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Uncategorized
01.13.14

Valentines Ideas

Happy Monday everyone!  I know it’s still January, but with February right around the corner I thought it would be a good time to start thinking about Valentine’s Day.  It always sneaks up so fast, doesn’t it?  I’m not doing any holiday decor this year because my decorating time is limited and I’m working on a few basics for our new home.  Rugs, drapes and a coffee table are trumping candy filled vases and heart shaped garlands this year.  :)  But I do need to get thinking about Valentines for my kids to take to school.  Last year I changed our Christmas Pretzel Hugs to Valentines Hugs by swapping out the m&m’s…
 Then I bought some cute sacks from Target…
ordered some personalized Valentine cards from Persnickety Prints…

and wrapped it all up with a bow.  Fun, simple Valentines for teachers and friends.
A few other Valentine ideas…
Valentine snack.  

 Valentine Boxes

And a few mantel decorating ideas for those of you who actually have a coffee table and can focus on holiday decorating.  :)

 You can see how we made the heart garland here.  

This mantel was from a couple of years ago and only lasted a week because my girls weren’t impressed it didn’t include candy.  
 So I switched it to this one.  All for the peanut m&m’s.  

And last year’s mantel.  Mixing it up a bit to keep things interesting.  And tasty.  
Always tasty.  :)

 Happy V-day planning!
:)
xoxo, Erin
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Home Decor
01.10.14

Painted cabinet shelves and styling inspiration

Happy Friday friends!  So glad the weekend is upon us.  I’m crossing my fingers I’ll have lots of time to sort and purge and categorize.  Three of my favorite words!  :)  Aside from organizing I also have a lot of decorating on my mind.  Now that Christmas is put away and things are calming down around the house I’m staring at a pretty blank slate and I’m excited to bring some decor and color into our new home.  Painters were in our house during December doing touch up work and while they were here I decided to have them paint the back of my glass kitchen cabinets.

It’s hard to tell in this picture, but you can kind of see that the glass cabinets on the right side of my kitchen were all white.

I just had our painters quickly paint the back of the glass cabinet the same grey we used throughout the kitchen/family room.  I have glass shelves in our formal dining room (haven’t shared that room yet) that are painted a really dark grey which is why I initially left these white.  But on a whim I changed my mind.  :)

These shelves are going to be a little tricky to decorate because of the way you can see through them in the front and from the side.
But I do love the simple change with the grey paint.
Should be a fun background to help my decor pop.
I’m also trying to decide how to style my butler’s pantry.  Here are some inspiration pictures of open shelving I’ve always loved.  I love the greens and blues in the next three pics.  No surprise there.  :)
I’m also really drawn to the simple combination of white dishes, clear glass bottles and wood in the next few pics.  I’m sure my white pitcher collection will find a nice home soon.  :)
Fun decisions to make!  As soon as I get some purging, sorting and categorizing out of my system.
:)
Enjoy your weekend everyone!
xoxo, Erin
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Uncategorized
01.09.14

A not too healthy salad and new additions to the family

Attempting to get into better eating habits again!  December and the chocolate party I was having during December have ended.  What a bummer.  If you are in my boat (most people in January usually are!) I thought I’d share a quick/easy/healthy lunch I often eat.  During months when I’m not having a chocolate party.  :)

I’ve shared this salad before I think.  I love it and it literally takes just a few minutes to prepare.  All you need is Spring Mix (so you can be lazy and not wash your lettuce), an apple, almonds, cranberries, and feta cheese.  Don’t forget the feta cheese.  You’ll be sorry if you do.  Your salad will be TOO healthy.  And we wouldn’t want that now would we.  That’s why I also add a little drizzle of Briannas Poppy Seed salad dressing.  It’s delicious and also takes the salad down a notch from TOO healthy to just right healthy.  
Slice up some apple, toss everything together and you’ve got a quick, easy, healthy but not TOO healthy salad for lunch.  
Here’s another healthy salad I often make when I’m trying to eat more salad and less chocolate.  You can read all of the intricate details here.  You know my recipes always include top secret intricate details.  
Since we seem to be on the subject of lettuce I think it’s time I introduced you all to our new family members.  You heard me right.  Santa brought the girls a pretty special surprise this year for Christmas.  My girls have wanted a pet FOREVER but dogs, hamsters, etc. aren’t an option because of Addie’s allergies.  Reptiles seemed to be the only way to go.  Santa couldn’t bring pets in his sleigh (harsh weather conditions and all) so he left them an entertaining letter that explained that mom and dad would take them to the nearest pet store to pick up their own Russian Tortoise.  After extensive research he seemed to think that they would make fabulous pets.  Fabulous LOW maintenance pets.  
 Picking them out was an exciting day.  

