Friday Favorites

This is a necklace the girls bought me for my birthday last month.  It is a Colombian peso coin as a reminder of our time we lived in Colombia as missionaries.  Check out The Priceless Collection where every purchase fights sex trafficking.  

This is the window seat we have been working on lately.  I finally got it painted!

We have another home improvement project started!  We are adding an additional door in our hallway, which will create a more private space for our guest room.  I'll post more on this later.

We attended a friends Christmas party and were able to go with Ashley and her date.  It was a fun party!

Then we came home to this group of kids.

We have been trying to watch a Christmas movie or do something Christmasy each night before December comes and goes.  We started by watching Elf, a Christmas favorite.  We also went to see a movie with my parents this week.

I think I could keep twinkly lights up year round!

Last night, we watched Rudolph with some of our favorite friends. 

Brook helped me make some Christmas cookies. 

Brook sang in Christmas performances at our church this week.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Christmas Gift Guide

Today's linkup is talking about Christmas gift guides. 

I will share a few favorites with you, but feel like if I say too much, I may give away some of the ideas I have for family gifts this year!!

1. Long tunic shirt ~ This is the perfect tunic shirt to wear with leggings.  It can be worn alone or paired with a scarf.

2. Pajamas/socks ~ I feel like these are timeless gifts that most people can use.  There are so many cozy socks and cute pajamas at this time of year on sale almost everywhere!

3.  Nail polish/accessories ~ Most people also enjoy a new nail color.  Beautiful, warm colors adorn the shelves this time of year.  Don't forget the accessories, like new clippers, cuticle care, and emery boards for filing.

4.  Lip Balm ~ I keep this Rose Salve lip balm by my bed and use it most nights.  It is great quality and a little goes a long way so it will last a while.

5. Bath and Body Works ~ Anything from Bath and Body Works is a nice gift!  They have great candles, but my daily favorites are their shower gels for the shower,  body cream for after the shower, hand soaps (I prefer the exfoliating, but it looks like they are changing to mostly foaming or creamy hand soaps), and pocket hand sanitizers, I carry these for my purse and keep one in the car too.  Also, Bath and Body Works has their semi-annual sale in June and January.  So right after Christmas, there will be major sales!  I try to stock up for several months at these 2 sales.

6. Jewelry ~  There are so many trendy necklaces, bracelets and earrings that are fun and easy to buy for the person who likes to wear jewelry.

7.  Invisibobble ~ This is a new product to me that I have seen that looks like a good product for people who have medium-long hair.  I have also seen products like this at Kohls.

8.  Make Up Brushses ~  For most ladies, we can all use a replacement make up brush from time to time!

9.  Outdoor supplies ~  For the men in your life, go with anything that can be used in the outdoors!  So I am married to a man who wishes he could live in the outdoors (most of the time).   He always likes anything that would be a survival tool, waterproof containers, waterproof and durable bags, collapsible items, creative hooks, and really anything from REI!

10.  Crafts/Toys ~ For the kids in your life, crafts and toys are fun gifts.  I was thinking this week, when was the last Christmas I bought toys for my girls?  It has been a few years now and I do miss that.  For crafts, I think washable when it comes to markers and crayons :).  For toys, I think of building & creativity, like Legos for girls or boys, or many other things in that categories.  Also, real life play is always the best!  Like play house or yard items, anything from kitchens, to sewing machines, dolls to lawn mowers and tools are fun.  Another favorite of mine for all ages are puzzles.

11.  Rodan and Fields ~ If any of you are in need of new skin care items, check out the skin care regimens of Rodan and Fields and some of their new and favorite products too, like lash boost and bright eye complex.  I am a consultant and can help you, so leave a comment and I will reply to you!

As much as I love online shopping, it is fun to get last minute items and see some Christmas decor while going out and about this time of year.  I hope you have most of your shopping done by now and can enjoy the season and even enjoy wrapping presents.  The real gift is giving and bringing joy to others and that can be done in the simplest of ways.  Showing love in the simple ways is so important and a reminder pointing to the best love we have been shown by God sending his son as a baby born humbly in a manger.

A Christmas Day

I took today's blog post on a different turn than most.  Today was blogging about A Day in the Life during the Christmas season.  I am blogging about a typical Christmas Day for us and am
linking up with my niece, Nicole.

