Hello All! Happy Friday! Christmas is nearly here! I LOVE this time of year and look forward to it all year long.
Christmas in the city!
These past few weeks have been filled with so much Christmas cheer and the good news is there is still more Christmas cheer to be had.
Warm drinks, fireplace going, and festive lights!
To no surprise, this post is filled with lots of holiday goodness. Here’s what I have been loving this week as I link up with Erika and Andrea.
Christmas Candle– My brother picked up this candle for me and I have been burning it all month long. It’s a sweet scent, but not overpowering. I tend to go with peppermint or balsam scents around the holidays, but I love the warm, sweet scent this candle brings. I’ll miss it when the season is over.
Christmas Classic Movies- My boyfriend and I have been watching Christmas classic movies all month long, from the claymation to comedies, and even some rom-coms. I have been doing my best to watch as many Christmas movies as possible and I’m doing pretty well with my list. I even watched movies while I was wrapping gifts and it put me in the holiday spirit.
Even my pup got in on the watch party.
Twinkle Lights- I wanted to add some new holiday decorations to my room and decided to string some twinkle lights with red bows above my bed. It was the perfect touch to my holiday decor. I have been using them when I read in bed at night and it makes the room so much more cozy and inviting. I love how they make me feel whenever I use them.
Jingle Jangle– Any Trader Joe’s fans out there?! I don’t have a store near me, but one of my other brothers do and they picked me up some Jingle Jangle. It was such a sweet surprise and I couldn’t wait to try it. I love a good sweet and salty mix and this satisfies my cravings. I LOVE it, perfect for the holiday season.
Hunter Boots– I have a pair of Hunter rain boots that I love and work great in rain and snow. I decided to get a pair of their winter boots (which were necessary after our recent snowfall) and I love them. They are well insulted, warm, and look cute too. Plus they were on sale! What could be better? These will definitely be getting a lot of us this winter season.
That’s a look into life lately, SO much Christmas joy! Truly the most magical and wonderful time of the year. How are you enjoying this season? Have a wonderful weekend!
Hi everyone! Happy Wednesday! Christmas is one week away. How are we feeling? Stressed? Overwhelmed? Ready? I have been enjoying this season all month long. I’ve been truly trying to make the most of it whenever I can. Due to how the holidays fall this year, this month’s Currently is a week earlier.
Next week will be my year in review. Then the following week will be my new year’s resolutions post. Lots of fun things coming your way in the next few weeks. Before we get ahead of ourselves, here’s a look at my life currently.
What I’m Up To: So much Christmas cheer and spirit! Since we last caught up, I celebrated Thanksgiving with my family and ran in our local Turkey Trot.
Turkey Trotting Before the Big Meal
Our delicious meal!
After that it was full steam ahead for Christmas spirit plus snow!
My pups enjoyed the snow
We got hit with a major snowstorm with feet of snow. It certainly got us in the Christmas spirit and lots of time indoors in between shoveling.
More snowy scenes
As far as Christmas fun goes; I have been shopping, watching Christmas movies, wrapping, and lots of baking!
A very festive home
Plus, lots of cozy nights in.
Warm drinks, fireplace going, and festive lights!
Getting festive in the kitchen!
What I’m Reading: This has been such a good reading month for me, both with Christmas themed books and some other great reads too!
Lots of warm drinks and reading
All the Colors of the Dark– This book, All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker came out this summer and I heard great things about it, the only downside was the length (I heard it was a long one). A quick story before the review, I put it on hold at the library and it finally was able to check it out. I had a few books I wanted to read first and had planned on renewing All the Colors of the Dark. I went to renew it two days before it was due and couldn’t because there was a wait for it after I finished it. That being said, I made it my job to read the book, I finished it in two days and it was phenomenal. It lived up to the great reviews and its hype. It’s all about a missing child and subsequent murders of teenage girls. It follows the main characters through their lives of children through adulthood. It has hints of mystery and thriller, relationships and drama. It’s in the running for a top book of the year.
Straight Shooter-I went to see Steven A Smith speak in the fall and was interested in learning more about him. I read his memoir, Straight Shooter and learned a lot about the sports journalist. I really loved how he detailed his upbringing and the decisions he made to get to where he is today. An interesting and informative read for sure.
A Winter in New York– I started my Christmas reads with A Winter in New York by Josie Silver. It checked all my boxes for a holiday read; big city, romance, great description of food and a bit family mixed in too. It’s all about a young woman who goes to New York City in hopes of starting over. She stumbles into a gelato store and learns she has a connection to the shop owner. She learns the importance of family, tradition and good food. A fun read for the winter months.
Bright Lights Big Christmas– I really enjoyed Bright Lights Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews. This Christmas book is about a brother and sister who make the trek to NYC to sell their Christmas trees from the family farm. They rough it by sleeping in a trailer while in the city, but they make it a home while they are in town. Their neighbors become their family and they make the most of their little Christmas tree stand. Such a cute book to read before the holidays.
The Mistletoe Mystery- This novella, The Mistletoe Mystery is part of the Maid series by Nita Prose. It’s all about the holiday season at the hotel where Molly the head maid works. She’s suspicious this time of year because her boyfriend has been acting weird and keeping secrets. But will things get resolved before Christmas? You will have to read to find out. This was a quick and cheesy holiday read, but so fun too!
What I’m Watching:
This month has been all about watching Christmas movies and tv shows.
Watching the tree lighting in NYC
I’ve watched the cartoons, claymation specials, the rom coms, and comedies.
Even my pup enjoyed the shows
I’ve been watching some solo, some with family, and others with my boyfriend.
