Friday Fun: Top Ten Investments for 2026

 

                Each year I share with you some of our favorite purchases from the year…in case you need some shopping ideas for Christmas! Here are some of our favorite 2026 finds. I tried to include a variety of price ranges. :) 

Step Counter Watch – I decided to break up with my FitBit this year. I’ve used them for over a decade, but they moved to requiring a Google login, and I did not wish to make that move. I had also grown tired of looking down every time I had a text or call, so I decided to get an old-fashioned step-counter watch instead. Mine is rose gold, and it is a basic watch/step counter. It’s all I need, it looks prettier, and I am happy. (I also don’t have to remember to charge it. WIN!!!)

Trivet Set – I admit it. I was influenced. Ryan and I have had a habit of eating dinner with a potholder under our plates to keep our table safe from hot plate rings. I saw these trivets on a blog roundup and ordered them. They store in this tree-like setup and keep the table safe when it comes time to eat! This comes in different colors, but we picked the natural wood.

Heated Vest – (The link I actually used seems to be no longer active, but this is a similar one.) I bought this at the tail end of last year, but I’m still counting it. This heated vest was a gift for Ryan to wear when working outside in the cold weather. He spends a lot of time shoveling, digging out cars, etc. and I wanted to keep his core warm! I gave this to him right before our anniversary trip last year so he could wear it while we walked all around Indianapolis in the cold weather. He loves it and already has it charged up for this winter’s beginning!

Slip Lead for Lexi – When we came home from one of our trips, Lexi’s dog-sitter told us about this slip lead she uses to walk her. Ryan loved the idea and came home and bought one. Ours has the option of fitting around his waist, so if he wants to be hands-free while she walks, he can.

Rotating Bookshelf – This was my birthday gift from Ryan, and I still love it. This rotating bookshelf is perfect for storing my favorite books. We keep this next to my desk, and I use it for the books I reference the most. You can buy this in varying shelf heights, so if you want a single layer, you could also use it as a side table.

Glass Storage Containers – We are on a quest to eliminate plastic from our kitchen, and we ordered a couple of sets of these food storage containers this year. The lids lock (full disclosure: the lids are still plastic) and they work perfectly for carrying lunches every day!

Heated Neck Wrap – I lamented that I miss the towel warmer at the rehab hospital where Ryan used to work. When I had a sore neck/back from workout injuries, I’d go down there and he’d set me up with some warm towels. So he bought me this heated neck wrap. It’s great for those days when I sleep wrong or lift too much weight! It snaps in place to keep it from slipping around while you work.

 Car Jump Starter – Ryan got these for our vehicles in case we find ourselves with a dead battery and are not in a place to be able to jump the car. One of those purchases we hope we don’t need but want to have on hand just in case!

Hebrew Bible Set with Commentary – I purchased these earlier this year after hearing a recommendation for them. This hardcover, three-volume set offers a literal English translation from the Hebrew Bible along with commentary. I have enjoyed learning from them!

Electric Cord Reel – This was one of Ryan’s favorite purchases this year. He hung it out in the garage and it has helped keep everything organized when he needs to use an extension cord. He highly recommends!

Here are lists from previous years if you need more ideas!

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

Thankful Thursday: Just Thankful

 

                It’s November, and I have enjoyed reading along with the many thankful-themed social media posts that pop up each day. I have also enjoyed the spot in my planner that encourages me to keep track of things that make me thankful throughout the month.

                I have found that turning my mind toward the big and small alike really does change the attitude of my heart, especially on tough days. Maddening days.

                Here are some of the random things I’m thankful for lately.

*My friend’s birthday party last week. I haven’t seen her in over five years, and it was so good to catch up, even for a couple of hours.

*The date night Ryan took me on last week – ice cream included!  

*A WHOLE Saturday at home to accomplish all kinds of things.

*Getting to watch our church kids in Bible quizzing…and hearing them show all they’ve learned in such a short time!

*Beautiful, warm fall days.

*Thrifted finds.

*Answers to prayer for the ladies in our small group.

*Time with Ryan when so many days leave us as ships passing in the night.

*An almost five-year-old sweet baby girl who makes us laugh every day.

                What is in front of you that you can be thankful for today?

Wednesday in the Word: The Strength of My Heart

 

Last night, Ryan and I sat in our living room and watched the livestream of a funeral…one of the hardest funerals I think I’ve ever seen. You know, I’ve been to several baby funerals, and those are always impossibly hard. Grieving a life before the sweet child had a chance to even live it out is unfathomable. So many questions about who these kids might have grown up to become…so much pain.

