Planning events for The Shop is one of my favorite things to do with my creative, talented staff.

We don’t plan events just to increase our store sales, but to encourage customer involvement bringing more visitors to the whole community. 

We want to help people make connections with others through our events and we have seen new friendship form as customers mingle and meet each other.

Some of our events are annually, some monthly and some like Sips are weekly.

Sips ‘Til Six

Every week we host Sips ’Til Six. Normal business hours are 10 a.m.- 3 p.m., but on Thursdays we extend the hours until 6 offering a specialty drink to sip on while shopping.

This helps anyone who cannot typically make it during regular hours or gives an extra incentive for a fun outing. 

Pop Ups

There are also Pop Ups throughout the year. Some regularly scheduled and some are one time events.

Jackie of Sweet Pies of Mine comes to sell homemade pies once a month.

We’ve had a pop up of fresh cut greens sold during the holidays.

The Girl Scouts have come and sold their cookies.

The shop has also welcomed authors, artists and evening wine tastings.

Some of the most popular events are hosted annually like the Kentucky Derby Party, Plaidurday (National Celebration of all things Plaid) and Deer Widows Night.

Rising Tides

One of the great things we do for events is try to partner with other local businesses to bring exposure to others too.  For example, the local distillery donates the bourbon for The Kentucky Derby party’s mint juleps.

At White Arrows Home, we believe that, “Rising tides lift all boats,” (JFK) and when strong, creative businesses work together, we all thrive. 

Another way we help “rise tides” is hosting a monthly local gathering we founded for fellow women small business owners to encourage and learn from each other. 

September

We celebrate our birthday the Tuesday after Labor Day. And this year we are turning 3! Come celebrate with us and enjoy birthday cupcakes on Tuesday, September 5!!

Jackie of Sweet Pies of Mine will be here Saturday, September 16 from 10 a.m. until sold out.

October

Plaidurday is the Worldwide Celebration of All Things Plaid held annually on the first Friday in October!

You will often find us in Plaid at White Arrows Home, but on Plaidurday we pull out all the stops.

We always love adding in some plaid surprises like these plaid cookies we gave away.

This year our Plaidurday celebration will be even BIGGER! It’s going to be a full couple day celebration worth marking your calendars for!

Northwoods Experience Weekend 2023

• Thursday, October 5 4-6 p.m. Shop open for Sips ’til Six. Enjoy our special
• Thursday, October 5 5:00-7:00 p.m. Bingo & Bevs in The Paddle Club Registration required. Sign up HERE.
• Friday, October 6 is Plaidurday! Wear your plaid in to The Shop from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.for 10% off purchases of anything plaid!
• Friday, October 6 Fish Fry in the evening. Details coming.
• Saturday, October 7 Flannel Fest Market on the grounds of White Arrows Home. Follow along on Instagram for info on vendors.

November

In November we celebrate some of our favorite events here at The Shop and amongst our customers.

We schedule professional Family Christmas Photos in front of one of our vintage campers each holiday season with one of our two professional photographers on staff. This year they will be Saturday, November 11. Sign ups will be announced as we get closer.

Deer Widows Night is always the Friday before Thanksgiving. A ladies night with a special cocktail and snack while you shop.

Their biggest event is Shop Small, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. One of their vintage campers is brought in to serve a hot chocolate bar and goodie bags are given out. Lines form before the doors open.

We are closed on Thanksgiving day and also on Black Friday. When The Shop reopens on Saturday it is decked for the Holidays and festivities.

December

This year we will be adding some new events to December.

Vintage Santa will be here to take pictures with on Saturday, December 9 from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m.

We will hosting a Holiday Party (we are still dreaming up the details!) Can’t wait to share it all with you as soon as it comes together!

March

In March we host the Northwoods Shop Hop inviting some of our favorite shops from nearby towns like Rhinelander, Three Lakes and Eagle River to join us. It encourages exploring the area, finding new shops our customers may never have been to and a fun reason to get out during the mud season.

April

In April we bring in the flowers (even if there’s still snow on the ground) for our Garden Party.

May

Our Kentucky Derby party is such a fun celebration at The Shop! In 2024 we will be celebrating Saturday, May 4 during our open hours. We serve mint juleps, host games and have the races on.

Memorial Day Weekend kicks off our monthly Minnow Bucket Market with vendors filling The Shop’s yard with makers, artists, bakers, authors and more.

June

We host the Minocqua Antique Crawl the first weekend in June inviting other local antique shops to join in.

July

July we are all about Lake Life and celebrating the USA!

August

August 9 we will celebrate Smokey Bear’s birthday.

We often just celebrate little Day celebrations too.

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The post White Arrows Home the Shop Events appeared first on White Arrows Home.

When I am planning for a holiday or getting ready to entertain, I start brainstorming ideas. I think of what I’ve done in the past and loved and I head to Pinterest to get ideas.One of the things that inspires me most are my fellow blogging friends.

