Life Lately: Between Suitcases, Christmas Lights, and Big Financial Dreams

Life feels loud right now; in the best way and the hardest way. The kind of loud where your calendar is full, your house smells like cinnamon and pine, and your brain is constantly running numbers while your heart is dreaming a little bigger than it probably should.

We’re heading into the holidays with suitcases half packed and plans for traveling next month already in motion. There’s something about having a trip on the calendar that shifts everything. It gives us something to look forward to on the days that feel long, and a reminder that we’re allowed to enjoy life while we build it.

December in our house is equal parts chaos and magic. Christmas movies hum in the background, kids counting down sleeps until Santa arrives, and activities stacked back to back, tree lightings, baking days, kid’s sports, and late-night Target runs we swear will be the last one (they never are). It’s busy, but it’s the kind of busy that reminds me this season won’t always look like this. One day the house will be quieter, and I’ll miss the noise.

Behind the twinkle lights, though, there’s a very real and very intentional focus happening: wealth building and debt payoff. It’s not glamorous. It doesn’t always look exciting on the outside. But it’s the foundation of everything we’re working toward. We’re choosing discipline over impulse, progress over perfection, and long-term freedom over short-term comfort.

Right in the middle of all of this… we started side gig

What began as a fun idea between my husband and I has turned into late nights, sticky countertops, and jars of homemade jelly lining our kitchen. Our spicy jelly making hustle is equal parts passion project and a hopeful way of adding income. We’re learning as we go about consistency, and what it really takes to turn an idea into income. It’s messy, imperfect, and incredibly fulfilling.

At the same time, I’m still actively growing my real estate business. Even in a shifting market and a full season of life, I’m showing up, staying connected, and continuing to serve clients who are ready to buy or sell. I genuinely love this work, and I’m excited to take on new clients who want guidance, honesty, and a steady hand through the process, especially when things feel uncertain.

And uncertainty has been a big theme lately.

My current job has introduced some unexpected unknowns, with the possibility of selling off in the near future. That means I’m standing in this strange in between space, where I may have a job come spring… or I may not. It’s uncomfortable. It’s scary at times. And it’s also forcing me to look at my life, my income streams, and my goals with a level of clarity I might not have reached otherwise.

This season has made one thing very clear: diversification matters. Multiple income streams matter. Betting on yourself matters.

Between real estate, our growing jelly business, rental properties, and our commitment to paying down debt, we’re intentionally building a life that doesn’t rely on just one paycheck or one path. We’re planting seeds in several places and trusting that with consistency and effort, they’ll grow.

This season feels full. Full of plans, responsibility, risk, and hope. We’re balancing travel dreams with Christmas traditions, business building with family time, and financial discipline with the desire to still enjoy the now.

If there’s one thing I’m learning, it’s that life doesn’t wait until everything feels stable or certain. It happens right here, in the middle of the unknown.

And right now, in this season of suitcases, Christmas lights, spreadsheets, showings, jelly jars, and big decisions, I’m choosing to believe we’re exactly where we’re meant to be and that what we’re building will be worth it.