I am so excited to share about an exciting blog collaboration that Caravan Sonnet will be doing in the next couple of months! I am so honored to be partnering again with Viking Cruises on a River Cruise and I can't wait to share more with y'all in the next several weeks! It was an absolute dream to work with Viking back in 2017/2018 (you can read all of the adventures HERE)! Our Rhine River Cruise was a dream that we often talk about with such fondness!
I am overjoyed to partner with them again and to a location that I have never been! It is a dream to work with Viking again and it feels surreal!
.jpg "a beautiful upcoming blog collaboration")
I wanted to share with y'all today because through December 31st Viking is having a sale on certain cruises and offering some incredible deals!! You can find out more about the cruises that this includes on their website HERE!
I hope y'all have a wonderful Tuesday!! Thank you so much for your excitement about this upcoming collaboration!
All of the pictures above are from our Rhine River Cruise!
The cold and windy season usually means a lot of home maintenance tasks get put on hold. Certainly, you won’t be outside mowing your lawn when the temperature drops and there’s less sunlight. As a result, you often assume that other maintenance tasks can be avoided during the winter months - like window cleaning!
Some homeowners believe there’s less need to clean the windows in winter because it rains so often. In the real world, winter window cleaning is arguably more important than cleaning them during any other season. Not convinced? Here are some critical reasons to never neglect winter window cleaning:
Protect Your Windows From Weather Damage
Do you know how damaging the winter weather can be for your windows? It’s something that many first-time homeowners aren’t aware of, as well as people who’ve owned their home for many years. Lots of rain, coupled with high winds, will cover your windows in grime and dirt. When left untreated, all of this muck will solidify in the cold weather and cause structural damage to window frames - or leave permanent stains on the glass.
Even worse than this, winter usually signifies the time when local councils put salt on the roads to prevent them from icing up. The wind blows this salt onto your windows and will easily cause etching or permanent marks if you don’t clean it away regularly.
It’s not a task you must do daily - simply call your local window washers to come once a month during the winter season to refresh your windows and remove all of this grime. It keeps them clean and will prevent weather damage from causing bigger and more expensive problems.
Keep More Sunlight In Your Home
The combination of natural seasonal changes and daylight savings means we see less sunlight every day. A lack of sunlight is a bigger issue than expected - particularly for your home. When you don’t get much sun penetrating through your windows, your home feels much colder. As such, you’re tempted to turn the heating on, which ramps up your energy bills.
Believe it or not, not cleaning your windows in the winter amplifies this problem. They get covered in grime or streaks, which prevents sunlight from passing through and illuminating your rooms. You don’t utilize the little sunlight you receive in the day, making your house colder than ever and increasing your energy bills.
Winter window cleaning prevents this by keeping your windows as clean and clear as possible. Open the curtains to let as much sunlight through as you can during the day, so you don’t need to have the heating on full-blast for hours. It saves energy while helping your home maintain a nice and cozy temperature during the coldest part of the year.
Windows Get Much Dirtier In The Winter
Why do people think it’s okay to skip window cleaning in the winter? It’s normally because they think it’s a waste of money as the regular rainfall continues to make your windows dirty. Ironically, that’s the main reason you should clean your windows in the winter months!
If something gets dirtier during a specific season - or due to certain conditions - then doesn’t it make sense to clean it more often rather than not at all? As mentioned in an earlier point, neglecting this will cause so much dirt and grime to accumulate on and around your windows. When spring rolls around, they’re much harder to clean and could be permanently damaged.
You’re actually better off getting your windows cleaned less frequently during the warmer months and more frequently during the colder ones.
Must Clean The Window Interiors Due To Condensation
Neglecting winter window cleaning isn’t just about cleaning the exterior. Windows suffer from incredible condensation during the cold periods, meaning the interiors will be wet almost every day. This happens when you wake up in the morning, so you need to get into the habit of cleaning away the condensation, drying your windows, and spraying some anti-mold stuff on the frames.
You could ignore this, but it would mean the condensation seeps into the frames or rubber seals and then turns into nasty black mold. You don’t need anyone to tell you how annoying this is to get rid of, let alone how bad for your health it can be. Winter window cleaning should involve cleaning the inside of your windows because there’s more condensation than at any other point in the year.
Avoid gardening tasks during the winter, but don’t avoid key home maintenance issues like window cleaning. If anything, it’s more important to clean your windows during the winter because of all the issues mentioned in this post!
