Little Things We Love
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Memphis Central Station Hotel Review (with Kids and Dogs!)
Whether it’s driving with kids from Texas to Colorado or staying at the TWA hotel with kids and dogs, I’m starting to get used to the idea that it’s just as easy sometimes if we all go together. I loved breaking up our drive to Kentucky with an overnight in Memphis! Our Memphis’ Central Station…
Strasbourg with Kids
When I first looked at moving to Germany from Texas, I was dazzled by the idea of Freiburg, Germany, being just an hour-and-change drive to the Alsace region of Southern France. This part of Europe is the best of Germany and France combined, in my opinion, with half-timber old towns filled with French luxuries like pastries,…
Hi, I’m Lilly
Welcome to my place to chronicle my adventures in learning to live more open-heartedly with my family and the my community as I create a home that’s an oasis for our family’s authenticity and creativity.
Posts That Mean A Lot To Us
OPEN HEARTED HOME BLOG
German Tidy Tips and How I Clean “Everything” with Three Ingredients
When I was moving from Texas to Germany, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was seeking. Maybe sanity is the best word for it. And you know what makes me feel sane? My ability to clean my own home myself, scrubbed to high Heaven, in less than two hours. Of course, it helps to have…
Teaching Puns with Valentines
I was invited to teach a Valentine’s Card Making Party with Camp Crafty at the sweetest afternoon Mother and Daughter Valentine’s tea. The concept of the day was celebrating love for yourself and the community, which I loved. I thought teaching puns with Valentines felt like a really fun way to spark up our card…
DIY Patch Jean Jacket
I got to create a DIY patch jean jacket party for Camp Crafty last weekend, and we had such a blast. I love seeing everyone celebrate their choices at our station parties like this. There’s always a little girl happy with her choices, pointing with her finger to show us what we need to do…
Germany House Tour: The Black Forest Flat
While I adored our handmade Christmas decorations this year, there’s something about getting the tree down and that helps me appreciate the spick and span feeling of the home back in order after all of the abundance. I thought it made for the perfect time to share a Germany House Tour – all 700 square…
Financial Love with The Money Witch
Truly, I am so rarely at a loss for words, but this is what I know the subject of money to do to me. Over the last years, I’ve gone on such a journey, cliche but true, through the realms of how women “like me” should approach finances, from overworking myself in a corner office…
Tips for Putting Up Peel and Stick Wallpaper
When we moved into the Black Forest Flat, we felt like we had finally found a habitable space with a gorgeous view that would rent to Americans with children and pets – yay! This little corner has been the media area with a built in for the TV, but we slid some things around and…
Snowflake Ornament Craft
We had the best kick off to Christmas season here with a week of our town being covered in fresh dumps of powdery, white snow. Then the snow packed into ice for more winter adventures, luring us home to work on our Christmas crafts. I’ve made this snowflake ornament craft for three years now, but…
Handmade Christmas Decorations for our First Forest Christmas
We were at the pool this summer, and while we loafed around in the sun, Heidi turned to me and said “I want to wake up on Christmas in my own bed.” And, after moving from Texas to Germany last Christmas, I knew exactly why she felt that way. After traveling through four countries worth…
My Baby’s Home for Christmas
I’m in the line at a T.J.Maxx property, waiting to purchase one more thing for my baby for Christmas. Her last-minute request for a “fancy, fluffy blanket” will do that to this mother’s homebody heart. After this, I’ll go by the market and consult my final list for the extra eggs, sugar, butter and eyeball…
The Open Hearted Holiday Gift Guide
It’s that time of year! I love thinking almost all year for gift ideas for this season that show my loved ones how loved they are while preparing us for another bright, creative year ahead. I hope you love poking around for everyone on your list! Each button goes to a treasure trove of finds,…
Four Tips for Fostering Family Connection with Nature
I have been fortunate to have had a childhood with the magic of woods. When I moved away from that place in third grade, it was to the majestic mountains South America, a land filled with colors and flora I had never imagined before. Then, from fourth grade on I was in a more common,…
Open Hearted Holidays: Boundary Work for Better Family Gatherings
Before our move from Texas to Germany, I had never really come home for the holidays before. Now that I have had the experience to, even briefly, leave my home community and return for a visit, I feel like I’m gaining a better understanding of the intention behind so many little behaviors in my family…
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