Random thoughts on a chilly wintery Saturday morning:
1. We just got back yesterday from a 7-day cruise to the Caribbean. It was AMAZING. I’ve never been on a cruise before. I’ve never even had a passport before.
The water was perfect. The islands were perfect. The sun and the ship and the people were all perfect.
And now?
I’m counting the minutes until we can go again.
2. Did you get a chance to read all of your words of wisdom you shared for 2023? I posted them all here.
3. I’m in the middle of taking down Christmas. You are probably a little more organized than me and already have yours put away. If not? Here’s a great post on Christmas organization ideas and how I store all my stuff.
4. I have the best morning routine here.
I got off track with Christmas and the cruise, but I’m back on track now for the new year.
5. Have you ever tried Octordle before? It’s like Wordle, except with 8 different Wordles going at the same time. One of you recommended it to me and I’ve been hooked ever since.
You can see today’s puzzle here.
And now?
Here are some of my favorite finds from this week.
Have you ever seen a prettier pantry?
This is officially my favorite pantry ever.
See all the pantry organization tips here.
The cheese ball recipe.
And there are easy variations of the recipe, too.
This series is amazing.
It’s a word-of-the-month series with inspiration and activities around that word.
You can see the entire series here.
These creative ways to use wallpaper in your home.
I have a roll of grasscloth wallpaper and this is so inspiring.
And in random news:
How to cook bacon in an air fryer
Love this best of series
My favorite sweater is 20% off today (with a $3 coupon)
How to refresh a hollow core door
This laundry room is so pretty
The best sugar cookie frosting
This is a favorite snack at our house
How to organize your e-mail inbox
And this looked so yummy
Here’s how to roast vegetables in the oven without oil
And one more for the road
This post has been pinned thousands and thousands and thousands of times.
Here are 22 ways to update your home fr less than $100.
Happy random Saturday to you
disclosure: affiliate links are used in this post
I might have suggested Octordle to you. I do Wordle, Quordle and Octordle. Sometimes I get all of them and sometimes I don't. Ha!
KariAnne, Happy New Year! I am thrilled that you enjoyed your cruise. Thank you for the great Thistlekeeping. I especially loved the word of the month article and will use the email article to help clean up my digital world.
KariAnne, please write a post about packing for the cruise, what items were suggested to take by followers and if you used them. Happy New Year!!!!
Welcome back, and happy new year! My Christmas decor is still up. I'm having a hard time with the idea of putting it away this year, possibly because we have had a week of really bleak weather and the decorations (and lights) cheer me up. Thanks for the fun weekly roundup!
Glad your cruise went well. Once you take your first one - it's all over but for the planning of the next time. Whoo hoo! Great Thistles this week. Have a great weekend, KA!!
Happy New Year! Great information! You got me going with Quordle, so I guess I’ll add Octordle to the mix! I love word games!!
If you are counting down untilthe next cruise it must have been amazin.so happy for you. Thank you for my new read. Happy Saturday.
My husband and I did lots of cruises, some with our 2 daughters but many more after we had an empty nest. The last one we took was to celebrate our 50th anniveryand it was 10 days to the Panama canal.Great way to travel especially being able to unpack just once and of course the food and service. The first few days home are hard waiting for someone to make your bed and having to cook again!! But your bedroom and bath sure look huge.Glad you had a great time.
KariAnne So glad you had a great trip. Happy new year.
I reached out before the holidays regarding your rug that is blues, oranges, multi-colored , which I think was in your dining room. You responded immediately (thank you!) Bit I cannot find it. Oops. Would you mind sharing order info again. It is in my dining room, but now am needing a runner!! Thank you so much. Promise to just order, so as not to bother you again!! Happiest of New Year's!
Thanks for Thistlekeeping enjoyed. Glad your back and you had a good time, pictures if you don't mind.
Since reading about your cruise plans before Christmas ... Apparently, I have been talking about cruises around the house. I told my husband to think of a cruise as a carrot that we dangle in front of the kids as a way to be together, make memories and have fun! The last one we took was a Disney Cruise with my inlaws to celebrate their 50th! A friend suggested a slightly smaller cruise ship! Happy New Year friend. Laura
Happy New Year! I am so happy you enjoyed your trip! Thank you for sharing so many great ideas here. Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Welcome back KariAnne! I love the post on how to update your home for less than $100. The pantry you shared is also amazing. I will be reading your post on how you organize your Christmas decor. Happy 2023.
Loved the photos from your cruise! Glad you had a great time!
Welcome back! I'm so happy you enjoyed the cruise!! xoxo
I'm so excited to hear you guys had the best time on the cruise. It feels like the perfect way to ease into the New Year. It's been years since I've been on one but it was definitely a relaxing getaway. Thank you so much for sharing my Word of the Month ideas. I really appreciate it. I've had a Word of the Year since 2014 so I'm looking forward to a fresh approach. Big hugs and thank yous, CoCo