Search Results for: happy holidays

Happy Holidays!

December 26, 2013 by thethomehome

Christmas brought our entire family lots of luck and love. It’s exactly what the doctored had ordered. Owen is feeling much better, his spunky personality is through the roof and Brody couldn’t be happier and more agitated all at the same time that his little brother is ready to rumble!

We were beyond fortunate this year and were able to visit with SO many people. Friends and family were bouncing all around our house, and we finally were able to get out of the house and visit as well. It was a week packed with fantastic company, delicious food, and smiling faces all around.

Christmas 2013 was excessively bittersweet because we received the best gift of all…

WE SOLD OUR HOUSE!!!

Finally, months and months later a lovely couple purchased our home. We will be moving in just 3 weeks! AH!

With each gift wrapped, each present unwrapped, every twinkle of the lights on the tree, each giggle on the ground between the boys over their presents brought tears to my eyes. We love this house. It harbors a lot of warm memories that we will always hold dear. We know no matter where we go, those fuzzy feelings will come with. Making the move a lot easier than we anticipated, we are just excited for the next chapter.

The house hunting is starting this weekend, and we are sure to be scrambling all over town until we find the one that is just right. We are so excited to share with you guys our journey. Even more thrilled to have the blog to journal our make over on the next Thome home!

A big thank you to everyone who always pops in and reads our posts. We love to read your comments, and know that 2014 will bring a lot more exciting news for everyone to be entertained by! Spread “thethomehome” love, tell friends and family to take a peak!

Here are a few pictures from Christmas 🙂

Holiday Cookie Round Up

December 14, 2020 by Abby Thome

Tis’ the season to not have an oven, am I right?! HA! I’ll have to play catch up in the new year and crank out some of our favorite holiday cookies to make. Until then, do me a solid and whip some of these up and tag me on IG. Not only are these my tried and true cookies, they are SO freaking good you will not be disappointed!

Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies – I cannot make this recipe without shedding a tear. These were my grandfathers favorite, I would drop them off to him as a surprise, and after one bite you’ll see why these were in high demand.

Raspberry Pecan Thumbprint Cookies – Festive colors and a POP of raspberry jam amogsnt the buttery pecan base. What could be better?

Chewy Chocolate Caramel Chunk Bars – this recipe is INSANELY good! I love that you can use this exact recipe, and make bars OR traditional cookies, it’s up to you! If you are making cookies, simply roll golf-ball size rounds of cookie dough onto your baking sheet, and bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are barely golden and cookies are just set.

Rocky Road Fudge – I have vivid memories of my grandmothers Rocky Road Fudge being on the coffee table every holiday. There is something about the combination of chocolate with fluffy marshmallows and the crunch of nuts that is so perfect!

Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies – the cookie that needs to be made year round. I think they are exceptionally delicious in colder months, with the hint of warm cinnamon throughout!

I hope you give these a try! Make sure to tag me on Instagram when you do so I can see all of your yummy creations @abby_thome

Happy Holidays!

Christmas Window with Wayfair

November 30, 2017 by Abby Thome

Hi, my name is Abby and I am a Christmas super fan. If I had the opportunity to come back in my next life as an elf at the North Pole – I would. This is the best example of what I look and act like while preparing our house for the holiday season…

This time of year is pure magic for my boys and I cannot help but see it all through their eyes. The houses that glow at night, lining the streets in a parade of pure magic. The smell of Christmas cookies cooling just waiting to be covered in frosting and sprinkles galore. The restlessness on Christmas Eve, when our entire house tosses and turns in anticipation to get the green light from Dad with the video camera to come running down the stairs.

And the shrieks of pure surprise that come from my boys mouths while mom and dad rub our eyes and cover our yawns because we got only 2 hours of sleep after hosting our late night Christmas Eve bash. The tea-pot whistles as we tell the boys to let us get our caffeine poured and to sit anxiously with their stockings. 3…2…1….. Let the chaos begin!

Each year it amazes me how those little hands can tear through dozens of presents that took those sweet little elfs months and months to build, and even longer to wrap in just half an hour. 30 minutes of pure unfiltered happiness that results in days and days of not being able to wipe the “Santa came” smirk off of their sweet little faces.

