Welcome, sweet friends, to ON THE LIST!

I am such a list maker, so what better way to talk about my favorites than by… making lists about them? ON THE LIST is meant to be a fun, casual space to share and chat about all the things. I love, love, love pop culture, fashion, athletic gear—you name it. I could go on and on. And honestly? I probably will. 😊

That’s how ON THE LIST was born—a cheeky, stand-alone, bi-weekly little pick-me-up filled with all the things, both trending and classic. It’s a snapshot of my world—the things that make me happy, bring me joy, and truly fill my bucket. And honestly, who doesn’t love a good chat sesh about all the things?

My hope is for this to feel like a coffee (or cocktail) conversation—just in list form. It may take a few tries to find its rhythm, but I’m excited about where ON THE LIST can go.

And since it’s Christmas week, it feels like the perfect time to chat about where we are right now—my favorites for this special season. So what am I freaking waiting for? Time for a little merry, right? 🎄✨

Let’s talk Christmas books—children’s books. Our collection includes stories from when I was little, along with ones we bought for Marin and Tucker. They’ve been tucked away in storage for a few years, and honestly, I think as the kids got older we just forgot to pull them out. Kinda crazy, right?

I just rediscovered the container they’re stored in, and it felt like opening a treasure chest. Pure magic. So many memories, all at once.

Here are a few of my favorites from our collection: ✨📚

• The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson– one of the best! It was also adapted into a play. I was lucky enough to perform that play when I was in middle school. I think it was middle school. Seriously, what a fun and lovely story!
• You are My Miracle by Maryann Cusimano Love and Satomi Ichhikawa-creators of You are My I Love You. We have both of these books…they are heartwarming.
• The Sweet Smell of Christmas by Patricia Scarry-it has scratch and sniff scents inside…this was a book my Mom would read to me when I was little. I LOVED it so much the scratch and sniffs had no smell left. The book was so worn we parted with it. When Marin was born I hunted for a new copy and found one!
• The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore-A classic that most of us know, some probably by heart. I it read all season but on Christmas Eve is the one thing that is read right before bed.
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss-of course, right? A Christmas book collection is not complete without this one, right?

Classic list, I know. I’m a true child of the ’80s, and my top four? I actually saw them in theaters when they were first released. I love them for the memories they bring flooding back from my childhood—and let’s be honest, they’re just plain genius.

I tend to stay firmly in the classic Christmas movie lane. Hallmark Christmas movies don’t really spark me much. Any others you’d add to the list?

Music. Christmas is made by music, isn’t it? The songs of the season instantly put you in the holiday spirit. They add a little pep to your step and somehow make everything feel more festive. December basically becomes one long playlist… and honestly, for some of us, it starts way earlier than that.

And this season? I can’t blame anyone for spreading Christmas cheer and singing loud for all to hear—Elf quote, obviously.

I love a good cheesy pop song, and cheesy Christmas pop songs? Chef’s kiss. But the classics… they hit the heart. Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Eartha Kitt, Dean Martin—they are the season for me.

Just a few of my favorites below—because truly, there are way too many to count. 🎶✨

• Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree-Brenda Lee
• The Christmas Song-Nat King Cole
• It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year-Andy Williams
• Santa Baby-Eartha Kitt
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas-Judy Garland
• Santa Claus Is Coming to Town-Frank Sinatra

This time of year, there are more favorite, memory-making moments than I can count—most of them happening right within the walls of our home. It’s also the season that brings me right back to everything my mom did to make Christmas feel truly magical for my sister, me, and all the friends who filled our house.

From polishing all the sterling silver to creating a Christmas Eve table that felt stunning and special for everyone gathered around it, she always went above and beyond. She wove pieces of our British family heritage into the recipes she chose, and without even realizing it at the time, she was creating traditions that would last a lifetime.

I have gone on to continue her traditions as well as start new ones with Marc. Giving Marin and Tucker the best of their Mimmy as well as the best of us. Hoping they take the memories we have created for them into their adult lives and add to them.

Ending this first ON THE LIST with a list of GLIMMERS. I love GLIMMERS. They are little pieces of life that seem ordinary. They maybe things you seriously don’t even notice but if you pause and become still, you will. With your attention they then become extraordinary. Look for the GLIMMERS this week-they will only enhance your holiday in the most wonderful and lovely way.

MERRY MERRY AND HAPPY HAPPY TO YOU ALL!!