They were immediately named.  El’s is Coconut “Cocoa” for short.  
Ad’s turtle goes by Tank.  
Showing them their new home and feeding them lettuce (mom has lots in the fridge right now) has been even more thrilling.  
 They have provided hours of entertainment.  
By doing absolutely nothing but mulling around in their new home.  

 The girls take them outside for exercise every afternoon.  
They are so in love with their new pets.  
How am I feeling about our new little additions?  
Let’s just say I’m making an effort to be a low-key-let’s-have-a-pet type of mom.
  But the turtles were home just 20 minutes before one of them peed on my new staircase.  
They kind of stink.
I’m paranoid about the kids washing their hands if they’ve even thought about touching them.
And as you can see, they aren’t the most photogenic.  
But I’m trying.  
Not for Cocoa and Tank’s sake.
But for my three little turtles who seem to think that their new little turtles are awfully special.  
:)
xoxo, Erin
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Organization
01.07.14

Making a list and checking it twice (how to make an effective “to organize” list)

Alright friends.  It’s time to get this party started!  The 2014 let’s get organized party.  That takes place right in the comfort of your own home.  Preferably in pajamas if you’re a late night organizer like me.  :)   This is the year!  It’s time to get our homes and our lives in order.  I have to admit that right now I’m feeling very overwhelmed.  This year is different for me because I don’t just have a handful of spaces that need to be spruced up and organized.  I have a whole house that needs to be organized.  Along with lots of new routines and systems to put into place.  Every single drawer and cupboard in my new house are a mess.  We moved during the holidays and things were crazy to say the least.  My goal was just to get us out of boxes and all of our stuff in the right room/location.  So I did that.  But now I’m left with a lot of cupboards that look like this…

Shudder.

And a room or two that still looks like this…

Even bigger shudder.  This is our catch all “I have no idea where to put this stuff” room that I still need to sort through.  And the last of the boxes.

See what I mean?  I decided that instead of hyperventilating I’d take my own advice and make a list.  I mention this in my tips for getting and staying organized.  The first step for me is always to make a list.  Rome wasn’t built in a day.  If you are like me and have a lot of work to do to organize your home we will have to take it one space at a time.  And breathe.  Lots of breathing.  :)

My best tip to make your “to-organize” list really effective is to break down each room and get very specific about what you want to accomplish in the space.  My written list is several pages.  Here is an example:

KITCHEN
– pantry (snack drawer, lunch making station)
– drawers the kids can access
– silverware drawer
– “junk” drawers
– dish cupboards
– cooking utensil drawer

PLAYROOM
–  toy closet
– pullout drawers
– create a better system for DVD’s

OFFICE
– space/system for scrapbooking
– gift wrapping station
– kids’ cupboard
– homework system
– organize files
– organize kids’ school work
– organize greeting cards
– place to store camera equipment
– small office supplies
– organize magazines and kids’ workbooks

GIRLS’ CLOSETS
– bin for too small clothes
– make things more accessible for them
– books/toys out
– bins/baskets for extras

GIRLS’ BATHROOM
– hair bows/headbands
– drawers
– bath toys

Having a specific list that is broken down this way not only outlines exactly what I need to be working on, but also makes it easy to feel success quickly.  I may not have organized the whole kitchen, but I can at least check “silverware drawer” off my list.  Being able to check things off of your list is a powerful thing!  It gives you that feeling of success and satisfaction that motivates you to keep going.

Often it makes the most sense for me to tackle one room at a time and work on it until it’s completed.  Then I don’t get half started projects going all over the place that never get finished.  Time is tight for us all so it’s best to decide an amount of time you are able to dedicate to organizing each day.  Even if it’s just 15 minutes.  15 – 20 minutes a day adds up and you will be surprised at how much you can get done.

