Growing up, I didn’t know much about the season of Advent and what it meant. I heard the word, but it wasn’t something my family observed, nor did my church talk much about it. I certainly couldn’t have known how important the observation of Advent would become when I had my own family.

advent – ad·vent/ˈadˌvent : noun – 1. the arrival of a notable person, thing or event; 2. the first season of the Christian church year, leading up to Christmas and including the four preceding Sundays.

Webster

When Clark was two, a friend of mine shared something with me that our family has grown to love and look forward to every Christmas. We were in a “mom group” together when she told me about a family-friendly Advent curriculum that her mom had written. Over the last ten years, we’ve made it our own and do what works for our family. The time we’ve spent together on Advent nights has created some of my favorite holiday memories with my children, plus I feel like this tradition has helped keep us stay grounded and focused on Jesus during this incredibly busy season.

Of course we keep it simple and doable, but also super meaningful for families of all ages and religions. I put together a video with all the details and FREE download. Check it out here!

If you and your family use our Advent plan this year, I’d love to know how much you love it. Comment below or send me a message/email. Merry Christmas and I hope you enjoy spending this time with your family as much as I do.

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

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Jamie Gremillion, Bloom Co.

The idea for a pin board was literally born in my head, and I talked it out with Adam. He thought a piece of foam board from the hardware store would work, and he was right! We wanted it to be dramatic and eye-catching, so we went with a 2″ thick sheet. (Step 1) We cut a 4’x8′ foamboard down to 32″x6′ with an adjustable razor knife. It was the perfect scale for our space. I loved the idea of it being sort of “larger than life” and not just another “something” on the wall.

Once we got started, the process was super easy and took less than an hour, start to finish! After the foam was cut, (I recommend doing it outside, foam gets messy!) I started to cover it with the duck canvas I chose as the fabric. Pinking shears work great to keep the raw edges from fraying. I used white canvas to give a monochromatic look with my walls, but you can choose any color you like.

There will likely be deep creases in your fabric, (Step 2) so I recommend steaming it first, before wrapping your foam. I didn’t do that and was stuck trying to gently steam the wrinkles out without melting the foamboard, it would’ve been easier to do it ahead. Also, don’t skip this step! Promise? You’ll be tempted to, thinking your fabric will pull tight enough, but you’ll still see the wrinkles and it will look less chic, and more diy, which we don’t want. Trust me.

(Step 3) Once the duck canvas is smooth, I wrapped the foam with it and secured it using my glue gun and hot glue on the back edge. The hot glue does compromise the foam and melts it a little, but still holds the fabric really well. You can add some regular thumb tacks along the back if you want to be sure the fabric is secure. (Step 4) Neatly fold the corners like a package and hot glue them down.

(Step 5) Mark off where you’ll put each decorative thumbtack on the edges using a light pencil mark. I placed mine 6″ apart which worked well with a 6-foot board. Gently insert tacks keeping them centered in the middle of the 2″ end.

(Step 6) Now comes the fun part! Dig out all those beautiful keepsakes and artwork pieces you’ve been holding onto and start pinning. I used simple wood tacks to keep them secure. The warmth this project has added to our kitchen is amazing! We plan to use it mostly to display current treasures, but I also have a few other ideas too!

• Christmas Cards from Friends
• Old Family Recipes
• Instant Family Photos
• Meaningful Scriptures
• Famous Quotes
• Gratitude at Thanksgiving
• “I Love You Because” Notes at Valentine’s Day
• Specialty Items for a Party of Celebration
• Memories of a Loved One

Whatever you decide to display on your pin board, I know it will be meaningful to you and yours. Building a home is so much more than decor. I hope you feel inspired to create this easy conversation piece in your own home. Shop the full post here and let me know in the comments if you have any questions. Be sure to share with me once yours is done! Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

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Jamie

It’s been 18 months since the first cases of Covid-19 started showing up in our area, so Adam and I were actually surprised we hadn’t gotten it before now. We are careful to wash our hands well and often, but we choose to keep our people close. We also work to keep our bodies healthy and our minds and faith strong. We both agreed that we would probably get it one day, and unfortunately we did.

I thought it might be helpful to share our experience and include our symptoms, the remedies we tried, and tips for getting past it. I’ll break our story into 3 parts: physical, emotional, and spiritual. You might be thinking… wait what? It’s a virus… spiritual? Yep! Stay with me!

Physical:

Adam had soooo many more physical symptoms than me! He had a pretty typical onset with a relentless headache and low grade fever. Within 24 hours that progressed to the “devil headache” (as we call it) and loss of all taste and smell. It was the absolute worst head pain he’s ever had. That evening he started a Z pack and Ivermectin along with a list of recommended supplements (see below). The next day he woke feeling better. Excedrin Migraine and Tylenol gave him some relief from his headache when taken consistently every 6 hours.

For the first few days, he had bouts of nausea, fever spikes to 102, muscle pain (especially back), sores in the back of his throat, fatigue, dry cough and brain fog. After his antibody infusion on day 5, he began to have fewer symptoms and slowly regained his strength.

As I mentioned, my physical symptoms were extremely mild compared to Adam’s, and almost non-existent for the first several days. I took the same supplements, as well as a Z pack and Ivermectin. I had a mild headache and mild nausea, and finally lost my taste and smell on day 6. My fever never got over 99.3 and only lasted two days. My biggest complaint was that “my eyeballs hurt” (headache behind my eyes). This was most obvious to me when it was time for a little more Tylenol. After my antibody infusion though, I felt great within 24 hours! I didn’t experience a dip in energy or muscle pain, but I also had a mild, dry cough on and off for 2 days.