Here are 15 Thanksgiving ideas to inspire your Holiday gathered from other bloggers I admire and love to work with. You can hop from one blog to the other getting inspiration to tweak and use yourself.

Thanks so much to Rachel of The Ponds Farmhouse for organizing this hop.

(Affiliate links are used for your convenience. Read my full disclosure here.)

15 Thanksgiving Ideas

A Fall Centerpiece that’s perfect for your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving Dining Table. It combines DIY and Vintage pieces for a unique table arrangement.

Rachel | The Ponds Farmhouse

Wow your guests this Thanksgiving with an elegant, easy to make pumpkin centerpiece utilizing a real heirloom pumpkin and seasonal fresh florals.

Heidi | Eleanor Rose Home

These easy Thanksgiving traditions make it a favorite Holiday to look forward to all year.

Kristin | White Arrows Home

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Easy tips to set a memorable Thanksgiving table with printable place setting cards that can double as a gratitude garland!

Cindy | DIY Beautify

Wow your family and friends with a simple and beautiful DIY artichoke and magnolia centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table.

Jen | Midwest Life and Style

Create a simple rustic centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table this year. Pretty neutral style can be used for the entire autumn season.

AnnMarie | Simply2Moms

Looking for ways to organize yourself to host Thanksgiving? Here are 9 simple tips to hosting the best Thanksgiving dinner ever. Not hosting this year? Check out my Thanksgiving hostess gift ideas at the end of this post.

Stacy | Bricks ‘n Blooms

Are you looking for simple Thanksgiving or autumn decorating ideas? Let me share a few tips and trips to help get you started!

Ann | Dabbling & Decorating

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and that means it’s time to start planning your feast! If you’re not sure how to create the perfect table for your Thanksgiving celebration, don’t worry. We’re here to help. In this blog post, we’ll give you some tips on how to decorate your table for Thanksgiving. So read on and learn how to create a festive table for your holiday celebration!

Renae | Peacock Ridge Farm

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and celebrate with friends and family. One of my favorite traditions is decorating my Thanksgiving table with my homemade cornucopia. I make it out of chicken wire and rope, and then fill it with pumpkins, gourds, feathers, and flowers. It’s a beautiful and festive decoration that always gets me in the Thanksgiving spirit.

Wendy | WM Design Home

This post is full of ideas on your Thanksgiving table-from space planning, table design, setup, place settings and unique centerpieces.

Mary | Life at Bella Terra

Do you love the look of dried wheat? Me too! I love the natural color…I think it’s so pretty. I was trying to think of an interesting way to use it in my Fall decorating and came up with this dried wheat centerpiece. This is the perfect idea for your traditional Thanksgiving table. Let me show you how I made it!

Jen | Cottage on Bunker Hill

Create a warm and inviting thanksgiving or Friendsgiving table by making a DIY table runner, pillows and a beautiful footed bowl centerpiece filled with textured, fabric-covered pumpkins and leaves.

Jen | Tatertots & Jello

Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year? Enjoy some tips for hosting a large gathering with budget-friendly Thanksgiving table elements. At the same time, learn what pieces you can pull together from around your home, and how to best layer them. Then, you can easily create a thoughtful and beautiful tablescape this Thanksgiving.

Robyn | Robyn’s French Nest

Looking for some simple ideas for your Friendsgiving table? Why not add a little blue and white with your pumpkins? Tons of simple ideas to make your holiday celebrations a little easier.

KariAnne | Thistlewood Farms

I hope you’ve found some amazing ideas to kickstart your own planning for the Thanksgiving holiday!

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The post 15 Thanksgiving Ideas to Inspire Your Holiday appeared first on White Arrows Home.

Setting a special table is something I have always loved to do. When I was growing up that was my favorite way to help. If my mom was entertaining, I’d be out helping get all the table styling done.

I’m excited to be sharing as part of A Thanksgiving Blog Hop hosted by Carol of Bluesky at Home.

(Affiliate links are used for your convenience. Read my full disclosure here.)

Carol has pulled together 11 bloggers to share ideas for Thanksgiving to help Celebrate the Holiday.

If you are coming over from White Lilac Farmhouse, welcome! I can’t wait to try her pumpkin bread recipe! Pumpkin bread is my favorite, not only is it delicious, but it makes the house smell amazing!

In the Northwoods of Wisconsin where I live Fall is a beautiful time of year. The trees turn every color of majestic red, orange and yellow making the drives down our forest lined roads spectacular.

Docks are coming out of our lakes and the cranberry farms are ready for harvest.

This time of year we are shifting to eating indoors for all our meals and planning ahead for Thanksgiving to come.

I’m in a new stage of life with three of my five kids now out of the house. Two working and one in college. Thanksgiving is starting to look different as I adjust to the possibility of not having them all home for the holiday anymore. It’s been so encouraging to talk to so many moms already in this next phase and hear their mom wisdom.