If you have started to organize spaces in your home and are looking for a little inspiration I just put together a Pinterest page of the organized spaces in my previous home.  You can check it out here and find it all in one place.  You can also check out my organization board FULL of inspiration I’ve found on-line.  I’ll be turning to this board a lot this year!  Oh Pinterest.  My love for you is unmatched.

Have you made your 2014 to-organize list?  If not, get on it!  And let’s start this party together.  I need all the support I can get!

:)  

xoxo, Erin
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Christmas1
01.06.14

Christmas/New Year’s Gift

Sharing a fun gift I gave my girlfriends this year!  It was a Christmas gift for some and a New Year’s gift for others (who went out of town for the holidays before I could give it to them!).  It’s a fun, simple gift that works for either holiday.  I bought my friends a planner (you all know about my undying love for planners) and then made this simple gift tag…
2013 was a busy year for me and my friends and we constantly talked about how we vowed to get together more in 2014!  I wanted to give them all planners so we can plan a monthly dinner and maybe even a quick weekend getaway before our calendars fill up.  Life is busy for all of us and it’s hard to prioritize girlfriend time but it’s so important! I know that after an evening with close friends laughing and talking the night away I feel like a new person.  My friends all mean so much to me.
I just attached the tag to the planner and tied a ribbon around it.   Simple and fun!  My favorite kind of gift giving.  :)

These Blue Sky planners are my favorites!  They come in all sorts of sizes and fun designs.  I couldn’t resist picking up one for myself!  A girl can never have too many planners.  Especially silver and gold Chevron planners.

 Lots of room to write.   I love the bigger size to keep on my desk.
Lots of space for daily to-do’s.  I might use this for my blog planning.  Or organizing to-do’s.  Or just as a desk calendar.  I hope my friends enjoy it too!
The possibilities are endless when you have a good planner.
:)
xoxo, Erin
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Christmas1
01.03.14

Putting away Christmas

 It’s a New Year!  But I am still wrapping up the old one.  My kids don’t start school until Monday so we are still enjoying Christmas break around here.  (I will be in total denial when it all ends!)  Because of this I’ve decided to put off all New Year goals until Monday.  So basically I am still eating to my little heart’s content.  :)  We are also way behind putting away Christmas decor because the day after Christmas we traveled out of state to spend time with family.

(Me with my little bro who doesn’t look so little anymore.)
We had a great trip but came back to a messy house (hate that!).  My main goals for the day were to take down the tree and unpack our clothes.  Lofty goals for a day with my three year old home!  But I’m happy to say that we did it.  Christmas is never as fun to put away as it is to put up, is it?  Here are some pics I snapped of how I store my ornaments..

I put quilt batting at the bottom of some boxes to create a soft pad for breakables.  
 Ignore the lovely reflection of me and my camera.  I was too lazy to edit.  Or get out of my pj’s all day.  Part of the whole “I’m still on vacation and eating whatever I want to eat” thing.    

I used Ziploc bags for things like ornaments from the kids.  
 I had also saved some of the original packaging that I re-used for bigger ornaments.  
One of these days I’m going to break down and spend some money on real Christmas storage.
Or not.  
:)
Signing off now.  Because there’s still time for a little more chocolate before bed…

xoxo, Erin
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Uncategorized
12.31.13

2013 Post Round-Up

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying the holiday!  This time in-between Christmas and New Years is the best.  My husband has actually been able to set his phone down for longer than two hours at a time.  That would be an all time record and I don’t know how to act!  I’m not tempted to toss his phone in a glass of water like I usually am.  I’m sure his clients would love me for that.  :)  Needless to say we are soaking up and enjoying as much family time as we possibly can.  I thought about posting a quick round up of projects from 2013 and then remembered I only had time for one project in 2013 – building the house.  So here are the new house posts I’ve shared since we moved in along with a few older posts that may be applicable to you right about now.  (Ready to organize anyone!?)  I’ll be back posting up a storm in the New Year.  Can’t wait!  Happy 2014 everyone!  Bring it on.  :)  

xoxo, Erin
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Christmas1
12.24.13

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve friends!  Love this day.  :)  Sharing a few pics I snapped of our home this morning.  We are really enjoying some down time with family today.  

 Our Elf left a little poem for the kids last night. 
Just to thank them for being so good and to get them excited for tomorrow.  
As if we aren’t excited enough!  