Now, on a side note, I think if you have read any posts here before, you know that a typical Christmas season day for me consists of watching a Hallmark movie!  Throw in a load of laundry, a trip to the grocery store, checking on my girls school work, meal planning/cooking, cleaning the kitchen and computer time, and there you have a typical day for me in December!  Now on to a typical Christmas Day!

Christmas Day is always a fun day for our family.  As a child, of course, I loved the excitement of Christmas morning and always loved showing my gifts to my grandparents.  As an adult, I still get excited about Christmas morning!

Christmas morning, the girls stay in bed until we come get them.  This year they will have to stay put since they can see over the balcony railing in our new home :).  I love old pictures of the girls on Christmas morning and it is more fun for me, I think, to watch them open their presents.

Christmas 2015 at my parents home

Christmas 2016 at our friend's home where we were house sitting

After Christmas morning gifts, we go to my parents house for brunch with family and extended cousins.

We usually spend the afternoon at home, enjoying our new Christmas goodies, whatever they may be.  Christmas Day night, I have cooked either spaghetti or soup in the past few years and we watch The Nativity Story as a family.  This is my favorite telling of the Christmas story and such a great reminder of the true reason for the season. 

We are so excited to spend our first Christmas in our new home as a family!

Holiday Entertaining Tips

Holiday Entertaining

Today's topic is holiday entertaining tips.  I  do like to host friends and family over year round and  I enjoy having decorations and making things seem festive, yet casual and comfortable.  Here are some of my practical tips!  

1.  Plan ~  A little preparation goes a long way when planning for a gathering, whether it is 8 people or 20 people.  Anything you can do in advance will be helpful on the day of the event.  The day before, I like to do any major cleaning and the day of the event, finish touch up cleanings (like counters & bathrooms).  The night before, set out serving pieces to get a visual of where things will be placed.

2.  Food ~  I enjoy preparing food, especially if it is holiday type food that I don't make often.  However, it is also very nice to have at least one thing that is pre-prepared so I am not cooking everything.  A trip to Costco will inspire you to add appetizers or other items that have already been prepared and can just be transferred to a different serving dish!  Make sure to have a variety of food, whether you are serving a full meal or appetizers.  As much as we all enjoy sweet and savory, it is good to have a touch of fruits and vegetables mixed in that can also look festive!

3.  Ask ~  Don't let the weight of the event fall on you alone!  Ask family to help with cleaning or other behind the scenes things you may need to complete.  Ask guests to bring something and have ideas of what you may need.  

4.  Simple decorations ~ I don't think it is a secret I enjoy decorating for the holidays.  Decorating can be as simple or elaborate as you wish.  More is not always better, however, we all get a smile at the "Clark Griswold's" too!  Some simple decorating ideas to add to your other holiday decorations are candy canes or other candy in a jar/dish. I love decorating with candy :).  Also, ornaments in a dish serve as a simple decorations. Colorful straws, paper products, napkins, printables, favors are some ideas to incorporate into your entertaining decor. And of course, don't forget a Christmas scented candle & music too!

5.  Release perfection ~  Release perfection of having the "perfect" anything.  We all live in our homes, so no one's home has to be perfect.  There will always be a project to be completed, something that is left out, a food item that doesn't look like the Pinterest picture, but it is okay!!  

6.  Enjoy ~ That leads me to the last tip, which is just enjoy!  Don't be stressed about the little things.  If something doesn't go to plan, more than likely, you will be the only who knows!  If you are stressed, it will flow over to the guests.  Make the guests feel at home.  Accept that things will be done different by others, and it is okay.  I love to watch others enjoying themselves at our home.  

Happy entertaining this season and year round!

Christmas Questions

This morning I am linking up with other bloggers asking Christmas Questions, so here goes!

1. Real or Fake Tree?  I have had a real tree for most of my life.  As a child, we always had one.  Since we haven't been in our own home since Christmas 2012, we did have a fake tree 2013-2016, but we have a real one this year.  With our kids, we like to go somewhere to cut down the tree.

2. Favorite Christmas Cookie?   My favorite cookie is a chocolate chip cookie.  Add in some holiday M&M's, and they just got better!  I also like a chewy, sugar cookie with sprinkles, Oreo balls, and Oreo pretzel bark.

3. Home on Christmas Morning or Travel?  We are home on Christmas morning with our immediate family then go to my parents for a Christmas brunch with extended family.