When it comes to The Thome Home’s holiday décor, I try my best to collect different pieces each year so that the next we have a few more pieces to sprinkle throughout our rooms. I have to hold myself back through November to not jump ahead and decorate too soon, but this year, I just could not help myself. Our decorations were up the week before Thanksgiving and I have enjoyed having our home for the holidays a bit earlier this year.

Wayfair has always been my one stop shop for home décor, and their current line of holiday pieces did not disappoint! We found the most gorgeous “PEACE” sign to set above our fireplace this year and it is even better in person!

You can buy it here!

It comes in 5 different sizes, we chose the 24H x 36W and it fills our fireplace mantel perfectly!

On a chilly winter night while the fireplace is roaring, this PEACE sign balances this space perfectly!

I think this wall art will be one on constant rotation each holiday season, one that our kids will remember and we look forward to bringing out each and every year!

Check out the amazing wall art Wayfair has to offer!

Happy Holidays!

xoxo, Abby

Christmas Eve 2014.

December 26, 2014 by Abby Thome

Oh my Happy Holidays!!

Whew. I am on the couch – cuddled up with a cup of black tea, basking in the aroma of dunkin doughnuts and loving the kids being completely immersed into their new toys! Our Christmas this year was one to definitely remember. Not only was it our first Christmas in our new house – but we hosted Dan’s family for the annual Christmas Eve celebration and it was such a hit!

I know I have been a wee bit absent here lately – but that was completely intentional. You see – I’m a little old school in the sense of trying to untap from technology during the holidays. Of course I peaked at Instagram + Facebook here and there — but really, my phone was never at my side and was the last thing on my list of things to check into. I loved it. Being truly present in the moment — saving the blogging for another day – like today 🙂

Dan and I both are lucky to have large families. So any ol’ get together is never a small feat. Years of growing up with family parties and packed houses definitely made prepping for hosting Christmas Eve SO much easier. We knew what to expect – and just wanted everyone to enjoy themselves. And that is exactly what we did!

Great food, plenty of drinks and amazing people – our Christmas celebration was off to an amazing start.

Setting up for the bash was a cinch – we made sure to have it all done the night prior.

With about 30 adults – we were SO thankful we bought this fixer upper with an amazing addition. We had just enough room to squeeze everyone in for a nice sit down dinner.

We tossed fresh tree trimmings into vases – not quite sure if it looked appealing to most – but it was festive and smelled amazing.

My plaid pillows made their debut – and a super soft threshold throw from Target. Little punches of red to add the holiday zing to the room.

The kids room was SO much fun to set up. Buddy, our elf decorated (our boys said). Simple snowflakes hanging from the ceiling – adorable santa plates and a coloring table-cloth to keep those little stinkers in their seats!

The fire was roaring and as the guests came in we realized the heat was a bit too much to handle. I am still surprised people did not change into tank tops!

Amazing Christmas sweaters and delicious drinks.

Santa Claus stopped by and the kids were jumping for joy !

Even Great Grandma Thome got in on the action – we are all oh so lucky to spend the holidays with the very people who started this amazing family of ours!

The party went into the wee hours of the morning – and the kids were nestled in their beds. We could not of asked for a more amazing first Christmas Eve in our new house.

New traditions and memories to last all our years.

Hope your Christmas Eve was one to remember!

Our Kitchen Cabinets with Nuvo Cabinet Paint

December 14, 2015 by Abby Thome

This is a sponsored post with Giani Inc. A big thank you to Giani + all of our readers for supporting The Thome Home!

The NEW Thome home is coming up on it’s 2 year anniversary this spring. It has all just swooped over our heads ( time that is ) and we are so glad we took the plunge into another fixxer upper. But, let’s not act like it’s been all roses here. I think there have been at least 20x since buying this home we’ve cursed it, said it was causing us great anxiety and threatning to put it on the market and buy a brand new house. Through all of those tough times of making this house a home, Dan and I are both so glad we hung on tight.

We are hooked on all DIY shows +networks. Not only for inspiration, but for techniques and lessons to be learned. The only thing I have against it all is the perception these shows give for the fixer uppers. If you fork over the funds, 4-6 weeks later not only will you have a completely remodeled home, but one that is now decked out with the best home decor. I think a ton of average folks watch, and get swept up thinking it would be the perfect idea for them to purchase a home in need of TLC, only to quickly find out that it is not how the story goes.