 He also left them some elf cookies.  These three cookies came straight from the North Pole, but in case you’re wondering I’ve also seen them at Barnes and Noble.  :)

I wish I could freeze this moment in time.  These three are at such fun ages!
They are my favorite Christmas present every year.  

And a quick shot of our tree.  We took the table out and put it in our breakfast nook this year.  Kenny’s entertaining the kids right now so that I can wrap so I better get to it!  I just didn’t want the day to go by without saying how grateful I am for all of you.  It means the world to me that you take a minute out of your busy day to read this blog.  I love connecting with you all and truly consider you all friends.  Thank you for being a part of my life this year!  One of my favorite parts.  :)

Merry Christmas everyone!  From our family to yours!
xx
Erin
xoxo, Erin
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Christmas1
12.20.13

Christmas in the kitchen

I had plans for Christmas decorating this year.  BIG plans.  I was going to deck the halls like there was no tomorrow.  And then reality hit and I learned a few things…
1- Moving in will take us a year.  Not a month.
2- Finishing the new house will take months.  Not a week.
3- Christmas decor looks best sprinkled in with regular furniture and decor.  Which we don’t have much of yet.

Painters and carpenters have been in my house “finishing up” for weeks now.  I started putting things on the mantel and then had to take them down to paint the mantel.  I wanted to put garland on the stairs, but there were too many places that needed touch up paint on the stairs.  You get the picture.  Let’s just say that this year was a bit of a wash as far as holiday decorating goes around my place!  But that’s ok.  Next year we will be a bit more settled and hopefully have a table or two!  The one spot I was able to spruce up a bit was a corner of my kitchen.

A little Christmas decor in my bay window was enough to help us get in the mood for the season.   I love having a bay window in the kitchen.  I’ve always wanted one.  My window guy tried to talk me out of it because he said it would be such a pain to clean.  What!?  It’s so not a big deal to climb on the counter get on a chair and wipe it off once a week.  Glad I didn’t cave!

 This is my favorite spot in the kitchen.
You can see in this darker picture that I have a great view of the backyard.
I love to do the dishes and watch the kids play.
 Sometimes I get distracted from the dishes and the kids playing because I’m staring at my sink.
It seems to have that effect on me.
I’m so careful not to scratch it.  I bought these racks to keep in it to protect it.  Sometimes I think I should just not do the dishes at all.  You know.  To protect the sink.
See.  I’m getting distracted.
Back to the Christmas decor!

Just a tree and a plate in one corner.

Poinsettias in a pitcher and candy canes in the other corner.  Our candy canes are quickly depleting.  I’m clearly not the only one who is climbing on the counter.

Close up of the faucet.  Because you all wanted details.  And I’ve already led us astray in this post.

A touch of Christmas in the corner!  I didn’t have time to shop for anything new this year so I tried to come up with new ways to use things I already had.

My reindeer is wearing the same bling as last year.
He loves the bay window too.
 I just tossed some white pitchers, pine cones and ornaments in a basket and called it good!

So while we weren’t able to do much for holiday decorating this year, we at least have a touch of Christmas in the kitchen.

 Now if we can just get the rest of our lighting we’ll be set.
Enjoy your weekend!  Lots to do!
:)
xoxo, Erin
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Christmas1
12.19.13

Our Favorite Toys! (2013)

Sharing a few favorite toys today!  Mostly because I am just now ordering a lot of our Christmas so toys are on my mind!  I thought this would be my year to get back on top of things and have everything Christmas related done by now, but apparently next year will be “the year”.  :)  A lot of odds and ends to finish the new house have kept me so busy this month so I’m doing most of my shopping on-line.  At the LAST minute.  Lovely!

I have to admit that while I love shopping for extended family and friends, these three are the most fun to surprise!  I love finding that perfect gift for each of them that I know will have them squealing Christmas morning.  TOO much fun.

This pic is from our family photoshoot last month and I adore Kole’s little face he pulls when we say “smile!”  Not quite his natural smile but at least it’s better than this…

 My little buddy gets as excited about family pictures as his daddy does.

:)

Time to share my kids’ favorite things!  Some of these toys we have and love and some of these things just may pop up Christmas morning!
 