All three kids (age 3, 6, 9) had runny noses. Clark (age 9) lost some of his taste and smell. Their symptoms lasted about 72 hours.

Emotional:

I have rarely seen anything reported on the emotional effects of Covid, so I thought I’d share our thoughts on this very vulnerable side of it.

Having a positive Covid test is an emotionally charged experience. We’ve all heard the numbers reported, seen the horrible hospital footage, and most of us have known someone that’s died with it, so it makes for a very uneasy feeling when you find out you have it! Though we quarantined as a family, it was a very isolating feeling to know you can’t have any physical contact with anyone for a full 10 days. The feelings of uncertainty also set in because there are so many different symptoms and levels of severity reported. On top of isolation and uncertainty, we experienced some feelings of panic until we were able to secure medication locally.

Trust me, we felt all of this deeply. Around midnight on the first night we were sick, I was alone in my kitchen filling veggie capsules with liquid Ivermectin from the feed store. I learned to use a veterinary syringe that night. There I was… mom of three… taking matters into my own hands… in the middle of the night, in my kitchen, in America.

That night an overwhelming feeling came over me… a feeling of empowerment, mama bear-ness and bad ass-ness? Yes, but also feelings of betrayal and dread for the future. For the first time it was clear to me just how alone we were. In a country where we should have access to any, and every health benefit, (not free access, but access nonetheless), I was doing what I believed was right, all alone, and based on my own research.

The following day we were able to get the prescriptions we needed thanks to a family friend, but not having a personal doctor to turn to when we needed it, was a very insecure feeling if I’m being totally honest.

The trip to the hospital for our infusions was also an interesting experience. When it’s you infected with the virus, you are like a dirty bomb… the elephant in the room… and everybody knows it! All the warning signs… they’re about you… all the masks, gloves, hazmat suits… because of you. Riding the “Covid +” elevator is odd, the small talk and superficial conversations with nurses all feel like a scene from a movie. Though millions have been infected, being one of them still feels lonely.

Internally, my husband experienced a fair amount of anxiety related to feelings of helplessness and uncertainty. One night he told me he was “completely at the mercy of this wicked thing” and it struck me deep in my core. This leads me to the spiritual component of our experience with Covid.

Spiritual:

From the moment we saw the two lines on our “at home” Covid test, there was a noticeable, palatable shift in the atmosphere of our home. It was like a dark cloud settled over it. I would spend the next 10 days combating it and speaking/praying against it. Even in really dark minutes, the presence of God was with us. He provided our medication for us, dinner every night from family and friends, stuff to keep our kids happy, peaceful family time, positive kid attitudes …all of it was from Him. A virus created and meant for evil, chaos, division, destruction and death… but allowed by God for His glory. I don’t understand it and probably never will, but He was close, incredibly near during every minute of our healing.

The biggest surprise to me wasn’t how dark and spiritually draining this illness was, but how darkness and light, the spirit of the enemy and the Spirit of the Living God were both present, in my home… together, at once. It was as if we were getting a look into spiritual warfare through the agony of miserable symptoms drenched in the mercies of Jesus.

None of this may make sense if you haven’t had it, but I’d love to hear from you if you’re a believer and had a similar spiritual experience. It truly was an unforgettable 10 days.

Knowing what I know now, I’m reflecting on how I can be helpful for those that haven’t had it, but want to be prepared if they do find themselves in our situation. I’ve compiled some tips.

Helpful Tips:

• Buy an at-home Covid test kit to keep on hand for peace of mind and/or if symptoms start.
• Make a quarantine plan (with or away from family). Although I absolutely do not recommend being totally alone through this, you will need to know how you will quarantine.
• Know the protocol you want to follow. Do the research now, before you’re sick! Decide on the route you want to take to help your body heal the way you’re comfortable with. Write it down, screenshot it, etc. and communicate it to your family.
• Secure a prescription (if that’s what you decide) and/or a doctor that shares your opinion and values, add supplements (if you plan to use them) to your cart through a local vitamin shop/pharmacy’s website, know your BMI and/or risk factors for become sicker (if interested in antibody infusion).
• Make sure you have working thermometers, Tylenol, ice packs, etc.
• Get organized as soon as you test positive, before you don’t feel good. You’ll be more likely to stick to the protocol if it’s organized and easy to follow. (I bagged all of our supplements and meds and labeled them AM and PM.)
• Rest. Rest. Rest. Lean in to the Lord. Listen to what He wants you to learn from this time of sickness and stillness.

Overall our Covid experience isn’t something I ever want to go through again, but we’re on the other side feeling so blessed and grateful. I hope our real, raw account of what it was like will bring you comfort; not because it was fun or glamorous, but because sickness is part of life, and ultimately the overwhelming majority of people get through it with mild suffering and little inconvenience.

As always I’m an open book and will answer any questions you may have. Be sure you’re following along with my life on Instagram everyday @bloomco.interiors

Thanks for stopping by!

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. This post is not meant to give medical advice. This is our experience only. If you have questions or concerns, you should talk to a physician you trust,

Jamie

As always… I want to hear from you! Share any other car organization ideas you have in the comments below the video!

Thanks for stopping by,