                Last night’s funeral was for a 16-year-old, and it was just as impossibly hard. Hearing the kind of life he had chosen to live – for the Lord, with great integrity – and trying to wrap our minds around this kind of loss was also unfathomable. Watching the entire football team follow his casket onto the field broke my heart. I don’t know those boys, but I know what it’s like to be a teenager trying to comprehend death, and I hurt for every one of them.

                I listened to the words spoken about this young man I never had the privilege to meet, and they challenged me to think about the way I live my own life. The legacy I want to leave. (That’s pretty remarkable for a teenager to have that strong an impact!)

                And when I picked up my Bible after the funeral, I read these words from Psalm 73: Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

                I am thankful for God’s guidance, His promise, and His strength. And on days like these, when none of us understand, pain abounds, and lives are forever marked and changed, God is still the strength of our hearts and our portion forever.

                I know many of you who read this corner of the internet are not from here, and you don’t know this teenager…but I wondered if you might join me in praying for the teens in our community. I remember being the 18-year-old grappling with the death of a friend. That’s been 30 years ago now, and I still remember how much it hurt. I still remember how that loss and season of grief forever marked and shaped me. The woman I am today is, in part, because of that time. The same will be true for the teens in our community. Will you pray with me that God will be the strength of their heart and their portion forever?

Tuesday Tales: Celebrating 167 Months!

 

Last week we celebrated our 167^th monthiversary. The day may not have been overly celebratory, but it was a good day with significant meaning that God put on my heart.

                As I spent time praying at the church that morning, the Lord reminded me that when we were first married, I wondered how long it would take before we found familiarity in our marriage. How long would it be before we had our own rhythms and routines? I don’t know when it happened, but it did. And everything about this monthiversary reminded me that even things like familiarity can be a gift.

                We started our day with a workout and breakfast, and if you can overlook our sleepy selves in this picture, you’ll see everything that is beautiful about a familiar life. Our little home. Breakfast together. Someone awfully hopeful for dropped scraps.

                We went our separate ways to work, and when we came back home, we got a bit of a more polished look for our official monthiversary photo.

                The time had already changed, so we didn’t have much time to take Lexi out for a walk, but we squeezed in a quick stroll – all the while, telling stories from our day.

                We ate dinner at home…an Asian inspired beef and broccoli dish with healthy apple cake for dessert.

                A low-key day. But in each of the routine moments, I saw that gift God had nudged me to notice, and my heart was full.

                Next month? It’s not just a monthiversary. It’s an anniversary!

Menu Monday: Nourishing Body and Soul

 

I didn’t grow up in a BBQ kind of family. Dad wasn’t a big fan of messy sauces with all that great smoky flavor, so I was an adult before I understood the goodness of BBQ. Maybe that’s why most of the time, when we eat at a proper BBQ restaurant, I skip the sauce entirely. I’m of the opinion that if the meat has good flavor, you don’t need sauce.

                The other reason I tend to skip the sauces? Sugar. We are always looking for ways to cut sugar, so I was glad to discover the G Hughs sugar free line of dressings and BBQ sauces. I know the whole sugar free topic can be controversial, but this is a good fit for us, so we are keeping it!

                So this brings me to today’s recipe to share. We eat a lottttttttt of chicken, and Ryan is so longsuffering about the same meat on repeat, so I try to find new ways to make it! I landed on a BBQ chicken recipe that I thought I’d share here in case you need something new to try too!

BBQ Chicken
*2 Pounds Chicken Breasts/Thighs (Fresh or Frozen)
*3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
*1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
*1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
*1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
*1 Bottle Sugar Free BBQ Sauce (Flavor of Choice)
*1/4 Cup White Vinegar
*1 Tablespoon Liquid Smoke

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker and sprinkle seasonings on top. Cover with BBQ sauce, vinegar, and liquid smoke, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

                When we lived in Kokomo, there was a BBQ place locally that we loved. This recipe felt like a little throwback to those memories, but probably better for us and certainly more cost-effective. I’m always looking for ways to bring in some easy comfort food recipes that aren’t terrible for us! This is one more attempt at that. And it’s a keeper.

Sunday Scrapbook: Moments from the Week

 

Good morning! Last Sunday feels like 100 years ago. This week was full of the unexpected, but there were also a lot of great moments wrapped up in it. We’ll focus on those!

