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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #71

Hello All and Happy Friday!

I hope you had a great first, full of December. I am savoring every day of this Christmas season or at least trying to. I am slowly crossing things off of my Christmas Bucket List and am doing my best to slow down and really be present this season.

Christmas movies and cozy nights in

Today’s Friday Favorites are all Christmas themed-buckle up, you are in for a festive Friday Favorites as I link up with Erika and Andrea .

Etsy Gifts– I have been having so much luck on Etsy when it comes to unique Christmas gifts. I love to support small businesses when I can, and I love it even more when I get a unique and meaningful gift out of it too! I checked several people off my Christmas list thanks to Etsy. One of my favorite things about using Etsy is you can just search a name, theme or idea with the word “gifts” and you get so many options. For example, if you are looking for a gift for a teacher, simply search “Teacher Gifts” and you will have so many items to browse from. The only downside to Etsy is that I find things that I want to buy and have to reign myself in. If you are looking for some different gifts, check out Etsy!

My go-to for Christmas gifts this season.

New Flannel– I’ve been doing my best to wear something festive whenever I can and that includes running errands. I picked up this red, festive flannel from Old Navy when I was doing a bit of a shopping spree a few weeks ago. It’s a thicker material so it’s great for layering. I love how it is Christmas-y, but it can be worn in the fall and winter too. You can pair it with jeans or leggings to dress up in a lounging around the house outfit or add it to a pair of jeans for a day of shopping. I know I will be getting a lot of use out of it this year.

Feeling festive this time of year.

Dashing Through the Snow- If you are looking for a new, cute, Christmas family movie this is it! Dashing Through the Snow is on Disney Plus and it’s all about a dad who doesn’t like Christmas until he meets a new friend, Nick, who needs some help on Christmas Eve. Ludacris stars in this family movie that has so many great one-liners and heartfelt moments. This was also a step-up from your classic Hallmark movie as there was more drama and had a heavier storyline. My mom and I watched it on a Friday night and agreed it would make for a perfect family movie night.

Holiday Get-Togethers– Something else I have been loving this time of year is holiday get together with friends. The season can get so busy and it’s so nice to catch up with friends and family around the holidays. Some of my close friends are in grad school so it’s been fun to catch up before they begin their Christmas breaks. I prefer a one-on-one meet up as opposed to a big party since you get to really catch up with the person you are visiting with. The holiday season goes by so fast, so I have found it’s best to set up a time in advance with friends whether it be for a gift exchange, activity or dinner and get it on the calendar, this way you aren’t stressing out about finding time between your Christmas to-do, daily to-do and other things that pop up to make time for friends.

Christmas Candle– I love a good candle to light when I am getting ready for the day or relaxing. With the Christmas season in full swing it was time to pull out a new candle. This was the perfect combination of fresh Christmas trees and fresh pine. I love lighting a candle to set a mood and between my tree in my room and the candle, I am in the cozy Christmas spirit.

That wraps up this festive, Friday Favorites! Tell me: how are you planning on spending the weekend? Doing something fun and Christmasy?!

Have a great weekend!

Categories
Fashion

Amazon Clothes Haul

A few months back I did some Amazon clothes shopping, it was in the middle of the pandemic and I needed to refresh my wardrobe, I have heard great things about Amazon clothes so I decided to give it a try for work dresses. I bought five and here are the results.

