It’s fourth quarter in the employee benefits insurance world, and if you know, you know. Renewal season is in full swing, emails flying, spreadsheets multiplying, deadlines stacking like firewood before the first snow. The gears are grinding, and the pace is relentless.
But it’s not just work that ramps up this time of year. In Northwest Minnesota, the holidays come with their own rhythm. Thanksgiving and Christmas, yes but also Deer Hunting, which around here is practically sacred. Schools close, families gather, and blaze orange becomes the unofficial uniform of November. It’s tradition, its community, it’s part of the heartbeat of this place.
Add in school concerts, church events, potlucks, and the quiet chaos of winter prep, and the last four months of the year become a blur. Some days I don’t know if I’m coming or going. And I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who feels that way.
People often ask me, “How do you do it? How do you find time to make candles and soaps on top of everything else?” But the truth is, it’s not really about how. It’s about who. Who you get to do it with. Who shows up beside you in the mess and the magic. Whether its family lending a hand, friends cheering you on, or customers who become kindred spirits, it’s the people that make the pace feel possible.
And honestly, the creating just falls into place. It’s not another task to check off, it’s the thing that brings me peace in the midst of the wild. There’s something sacred in the process: the warm pour of wax, the swirl of essential oils, the way a scent can shift the whole mood of a room. Cinnamon and cedarwood, clove and pine they don’t just smell good. They feel like home.
When the gears are grinding, with deadlines to meet, parties to attend, and kids to cheer on, it’s easy to get swept up in the motion. But don’t forget to embrace the moments and the memories. It’s okay to pause. To step back. To take it all in. Embrace the chaos, reflect, and find what brings you peace in the midst of it all.
For me, sometimes that peace looks like stepping outside to enjoy the cool, crisp last few days of fall before the snow settles in. We recently took a ride on the Prowler out to the deer stands to get things ready. The air was brisk, the trees nearly bare, and the sky that soft November gray. And you know what? It was exactly what I needed. Just a moment to breathe. To be still. To let nature do what it does best quiet the noise and remind us of what matters.
And now, in the midst of all that motion, I’m preparing for my biggest event yet: The Holiday Fair in Thief River Falls, MN. It’s a season of creating, repurposing, and restyling, bringing new life to old favorites and crafting pieces that feel like home. Every label, every scent, every display is being built with intention and heart. It’s not just a booth it’s a reflection of the journey, the joy, and the grace that’s carried me through this wild season.
So, if you’re in the thick of Q4, juggling work and holidays and kids and chaos, I see you. I’m right there with you. And I hope you find your own version of peace in the wild. Mine just happens to come with a wick, a hint of vanilla, and the crunch of leaves underfoot.
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