Now, if you have $$$ ready to roll out and hire contractors and such, you may be way ahead of the game. But, if you’re an average family like ours, the reality is far from what they show on t.v. We never have our blinders on when on the market for the worst house on the block. And this house was no different. The list was SO long, and so overwhelming, but exactly what our craziness craves. It took weeks upon weeks of battling price, and even more tears trying to close the deal on this place.

Once we did, we had to tackle many projects that were not on either of the tops of our lists, but HAD to be done. $8,000 to fix basement repairs – $2,500 to replace the front porch – $3,000 in paint. These expenses were just in the first few months of home ownership, and only the beginning of where money had to be shuffled out too. Where would I have liked to see $13,500 cash go towards? The kitchen! Take a look at a realtors picture of what our kitchen looked like on our first walk through ..

So, for someone in the market for a fixer upper, they may imagine that $13,500 going straight into a kitchen gut. When unfortunately, that dream has to be washed away and the reality of doing “what’s important” first must. Being a responsible adult sucks.

We decided that with all of the other rooms in the house that still needed just as much attention we had to pick and chose at first how we were going to make this kitchen more livable. And by livable, I mean sanitary 🙂

We tore off the top cabinets that blocked the view into the family room – (made a huge difference in lighting as well) and, can you believe it …. left the rest of the kitchen like that for MONTHS. Months and months of apologizing for this space when guests would come over and cringing when first time guests would walk through. We were just embarrassed, but we did not know exactly what we wanted for this space, just yet.

That is until we came in contact with one of our most favorite sponsors on our blog — Giani Granite They are amazing company, with even better products, helping homeowners like us bring the best out of our homes, ourselves and for an affordable price! Our first collaboration was to refinish our orange countertops with their amazing Giani Granite Countertop paint. Not only was the entire process a cinch, but the results are outstanding and have stood the test of time. Which is a lot to say coming from a mom of two messy boys – I am constantly cooking and cleaning those countertops! So we took the first step into making this kitchen feel more like us –

Huge difference right?! The old kitchen was so dark and depressing – we used the White Diamond Kit to give our countertops new life. The best part of these countertop paints are that you are in total control of its outcome. We knew we wanted more white than black showing through, and we aimed for more of a marble appearance rather than granite.

An entire year later, we decided it was time to give this kitchen another face lift. We know a huge kitchen gut is about 5 or more years down the road for us. In the mean time, we want to try a few different looks in our kitchen so that we find the exact style and fit we want when we do dive into a huge gut. This time around, we wanted to utilize their Nuvo Cabinet Paint line and give our cabinets a new look. We used basic painter-grade paint for the above look, which was a mistake. Not only did it fall apart much quicker, it just lacked the shine and coverage we needed. We of course loved what it looked like in comparison to the old kitchen, but my heart has been longing for a tuxedo kitchen for a while now.

Two toned cabinets, black lower cabinets and white upper. New hardware, new rug and new kitchen set up. Of course we are crazy and decided to do this 3 weeks before the holidays again, but we are SOOO glad we did. Dan was the man behind the painting this time around, unfortunately I wasn’t feeling so swell to bust out the project. But, having him do it this time around and truly experience the product was so fun. He loved working with the cabinet paint, and could not believe the turn around time. He painted on day one, and on day two we put on the new hardware. That fast you guys — I spent WEEKS last time around with the painters grade paint.

Here is the new and improved kitchen with the gorgeous Nuvo Cabinet Paint !

If you could see me on the other side of your computer screen you’d see a 19 week prego-chick doing the happy dance all over the place. This new look has left me absolutely giddy and so glad we switched things up!

It is amazing what a little paint can do, and just goes to show you that you do not have to do a total gut to achieve an entirely different look.

To think this kitchen just under two years ago lacked every ounce of style and function. SO glad we saw the potential in this space and Giani has helped up get there!

Let’s do a back to back before and after, shall we?

(insert all of the heart emojis)

This holiday season we will welcome our guests into our home and not apologize for the space. We are so proud of our new and improved kitchen!