*contributed post*
Happy Friday friends and Happy St. Nicholas Day! I hope that you have had the most wonderful week! As I look back on this week, I am incredibly grateful for all of your prayers for mom and her heart procedure that she had done last Tuesday. It is absolutely amazing to me that it has only been little more than a week and we are so grateful for all of your prayers. We are in the city for a follow up appointment and grateful to be on this side of the procedure.
I wanted to also take a moment to say thank you to all of you who shared things that are going on in your life and ways that I can be praying for you. There are so many of you that are going through such difficult things and I am truly so sorry. I am keeping each of you in my prayers.
Thank you again for making this such a lovely community and space that I come to each day! I am so grateful for the Caravan Sonnet community!
Here are some of my favorite things from this past week! First of all....
If you missed my post this week about Winston- we have adopted an adorable little 12 week old kitty that we have named Winston. You can read all about him HERE!
I receive so many emails each week from y'all looking to encourage and support friends with chronic illnesses and I hope that this post, 17 Ways to Help a Friend with a Chronic Illness During the Holidays will be helpful! I am so grateful for your heart for those walking that journey! You can find it HERE!
.jpeg "december caravan etsy shop")
We have added the final collection pieces to the Christmas Journals and Junk Journals collection and I wanted to say thank you again for all of your support - on Etsy and then through personal orders! Our first Christmas drop sold out so fast this year (off of Etsy) so if you are still looking for the perfect unique gift or for a bespoke heirloom memory piece for yourself, head to the shop and go HERE for the collection!
.jpeg "december caravan etsy shop")
.jpeg "december caravan etsy shop")
.jpeg "december caravan etsy shop")
One Junk Journal I shared about this week was the This adorable The Night Before Christmas Vintage Junk Journal is now available for purchase! (You can find it HERE!)
If you would like to read the entire blog post about it you can find that HERE!
As we head into a new year, if you are looking for Thursday Health Thoughts, Simple and Nutritious recipes and encouragement for chronic illness or health issues, check out this page HERE! Every week I share new thoughts and tips and I hope that they are an encouragement to you in your health journey!
.jpg "importance of laughter")
There are also lots of posts related to the holidays including...
If you are looking for holiday specific books that I have written you can find them here...
*****5 Star Rated*****
This is the first and only Lyme Specific Advent and Christmas Devotional for Lyme Warriors. Here is a brief description of the book from the press release:
"When Light Dawns" is the first and only Lyme Patient specific book for the Advent & Christmas season. This book features daily reflections that will inspire & give hope to Lyme Warriors. Containing a daily reflection & song for each day of the Christmas Season (from the last week of November through the first week of January) "When Light Dawns" can be used as a simple encouragement to the weary heart or as a guided devotional study. However it is used, "When Light Dawns" will provide encouragement & give new meaning to the popular phrase, "Holiday preparations" this season.
You can find it where books are sold and on Amazon HERE!
Book 2 in the Chronic Grace Series
This is the first and only Chronic Illness Specific book related to the idea of what to pray, what to do, and what to say (releasing in 2025) for Chronic Illness patients. Here is a brief description of the book from the press release:
This book is written for those with a heart and desire to practically meet someone struggling through the confusing and difficult road of a chronic health condition this holiday season. Often those who long to walk the journey of a chronic health condition with their loved ones ask from a sincere place, "How can I really help this holiday?" but feel at a loss of where to start. This book is filled with unique and one-of-a-kind ideas for this holiday season that will be a wonderful "jumping off point" for you to be reaching out to those whom you love that struggle with chronic health issues and their loved ones.
You can find it on Amazon HERE!
5. THANK YOU
Thank you so much for your incredible support of Caravan Sonnet Shoppe on Cyber Monday! I was so blessed by y'all! You can find the shop HERE!
With Caravan Sonnet turning eleven years old this year I love sharing on Fridays some of the older but most popular posts on the blog! We are excited to participate in some different Christmas events that we enjoy and one of the ones that we enjoyed so much starting in 2018 was the CBC Holiday Sing-In. You can read more about it HERE! Excited to share with y'all some more fun events!
I hope that you have a wonderful Friday friends! Thank you for making this such an incredible space to come to and connect with every single day. I am so blessed!!
When it comes to choosing where you will stay during your travels, hotels offer a diverse array of accommodations catering to varying tastes, needs and budgets. From luxurious resorts to budget accommodations, each type offers something special. In this blog, we will look at these different hotel types and see what sets them apart.