One of my favorite things to do as a family is gather around the table so I love taking time to make it beautiful and special and I’m already thinking about how I want to set my table for Fall and for Thanksgiving. It’s a simple way to show love to my family as we gather.

Today I’m sharing 7 Thanksgiving Dinner Place Setting Options that I may use throughout the week and on the day.

I’ve gathered together some elements of the pacesetting to see how they look together:

• placemats
• chargers
• plates
• napkins
• glassware

The next step will be deciding on silverware, if I want to use a table cloth and the accessories, like gravy boats and cranberry relish bowls. I’ll also work on ideas for name cards to place at each person’s spot.

Here are seven mix and match place settings as I begin this first stage of planning.

Option 1

What I love about this one is the styling of the napkin knotted over the plates. The napkin is actually a dish towel. I often buy dish towels to use as napkins. Their size is good for a big meal like dinner and there are often patterns that I love.

I also love the galvanized charger and the bread plate. The bread plate is a restaurant ware pattern I fell in love with because it reminds me of Hudson Bay stripes.

Hudson Bay striped blankets and patterns are something I love using throughout our rustic cabin.

Shop Favorite Chargers

Option 2

One of the things I’m dreaming up is a storage space for all my dishes, a dish pantry, where I can have all my dishes on shelves and see them clearly. This will make it easy to remember what I have and “shop” my inventory.

I have two areas of my house that I’m thinking of converting to this use. One would be my front hall walk in closet across from the kitchen. Right now it holds our cleaning supplies and my big appliances I don’t use all the time like my crock pot and air fryer.

If I go with this option I would need to add more shelving and move the cleaning supplies somewhere else. The nice part is it would be close to the kitchen and dining room.

Option 3

What I love about this option is the amber goblet and styling the napkin popping out of it. The fun thing about mixing and matching and playing around with it ahead of time, is I could use this glassware/napkin option with any of the place settings.

Everything works well together in color and patterns so can all be interchanged.

When I set the table I will use a goblet like this one for water and then have wine glasses at each grown ups’ place setting too.

The second option for my dish pantry is my laundry room. That’s where I store most of it now, on the counter and in the cupboards. But if I go with this space I would want to take out the cupboards and put in shelving.

Of the two options, this seems like a longer, harder and more expensive option. Keep following along to see where this idea takes me. I love having a vision in my head and then seeing how it comes to life!

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Shop Favorite Napkins

Option 4

In this one I use a new set of placemats I just got from Hobby Lobby. I love the plaid! I’ve been using it on our little breakfast table so far this season.

I’m in love with this dish stack option too. It mixes antique dishes with newer ones. Another dose of plaid in the middle plate from some dishes I got a Pier One a few years ago.

Copper is another thing I love to add in Fall so using my copper mule glasses for water at the table is a fun idea. I also found mini mule mugs at Hobby Lobby, but have seen them at my local Walmart too. Each pacesetting could have its own cranberry relish in the mini mule glasses. I found the mini wooden spoons at Hobby Lobby.

Shop Favorite Placemats

Option 5

Collecting dishes is one of my favorite hobbies, hence the need for a dish pantry! I’m drawn to the different patterns and colors. Sometimes I will just buy the dinner plates or just the dessert plates. Sometimes I’ll just buy one plate and use it mix and matched around the table.

It’s also fun to have individual dishes to use as platters. You can make a quick cake stand by turning a goblet upside down and setting a plate on top.

I also love the napkin in this option. Often if I don’t have a napkin I’m wanting to use at the table I will simply buy fabric I love and make my own napkins. I’ve also used bandanas before as well.

Option 6

The way the orange napkin looks with the bark napkin ring is my favorite napkin option so far. and I love the idea of using my mini restaurant ware pitcher collection to give each pacesetting it’s own gravy dispenser.

Antique goblets are another beautiful way to mix new and old onto the table too. I love the cranberry color of this pattern.

Option 7

My favorite part of this pacesetting is the little breadboard. It would be the perfect way to start Thanksgiving settled at the table before grabbing their turkey and other Thanksgiving staples off the buffet.

The mini board could be used as a charcuterie with some cheese and crackers. It could be used for the new butter board trend. It could even be used as their name card.

This place setting is another one where I used a dish towel as a napkin layering it on top of the plate. My antique place is a perfect match for it’s Fall colors of browns, greens and yellows.

The cork placemat is something I use often throughout the year on my table. I have them in several patterns and love them because, not only are they beautiful, they are easy to wipe off and clean after each meal.

Now will be the hardest part, deciding which place setting I want to use. But the great part is, the ones I don’t use for the actual Thanksgiving meal, I’ll use throughout the rest of the week.

But it will all come together like one of my tables from past Thanksgivings.

Next up you are headed over to my talented friend Michelle’s blog Thistle Key Lane. She is so creative and I love her moss covered centerpiece! It’s a beautiful DIY to add to a Thanksgiving table. She always inspires me!