MY GIRLS’ FAVORITE THINGS (ages 7 & 9)
1.  Goddess Girls  – My girls are so into these books.  They read them so fast we can’t keep them stocked!
2.  My Little Pony Equestria Girls DVD – Anything My Little Pony is adored around my house and this DVD has been played more times than I can count.  My Little Pony has come a long way since I was a little girl!  They’re like totally cool pre-teen ponies now.  Kinda sad!  But my girls love it.
3.  Justice jewelry –  Addie (who loves all things fashion) is a huge fan of Justice jewelry.  She especially loves “best friend” charms and usually gives the other half to her sister.  :)
4.  How to Draw Books – we gave several of these “How to Draw” books to the girls for Christmas last year and they have loved them!  They keep them busy for hours at a time and have really helped improve their art skills.
5.  Doll Robe – We pretty much love pj’s and robes more than life itself around here.  I figured it was time for the girls’ dolls to join the pj party!  Now that it gets dark so early we are usually all in pj’s by 5:00.  Kenny would argue that this happens regardless of how dark it is outside.
6.  Razor Scooter – My mom bought these for my girls and they’ve hardly been set down since!  One of our favorite toys HANDS DOWN.  They inspired my backyard bike/scooter path.  :)
7.  Rainbow Loom – Chances are if you have a daughter you’ve heard of Rainbow Loom!  Very popular gift this year.  It’s on Addison’s wish list!
8.  Thea Stilton – Another series of books my girls can’t read fast enough.  Darling stories.  They can’t wait for reading time when they are into a Thea Stilton book!
9.  Beenie Boos – Oh my word.  My girls are obsessed with them.  Have been for over a year.  Our growing collection is driving me crazy!  Of course they are asking Santa for one yet again!
10.  Karaoke System – Can’t wait to see my little singers on Christmas morning when they open this fun gift!  Should be a good time for the whole family.  As long as mom doesn’t steal the show.  ;)
11.  Panda fleece pj’s from Justice – My panda lover has had these pj’s from Justice for a while now and pretty much LIVES in them.  Not my favorite pair, but my El is so in love with them.  I couldn’t share her favorites and not include them!  Great gift if you have a panda lover in your life too.  :)
12.  Head Banz – My girls LOVE playing this game!  They play it with each other or invite friends over to join the fun.  Great gift for Elementary age kids.
13.  Guess Who – Another game my girls play non-stop.  I remember loving this game when I was their age too.
MY LITTLE BUDDY’S FAVORITE THINGS 
(age 3)

1.  Rudolph Memory Challenge – Getting this because we are obsessed with Rudolph around here and memory/matching games are always a hit with Kole.

2.  Pete The Cat Books – Kole LOVES Pete the Cat books.  He discovered them in preschool and they have become fast favorites.  Darling stories.

3.  Melissa and Doug Car Carrier – This was a Christmas present from last year that my little buddy  has played with over and over.  Wooden toys are the best and Melissa and Doug toys hold up so well.

4.  Go Away Big Green Monster – I think we’ve read this story over 4,629 times.  Or more.  We talk a lot about monsters at our house so I ordered this book for Kole last March for his birthday.  I had no clue he would love it as much as he does.  It’s a simple book that would be great for even a 1 or 2 year old.

5.  Maxbox Mega Rig Shark Adventure – I just ordered this because I know it will be a fun toy in and out of the tub!  Sharks rank right up there with monsters (basically anything scary that could “gobble you up” is a hit with Kole right now).  Plus I just thought the ship looked like fun.  Anything that encourages imaginative play is a good thing.

6.  Wooden Digger –  You can’t go wrong getting a digger or truck for a toddler boy!  I just bought the wooden digger from this set at Pottery Barn Kids because the wooden Melissa and Doug cars were such a hit last year.  A bit of a splurge for one truck, but all of the parts are so movable like a real digger.  Perfect for scooping pretend dirt!  Or even better – real dirt if mom’s in a good mood.