Luxurious Escapes: Five-Star Hotels
Five-star hotels are an epitome of extravagance, providing guests with an exquisite experience from the moment they step foot inside the lobby. There could be marble floors, elegant chandeliers and an attentive team ready to cater to your every whim as soon as you step through their doors. Plus they feature world-class amenities like gourmet restaurants, serene spas and exclusive concierge services making these perfect for a luxurious romantic escape or an indulgent luxurious staycation experience
Boutique Hotels: Personalized and Charming
Looking to break away from the mainstream? Boutique hotels provide an intimate, tailored stay. Typically smaller establishments with unique decor reflecting various aesthetics, like modern, vintage or something altogether eclectic. Boutique hotels often cultivate cozy environments while providing excellent personalized service, making for an experience full of character and charm compared with cookie-cutter hotel chains. Plus if you're lucky, the best hotels might even offer rooms with views.
Budget Hotels: Affordable and Practical
Budget hotels provide travelers with an economical accommodation option without compromising important comforts. These simple accommodations feature clean, practical rooms equipped with basic amenities. Ideal for those planning on spending their travel dollars exploring their destination rather than on extravagant amenities at their hotel room. In many cases, budget hotels are strategically placed so guests can access popular attractions while stretching their dollars further.
Eco-Friendly Hotels for Conscious Travelers
Now that sustainability is becoming ever more important, eco-friendly hotels provide environmentally conscious travelers with lodging. By prioritizing reducing their carbon footprint through various initiatives like using renewable energy sources or locally-sourced foods or using water and waste management systems, guests can stay comfortably while knowing they're making our planet greener. Perfect for eco-warriors looking for comfort with an environmental conscience.
Business Hotels: Efficiency Meets Comfort
Built for business traveler convenience, business hotels provide all of the amenities required for productive stays. From conference rooms and high-speed internet access to business centers equipped with airport transfer services and rooms designed specifically to facilitate work and relaxation. Business hotels are ideal for work and relaxation, making them the ideal option when mixing work with pleasure travel.
All-Inclusive Resorts for Hassle-Free Vacations
For an effortless holiday, all-inclusive resorts provide everything under one roof. Packages generally include meals, beverages, activities and entertainment, making all-inclusive resorts the ideal solution for families or couples looking for stress-free travel without planning hassles.
Conclusion
Hotels offer accommodations tailored to every traveler's taste. From luxury lookers, eco-conscious adventurers and budget travelers, they all have something different in mind when booking their next holiday getaway. As you plan your next adventure, keep these factors in mind as you choose your accommodation, each type has something special to add that makes each journey memorable.
*contributed post*
*update- December 5, 2024*
Happy Thursday friends! For today's Thursday Health Thoughts Post I wanted to re-share a post that was originally written here on the blog in 2013 about 17 ways to help a friend with a chronic illness during the holidays. While this post was written in the midst of my personal fight for health and physical life, I have found myself revisiting the wisdom of this for every single day now on the other side being healthy and loving on those who are struggling with a chronic illness. I hope it is a practical encouragement to you for those you love in your life who have a chronic illness.
.jpg "12 Things to Do: For Yourself, A Loved One, A Spouse, The Parents, The Children, and The Caretakers Dealing With Chronic Health Conditions During the Holiday Season (Chronic Grace Series Book 2)")
If you are looking for an in depth guide and encouragement on specific things to do this holiday season my easy to read e-book, 12 Things to Do: For Yourself, A Loved One, A Spouse, The Parents, The Children, and The Caretakers Dealing With Chronic Health Conditions During the Holiday Season (Chronic Grace Series Book 2) can be helpful! You can find it on Amazon HERE!
Since 2013 I have also added a lot of additional posts to the holiday seasons and helping friends... if you would like to check them out you can click on the links below:
Thanksgiving: // 15 Ways to Help a Friend at Thanksgiving //
I hope you find all of those items helpful! Here is the original post with a few minor updates below! Happy Thursday friends!
*original post from 2013*
Several months ago I wrote a Thursday Health Thought that has remained one of my highest read posts and most commented on posts. The post discussed 26 Ways to Help a Friend with Chronic Illness and was widely appreciated by those who have a chronic illness and those who know someone with a chronic illness. A couple of weeks ago I started to receive some emails referencing that post and asking if there were any specific thoughts or ideas on how to reach out to someone with a chronic illness during the holidays. {Seriously?? Y'all are awesome!!}So today I wanted to share 17 Ways to Help a Friend with Chronic Illness During the Holidays and next week will share Christmas Present Ideas for a Friend with Chronic Illness!
I am not an expert at all, but the things that I have listed below are things that friends have mentioned to me that have been wonderful or I have personally experienced that have truly touched my heart and my life as a person who is seriously ill during the Holiday Season!
1. When hosting a party- offer some foods that your friend (who is on a special diet) can eat.
Don't make this a big deal but try to incorporate snacks that you know your friend can eat.