Take the Tour

9 Steps to Setting a Thanksgiving Table | Bluesky at Home

How to Set an Alfresco Thanksgiving Table | Southern Home and Hospitality

Simple Ideas for a Thanksgiving Tablescape | Everyday Edits

How to Mix and Match Patterns for a Fall Tablescape | The Tattered Pew

How to Make a Thankful Tree for Thanksgiving | Simply2Moms

Delicious Pumpkin Bread | White Lilac Farmhouse

7 Thanksgiving Place Setting Options | White Arrows Home

Thanksgiving Moss Covered Centerpiece | Thistle Key Lane

Tips for a Stress-Free Thanksgiving | Living Large in a Small House

Thanksgiving Table Runner Ideas | Perfecting Places

Thanksgiving Tablescape DIY Ideas | Saved from Salvage

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Thanks so much fo coming to visit! I hope you will become a regular!

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The post 7 Thanksgiving Table Place Setting Options appeared first on White Arrows Home.

(Affiliate links are used for your convenience. Read my full disclosure here.)

I’m so excited to be joining a group of my blogging friends to share ideas for Summer decorating in this fun hop hosted by Pasha is Home. I’m sharing how we dine in style for summer in the sunroom.You’ll find a list of links to all bloggers participating at the bottom of this post.

If you are coming over from Cottage in the Mitten, welcome! Didn’t you love Kim’s Simple Vintage Americana Porch Table Ideas? She always inspires me so much!

Welcome to The Northwoods of Wisconsin, the land of woods and lakes. It’s the perfect Summer getaway spot and I’m so lucky to live here every day. We spend Summer days on our dock and on the boat soaking up the Sunshine.

I’m sharing my patriotic sunroom for this hop and Day Two of my Summer of Sunshine Series here on White Arrows. So far in the series I’ve shared:

• Summer Mantel Decor and Great Room Styling
• Patriotic Decor from Memorial Day to Labor Day

Want to get daily encouragement? SUBSCRIBE HERE so you don’t miss any posts!

How to style a Sunroom

Our sunroom has gone through many iterations. When we first bought our cabin the sunroom was a screened in porch. When it wasn’t full of snow, it was full of pollen and we rarely used it. After a few years we decided to take the screens out and add in windows and baseboard heating so we could use the space more throughout the year.

We used it as a sitting room, but didn’t end up sitting out there as often as we thought we would. I changed up what furniture was out there a few times. I added games. I added a record player with music. But none of my attempts got the space to where I wanted it.

A few weeks ago I got an idea and Brian liked it so much he started to move the furniture right away.

I suggested that we move the dining room out into the sunroom, at least for Summer time. In the dining room after the table moved to the sunroom, we’d set up a gathering area of four chairs.

For decor out on the porch I’m giving it patriotic style for the Summer. I love using red, white and blue all Summer long from Memorial to Labor Day here at the lake. See more of my patriotic style IN THIS POST.

I found a big 48 star Reliance American flag at a local antique shop and hung that on the log wall. It took seconds to make a big impact.

The paddle on the wall was an old one I painted along with some girlfriends for a fun craft day. READ MORE HERE.

At the table I used my red and blue plaid camp blanket as a table throw.

My dishes are the perfect Summer addition, a mix of blue and white patterns in The dishes are melamine, and the lightweight, durable plates and bowls work well if we eat inside in the sunroom or take the meal out onto the deck.

Our deck is just outside the sunroom, so it works well to extend the eating area when we have a large crowd.

I used my red and white napkins inside the nautical rope napkin rings I made by wrapping rope around rings and securing with hot glue. They took minutes to make and gave me exactly the look I wanted. I found all the supplies at Hobby Lobby.

For a centerpiece I used a drink carrier full of vintage Pop bottles. It works great to add a flag inside each bottle. White daisies or red geraniums look perfect too.

I’m still trying to decide on a rug for the space, but until then I added felt circles to the bottoms of the chairs to make it easy to scoot back and forth from the table on the wood floor.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I’ve been so excited to share my sunroom transformation with you! We have been loving it and having dinner out there every night! Stay tuned in The Summer of Sunshine series as I share more ways to decorate your Summer table next week with easy ideas for every day of the week.

I’m the last one on the tour. If you haven’t taken the whole tour yet, start at the top at my friend Ann’s beautiful home. She blogs at Dabbling & Decorating and is sharing Simple Vintage Americana Porch Table Ideas.

Take the Tour

More Patriotic Decor Ideas from 8 Talented Bloggers

Simple Vintage Americana Porch Table Ideas // Dabbling & Decorating

How to Make Simple Patriotic Wall Decor // Robyn’s French Nest

No Sew Patriotic Scrap Flags // Tater Tots & Jello

Simple Ideas to Decorate with Red, White, and Blue // Simply 2 Moms

How to Make a Festive Patriotic Front Porch // Pasha is Home

Patriotic Picnic Ideas & How To Decorate // The Pond’s Farmhouse

Simple Vintage Americana Porch Table Ideas // Cottage in the Mitten

Summer Sunroom Dining // White Arrows Home

Fun Finds

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The post Summer Sunroom Dining In Style appeared first on White Arrows Home.

