Hey, everyone!

Remember me? You may have noticed the blog has been a little quiet over the last couple of weeks, and you’re right about that… I was home enjoying my annual “staycation” after a whirlwind month of back-to-back Red, White, & Blue retreats at The Gathering in June, and man, did I need that break! I kicked it off with an easygoing Fourth of July weekend, keeping things low-key and sticking to our usual routine — a couple of dinners out, a boat ride here, a bike ride there, and that was pretty much it. Perfect!

The second weekend of my staycation is always reserved for one of my favorite events of the summer — our annual family and friends get-together at my house — also known as Anchor Point. It’s one of the few times a year when everyone gathers at my place to party and hang out as one big happy family. It’s always a great time and includes a little bit of everything that you’d expect from any good old-fashioned American summer shindig. Between attending my grandsons’ baseball games, boating, swimming, grilling, and trying to squeeze in as much time together as possible, this special weekend always seems to go by way too fast!

Of course, there were a few highlights that made this year’s gathering extra special. My oldest grandson, Jace, competed in a home run derby and placed 4th out of 51 kids — which is pretty darn good if you ask me! Meanwhile, my middle grandson, Owen, spent the weekend playing in a Little League tournament. While his team didn’t win the entire tournament, they did win several games and, most importantly, had a blast doing it. My youngest grandson, Lochlan, also had a big first of his own this year when he got to experience his very first jet ski ride with his beautiful momma. Watching the kids make memories of their own is one of the best parts of the weekend!

Now that summer staycation 2026 is officially in the books, I’m honestly glad to be back to work! It’s funny… even though we’ve had temps in the nineties for several consecutive days, heat indexes well into the triple digits, and humidity that could double as a sauna, we’re knee-deep in Christmas projects over at The Gathering as we speak. Session One of our annual Naughty or Nice Christmas in July Retreat kicked off on Monday, so around here — strange as it sounds — it’s already beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

“Christmas in July” has become quite the tradition at Primitive Gatherings, and I don’t just mean because of the Naughty or Nice Retreat. Our Christmas in July Specialty Boxes have become one of the most popular events of the summer, and when something is this well-loved, why would we ever stop?

If you’re not familiar with our Christmas in July Specialty Boxes, let me tell you about them. Each year, Jess does a fantastic job of putting together two different options for these exclusive boxes, each filled with Christmas-themed projects, delightful goodies, and festive surprises you won’t find anywhere else. Just like in previous years, you can choose from the Cotton Box, the Wool Boxes, or a combination of the two. Let’s be real, sometimes choosing between one or the other can be the hardest part — so you should probably just choose both!

Each of these awesome boxes is valued at over $150, but since we’re in the Christmas spirit, they’re available now for just $120 each! That’s a pretty sweet deal considering all the goodies tucked inside… The only catch? They won’t be around forever — pre-orders end at the end of the day TOMORROW – Wednesday, July 15th, 2026! Not to mention, we currently have fewer than 10 Cotton Boxes and fewer than 50 Wool Boxes remaining, so if one of them (or both) has been burning a hole in your Christmas wish list, order now because after tomorrow, they will no longer be available either way!

That’s all I have for you today, but I”ll be back this Thursday LIVE at 1:00 p.m. CST on my YouTube channel, STITCH with Lisa Bongean! I’ll be talking about all sorts of good stuff including O’ Say Can You Sew III, Joyful Gatherings II, and sew much more! Tune in and get the scoop on all things PG by clicking the STITCH button below. See you there! ~Lisa