  • Orange Dress with Sleeves (this isn’t the exact one but it’s the closest I could find, same brandy but different style). Overall, I was happy with the dress, it wasn’t the material I had in mind, it’s a tighter style and fabric. I really liked the softer orange, I think it was a unique color and it looks great on air. I added a black necklace, earrings and shoes just to add another contrasting color.  Like the neck line and the fact it was a longer dress. I wore it both anchoring and reporting so it can be versatile in what you are doing. It does need hand washed or dry cleaned, just as and FYI, but overall it was happy with the purchase and it’s great for spring and summer.
Orange dress from the summer
  • Teal Dress (this is the dress but long sleeved) I love, love, love this dress. Not only is it easy to move in and comfortable, especially on long days but it also looks super fashionable. The color will catch your eye since it’s bright but not too bright. It also shows up great for camera which is a bonus for me! I also really like the tie on the neckline. I have paired it with nude heels, white heels, and black heels. Since the dress is a solid color, it works great for any pair of shoes! This has been a favorite in my summer wardrobe!
Teal dress from the summer
  • Blue and White Dress (this is my dress) I love, love, love this dress. My favorite part is the neckline, I love the collar and the blue and white colors. It is a perfect dress for spring going into summer or summer going into fall. The cotton material makes it comfortable and easy to move around in, especially for days when I am on the go. It washes easily which is a big plus and it fits true to size. Definitely a great purchase!
Blue and white short sleeve dress from the summer
  • Black and White Dress  (this is my dress) I loved my blue and white dress so much I wanted to get in black and white for fall and winter. I love the collar and the fact it’s long sleeved, perfect for fall and winter. I also like that this dress is made from cotton material which makes it easy to wash and clean, plus it’s comfortable for the long days. It worked perfect for fall and I can’t wait to wear it in the winter, plus it adds a little extra compared to just being a simple black dress. 
Black and white dress for the fall/winter
  • Burgunday Dress (this is my dress) I love the color for fall and winter. It is the same tight/latex-ish material as the orange dress. It is not as comfortable as the black and white dress or the blue and white dress. But I do like the color, and the neckline with the bow at the top and the pockets too!! Although, it’s not my favorite dress, I am happy with the color and to have any extra dress.
Burgundy dress again for the fall and winter

Overall, I was very happy with my purchases from Amazon, given that I bought them in quarantine, I was happy with them all, but I do like going to see and pick out clothes instead of online. I just had a lot of luck at Marshall’s and T.J. Maxx so I can’t wait to try those out. 

That’s just a peak into my closet and my latest buys! Where have you been having luck with fall fashion?!

Categories
Fabulous living

Christmas Prepping and Gift Giving Tips

Hello! Hello!

Happy Tuesday! It is finally December, bring on the shopping, gift giving, cookie baking, and decorations. I am so ready for Christmas but first I have to make it through finals. The next few weeks will be busy with classes, papers, meetings, and wrapping up the semester. Stay tuned for my semester recap and best of 2018 in the next coming weeks.

For today I’m sharing my tips for when it comes to buying gifts, staying organized and being on budget. Here are my three tips for making it through the holiday season as stress free as can be.

  • Make a list (and check it twice 😉 )

Whenever I start my holiday shopping I always make a list of who I need to buy for, whether it is family, friends, gift exchanges etc. if I don’t write it don’t I wont remember it. I always keep a running list in the notes section of my phone so I always have it with me. I write down who I need to buy for and what I am buying/bought, the status of it and where I bought it, I do this to keep track of everything. Since I am still in school for most of December this helps me keep track of everything no matter where I am at. With that being said, I always set a budget for myself and try as hard as I can to stay on budget.

Just to preface, this is a FAKE Christmas gift list. None of these gifts are real, I just made this up to show you how I set up my gift list-who to by for, what I am buying, where it’s from, and the status of it.

  • Shop when it works best for you

I always love going in the stores to browse and get all my gifts but with school being super busy I have done a majority of my shopping online. Amazon has been my best friend this Christmas season. I have really utilized the Shopping list in Amazon. I have been able to put things that I like or am interested in in my list throughout the whole year and have it in one spot. For example, I was on Amazon in October and saw something that was a perfect gift for someone, I put it in my shopping list and ended up buying it a few weeks ago. The shopping list is private so only you can see it and no one else can see what you are buying. Since I have done so much online shopping something else that has helped me is sending gifts that I am buying to school or home. For gifts that I am buying for my friends I send it to school. For gifts for family, I ship them to my home. This way I’m not bringing things back and forth and all the gifts are in the right place.

Once again, another fake look at my shopping list, this is actually my list of things I want. Haha. But it shows the things you can add and when you added them. Super helpful!

  • Take Advantage of Sales

I am a sale lover and I have utilized sales so much this year. I did a lot of my buying depending on what sales were going on. I always try to keep my eyes open for discount codes, flash sales, and cyber Monday sales in order to stay on budget and keep my costs low.

I did a lot of shopping with sales from Cyber Monday. I always love a good sale

Whew, that was a lot. Overall, my tips are: Make a list, set a budget, take advantage of sales, and stay organized. What are your favorite tips or tricks to staying organized for shopping for the holidays? I would love any insight you have! Have a great week and wish me luck on a last week of classes before finals!