                Every year at our church, the ministry staff members give reports to the congregation about what we’ve done and what we’re excited to see in the year to come. Last Sunday was my day to give my report, and it was fun to offer!

                Monday was our monthiversary, and while it was relatively low-key (as monthiversaries go), it was a good day, and I was glad for each moment I spent with Ryan.

                I worked from home Tuesday so I could spend maximum time on forward planning for 2027. (When I work from home, I’m able to start work a whole hour early and get so much more done in the day!) I had the best time with my calendars and colored pencils!

                Wednesday was a tough day. A young man in our community, who had been in a car accident the previous weekend, passed away from his injuries. His family is known and loved, and even though I didn’t know any of them personally, they were meaningful to many who are dear to me. I was hurting for and with them! By the end of the day, I realized I’d not taken any pictures, and this quick snap of Ryan and Lexi napping after church is all I have to show for a hard day.

                Thursday night we traveled to Marion for a 50^th birthday celebration for one of my friends! I hadn’t seen her in person for about 5 years, I think, and it was so good to catch up with her – and other friends! – for a couple of hours.

                Friday evening we headed out for groceries and made a stop at our favorite ice cream shop on the way home. We asked if they happened to be open year round, and apparently they do close for a few weeks in December/January. Sadness. Glad we stopped while they’re still open!

                Yesterday was boat extraction day here in Shafferland. Ryan bundled up and brought the boat out of the water for another season. He spent the whole day outside, cleaning up the landscaping, organizing the garage, and tending to all the projects he never has time to do. I was baking and cleaning and doing projects to procrastinate what I actually should have been doing!

Saturday Suggestions: Inspirations for Your Weekend

 

Good morning, friends! Welcome to the first Saturday in November. I had planned a lovely, low-key day, but I fear most of it has turned into a work day. Even so, I should be able to work from the couch/jammies, so I celebrate that! And while I catch up on work, you can catch up on these!

If you are looking for some screen-free ideas to fill your 2027, this Amazon list rounds up supplies you might need for all kinds of hobbies: puzzles, embroidery, adult coloring and Legos, sewing, crochet, word and number puzzles, and more! What great things to put on your Christmas list to pull away from mindless scrolling!

Well this was a fun story! I love little stories about people who meet and then manage to stay in touch for the long haul. Throw a love story in the mix, and it’s just the best!

This video is short…less than ten minutes…but I am intrigued by what the designer did to renovate a log cabin. Two log cabins, actually! Two that are combined into one. I’m typically a purist when it comes to old cabins; I don’t love too much modernization in them. But I think she did a tasteful job of it, and my favorite part was how she disguised the HVAC and plumbing!

When I was a little girl, I loved playing Bible trivia with my parents. We would sometimes do that for our family devotions, and it was always my favorite! I took this Bible trivia quiz recently and thought I’d share it with you in case you want to try it too!!!

‘Tis the month of Thanksgiving! I always find it so intriguing to see how different families handle Thanksgiving Day. Some feel like very formal dinner affairs and others are super casual – with all the stretchy pants! Which camp are you in – or are you maybe somewhere in the middle? Brooke has some suggestions for outfits for Thanksgiving Day. She’s petite, but even if you don’t pick the exact outfit she shows, maybe it will give you an idea!

As you know, we are just about a month out from Dad’s death, and I wanted to share with you this piece by Jennifer Rothschild that I found back on the day of his funeral. It is so beautifully written and was a comfort to my heart. Maybe it will be the same for you!

Friday Fun: Annual Photo Shoot

 Good morning, friends! Thought it might be fun today to share with you some of the photos we received from our photo shoot with Barb last month! I really need a five page Christmas card to use all my favorites. But since that’s not an option, I’ll share some of them here today! Hope you enjoy. 😊

Throwback Thursday: Home

 

It’s good to look back – to remember where you used to be and to see how far you’ve come. We talked about this in our Bible study this week, and when I came home from that conversation, I looked at the same thing from a different angle: our home.

                You see, four years ago this week, Ryan and I were in the early stages of renovating this lake house. I don’t know that I ever really told you all about those renovations in full, and I won’t do that even today, but I will give you some glimpses of where we were a year ago this week.

                So. Much. Primer.

                This picture is from our bedroom, believe it or not. Four years ago, it was all dark brown paneling that I was priming for a paint color. Primer is so awkward, because it never applies smoothly.