There are recipes for deserts, main dishes and appetizers. I’m sharing a special Easter cocktail.

If you are coming over from Open Doors Open Hearts didn’t you love Aliya’s recipe for The Best Lemon Ricotta Cookie with Sourdough Discard.

Welcome to our home in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Depending on when Easter falls each year, we could still have lots of snow on the ground. Or even if our snow is gone, we could get cold temps and flurries. Easter dresses and egg hunts usually require coats and hats.

Here’s a photo of our cabin during our short Spring season a bit after Easter time.

Follow along to keep updated.  SUBSCRIBE HERE.

Easter Brunch Drink

There are several drinks that pair perfectly with Easter Brunch. Drinks that are traditionally drunk in the morning and are crowd pleasers.

• The Screwdriver
• Mimosa
• The Bloody Mary

There are also some fun and creative drinks that could be fun to add to a Spring Celebration. Click to see more details.

• Carrot Cake Cocktail
• Peeps Martini
• Cadbury Creme Cocktail

I thought it would be fun to take a twist on The Bloody Mary that would be the perfect addition to the menu.

The Bunny Mary

A few things intrigued me about this drink when I first heard/saw the idea on Pinterest. Number One- It looks so beautiful with a springy, gardeny vibe adorned with all the veggies.

Number Two- The carrot juice makes it sweeter than the tomato juice of the Bloody Mary. But the addition of all the veggies makes it feel healthier than a regular cocktail.

Number Three- The idea and name is just plain cute!

If you would like you can add vodka to the drinks or you can leave them non alcoholic. I like to always use local ingredients when I can and that includes liquor from our distillery here in town.

My vintage relish tray gets filled up with lots of fresh veggies. Everyone can snack on them as they make their drink or build their own garnish skewer.

I love this relish tray because the glass tray comes out of the silver holder to make washing easy.

A fun option to dress up the drinks even more is to add a “salted” rim. I used one of the ingredients, Old Bay Seasoning as the rim salter.

I used two low bowls, one with the Old Bay Seasoning and one with some of the carrot juice to easily top the glasses. First, I dipped the rim into the juice, then into the seasoning, just like you would do a margarita.

Then I filled the glasses with ice and poured in the Bunny Marys and garnished with a celery stalk.

It’s a refreshing addition to breakfast or anytime of the day, perfect for Spring.

I like to set up a self serve station so while I finish getting the Easter meal prepared everyone can make or pour their own drinks and enjoy snacks. I can’t wait to try some of the other sides and appetizers linked below.

The Recipe

The following ingredients can be combined in a pitcher to make a large batch.

• 32 oz. carrot juice
• 8 oz. vodka
• 3 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• 2 tsp dill
• 3 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp horseradish
• 3 tsp hot sauce
• 4 dashes of Worcestershire
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 tsp black pepper

Thanks so much for stopping by! Next up you are headed over to visit my friends’ AnnMarie & Anne and of Simply 2 Moms. They are sharing their 29 of the Best Ideas for a Healthy and Delicious Easter Dinner Menu. I’m always so inspired by these girls and can’t wait to try some of these recipes!

More Inspiration for Your Easter Brunch Menu

Simple Easter Brunch Menu Ideas You Will Love // Pasha is Home

Old Fashioned Easter Ham Balls // Midwest Life and Style

The Best Lemon Ricotta Cookie Recipe with Sourdough Discard // Open Doors Open Hearts

Best Easter Brunch Drink The Bunny Mary // White Arrows Home

29 of the Best Ideas for a Healthy and Delicious Easter Dinner Menu // Simply 2 Moms

5 Healthy Easter Menu Ideas your Family Will Love // She Gave It A Go

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The post Best Easter Brunch Drink The Bunny Mary appeared first on White Arrows Home.

(Affiliate Links are shared for your convenience, read my full disclosure here.) 

If you are like me, sometimes in the middle of December I start to feel like I’m rushing and not relishing the specialness the Holidays bring. This year I’m making some changes to make things easier, slower and more meaningful.

Add in Peace

• Light Holiday scented candles. Some of my favorites are from Antique Candle Company.
• Play peaceful Christmas music. I love all kinds of Christmas music. I shared some of my favorite playlists IN THIS POST. But sometimes, I love to just play instrumental, calming songs, like from THIS ALBUM, to help me slow down and relax.
• Turn the overhead lights on and just keep the Christmas tree lights, candles and lamps on.

Make Traditions with Yourself

I’m an extroverted introvert. I love social events, but refuel by having time to myself at home. So many things can be group activities during the Holidays, it’s important for me to carve out time just for me.