2. When hosting a dinner party take the time to share with your Chronically Ill friend ahead of time the ingredients of all of your dishes.
This will save your friend any awkwardness of having to ask questions in front of the other guests and like a burden at the party.
3.Pray for your friend.
The holidays can be stressful for people and this is especially true of those with chronic illnesses. Looking for specific things to pray? Check out my e-book- 12 Things to Pray: For Yourself, A Loved One, A Spouse, The Parents, The Children, and The Caretakers Dealing With Chronic Health Conditions (Chronic Grace Series Book 1)! You can find it on Amazon HERE!
4. Offer to pick up presents for your friend.
These could be presents for their family and friends when you are going Christmas Shopping for your own family and friends.
5. Help them decorate their house (or outside of their house).
This offer can be truly priceless as decorating takes lots of energy. Maybe your family can make a Saturday of offering this to several families that you know. What a blessing this would be! (Also consider blessing families who can't afford a Christmas tree this year due to health costs with a tree!)
6. Help them take decorations down after the holidays!
Just like #5 maybe this could be a Saturday project for your family or a group of friends! (And don't forget about disposing of the Christmas Tree!)
7. Be Sensitive.
Understand that money is tight and that the holidays are incredibly stressful for your friend. A gift exchange is fun, but for those with a chronic illness money can be overwhelming. Think of creative ways to host gift exchanges that don't cost much money.
8. Remember your neighbors!
Helping those who are less fortunate, serving at the homeless shelter, etc. are all wonderful ideas BUT have you ever thought about serving those who are even closer to you? Your chronically ill friend is in serious need. Consider serving those closest to you this year!
9. Be Patient.
Things may look different with your friend and family members who are seriously ill but remember that they are still the same person. Be patient with the changes.
10. Laugh often with your friend or family member.
Maybe offer to bring over a comedy to watch together, send a funny card in the mail, or just leave a message that could bring a smile to their face!
11. Don't make it about you.
Yes, the holiday season is about giving but be respectful of your friends wishes and desires. Maybe they really don't want you to come over at midnight to celebrate December 19th. (Yes, Hahaha that is a true story! *smiles*)
12. Consider starting new holiday traditions.
13. Take up a secret holiday collection and give it to your friend.
14. Celebrate the simplicity of the holiday season.
15. Be Thoughtful.
Spread out the holiday activities to help your family member be able to join in on many things. (Instead of doing EVERY thing in one day maybe go caroling one night, Christmas shopping another day, etc.)
16. Be Compassionate.
Does your friend have more pain or fatigue later in the evening? Consider hosting a brunch instead of a dinner! (Or vice versa!)
17. Realize that your friend or family member with chronic illness is the best gift this season.
Their illness is forcing them to set limitations but the gift to you is remembering what is truly important in the holiday season. Celebrate PEOPLE. Not things or activities. At the end of the day people are the most important thing not whether or not you were able to buy every single gift in the world.
What are some ways that you help a friend with a chronic illness during the holidays?
Don't make this a big deal but try to incorporate snacks that you know your friend can eat.
2. When hosting a dinner party take the time to share with your Chronically Ill friend ahead of time the ingredients of all of your dishes.
This will save your friend any awkwardness of having to ask questions in front of the other guests and like a burden at the party.
3.Pray for your friend.
The holidays can be stressful for people and this is especially true of those with chronic illnesses. Looking for specific things to pray? Check out my e-book- 12 Things to Pray: For Yourself, A Loved One, A Spouse, The Parents, The Children, and The Caretakers Dealing With Chronic Health Conditions (Chronic Grace Series Book 1)! You can find it on Amazon HERE!
4. Offer to pick up presents for your friend.
These could be presents for their family and friends when you are going Christmas Shopping for your own family and friends.
5. Help them decorate their house (or outside of their house).
This offer can be truly priceless as decorating takes lots of energy. Maybe your family can make a Saturday of offering this to several families that you know. What a blessing this would be! (Also consider blessing families who can't afford a Christmas tree this year due to health costs with a tree!)
6. Help them take decorations down after the holidays!
Just like #5 maybe this could be a Saturday project for your family or a group of friends! (And don't forget about disposing of the Christmas Tree!)
7. Be Sensitive.
Understand that money is tight and that the holidays are incredibly stressful for your friend. A gift exchange is fun, but for those with a chronic illness money can be overwhelming. Think of creative ways to host gift exchanges that don't cost much money.
8. Remember your neighbors!
Helping those who are less fortunate, serving at the homeless shelter, etc. are all wonderful ideas BUT have you ever thought about serving those who are even closer to you? Your chronically ill friend is in serious need. Consider serving those closest to you this year!