The best part? We are hosting a giveaway!! Wahoo! You can enter here, and on Instagram as well so make sure to stop at both social media outlets to enter!

The prize? TWO of my darling readers will have a chance to win a Giani Granite Countertop Kit in Sicilian Sand.

I adore this color kit, and the variety of style and color you can achieve with this kit leaves me feeling all warm inside for whomever the winners are!

TO ENTER::

One winner will be chosen from right here – on the blog.

Second winner will be chosen on Instagram, and you can check out my account ABBY_THETHOMEHOME to see the details!

For an entry here, it does not get any easier than leaving me a comment telling me what countertops you would bring new life! Your kitchen? Bathroom? For an extra entry, share this post on your facebook page. Spread the love for an additional entry!

Contest is for U.S. residents only, for shipping purposes. Contest will close out December 26, 2015 and prizes will be shipped January 1, 2016.

Holding Back.

December 8, 2015 by Abby Thome

I’ve been holding back from posting this to you guys — not that I don’t want to share it, but there is always a fine/blurry line between sharing and over-sharing in blog land. Especially when it comes down to your kiddos.

One thing I have learned though, is that through sharing, I’ve learned, I’ve connected with others, and in the end I’ve found support and the ability to relate to so many people (like you!) The truth is, this past month or so has been a complete blur to the hubs and I. Those super close to us know why, even those close enough don’t really know what’s been going on. Lack of asking, avoiding talking about it, or just not going into great detail.

This morning just tipped me over the line of sharing, because I found myself at B’s school – with Dan, talking with faculty, who they themselves were getting choked up about B’s situation. When other people get teared up about your kiddo, it really brings to light that how we’ve been feeling the past month is completely justified and okay. I think it was so reassuring to see that other people truly understood – took the time to talk with us.

So I kept my hormonal pregnant self in check, kissed the hubs goodbye at the car and then lost my shit when Josh Groban + Celine Dion’s song “the prayer” came on my pandora. Yes, Celine Dion and Josh Groban are two of my favorite singers. You don’t have to listen to the whole thing, but it could not have come at a better time.

I know, cue the tears.

I’ve spoken a bit here and there about B’s diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis. We were lucky enough to go 2 years since his official first flare up + diagnosis. Unfortunately, he caught C-diff somehow in the beginning of the school year, and then hit with the stomach flu a month later. Leaving his body out of sorts and apparently opened the doors to yet another flare up. He’s 6 now, so fully aware, super in touch with how he is feeling and his emotions and the entire flare up knocked him on his ass for a few weeks.

He missed 8 days of school, following with a week of “1/2” day to make a gentler transition (as his symptoms were still going strong), but it kept him in the loop. Last week we started with full days … and well, it’s been an absolute mess. Tears, I mean, epic-hyperventilating-to the point of almost passing out hysterics before school in the morning. During the day we’d get phone calls with him whaling in the background. It wasn’t just him being emotional, he’d feel sick and panic – not knowing if he’d get sick in front of his classmates. We’ve had to filter each day and figure it out as we go.

It’s left Dan and I super flustered – because this is NOT the B we know. We did not know if he was in pain, if we pushed him back too soon or what. I spoke with his doctor last week, officially hearing what I was hoping… the steroids he was on (the amount) unfortunately was bringing all of this on. Some kids get super hyper active, and some kids get depressed/anxious and sad.

No parent wants to see their child sick – on top of that go through all of these emotions and breakdowns, all because of medicine. We thankfully got the pass to lower to steroid amount by his doctor which has helped a bit. It’ll take time for it to get out of his system. Then we meet this week to discuss the next steps to get him into remission.

As overwhelming as it is, the hardest part has been keeping our composure – trust me when I say it brings tears to both of our eyes to see this little guy so not himself. The looks we get when out when he has a meltdown, or gets worked up. It angers me so deeply when people judge, or assume — HE’S SIX! That’s all I want to yell at people. What his body is going through most adults couldn’t handle.

He’s having a hard time in public a lot. Most family functions he wont eat in front of people, we pack up food to go. It’s just been a lot to swallow, a lot to adjust to, and putting on a brave happy face for him. We have no idea what’s next, if he’ll go years before another flare up. His doctor said the disease is progressing – ugh, which I try to push out of my mind.