To help do that I plan activities like wrapping gifts for a morning by myself. I’ll make a special coffee and put on a few Hallmark Christmas movies.

Pick a Signature Cookie

If you are like me I have a Pinterest Christmas Cookie board FULL of yummy ideas and cute treats. But I don’t have time to bake all these cookies and the idea of a full day of baking sounds fun in the planning, but I never can fit it in.

Choose one cookie recipe to be your signature cookie. It’s the one you can be known for, the one you take to the exchanges, the office party and drop at your neighbors door.

Set the Table

It takes just minutes to set the table making your meal time even more special. Here are some ways to slow down and help it happen in our busy days.

• Choose one day a week when everyone can be home for dinner and set the table differently each week of the Season.
• Let a different family member set the table, each time doing it in their own style.
• Leave the tablecloth, placemats and centerpieces on the table all season and then just add the dishes, glasses and silverware when it’s time to eat. This saves some time and looks beautiful all day long.

Use the Good Stuff

I am a big believer in using what you have, even Grandma’s good china, silver and crystal. If pieces stay packed away, they never get a chance to bring you lots of joy. It’s worth the possible break or loss to enjoy them and make new memories.

• When you hand wash special pieces use the time to reflect and pray thanks for the person who gifted them or passed them down to you. Think about special memories together.
• I change just two words in my thoughts to make a chore feel like a blessing, “have to” turns into “get to”. Hand washing may seem like extra work, but when your mindset changes to how lucky you are to have these heirlooms it becomes special.

One of the greatest gifts I ever got was from my Godfather who gifted me a piece of Spode Christmas Tree china each Christmas. After college when I had my first apartment I also had beautiful Christmas dishes and serving pieces to entertain with over the Holidays.

I shared about this tradition and some favorite options for gifting IN THIS POST.

Plan Ahead

There are things I wish I had figured out when my kids were younger that would have made things easier on me. Somehow traditions celebrated, like St. Nick, would always seem to sneak up on me.

Keeping a tradition simple can take the pressure off. Here are just a few traditions I love and can easily plan ahead for that keep my family in excited anticipation.

• The Friday after Thanksgiving we do a Tree Trimming Evening. Each kid (young or old) has a new wrapped ornament under the tree. Have a sharpie close by to write the year on the back or bottom before hanging up. My kids love going through the ornaments and remembering what made it special that year. Lots of laughs, smiles and stories get told while decorating.
• We enjoy the Feast of Seven Fishes for our Tree Trimming, but many families enjoy for it’s traditional time of Christmas Eve.
• Give a new Christmas book for St. Nickolas Day.
• Schedule a drive to look at Christmas lights. Give everyone a tumbler of hot chocolate to go.
• The matching PJs phenomenon is not new, I’ve been wearing matching family jammies is 1976! Every Christmas Eve we all unwrap one gift, everyone knows its the new pajamas, but we are just as excited as if it was a surprise.

Our menu for Feast of the Seven Fishes

Shrimp Cocktail ~ Lobster Bisque ~ Calamari + Crab Cakes ~ Grilled Salmon + Shrimp Jambalaya + Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Bedtime Routine

When there are lots of things on the to do list and lots of concerts, parties and movies to watch our nights can get late. It’s important to make sure we get enough sleep.

The best way to help insure that is to have a bedtime routine that we look forward to and helps us calm down.

For my kids, I always read to them at bedtime and we looked forward to it. Never once did they argue about bedtime because they couldn’t wait to hear the stories and see what happened next in a favorite novel.

Christmas makes a special time for reading because there are books I pull out just at this time of year. So we get to reread favorites and enjoy new ones.

An Advent reading each morning to quietly start my day is essential. This year I am reading The Everlasting Light from She Reads Truth. I gave a copy to each of my older girls and copies of the He Reads Truth version to my boys. I had them wrapped and gifted them to them the morning after Thanksgiving. They were so excited to all be reading the same thing. With a few of mine off at college it’s a fun way to stay connected over the Advent season!

I hope this Christmas Season brings you more peace than ever before and memories and blessings to hold dear all year long!

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The post Tips for Taking Time to Savor the Christmas Season appeared first on White Arrows Home.

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It felt so good to check our backyard patio remodeling project off the list. The space instantly became our favorite place to hangout.

I shared about the small patio area we had before and why we wanted to reconfigure it in my Part One post.

Backyard Patio Before

Our patio space just outside our walk out basement door was not well laid out. It was small and any furniture blocked the traffic flow to the path down to the lake. There wasn’t even room for our whole family to sit out there.

There was also a giant area that was just weeds and mulch and wasted space.

Backyard Patio Construction

So we worked with a landscaper designer to put our ideas onto paper.

Then they staked it out so we could see the actual floor plan and size.We made a few tweaks and then they began demolition removing the flagstone patio that had been there.

They were careful to save any plants that were in the area and in healthy condition.

Grading the area came next and getting everything level and prepped for laying pavers.

