles too!

TUESDAY- Green Rice Burrito Bowls- love adding this cilantro vinaigrette to our white rice. It makes such a big difference!

WEDNESDAY- Sausage Sheet Pan Supper- love an easy sheet pan dinner!

THURSDAY- Sesame Ginger and Chicken Rice Bowl- from this cookbook

FRIDAY- Sourdough Pizza Night! I topped ours with carmelized shallots, Gruyere, mozzarella, Castevetrano green olives, and green artichokes

SATURDAY- My sister-in-law made the yummiest soup and salad. I brought our favorite onion dip and some blondies!

SUNDAY- Meatballs with Marinara over Polenta- This should be an easy, kid-approved meal!

sourdough pizza with green olives, artichokes, and gruyere- M Loves M @marmar gingerbread cookies- M Loves M @marmar

This Gingerbread Man book was so cute! We used this recipe for cookies and they were perfect!

WHAT I WORE

red sweater with jeans - M Loves M @marmar dra dress- M Loves M @marmar d.ra sweater with jeans - M Loves M @marmar

I’m incorporating lots of red and festive prints this week. I’m in the process of a mini-closet clean out and I found several items that I’ve noted to wear over the next few weeks.

SALES TO NOTE

Anthropologie– extra 40% off sale items

Everlane– Up to 30% off Cozy Gifts

GAP– 40-60% off gifts plus 50% off sale

ON MY MIND

This week I started to get ahead of some Christmas wrapping. I watched a few movies while I was at it. If you’re looking for a cute Christmas rom-com, I saw 12 Dates of Christmas and I loved it. Not too cheesy either! I also started watching Holiday Inn with Bing Crosby which is an old classic, and the movie that inspired the song White Christmas (so yes, before the other classic movie with Bing!)

Augustine is doing such an amazing job with his homeschool math. We’re about 90% done with his Math 2 which is amazing considering he would technically be in 1st grade this year. My plan was to go slow and steady and take time on bigger concepts but it’s been clicking so well. We’ve been so happy with The Good and the Beautiful curriculum and I can’t imagine switching because it’s worked so well for us. Very thankful and wanted to share for any of you homeschooling mamas!

This week we went to Edward’s Greenhouse and it was so beautifully decorated for the holidays. It was fun to walk around and look at all the winter plants and enjoy the warmth. We went back home and did some water coloring which we all really enjoy. I painted the pink poinsettia that we got as a gift from our sweet neighbor!

beatrice and white pumpkin- M Loves M @marmar edwards greenhouse- M Loves M @marmar pink poinsettia and watercolor - M Loves M @marmar little gold bow shoes- M Loves M @marmar

Have a great week everyone!
xox