7.  Assorted Dinosaur Set – LOVE our dinosaur toys around here.  The gobble you up thing again.

8.  Go Away Monster Game – Kole has played this game in therapy and loves it so much.  I want to buy it for him but it looks like they aren’t making it anymore!?  I haven’t seen it for less than 50 bucks used.  Yikes!  Still working on this one…

9.  Plasma Car – All three of my kids have loved their plasma cars for years now!  I can’t recommend these enough.

10.  John Deer Tractor – K I haven’t ordered this yet but I’m dying to get it for Kole!  He would love it!  But I’ve already got several things for him for Christmas and I’ve found with kids (especially toddlers) that too much at once is just too much.  I love for my kids to really play with and enjoy each of their toys so I don’t like to give them too much at one time.  So one of you need to get it for your little boy.  It will make me feel better.  :)

11.  Zingo – Another favorite of Kole’s.  Zingo is just a fun way to play Bingo.  Toddler style.  If Kole has a willing playmate (thank you Ellie!) he’ll play this game all evening.

12.  Mindscope Neo Tracks – Kole has played with these at a friend’s house and loved them so much.  The tracks bend and flex and can be put together in so many different ways.  I know this will become a favorite!

13.  Jenga – Such a fun and simple game.  Kole loves it.  There is such a joy he finds in crashing things that I’ll never understand.  But if it makes him happy, it makes me happy.   :)

Hope this post gave you a few fun toy ideas if you’re still scrambling like me!  Like I said – next year.  Christmas cards will be ready to mail by September!  Gifts will be bought by October!  Decorating will be done in November!

Or not.

And just like every year during this crazy, busy month it will all eventually get done and work out.

:)
*affiliate links used
xoxo, Erin
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Christmas1
12.16.13

Favorite Things 2013!

Favorite Things 2013 baby!  This year Melissa at 320 Sycamore (love her and her blog) invited me to join her annual Favorite Things blog hop.  SO FUN!  So after you read all about my favorite things this year make sure to check out the next fun blog on the list!  All sorts of great gift ideas for those of you still doing some Holiday shopping!
Two of our all time favorite things at my house – books and pajamas.  :)  My mom bought Kole these fun pajamas that match one of his favorite books.

He loves them both so much!  He has been wearing the pj’s and wanting the dinosaur story every night since.  So I checked Amazon for more books and matching pajamas and found so many darling options!  My kids will definitely be seeing more matching books and pjs in their future.  :)

My two favorite cleaning supplies right now:  Bona for my wood floors and Meyer’s Lavendar spray for my countertops.  Love them both.  (Meyer’s has so many good scents – I’m just really enjoying Lavendar at the moment!)  A cute basket full of good cleaning supplies would make a great gift.  Especially for someone who doesn’t mind cleaning.  We do exist.  :)

 This stylish trellis pattern dish dryer mat makes me smile every time I use it!
Plus it folds up so nice when I’m not using it.  I couldn’t find the link for it, but you can find it at Bed Bath and Beyond.

I got the Epson LabelWorks Label Maker last Spring for my birthday.  My husband knows me well.  :)  I’ve only used it a few times to practice labeling, but come January I know the two of us will be inseparable.  I’m in love.  This is a fabulous gift for the organizer in your life!

I’ve shared this candle as a favorite before, but feel the need to mention it again because I just can’t imagine a better scent for this time of year.  It will fill your house with the smell of fresh pine and I have one burning round the clock come December!  In fact as you can see from this picture, I recently stocked up when they went on sale.  :)  The color and label on the candle change each year but the heavenly scent is always the same.  Bath and Body Works Fresh Balsam candle.  A long time favorite and one of my favorite gifts to give this time of year.

HGTV magazine has become one of my all-time favorite reads.  So many fun decorating ideas.  I find that by the time I’m done reading through an issue I’ve torn out half of the magazine!  A subscription to this fun read is on my Christmas list this year.  :)

While I haven’t been able to spend as much time scrapbooking as I would like to, Project Life albums and accessories still make my favorites list.  Now that our new house is finished I’m anxious to start catching up the kids’ albums.  Or at least attempt to anyway.  :)

 I’d be lost without my camera and my all time favorite lens is my 28 mm wide angel fixed lens.  It is my go-to lens 90% of the time.
My Nikes from Nordstroms are a favorite for sure.  These shoes come in so many fun colors and are a great reasonably priced running shoe.  Along with my label maker, I’ll also be seeing a lot of these shoes come January.  :)  While I attempt to work off the damage from our latest Christmas tradition – our hot chocolate station.  (Totally worth it though!!)

