Hello, friend!

September is coming to an end. It’s been a busy month, with the week-long school holidays, my birthday, and a minor medical procedure I underwent and am still recovering from.

I’m not one who enjoys the attention and fanfare around birthdays, yet I’m thankful for the excuse to meet up and spend time with people who matter. This year, for the first time, I felt a very strange mix of tiredness and gratitude with the flurry of social activity that occurred around my birthday. Is it a sign of age?

I’m happily in my 30s now, and though there were fun times in my teenage years and early adulthood, I’m also really glad to be past all of that. I’m enjoying the relative stability and quiet joys of this present season; less searching for the next “newer and better” thing, and more contentment with where I am and what I currently have.
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Here are 3 lessons I’ve learnt as I turn 33:

Rest is not about taking away

Finding rest and enjoying leisure isn’t about emptying. Rather, it is about filling up with that which is life-giving. Instead of constantly trying to find moments to “catch a break” and create a void, I’ve intentionally scheduled leisure time and activities into daily life. I find myself defaulting to mind-numbing activities like endless scrolling less and less, and being more filled as I spend my time caring for my mind, body and soul through reading, crafting, writing, cooking and more.

Consistency is not a bad word

I’ve always worked in spurts – with phases of intense activity followed by lull periods. Being consistent in the small things has never been my forte. Yet, God is showing me how the little acts of faithfulness add up. Day by day, I’m building muscle by showing up even when I don’t see results. I used to feel defeated when I wasn’t “getting” anything out of my time in the Word, but now I see more clearly that it’s not about what I feel or “get” each day.

Last week, we fixed the pedals onto Mr 3’s bike. He hopped on, and almost instantly, started pedalling and riding as if his body knew exactly what to do. It probably did, not because of what happened in that singular moment, but rather, the 2+ years of practice he had on a balance bike (and occasionally pedalling the test bikes at Decathlon). Consistently showing up and practising had trained his body to know the feeling of balance on two wheels, and when the time was ripe, no one needed to tell him what to do.

Count the costs, not just the dollars

I used to default to the cheapest (lowest $) option when making decisions, but I’m learning that costs are more than just the dollars spent. This definitely comes from a place of privilege, and I’m thankful that in this season, the monetary cost of things need not be my primary consideration in decision making. I hold other currencies such as my time, my attention, and my affections that I need to spend wisely. Further, my decisions cost not only me, but others around me as well. I hope to be more mindful in where I choose to spend my money, time and affections.
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I cannot be happier to be 33! To think that at this age, Christ had completed his earthly ministry and paid the final price for our salvation. I am thankful that I’ve had 33 years to enjoy life on this side of eternity, and that God willing, I can continue to use the years I have left to love Him, serve Him, and spur others toward the good life too. Thank you for being a part of this journey!

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Soli Deo Gloria,

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P.S. You’ll hear from me via this newsletter next month, or you can follow along on the blog or Instagram. If this email landed in your junk mail, please remember to mark this my email address as “safe” or add to contacts so that it won’t happen again!

From my commonplace

On the blog

I’ve written a few more travel posts! If you’re looking for trip inspiration, or tips on travel with kids, do check out the “travel” category. Let me know if there are any other travel-related things you think I should write about!

October is birthday month in our home, with both kids’ birthdays in the same month (actually the same week)! I’ll be updating the blog with gift guides based on what we’re thinking of getting for them, and ideas on how birthdays can be celebrated simply yet meaningfully.

Current favourites

I’m happy to be joining Big Head store as a brand ambassador, which means you get 10% off at their store when you use the promo code <atthechias10>. While shopping on big platforms is extremely convenient, I’m glad to be able to support local small businesses, especially those owned by mums who curate based on their personal experience! Big Head brings in timeless, high quality toys that will last for years and years. We’ll be getting some quality toys for the kids’ birthdays from Big Head this month (will share more on IG)!

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We’ve been shopping second-hand more and more, and our home library is slowly but surely being overtaken by hand-me-downs and thrifted books. How lovely! Apart from Carousell, Thryft has become a site that I check often for titles I’m looking out for. Do you have any second-hand shopping gems to share? Let me know!

... & visit my shop page for more recommendations!