Hello, sweet friends!

Well, here we are. Mid December, how have we arrived in this spot so quickly? Like, wasn’t it just summer? With the holiday season in full swing I am working hard to stay in the moment. Not looking back and trying not to look too far forward, which is incredibly hard for me. Can we say Type A, Planner much?

This season is a level up from the ones before it…in every way. Staying in the moment and enjoying it all while starting to look ahead to the new year is a challenge. Who is with me on this?

I am ready to chase new goals, create more and kick the heck out of the new year…but for now, now I am simmering and loving having a full cozy house. College parents get it-there is something so special when your kid comes home. Your puzzle is complete if only for just a bit.

Waiting. Waiting for the perfect conditions to do something… to finally go after the thing. Who’s been here? Have you ever caught yourself saying, “When I do this, then I’ll do that,” or “When this happens, I’ll finally…”? If so, I get it. Truly. I’ve lived in that mindset more times than I can count.

That waiting place is oddly comfortable, isn’t it? It’s where you can dream big without risking big. Where you can think about the possibilities without actually stepping into them. But let’s be honest—it’s a place with no real wins. No gains. Just time ticking by.

I’ve been there. I’ve hovered there. And what I’ve learned is this: jumping in is better. Jumping in with fear. With uncertainty. With anxiety. That’s what builds the next level. Choosing to move forward when the conditions aren’t perfect—that’s brave. And it can be life-changing.

I’m just going to say it: life is too freaking short to stay in the waiting place. To only talk about your goals, dreams, and aspirations. Get up. Get out. And go make it happen for yourself.

MOM LIFE WITH BIG KIDS

One of my absolute favorite things about being a mom to BIG kids is getting to share life with them. Marc and I love giving our kids experiences—gifts that turn into lifelong memories. The kind that stick, shape them, and grow with them. Some of those moments include one of us, some include friends, but all of them matter.

Tuck and I have shared so many Buckeye football games together, but my favorite will always be the Tennessee playoff game in the Shoe last December. It was the first-ever December game there—and the Buckeyes won. It was absolutely freezing, but it’s a game I’ll talk about forever.

Marin and I share a deep love for live theater, which is why Broadway in Columbus season tickets were her yearly gift for about five years. Nights filled with music, stories, and memories I’ll always hold close.

Tuck is a big country music fan and loves concerts, and Marc has been right there beside him for so many of those moments. He even surprised Tuck with a VIP experience to see one of his all-time favorites. We go big when we can—because at the end of the day, it’s all about creating those core memories.

We also all LOVE the Cincinnati Open—a world-class professional tennis tournament we look forward to every single year. It’s a tradition that creates memories not just for Marin and Tucker, but for Marc and me too.

These moments hit differently in this season of life. The impact isn’t the same as when the kids were younger—and that’s a good thing. It’s deeper. More mutual. More shared.

There’s something incredibly special about not just witnessing core memories anymore, but participating in them—side by side.

Our first Christmas as a married couple was truly magical. Marc and I were settled into our home after spending the summer making it ours—learning how to live together within its walls, soaking in newlywed life. That Christmas felt exciting and full, with decorating, entertaining, and loving side by side.

Our first tree was real, filling the house with the fresh scent of pine. It was perfectly round and full, just right for the corner where it stood. As newlyweds, we had a few ornaments from our families, but we knew we were beginning something new—our own collection. Starting our Christmas traditions felt special that year. Everything was bright, shiny, and full of possibility.

One thing we took very seriously was finding our tree topper. We knew it had to be meaningful. It would crown every tree from that year forward. We imagined future children knowing it, remembering it, and eventually arguing over who would get to place it on the top branches.

So one Saturday, we set out to find the topper—and it quickly turned into a Goldilocks-and-the-Three-Bears kind of search. One was too bright, another not bright enough. Nothing felt just right. We drove all over Columbus—truly all over. Finally, we popped into Pottery Barn… and there it was. A silver star. Simple. Timeless. Perfect. We knew the moment we saw it.

That star has topped every Christmas tree we’ve had for the past 27 years. The search was worth it. And the story behind it is one Marc and I still hold close to our hearts.

Hello my sweet friends!

Oh my goodness, what a whirlwind the last few weeks have been! Tis’ the season, right?

Feeling festive, ready to soak in what is to come in this last month of 2025.