I also finished watching the most recent season on The Masked Singer and I have been making my way through the new and final season of Outlander too.
What I’m Wearing:
I have been wearing all things festive apparel this time of year.
My Thanksgiving Outfit from Draper James
From graphic shirts, to velvet blazers, red and green items, you name, I’m wearing it. I’m trying to make the most of my festive outfits this time of year.
What I’m Cooking:
I have been doing all kinds of holiday baking. My goal has been to make one kind of cookie a week. So far, I have made chocolate chip, Halloween candy cookies, Chocolate Crinkles, Snickerdoodles, M&M cookies, and Gingerbread.
Chocolate CrinklesM&M and SnickerdoodlesGgingerbread, YUM!Chocolate ChipeHalloween Candy Cookies
I also made Spritz, Red Velvet, Peanut butter and Peanut butter with Kisses.
Peanut butter and peanut butter with kissesSpritz!Red Velvet
I still have more to go, but I have been pleased with my progress so far.
As far as meals go, I have cooked
Chocolate chip Cookie Dough Pie
Rosemary Cashews
Baked Potato Bar
Tortilla Soup
Peppermint Chocolate Bread
What Inspires Me:
I have been loving all things Christmas and festive. Here’s some recent quotes that resonated with me as well and maybe they will be some inspiration for you!
I also have been inspired by all the cozy vibes with the fire going, enjoying warm drinks and having Christmas lights on.
My pups getting into the holiday spirit with all the snow.
What I Accomplished:
I have been making my way through my Christmas Bucket List and I have been pleased with my progress so far and we still have time to cross things off my list!
A Christmas Concert got me in the Christmas spirit
Dessert out on the townA Chocolate Raspberry Roll
Gifts wrapped and ready to be delivered
Lots of holiday light displays.
Goals from Last Month:
My Christmas Bucket List has been keeping me busy as has spending bonus time with family, making time to visit friends and enjoying the holiday season.
Plus lots of Christmas wrapping and movies
And indulging in tasty treats!
Plus seeing Christmas lights
Goals for Next Month :
New Month, New Year, New Goals! I’m looking forward to the fresh start of the new year and sharing my New Year’s Resolutions with you too.
That’s a look into what I’m Currently up to. SO much holiday cheer! I love this time of year and have been experiencing so much Christmas joy and incorporating it in my every day life. I hope you are enjoying this holiday season too!
I’ll see you back here for Friday Favorites in just two days!
I hope you had a great week! I like this time of year since it really forces you to slow down and rest. I’ve been spending more time indoors, reading, cooking, and watching movies, however, I do miss getting outdoors for fresh air but right now, 32 degrees doesn’t seem too pleasant to enjoy. I’ve also been doing my best to catch up with friends after the holidays. I got to see friends before things got busy in December, but now that things have calmed down, it’s been good to get back into a routine of seeing my people.
Warm soup on a cold day
As we finish up another work week, I’m sharing a fun batch of favorites from the past week as I Iink up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.
I have a mixed bag of things I’m loving and using this week.
Family Switch– Have you seen the Family Switch on Netflix? I had it on my watch list for a while and some of my family members and I watched it right after the holidays. I was really looking forward to seeing the movie since the concept looked cute and I liked the casting. The movie was good, but not great. There were some cheesy and unrealistic parts and lines, but the overall the message was cute. The movie follows a family whose bodies and personalities all get swapped with one another right before Christmas. The theme of the movie is all about living in someone else’s shoes and learning from each other. This would be a good family movie or a good movie to have on in the background if you are working on other projects. Tell me: if you have seen it, what did you think of it?
New Journal-New year, new journal. Every year I get a different journal and I take my time picking it out, based on what I want to reflect on or what I need it for. I got this journal for Christmas, and it fits exactly what I was looking for in a journal for this year. It’s organized a bit more like a planner, so you can use it as a planner if you choose, but you can fill out your monthly goals and dreams, there’s a spot for daily musings or writings and there’s inspirational quotes and stickers found throughout the book. I always do my journaling in the morning and I’m looking forward to filling out this journal through the year.
New Room Scent– The Christmas scents are done and now it’s time for warm, winter scents. Snowflakes and Cashmere is my new wall flower scent. Like many scents I enjoy, this has a subtle, sweet scent that isn’t too overpowering. I did a post a while back, but I always like to have some scent in my room, whether it be a candle burning, a wall flower plugged in, or a diffuser going. I never have them all operating at one time, but I change them out depending on what I’m feeling and what scent I’m going for. I like the freshness a wall flower provides and how it can automatically elevate a space based on scent.
Meet the Parents Series– This may seem like a silly favorite since it’s far from new, but it’s a favorite for me this week. My boyfriend and I have been making our way through the Meet the Parents series on Netflix. I have only seen parts of the movies, but we decided to sit down and watch them together over the course of a week after work and on the weekends. One of my favorite things about streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime is finding older movies to watch or re-watch. We have been loving watching these movies from the early to mid 2000’s, from the one-liners to the quirky family dynamics, it’s been such a fun watch. If you have any classic comedies or dramas that you enjoy, drop them below!
Green Concealer– I have red undertones in my skin complexion so I often use a green primer or concealer. I had been using NYX green concealer, but when the store didn’t have any in stock, I decided to give Maybelline’s green concealer a try and have been very pleased with how it’s been working. I like how smooth the stick goes on my face. It blends in really well and it works well with the other products I use on my face, from skin care to makeup. I’ll use this stick until it runs out and then I will decide if I want to go back to NYX or stick with this.
That’s a look into what I’ve been loving and what has been working for me. Tell me: what are some things you have been loving this week?