                My bathroom (four years ago) had purple carpet, brown paneling, and this vanity. Ryan was busy removing that so we could bring in something much more modern. Looking at this picture…I don’t even recognize this room! It has come so far.

                Ryan pulled the carpet off the stairs…and found another layer of carpet underneath. He pulled that off…and found another layer of carpet underneath. He pulled that off…and found every staple known to mankind embedded into the wood. He thought he would be pulling staples until the end of time.

                Our office was slowly transforming from gray paneling to the beautiful light blue paint still in there today. And Ryan replaced light fixtures. I loved that change!

                I look back at these pictures with great relief. I am so thankful it isn’t four years ago. I am so grateful these renovations are complete and we can enjoy the vision we could somehow imagine when we first saw the house. I can only think of one item we put into the house in this renovation that we have now taken back out. I am thankful for this cozy home!

Wednesdays in the Word: Brokenhearted

 

The last few days have been hard for our community. A teenager was gravely injured in a car accident Saturday night, and though we did not know him, it’s clear he was beloved…everywhere, by everyone. (And the same seems to be true of his family.) Our church, Ryan’s work, really everyone in the community, has been impacted.

                We all prayed for a miracle here on earth, but the Lord called him Home. (Posts we saw from coaches and pastors shared his professed faith in Christ.)

                Ryan and I are sick to our stomachs and brokenhearted over this loss. We hurt for his family. We hurt for those we know and love who are forever marked by this. Forever changed. Forever scarred.

                I found my way to Psalm 147, which says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

                He’s got a county – and more – of wounded, broken hearts, and I believe He’s healing and mending. And I believe He is tending to each shattered soul.

                So if you think of our little corner of the world in the days to come, and you want to pray for this family who lost a son, and players who lost a teammate, and a girlfriend who lost her boyfriend, and students who lost a friend, we welcome you to do so.

                And if you have your own brokenness right now, I trust with you that the same God who has tended to my broken heart time and time again will tend to yours as well!               

Tuesday Tales: A Weekend with Our Buddy

 

This weekend was full in every single way! Earlier in October, our godson’s mom asked if he could stay with us the last weekend, and we said a tentative yes, explaining that my dad’s health was poor, and we didn’t know what our days would look like this month. She understood, but obviously when the last weekend rolled around, we were able to have him come to see us!

                We picked him up Friday night at Culvers…so we shared dinner with them before loading up his “pack pack” of clothes into our car.

                He was so excited to get to our house and sorely disappointed to learn it was too close to dark to head out for a boat ride.

                One other time when he visited recently, we cooked together, and he loved that, so we asked if he’d like to help us make bread. That was a winner! (Minus the volume of the grain mill. He wasn’t wild about that.)

                While the bread baked, he got busy building the biggest castle in the world and even counted all the blocks for me as he put them away at the end of playing.

                He borrowed my phone to take pictures.

                So. Many. Rounds. Of. Hi-Ho Cherry-O. When I was little Mom used to play board games with me, until I refused to be a good loser and she told me she wouldn’t play unless I could be a better sport. Apparently that’s a universal thing, because he and I had some gentle chats about congratulating other people when they win. (He did get better at that.)

                Though he normally is a great sleeper at our house, this was not our weekend. He was up for the day at 3 a.m. That was painful! I told him he still had to stay in bed, even if he didn’t want to sleep, and that wasn’t the most popular news I’d ever delivered.

                At long last (lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnng last) “morning time” came and he was able to inspect the bread he helped make. He was so excited to make his peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

                It was pretty gross outside, but Lexi was in desperate need of a proper walk, and we all felt a little stir crazy, so we suited up and headed out for a walk. Alas, halfway through, he declared he was too tired to continue, so Ryan and Lexi finished the walk and the two of us came back home.

                Long ago, I purchased some “1001 Things to Spot” books at a yard sale, and that paid off big time on this visit. He was content to count for a long time in the bug book. I was so happy to see him diving into a book like that.

                I asked if he would color a picture for my mom so we could take it to her on our way back to his house, and he was excited to do so. He also wanted to color a picture for his mom!

                He knew it was Halloween and that his mom planned to take him Trick or Treating, so by early afternoon, he was ready to go home, and this girl, who had been up since three in the morning, wasn’t in a place to argue! So we trekked back to his house, and even though he was NOT sleepy, he napped most of the way. (Jealous!!!)

                It felt a little bit like a gift that the next day was the time change and I got a little extra rest after a short night!