Category: Story Telling

This year, Mom and I decided we were done with the pressure, the rushing and the endless stream of plastic novelty advent calendars that seem to multiply every December. Instead, we’re choosing something slower and far more intentional. We’re calling it our Little Women Christmas, a season inspired by warmth, thoughtfulness, handmade touches and the simple joy of being together.

If you’re wondering what a Little Women Christmas really is, think: candlelight instead of clutter. Homemade gifts instead of mass produced piles. Moments that feel like scenes from a cozy 19th century novel; simple, heartfelt, a little old fashioned and full of love. It’s about savoring the season instead of speeding through it. It’s baking bread on a quiet afternoon, reading aloud from a favorite poem, or spending an evening making something by hand just because it feels meaningful.

One of our favorite changes this year is ditching the junky advent calendars and creating our own tradition. Instead of trinkets, candies, or tiny pieces of plastic we’ll lose by January, we wrote down 25 small and delightful activities on slips of paper and tucked them into a box. Each morning, we pick one at random, and that becomes our little adventure for the day. Some are simple comforts, like “watch old TV show Christmas episodes” the kind with laugh tracks and soft lighting that feel like stepping back in time. Others are wonderfully hands on: “bake bread,” “make Christmas themed friendship bracelets,” or “read your favorite Christmas or winter poem aloud.”

The magic is in the surprise, the slowness and the fact that everything on the list encourages connection rather than consumption. Every day feels intentional, but never hectic. It’s the kind of tradition I can see us keeping forever.

We’re also keeping up one of our longest running traditions: the delightful Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendar app. It’s beautiful, charming and something we look forward to every year! 

We’ve also been adding handmade touches around the house, which makes everything feel more festive and alive. This year we dried orange slices batch, filling the kitchen with the smell of citrus and warmth. Now they hang from twine garlands by our Christmas tree. They’re simple, beautiful and exactly the kind of crafting moment Jo March herself would approve of.

This year we’ve also made a few homemade gifts. Nothing extravagant, just small, thoughtful things that took time rather than money. There’s something deeply grounding about knowing your hands created something for someone you love. It feels like giving a piece of your heart instead of just another wrapped item.

Our intentional Christmas isn’t perfect or glamorous. But it’s warm. It’s slow. It’s honest. It feels like a deep breath in a season that usually asks us to sprint. And in its own quiet way, it’s the most magical holiday we’ve had in a long time.

We went to ReTreet Resort for a few days, thinking it’d be a nice getaway, but it ended up being the reset we didn’t even know we needed.

We stayed four days at ReTreet Resort in Scottsboro Alabama, and the second we got onto the property my whole brain just exhaled. It’s a 40 acre, completely dog friendly, super quiet, intentionally decorated little world tucked into the woods.

We stayed at the Island Breeze, which is a two bedroom Moana inspired cabin and it was so cozy! Two bedrooms, a full kitchen that had literally everything we needed, a den and two patios with a really peaceful view of Lake Guntersville. 

The king bed in the master was enormous, Huckleberry loved not having to fight for room to sprawl out and the second bedroom had queen sized bunk beds, which was way nicer than I expected a “second bedroom” to be in a cabin.

But the patios were where we lived! The main patio had a fire table and comfy seating area and directly below was the outdoor shower and hot tub. 

A cold front had just moved in when we checked in. In fact, that morning there were snow flurries so the hot tub ended up being our favorite spot. We used it constantly. Afternoon soak in the hot tub? Yes. Evening with the crickets chirping? Also yes. “We should probably get out soon” two hours later … still yes.

Huckleberry had the time of his life. They had a complimentary dog bed and a little bowl set for him, which was such a sweet touch. He explored every corner of the cabin and then immediately acted like he owned the entire mountain. He has never seen stairs but in a matter of minutes he was running up and down them just for fun! 

Now the ATV situation. So, when you check in, they don’t let you take your car up to the cabins. They hand you the keys to your own ATV and you drive that around for the entire stay. Sounds fun, right? And it was. They actually gave us a little driving test before we got the ATV, and I’m not kidding we looked at each other like, “Well this might be where our trip ends.”

Picture us trying to drive up the mountain for the first time. The top had stunning views and definitely made the ride worth it but going uphill felt like climbing Everest and going downhill? That was a whole separate emotional journey. There was one point where we looked at each other like, “Is this how we go out?” But by day two we finally got the hang of it. Honestly, it made for great laughs and it was very much a us problem, “not the vehicle” problem.

One of my favorite things about ReTreet is how many little communal spaces they have scattered around the property. There’s a treehouse, fire pits, a small store, a Star Dome and even a dog park. But everything still feels quiet and spread out, so you can be as social or as tucked away as you want. The whole environment just has this steady, peaceful energy. It’s the kind of place where your phone naturally ends up face down on the table for hours.

There’s a spa on site, Leaf & Stone Spa. They also have a Nordic cycle and I got way too into the sauna part of it. It was such a nice way to slow down at the end of the day even after we’d basically cooked ourselves in the hot tub already.

One thing that made the trip extra fun was that three other content creators happened to be staying in the same row of cabins as us! I’ve never had that happen before. We all got in a group text, followed each other and it was this funny little mini community for a few days. We ended up saying hi to a couple of them and they were genuinely so sweet. It made the whole experience feel even more relaxed and friendly.