His falculty today said to us, “You guys are such great parents, he’s so lucky to have you.” and all I could say back was “Oh, thanks, but we’re the ones lucky to have him.” And it couldn’t be more true. This is a moment in time, a tough, shitty moment in time, but he will be okay. We’ll get through it as a family.

I just wanted to put it out there, becuase especially as you’re out and about during this chaotic holiday season to keep in mind that each person you meet is fighting their own battle. To be kind, not quick to judge, and be the light in someone elses day.

Bright red eyes after I let myself cry after todays quick school meeting, I drove through Starbucks and just prayed no one would ask me how I was — in fear I would just lose it all over again.

I pray that he’ll be alright, that this fog the medicine is putting him in is doing it’s part to heal him and will quickly fade to bring him back to himself. It’s only the beginning, we’re learning as we go. But this morning was exactly what we needed. Recognition from practical strangers, TRUE understanding, empathy and support — they know B well (he helps a ton in the office since K) and they too understand this phase is beyond his control and ours. And we are just doing our best to navigate it all.

So, my apologies for the silence around here. The days have been so long and consumed with phonecalls and putting on a brave face around friends and family.

I told him this morning, that the sadness he feels is temporary – that it will all go away, to focus on the happy things in his day. But my gosh, it’s so much easier said than done for a kid whose going through so much.

Love that boy, grateful for my hubs that is beyond loving and just as compassionate as I for our boys and just praying for a turn around over the holidays.

Yes, that’s all I want for Christmas —

16 Week Bump Update

November 23, 2015 by Abby Thome

16 weeks!

For Dan and I, this pregnancy feels like it’s flying by. I just keep thinking, thanksgiving I’ll be nearly 17 weeks, we’ll be finding out the sex in a few more and by the time Christmas is over we are left with 4 short months until the babe is here. It is pure excitement – the boys are getting more and more into it as the days go on and the arrival of this baby is much-anticipated.

Dan snapped some super last-minute pictures when I remembered what today’s post was to be. No shower, hair 3 days old, kids in random pj’s … one hot mess but just an honest look at what our nights look like!

I thought it would be so fun at this point to answer the same questions over a period of time at certain weeks when I post, just to remember what’s going on. So, here we go!

cravings: this is a tough one. Not because I am not craving anything, but really there is a lot that sounds good. I know what they say, craving sweets you’re having a girl, salty it’s a boy. Oh whatever. I am all over the freaking board – but the things I cannot get enough of. TUNA – girl, limiting myself to one tuna sandwich a week with pickles is a real struggle but when I have it my pregnancy taste buds are in heaven. EGG SALAD – as of late, I eat an egg salad sandwich every single week day. And SOUR candies – which is hysterical b/c I am a chocolate girl all the way. But I have dived face first into the kids candy for sour patch kids, sour gummy worms, skittles… I never want real desert, just a candy kick.

weight gain: such an awkward and stupid question, but I’ll go right along with the game. 4 weeks ago it was zero pounds, I had the stomach flu to thank for that one. My appointment is tomorrow and I am hoping I catch up. With the boys by 16 weeks I was up 10 or so pounds. So, we shall see. The weight will come, and that’s okay with me. These hips won’t lie.

comments: I’ve heard a lot of “wow momma, look at that belly!” obviously because I am showing a ton already. And ” are you finding out the sex??” It’s fun to know we’re not the only ones itching to know what the baby is 🙂

fears: oh well isn’t this question a debbie downer. The obvious. Wanting the baby to be healthy, not just as a baby but as a kid, adult etc. The normal mommy worry about wanting the best for our little ones. It’s exhausting right?

mood: goofy, tired, sentimental, happy, sappy. I have to admit this past month, especially with every brody is going through has taken a toll on us all. But, we’re staying positive. Keeping the fun alive, trying to keep our patience strong and just focusing all of our energy on keeping the boys healthy and happy. So, I guess I feel proud more than anything that I’ve kept my cool + feel very grounded through all of this chaos on top of being pregnant.

sleep: tossing and turning all night. Not because I am uncomfortable, I know the day will come. But the kids have been sick and in and out of our bed. Or I’m up helping them in the bathrooms. I catch myself a ton laying on my back (which they say is bad) so I am constantly waking up and adjusting my position.