The patio would be a step up from the firepit area. Field stones would define the area for plantings.

The longest part was building the outdoor bar with a built in grill. They wanted that done before the pavers. I designed it so that when my husband was grilling he would be looking out at the lake.

Rochester Concrete Products Lamont 6″x8″ size pavers, soldier course border, herringbone pattern at 45 degrees
Antique brown color blend

The grill was built from a kit Rochester concrete Grand Island bar with a grill, a corner return, and a 4′ bar section in Santa Fe color blend.

We did a natural stone step.

Backyard Patio Plantings

We kept the plantings simple with some Summer Beauty Alliums with shredded bark and a fieldstone border.

We added some Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle.

The Reveal

Then we brought in the furniture. We have an area for a dining table near the bar/grill.

There’s a spot for a seating/ gathering area. We sit here all the time with our family or entertaining friends. We sit out here to read and you’ll often catch someone napping on the sofa.

It’s also a great spot to still enjoy the firepit below.

I like to decorate the corner of the bar. It’s such a great counter for entertaining!

Four 8′ Balsams were planted behind the gathering area and make a gorgeous living wall to define the space.

Extra greenery and color is added with pots around the patio.

The final touch was when Brian hung the string lights over the patio and firepit. It makes the area magical when the sun goes down.

We went from a tiny area that we couldn’t all sit together on, to a layout with wonderful flow. There are five distinct spaces now and where ever you are sitting you still feel a part of the whole space.

No where is too crowded and there is still room for people standing and mingling around. We couldn’t be happier with the final result.

Outdoor Rooms

It’s as if we have made outdoor rooms to enjoy the Northwoods days, whenever there’s no snow!

• Firepit
• Gathering
• Dining
• Grilling
• Outdoor Shower

The outdoor shower was already there. We had them build around it because we wanted to keep it. But we gave it some privacy. See this post for our DIY curtain.

The extra mulch space by our septic got some plants too and the clothes line. When it’s full of beach towels you know it’s been a fun Summer day!

Fun Patio Entertaining Posts

Summer on the Patio

Fall on the Patio

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The post Backyard Patio Remodeling Project Part Two appeared first on White Arrows Home.

I’ve pulled together 17 of my favorite ideas from other bloggers that inspire me in planning our Labor Day Celebrations! Enjoy making memories as you close the chapter on this Summer.

Life Love and Sugar shares this delicious dessert that my family would love!

My Wee Abode has the cutest tutorial for homemade fabric scrap flags!

Celebrate & Decorate shares how to make this cute DIY patriotic banner.

Country Living shares beautiful tablescape inspiration for your end of Summer Labor Day gathering.

Blesser House sets a simple vintage table perfect for the Holiday.

These are such a cute treat to take along to a Labor Day party from Kid Friendly Things to Do.

Beauty for Ashes Home has fun ideas for a welcoming Labor Day weekend porch.

Rootbeer Floats are a great tradition for Labor Day! I love how the The Chickabug Blog serves them up!

The Gracious Wife has such a fun idea to sew together bandanas for a festive tablecloth.

These cute treats from Passion for Savings would be a fun addition to a Labor Day Ice Cream Social.

I love this simple idea from Style Me Pretty that can make any treat special!

Chica and Jo have a fun, festive DIY bean bag toss game idea!

I shared fun vintage decorating for Summer holidays like Labor Day in this post.

I love using soda crates for everything and love how Pink Fortitude used one for a beverage station.

Start collecting vintage patriotic decor to use all Summer of just when entertaining for Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. You can find fun items in my store.

Make a dramatic, yet simple centerpiece to use inside or outside like Common Ground did with a box full of flags and hydrangeas from your garden.

Make a fun wreath patriotic with thrifted red, white and blue ties. Sadie Seasongoods has the tutorial.

I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend and these ideas help you send out Summer in style!

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The post 17 Labor Day Celebration Ideas appeared first on White Arrows Home.

If you are coming over from North Carolina and Rachel’s blog at On the Ponds Farmhouse, welcome to our home in Wisconsin. I can’t wait to try Rachel’s recipe!

My family loves the tradition of watching Sunday football and grazing. Putting out finger foods, snacks and favorite recipes to grab as we take in the games adds more memory making to the season.

One of the often included items is buffalo chicken.

There are so many fun ways to serve buffalo chicken flavored foods. I often enjoy buffalo chicken wraps when we go out to eat.

I thought it would be fun to try something new this season and did a Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad. When I made it for the first time, the kids asked for it two more times over the next few weeks.

It’s such a quick and easy recipe with many things I already keep on hand.

The first thing I do is heat two packages of precooked Buffalo Style Chicken.

You can use any shape pasta you’d like. Use what you have on hand or choose a shape that’s your favorite.

While the chicken and pasta cooks I chop some celery.