9. Be Patient.
Things may look different with your friend and family members who are seriously ill but remember that they are still the same person. Be patient with the changes.
10. Laugh often with your friend or family member.
Maybe offer to bring over a comedy to watch together, send a funny card in the mail, or just leave a message that could bring a smile to their face!
11. Don't make it about you.
Yes, the holiday season is about giving but be respectful of your friends wishes and desires. Maybe they really don't want you to come over at midnight to celebrate December 19th. (Yes, Hahaha that is a true story! *smiles*)
12. Consider starting new holiday traditions.
13. Take up a secret holiday collection and give it to your friend.
14. Celebrate the simplicity of the holiday season.
15. Be Thoughtful.
Spread out the holiday activities to help your family member be able to join in on many things. (Instead of doing EVERY thing in one day maybe go caroling one night, Christmas shopping another day, etc.)
16. Be Compassionate.
Does your friend have more pain or fatigue later in the evening? Consider hosting a brunch instead of a dinner! (Or vice versa!)
17. Realize that your friend or family member with chronic illness is the best gift this season.
Their illness is forcing them to set limitations but the gift to you is remembering what is truly important in the holiday season. Celebrate PEOPLE. Not things or activities. At the end of the day people are the most important thing not whether or not you were able to buy every single gift in the world.
What are some ways that you help a friend with a chronic illness during the holidays?
Happy Wednesday friends! I hope that you are having a lovely week so far! Today I am excited to share about a new little member of our family- Winston!
We just recently adopted an adorable little 12 week old kitten from my sweet friend Clarita (whom you may remember me talking about staying at her adorable inglewood cottage in 2022 - you can read more HERE!) and he has already brought so much love and laughter...and adventure.
Winston is fully an adorable kitten who loves to be near us and loves to "help us" with everything. haha! He spends his days eating, running around the house chasing his toys and following us around and often times fighting yawning and falling asleep. haha!
He enjoys being held and Winston came to visit me in the office during work hours and proceeded to help me work... attempted typing up some reports for me. Haha. The above picture my mom snapped when Winston was "meeting some new friends" during the work day haha.
One of his favorite things is a very soft blanket where he loves to curl up on and cross his paws and stretch out.
As a few of you know, my sister has been the "pet namer" in the family forever, but this time my mom came up with Winston... my love of Europe and Winston Churchill, my sister agreed that it was perfect and "dapper" for him.
To be honest- after the loss of Scamper this summer I didn't think that I would get another cat. Scamper had been the perfect fit at the time- with my life not really fair (I felt) to the attention and needs of a dog, so a kitty was truly the perfect fit. After we lost scamper though, my thoughts returned to getting a dog (as we were a huge dog family). I have to smile in a way- I think our family as I grew up wasn't a "cat or dog family" as much as just love on anything and anyone that comes through the door family. *smiles*
At first everyone was encouraging me to just get another animal right away... and I was definitely not ready for that and neither was mom to be honest. Scamper had truly been part of our family through some of the most difficult days of my life- during my health journey, the loss of dad, the loss of Ba, several cross country moves and several other major personal things behind the scenes. The thought of another animal felt "wrong".
But about a month ago I started feeling differently and so did mom. We missed having a pet around the house and as I knew that it would be a lovely addition. I started looking at dogs as this was the direction I had wanted to go and then once again felt that with a bunch of upcoming travel trips it wasn't the most fair to a dog in my current life. (This is not a criticism for anyone who has a dog and travels and has tons of responsibilities, just a simple thought for my current stage of life.)
Then Clarita shared about Winston (whom they called "Windsor" but we affectionately changed it) and immediately mom and I thought he was adorable. Fast forward to the last week and Winston has joined the family.
I admit that the first day felt a little "strange" as I missed Scamper, but Winston has stolen our little hearts immediately. It has reminded me so gently of how big our hearts are for the capacity to expand and love again after loss. 
Mom captured one of Winston's and my first conversations in the car traveling home... I was telling him that he was going to love his new home. *smiles*
I want to encourage you to take your time if you are debating on adopting and bringing in a new pet after you have lost one. I was honestly surprised at how quickly (literally that day that we lost Scamper) that people told me to "just get another pet" - even that day. That was the worst advice for me and if you have a big heart and love the pets in your life deeply... you may feel the same way. Take your time, take time to grieve the loss of your pet and friend that you have had and at the right time a new one to love and expand your heart to will happen.
Welcome to the family Winston (who is clearly exhausted from his kitty life *smiles*)!
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