Greetings!

Hope everyone is doing great!

Happy Holidays to you and your family! Family, friends, food and festivities… it is that time of year 🥂

We are grateful and blessed for everything in our lives and sincerely wish you all the best.

This will be our last newsletter of 2024 and our plan moving forward is to publish monthly newsletters — we always wanted this to just be a fun lifestyle newsletter and we are thinking that once a month would be best for everyone.

Please don’t unsubscribe yet 😆 give us a chance in the New Year 🙏

Embrace Your Best Life!
~ Curt & Shari Roese

SIMPLI SHARI 🩷

Decorating for Christmas

Decorating for Christmas is one of the most enjoyable parts of the holiday season. The warm glow of string lights, the scent of a fresh tree, and the sparkle of ornaments bring a sense of magic to the home.

Whether it’s hanging stockings, arranging festive centerpieces, or placing little holiday accents throughout the house, these small touches create an inviting and cozy atmosphere that makes the season feel special.

Holiday Movie Pick:
One of my favorites is The Holiday, starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet. It’s a heartwarming story about love, personal growth, and the beauty of new beginnings.

What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season!
See ya in 2025 🙏

Embrace your best life,
🩷 Shari
Visit Simpli Shari

CURT’S CORNER

Ask a Favor?

Hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving! We had all the kids and 8 of the 9 grandkids over — chaos and fun!

November was also our 10th wedding anniversary. A special day to celebrate a special woman 💕
Fun fact: we’re an eHarmony couple — we fell in love 17 years ago! (Is eHarmony even around anymore?? 😄)

We enjoyed a relaxing night in St. Augustine — amazing how even 24 hours away can be refreshing.

Big News & A Small Favor

Good news from my college experience:

I entered a Business Pitch Competition and was one of the winners — representing the 62+ crowd [crowd of 1 😆] in the Entrepreneurship program 👨‍🎓

The business idea is also the topic for my final Business Plan project — and it might become a little part-time venture for us.

Here’s the favor:
To finalize my project, I’d love for you to take a quick 2-minute survey to help validate the idea.

👉 Retirepreneur Survey 🙏
Thanks in advance — I’ll let you know if I get an A 😄

🎄 Holiday List of Things to Do

Lots of fun things to do during the holiday season. Sometimes we forget just how many joyful experiences are out there!

We’re heading to Chicago for a quick 4-day trip — plans include:

• Ice skating

• A Christmas Carol live performance

• ZooLights Night

• Christkindlmarket

• And soaking up every bit of holiday fun ❄️

Other ideas for festive fun:

• Holiday Light Tours – Explore local displays

• Cookie Decorating – Tasty fun with friends or grandkids

• Christmas Caroling – Spread joy with music

• DIY Decorations – Ornaments, wreaths, garlands

• Gift Wrapping Parties – Music, snacks, and wrapping

• Movie Marathons – Cocoa, classics, and cozy vibes

• Winter Festivals – Local parades, markets, and ice sculptures

• DIY Advent Calendars – Countdown with creativity

• Seasonal Volunteering – Give back, feel good

• Hot Chocolate Bar – Marshmallows, candy canes, whipped cream

• Storytelling Nights – Share The Night Before Christmas

• Snow Globe Crafting – Easy mason jar projects

• Gingerbread Houses – Family tradition fun

• Ice Skating – Bundle up and enjoy

• Holiday Photo Shoots – Goofy or glam

• Wreath Making – Fresh greenery, seasonal charm

• Polar Express Train Rides – Magical with grandkids

• Tree Lighting Ceremonies – Community joy

• New Year Vision Boards – Reflect and set intentions

PRESENTED BY ETSY: Support Creators

This holiday season, Etsy is the perfect place to find thoughtful, handcrafted gifts. Personalized and unique, every purchase supports small businesses and creators.

Order early — many items are made-to-order and shipping may take time.

Skip the big box stores and choose meaningful, heartfelt gifts from Etsy.

“The holiday season is a perfect time to reflect on our blessings and seek ways to make life better for those around us.”
~ Terri Marshall

PARTING WORDS

Renewal and Hope
As the year draws to a close, the holidays encourage us to embrace hope, cherish the present, and look forward to the promise of a new year.

Have a great week!

🔗 RESOURCE ROUNDUP

• 🙏 Support Toys for Tots to bring joy to children this season

• ☀️ Read recent posts on the Happily Ever Retired blog

• 🔗 Explore resources on navigating retirement

• 💡 Set up your own Hot Chocolate Bar this winter