I gather the other ingredients:

• Ranch Dressing
• Buffalo Sauce
• Cherry Tomatoes
• The Chopped Celery
• Blue Cheese Crumbles

This salad is such an easy one to adapt because you can add or leave out any of the pieces you want. You can even serve it as a make your own salad and let people add in the celery, tomatoes and blue cheese how they like.

When the chicken is done I cut it into bite sized pieces.

Then I mix everything together.

One of the things I love about this salad is that it tastes amazing hot or cold so you can serve it either way.

I use about 3/4 of the ranch and 3/4 of the buffalo sauce.

I serve my Buffalo Chicken Pasta in my wooden serving bowl and leave out my little wooden salad bowls to eat from.

I decorate around the salad with festive football decor like this vintage kid’s football helmet I found with #thriftingwiththegals on Instagram. We share each Wednesday what we find while out at local antique shops around the country.

The pasta salad makes the perfect addition to the tailgate I shared earlier this week.

Next up you are heading over to Texas to visit Michelle at Vintage Home Designs.Wait until you see her amazing dessert bar!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Be sure to check out the whole tour listed below for all the wonderful recipes!

Take the Tour

Midwest Life and Style ~ Bricks n’ Bloom ~ Simply 2 Moms ~ The Ponds Farmhouse ~ White Arrows Home ~ Vintage Home Designs

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The post Easy Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad appeared first on White Arrows Home.

I’m so excited to be joining some of my blogging friends for a Tailgating party hop. Each month the Virtual Dinner Club girls hosted by, Simply 2 Moms, get together and share a tablescape and recipe. This month, I get to be a guest host.

Find a list at the bottom of the post with links to all the inspiring posts.

If you are coming over from Rachel’s North Carolina home, welcome to our lakeside log cabin home in The Northwoods of Wisconsin. I love Rachel’s gorgeous home, property and blog On the Ponds.

I was so excited to be part of the group this month because it centers around our family’s favorite sport, football! We love to watch football live during one of the games my boys play in or my husband coaches or watch on TV or The Packers at Lambeau Field.

My husband and I met at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was a football player. I was a cheerleader.

Now our son, Barron, is there to play football too. This is a photo we took after he played in the All Star Wisconsin State Football Game this Summer.

Follow along on Instagram to see our Dinner Club reel where I borrowed Barron’s jersey.

So I knew I wanted to set up a Coe College Tailgate.

There’s no alcohol in college football games, so we can enjoy some cocktails before the game. Copper mule mugs are perfect for the Fall setting.

I set up a self serve bar to keep things easy with a variety of favorite liquors and mixers and fill a cooler with ice.

I filled in with mums in the school colors.

The little vintage football helmet was a find a few weeks ago when I was #thriftingwiththegals and visiting one our local weekly flea markets.

Have you been following along on Wednesdays for #thrifitingwiththegals on Instagram? We have so much fun sharing in our stories our shopping adventures to antique shops, thrift stores and vintage markets all around the country.

One of our favorite football foods, Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad is an easy crowd pleaser to bring along. I’ll be sharing the recipe later this week. I love serving it in my wooden bowls.

When you were a varsity athlete at our college, you became a member of The “C” Club and were awarded a blanket with a Gold C on it. This is my husband’s blanket that I used as the tablecloth.

If you know a high schooler looking at colleges I highly recommend they add Coe College, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to their list! I grew up in Texas and applied to colleges all around the country. When visiting the campuses of all these schools, Coe stood out and I instantly knew I belonged there! It was the friendliest place I had ever been! Everyone on the gorgeous red brick building campus said hello. I loved every minute I was there!

We have gone to every Coe Homecoming football game since my kids were born. It’s one of our favorite annual traditions!

Coe College is a private liberal arts college with a lot to offer from amazing academic programs, athletics and clubs and organizations. It has a lot rich history and tradition. The Princeton Review rated Coe as #10 among private colleges for internships and #20 for best Alumni networking.

My daughter who goes to The University of Iowa, found this vintage Coe College Homecoming button at an antique shop in Cedar Rapids a few years ago.

Coe is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a vibrant midwest city and perfect college town with lots of culture, entertainment, events and outdoor activities.

For the tailgate,I brought along several of my favorite vintage pieces like my collection of yellow tartan jugs and coolers.

For a while, and while my husband and I were at Coe, the school colors were red and gold (like Ronald McDonald red and yellow!) We didn’t really think about it at the time, but a few years after we graduated the school went back to their original Crimson and Gold. I’m so glad they did, the colors are so classy!

Styling my tailgate with items in crimson and gold was easy and fun to “shop” my house for.

Next up on the tour is Michelle of Vintage Home Designs. Her tablescape is so awesome! I love her turf placemats!

Take the Tour

Bricks n’ Blooms ~ On the Ponds ~ Vintage Home Designs ~ Midwest Life and Style ~ Simply 2 Moms ~ White Arrows Home

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The post Styling a Festive Tailgate Party appeared first on White Arrows Home.