surprising me: two things. these early flutters I feel, which is so heartwarming and exciting and reassuring all wrapped into one. i adore it. I know my boys are sweet, but my gosh they talk to the baby, kiss my belly and check my “app” on my phone that tracks the baby’s growth all day long. I knew they’d be excited, but now that they’re older – it’s super sweet to see just how “big” of brothers they will have a role in being.

looking forward to: baby kicks! the nausea stopping. finding out if it’s a boy or girl!

what’s grossing me out: random things. if I assume a food isn’t cooked properly, or if someone else made it I suddenly will not want it if I second guess the ingredients.

random thoughts: things I do not want to forget. brody waking up (because of my pregnancy app) and saying to my belly “good morning baby orange!” and then “the baby is 16 weeks mom!” dan is on a roll wanting to tackle so many house projects before the baby is, and he is SO into the holidays. it is SO nice to have a hubs that feels just as nostalgic as I do about this pregnancy.

This big brother is just over the moon about the baby. And I know I look awful, please don’t remind me. To be totally honest I am shocked I don’t look worse. We’ve been thrown through the ringer this past month and still feeling sick on top of it. Someday during this pregnancy I’ll feel more together … right?

Owen loves patting my belly, and talking away about if he’ll get his “wittle sister cherry”

Celebrating the good, helping to heal the bad, we Thome’s are just trucking along, taking it all day by day and just so grateful the love and excitement this little one has already brought into our world.

Christmas Tree 2014.

December 2, 2014 by Abby Thome

You know, I wondered what it would be like to have Christmas in our new house.

Yes, of course I thought it would be full of cheer – but at the same time I was a little worried about this new space not feeling quite like home yet. Since we moved in we have really been neck high in repairs. One after another – we swamped any spare moment we had conquering our to do list. We really did not set our bar too high of the look we wanted to achieve because our repairs were a must – not a maybe.

This fixer upper required a lot more nitty gritty repairs than our first. Our first house the projects were a lot more affordable – and this house being 2x as big and in 2x worse condition our budget had to go towards things that are barely seen, there for forgotten. Not to be mistaken for forgotten in our bank account, I think we’ll forever remember that impact.

Christmas at our old house was SO cozy. Not just because the size of our house being smaller, but after being there year after year we truly settled in and it felt like home. Here, we are still in settling mode. A lot of things feel unfinished – and it is still overwhelming to look at projects that need to get done asap. We feel a bit rushed at times and we always have to put ourselves into check with the reality of letting things take a lot more time this time around.

We are finally getting to a point where we are able to take a deep breath. The biggest of projects have been completed, and now we’ve been able to actually dip into a few fun ones (kitchen – bathroom – bedroom – living room – dining room). Perfect timing, because with Christmas just weeks away we are doing our best to shake off the naughty list of things to do and bring on the holiday cheer.

You see. We LOVE the holidays. We are that corny couple that plays christmas music, bakes up cookies yada yada yada. It doesn’t take much to push us into the holiday spirit. We jump right on the band wagon and you wont hear us complaining about the Christmas music on the radio during Thanksgiving.

This year, like years past (2013 2011) we lost 2012 in the transfer of sites. We went to pick out our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. This year in hopes to pull that feeling of home straight into our house. And, I will admit, it worked like a charm!

We went to a new tree farm this year on our side of town and it worked out perfectly!

Owen was a bit crabby at first – not enjoying the cold. He dropped his meltdown the second he spotted a “baby tree”. Those of you who know Owen well, finding baby trees is one of the highlights of his day. He seriously gushes over them.

Like his large and in charge gloves? Parents of the year award go to us forgetting the boys gloves. That’s what pockets are for right? 😉

Moments with this sweet boy are just killin’ me these days. Hard to believe he will be 6 after the new year (gulp.)

Insert tears now.

We found a pre cut tree that we adored ( had to botch our plans to cut down a tree b/c of crabby kids ) and within 20 minutes we were strapping it to the roof!

We put the tree up + decorated which is a story all in itself. However – having the Christmas decor up, music playing and the boys over the moon over where they are going to find their Elf each morning is a great reminder that everything is falling into place here. Slowly, but surely –

This house, is feeling more like home.