We didn’t leave the property once. All four days we stayed right there, just enjoying everything they had on site. Between the views, the quiet, the amenities and how easy everything felt, there wasn’t really a reason to leave.

By the time we checked out we were genuinely so rested. It was one of those trips where you didn’t realize how much you needed a break until you were in the middle of it. Going down the mountain the last time with our ATV all packed up was bitter sweet!

If you’re looking for a relaxing, soul recharging escape, plan a stay at ReTreet! Choose from a two bedroom cabin, tiny house, glamping tent or treehouse! They even gave me a special discount code I can share so you can experience the stay too! Use code KTERRY5 

We loved it. Truly. If you want somewhere peaceful, dog friendly and all around calming, ReTreet is such a good choice! 

I’ve never really been afraid of quitting. Not because I don’t care about the thing I’m leaving behind, but because of how I was raised. My mom had this approach to life that I think shaped me in the best way: she let me try everything and she let me quit everything.

When I was little, I hopped from ballet to jazz to gymnastics to karate like a tiny sampler platter of extracurricular activities. And when I didn’t like something anymore, or it just didn’t feel like me, my mom never pushed me to stick it out. She’d shrug and say, “Well, now you know. That one’s not for you.” And just like that, we’d move on. 

It taught me something important: the only way to know what’s meant for you is to try new things. And the only way to know what’s not meant for you is to try new things.

I think a lot of us grow up believing that quitting is failure. That you’re weak if you don’t finish what you start. There is pressure to continue because you don’t want to look bad or have others judge or label you. But here’s the truth I’ve learned,  sometimes finishing is the failure. Because your time and energy are your most valuable resources. My mom used to remind me, “Spend as little time as possible on things that don’t bring you joy.” And as I’ve gotten older I see how right she’s always been.

Starting something new can be so exciting, it can light you up and make you feel alive. But life shifts. We grow, we change, we enter new seasons. Sometimes the things that once made us so happy just doesn’t anymore. That doesn’t mean they were a mistake. It just means they were right for a certain version of you and now you’ve outgrown them.

And that’s okay. More than okay, actually, it’s healthy. Quitting isn’t giving up. It’s clearing space. It’s saying, “I value myself enough to make room for something better, something that fits me right now.”

So when I look back at little me, abandoning my leotard or walking away from the karate mat, I don’t see a quitter, I see a girl practicing the art of listening to herself. 

Practicing the courage to walk away.

And honestly? 

That’s the one thing I’m so glad I never quit.

A few months ago, after hearing several glowing recommendations, we picked up “Midnight at the Blackbird Café” by Heather Webber. From the very first chapters, we were completely hooked! Not only by the charm of the story, but by the setting itself. It didn’t take us long to realize that the fictional town of Wicklow was inspired by one of our favorite real life places: Mentone, Alabama. That discovery made the book feel even more special to us, like we were reading a love letter to a town we already hold close to our hearts.

As we read, we found ourselves playing a little guessing game trying to match the landmarks, shops, and tucked away corners of Wicklow with the places we’ve wandered through in Mentone. It made us smile to imagine how real people and places might have sparked Heather Webber’s creativity. The story blurred the lines between fact and fiction in the best way, reminding us how magical small towns can be when you look a little closer.

This summer, we returned to the mountains for another fun trip and stepping back into Mentone after reading Webber’s work was such a treat. We walked the same streets, browsed the same quirky shops, and admired the same sweeping views, but this time with an extra layer of wonder. It felt like we had slipped between two worlds, the real and the imagined and it made our trip all the more meaningful.

Since reading that book, we’ve been devouring more of Heather Webber’s Alabama mystical stories. She has such a gift for weaving together cozy settings, unforgettable characters, and just the right touch of magic. In her novels, the towns aren’t just backdrops, they’re living, breathing characters with their own quirks, histories, and secrets. Her heroines are the kind you find yourself rooting for, and the gentle sprinkle of magical realism she adds makes each story feel timeless and enchanting.

Now, we’re eagerly counting down the days until her newest release, “The Forget-Me-Not Library”, which comes out on November 4th. If it’s anything like her other books, it’s bound to be a cozy, heartfelt, and slightly mystical escape perfect for curling up with as the weather turns cooler.

If you love small towns, stories that feel like home, and just a touch of everyday magic, Heather Webber’s books are ones you won’t want to miss.

I’ve always loved Mondays, new notebooks and mornings.
There’s something about those first hours of the day that feels like a pause, a hush before the noise begins. The air is softer, the light stretches slowly across the room, and for a little while, the world hasn’t asked anything of me.

Most mornings begin the same way, with sleepy cuddles and kisses from my puppy. It’s the sweetness before the weight of the day settles into place. Before the emails, messages, errands, or responsibilities, and headlines. After that comes my coffee, my lifeblood, my rocket fuel that keeps me checking off the seemingly never ending to do list.
But like a new notebooks I love seeing the day stretched out in front of me like blank pages waiting to be filled.

Mornings give me time to breathe, to set the tone before the busyness takes over. They whisper that beginnings don’t have to be grand, they can be as simple as a quiet house, a wagging nub, slowly brewing coffee, a few pages of a good book and the promise of a new day.

For me, mornings are a beginning, a chance to breathe, reset, and lean into possibility. They remind me that life is lived in small steps, that beauty can be found in the quiet, and that calm has a way of carrying us through the busiest of days.