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Discover simple home decor ideas, style tips, and seasonal inspiration through The Curated Life…your guide to living beautifully every day.
Welcome back to The Curated Life…a calm midweek pause filled with simple ideas, seasonal inspiration, and little ways to bring beauty and ease into everyday life. As we begin a new year, my hope is that this space feels like a steady place to land…offering gentle refreshes, thoughtful details, and quiet encouragement along the way. I’m so happy you’re here.
1.) Your 5 Favorite Posts from 2025
Before we look too far ahead, I wanted to pause and share the five posts that were most loved here in 2025. This small collection includes a favorite recipe, two room refreshes, my must-have kitchen essentials, and one very personal post I wrote last summer about the new direction of this space. It’s a simple little snapshot of what resonated most over the past year.
- No Knead Peasant Bread
- Minimalist Kitchen Essentials
- Where I Am and Finding My Way Forward
- Board and Batten Dining Nook
- Small Laundry Room Ideas (My most visited post of the year!)
2.) WORDS WORTH SHARING
“Control exhausts the soul. Trust lets it rest.” ~Found HERE.
3.) My Favorite Christmas Gifts
- COACH mesh wrist watch (This is beautiful!)
- Aura Digital Picture Frame: an always-moving slideshow of my family.
- Keurig K-Mini Go: the same great taste as a larger Keurig, but the slim design is wonderful if your countertop space is limited. Mine, of course, is navy.
4.) Gather + Savor
For this week’s Gather + Savor, I’m sharing two recipes that naturally go hand in hand. It starts with a simple homemade cherry pie filling that is rich, glossy, and full of bright cherry flavor. That same filling becomes the star of Cherry Delight, a classic layered dessert with a buttery graham cracker crust and a light, creamy filling. Together, they make a sweet little duo that feels both nostalgic and easy, and perfect for sharing with family or keeping on hand for an everyday treat. Up next: cherry muffins!
5.) THINGS WORTH MENTIONING
- As someone who shares her life for a living, one thing I usually keep more private is my faith. But I recently found a small devotional that I wanted to share with you. It is a simple hardback book with just one page for each day of the year, which makes it feel very manageable and never overwhelming. I have been reading it each morning since January 1st, and it has quickly become a quiet, treasured part of my daily routine.
- Coming this weekend: for This Time of Year, I’ll be sharing how to easily decorate with neutrals. On Sunday, I hope to introduce you to my favorite new chicken recipe. I’ve made it several times, and I’m just waiting on a sunny day to take pictures. Fingers crossed!
- What I’m watching: although a bit slow, I really enjoyed the new Ken Burns documentary, The American Revolution, on PBS. On BritBox, season 10 of Shetland has started. Also on BritBox is an interesting documentary called Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius. I thought it was fascinating.
- The past few weeks have been filled with family, good food, and many moments of joy. Truth be told though, I’m a little tired and ready to get back to a somewhat normal routine, with quiet mornings, simple meals, and the comfort of familiar days. XO
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For those who subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, you may download Jesus Listens free of charge! I just downloaded it for ease of use on an upcoming trip. Thank you for telling us about it.
I, too, have been reading Jesus Calling. It’s a wonderful way to start the day.
A winter well kept – water colored prints – how do I access those? Thank you – I’m loving the “chill” vibe of your posts!
I always enjoy your posts but I am not one to comment. However, I had been reading Jesus Calling with a morning and evening devotional and I loved it! This January I started Jesus Always. It is a wonderful way to start or end my day. Next January I will get the one you shared! Thank you for the always kind and enjoyable posts!
Hi Ann,
Thanks for the mention of your new devotional. I’ve been reading Jesus Calling written by the same author. I love it, so I just ordered Jesus Listens! I love hearing about other people’s faith. We all need each other to help strengthen our faith and love for Jesus! Happy New Year!