Each year feels different, for obvious reasons. This year I feel lighter, feeling the need to really deck the halls. This season is bringing all the merry, all the happy…because why not?

Y’all, seriously there are many things in our world at this moment that feel heavy.

This season, find the light and share it…we all need that warmth and joy.

To cry or to dance? I have told this story before, it is a core memory that keeps coming up in my life. During our wedding reception a guest came to hug me holding a glass of red wine. The bottom of the glass hit my shoulder in turn spilling some wine. I felt the wine drip on my hand as we left our embrace. That moment I knew it was on my gown. I didn’t react-I knew if I did that was it. That would be the story of the day.

I went to the rest room with a sorority sister to see the full extent of the spill. Yep. Top to bottom on my white silk shantung gown, a maroon spill. In that moment I made a choice. I smiled, and headed to the dance floor. What was I going to do? Spend the rest of the night in the bathroom crying about it? Miss out on all the fun we had planned for two years?

It is all perspective. Life happens, right? We seriously had our dream wedding, everything I could have asked for…one thing at the end of the reception happened. Placing focus on the joy over a stain is where I would rather function.

At the time I didn’t realize the impact this one event would have over and over on my life. It really has. When a hot mess happens, I pause and think “to cry or to dance”? In most cases I would rather dance…not missing out on life to cry in a bathroom over a stain.

That night I danced my heart out with my new husband, our family, and friends. A red wine stain down my dress marked that perfect summer evening.

FIND ALL MY FAVS HERE:

KODIAK PROTIEN WAFFLES-BUTTERMILK AND VANILLA

COACH BENNETT’S PODCAST-A MUST LISTEN FOR ALL RUNNERS

SOUTHERN CHARM-ANOTHER ONE OF MY GUILTY PLEASURES

WICKED FOR GOOD-IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT YOU NEED TO

MOM LIFE WITH BIG KIDS

Finding time to connect is crazy with schedules etc…Tuck and I found a simple way to spend time together that we both really look forward to. Once a week we pick a local coffee shop to go to. He drives, being the passenger is wonderful! We each get a coffee/latte of our choice and we share a sweet treat. We sit, chat and connect with each other uninterrupted. This experience is priceless and something I am grateful for. At the end of our time in the shop we rate our java experience…atmosphere, coffee and sweet treat. Nothing we totally keep track of but a little something fun to add to our new little tradition.

Momming BIG KIDS is different is so many ways…this way is one of my favs. It is so important to me to know them as they grow, as they mature. It is also important to me for them to know me in ways they haven’t before. That they see me as more than their Mom. Having this coffee time to share ourselves-I wouldn’t change it for the world.

In the blink of an eye fall is complete…I packed up all the fall decor within 30 minutes and started hauling out the holly! There is a certain glow and buzz in the house now. Fall was warm and subtle…little bits and pieces decorating our main space. Christmas, is bright and loud. Each room getting cheer.

The warm browns, oranges and yellows are now replaced by sparkling reds, greens and golds. We are a warm white light family…all trees and outside lighting shine with an angelic glow. Everything then placed within the lights has it’s own show and is not completing with other colors.

Pulling out all the Christmas boxes is like finding a treasure chest every year…forgetting what we newly acquired the year before or what we have had for years is such a gift. I am one that decorates over days instead of an all in one. The creative in me needs time to step back, look, rearrange etc.

This is also of season of baking for me. Not so much everyday meal cooking but real deal holiday baking. I have cookie and mini bundt cake recipes I have used for 20 some years, we all have our favorites. I also have my Mom’s recipes that she used every Christmas. I have not attempted her famous poppy seed lemon cake but my sister has-which I absolutely love. The kitchen is a place of all the hustle and bustle during this month…lots of coming and going, cooking and cleaning and cooking again.

Growing up with a Mom that made the holidays magical has instilled in me how important that is. Our home was overflowing with merry and bright. It is easy to get caught up in matching what that was. I really don’t know how she did it all. I try to keep things as slow and peaceful as I can…creating the merry and bright with the magic of the season in the forefront of my mind.

INTO THE WEEK AHEAD

Friendships are everything. Friendships that become deep enough to become family and life lasting are precious. Keep them close and work hard to nurture them. In the week ahead text, call, email etc that friend or friends that feel like sunshine. Lift them up.

Start this week shining your light on that friend. May your light inspire their light to shine. We need each other in this world. You all know we do. In this giving season the most important gift we can give is ourselves to each other.