4. Clear or Colored Lights?  Clear lights on the tree and I like colored lights outside

5. Send Christmas Cards?  Yes!  I am later sending them out this year.  Normally, I like to send them this week, so I will send them out later next week, but am not sending out as many this year.

6. Favorite Christmas Present Received?  This is hard to think about honestly.  As a child, it was probably a stereo and a Donny Osmond album.  I don't remember not liking a present though.

7. Favorite Christmas Present Given? I really enjoy giving presents & am always excited for the girls to get their gifts.  They always like them, but I for sure get more joy out of the experience!  I enjoy giving gifts to people.

8. Stockings or no stockings?  Why of course!!  Stockings are a fun place for unexpected little gifts and also a place for practical gifts too.

9. Christmas PJ's?  I bought the girls Christmas PJ's when they were little, but it wasn't a trend or matching sets were not sold in every store 13 years ago!  However, now we do buy Christmas PJ's for the girls & some for us too, but not always matching.

10. Favorite Christmas carol?  My favorite is O Holy Night by Josh Groban, who I think is the best singer hands down (of course, Huey Lewis and the news will always be my favorite group & go to music though!).  My other favorite is the 3rd verse of Away in a Manger.  In case you are wondering.....

"Be near me lord Jesus i ask you to stay

Close by me for ever, and love me, i pray.

Bless all the dear children in your tender care,

And fit us for heaven, to live with you there."

I just love that prayer!

11. Favorite Holiday Tradition?  As a child, I remember going to look at Christmas lights with my family & grandmother.  We would go to a tree lighting at the mall, attend a church performance of The Singing Christmas Tree, and would take a picture with my siblings holding a present while standing in front of the tree.  

We are always trying to add traditions to our family.  This will be my 20th Christmas married and 17th Christmas being a mom. As mentioned earlier, we like to cut down a Christmas tree, go look at Christmas lights, make Christmas snacks/cookies, watch Christmas shows, & every Christmas Day night, we watch The Nativity Story.

12. Early Shopper or Last Minute?  I am a pretty early shopper.  The past 2 years, I have started in July with the Nordstrom Anniversary sale.  Then I buy a lot the week of Black Friday and finish up in December with little things.  I am 99% done with everything now, unless if something little comes up, which is usually the case!

13. Favorite Christmas Movie or Show?  I love them both!  I mean, obviously, I love Hallmark Christmas movies, but I love other classics too......It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and in the last 30 years.....Christmas Vacation and Elf.  I like watching Christmas specials like Rockefeller and celebrity musical shows (Gwen Stefani has one airing 12/12) and still love the classic shows......Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town,  Frosty the Snowman, and of course, Charlie Brown. I also enjoy watching TV show Christmas episodes like Little House on the Prairie, Family Ties, Brady Bunch to Friends, The Office, and Parks and Rec Christmas shows.

14. Favorite Holiday Beverage?  Hot chocolate 

15. Cookies and Milk for Santa?   I did this as a child with my siblings, but we don't do this with our kids.  Our kids have always had a fun Christmas morning and it looks and feels just like mine did when I was little, except they know the gifts are from us.  Santa isn't taboo, we just didn't do Santa on Christmas morning with our kids.  This year, I keep telling the kids though Santa can finally come to our house because it is our first year to have a fireplace and first time I have hung both my girls stockings on a mantle over a fireplace!

Friday Favorites

It's December 1, 2017!!!!

Here are some favorites from the week......

We went to a Christmas tree lighting in a nearby town this week. 

It was like a Hallmark movie, but there were tons and tons of people there!

Since November was my birthday month, I grabbed my last free birthday perk by getting this free cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes.  Sign up for yours!  It was a nice treat since I had just left the orthodontist with Brook, and I had just received a sinus cocktail shot to help me with my sinus and ear pressure issues.

We watched Bruno Mars concert special this week & Bruno is always a favorite in our house!

And of course, Royal news is always a favorite for our home!  Congratulations to Prince Harry marrying an American!

And a few random pictures from the week......

I saw this pay phone this week, and it struck me how unusual this is to see these days.

I was able to babysit my friend's daughter a little bit this week.

I had some time at home by myself, so I put on a Hallmark movie & wrapped some Christmas presents! 

Happy Weekend!!