You all know I love nothing more than for things to be organized so organizers that help me make that possible are always a favorite of mine.  A lot of people want to organize their homes in January which is why I think organizers make great Christmas gifts!  {My desk calendar from Target and files and bins are some of my favorites!  You can see more in my “back to school organization” post and in my “oh the organizers” post.}
These fun “dream drawer” dividers are also favorites of mine.  I use them in SO many places to divide drawers and create more space.
 Enjoy hair straightener and Moroccan Oil are still my all time favorite hair products.  Perfect for getting your hair silky smooth!  You can see all of my favorite make-up here.
 And I can’t pass up a favorites post without including my all time favorite OXO clear containers.

I use mine in my pantry (just setting them up in the new pantry now!) but you can use them for so many different things.  Really fun gift idea.

One last current favorite of mine.  My girls have been busy making cards for EVERYONE we know.  Makes me smile seeing them around the tree.  And filling up every other nook and cranny throughout our house.  :)  Santa will need to bring some new paper and markers to replenish our stock!

You can check out more fun gift ideas in my Favorite Things Gift Ideas Round-up post.
You can also see past toy ideas here.
Soon I will be sharing more recent toy ideas for those of you who (like me) still have lots of shopping to do!
I love you Amazon Prime.
Happy Holiday Shopping everyone!
:)
(affiliate links used)
xoxo, Erin
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Christmas1
12.10.13

Our favorite Christmas Movies!

Christmas is in full swing at our house!  Decor is up (what little I’m doing this year), holiday music is playing, my favorite candle is burning, and thanks to our bright and cheery hot chocolate station, we are knocking it out of the park in the calorie category of the season as well!  Ha!  :)  (Kids will be fine, I however will be at the gym working off that new little tradition well into March or April at least!)  Another thing that ALWAYS goes hand in hand with Christmas at our house is movie nights filled with our favorite Christmas movies!  And sometimes movie afternoons and on weekends even movie mornings.  :)  Like many of you I’m sure, we have a fun collection going of favorite Christmas movies that we pull out every December.  The kids always get a new Christmas DVD on Christmas morning.  It’s fun for them to watch after they play with their new toys while Kenny and I doze on the couch in recovery mode.  I thought I’d share our collection with all of you in case you need some gift ideas.  Or just a quiet moment from the kids a little Christmas cheer on the TV this month.  :)
What’s Christmas without the classics?  I’ve had these since I was in highschool.  I remember earning money to buy them myself!  Some cartoons just never get old.  :)

Then after Kenny and I were married, my mom gave me this set as a Christmas gift.

The same movies – just in an ever so fancy carrying case.  I’m not ashamed to admit that I watch these with or without my children, although having the kids around makes me feel a little more legit.  But really, it just isn’t Christmas without a plastic looking Abominable Snow Monster.  Or without a cute toddler trying to pronounce “Abominable.”

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Frosty the Snowman and Frosty Returns

Christmas Classics – full gift set (all included)

If you have little girls, here are a four movies my girls have LOVED.  They loved them when they were 2 and 4 and at ages 7 and 9 they still love them and get excited to watch them every year.  Thank goodness.  It will be a sad day for me when they are too cool for the Barbie movies!

Barbie in A Christmas Carol

Barbie A Perfect Christmas 

Angelina Ballerina Nutcracker Sweet

Care Bears Nutcracker

Barbie in the Nutcracker  (Which isn’t photographed because it has been playing over and over in the playroom this week.  Lots of music and a “scary mouse King” so Kole loves this one too!) 

K these next two movies are a bit on the cheesy side, but my girls LOVE them.  Really fun for Elementary age kids who love dogs!

Santa Paws

Santa Buddies

We are also big fans of all of the Mickey Mouse Christmas movies.  So much fun for little ones.  Aside from “Mickey Saves Santa” (more for toddlers) my girls still love all of these too.

Classic Holiday Stories  (my personal favorite – I adore all 3 of the cartoons on this DVD)

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas

Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas

Mickey Saves Santa

Mickey’s Magical Christmas Snowed in at the House of Mouse

Holiday Celebration with Mickey and Pals

These are a few other random favorites that the kids look forward to every year.
 
Alivin and the Chipmunks – A Chipmunk Christmas (we are HUGE fans of the Chipmunks and have been playing their CD since mid November)  :)
A few others Kenny and I look forward to.  “Elf” we’ve just seen once, but the other four we’ve been watching every December for years.  I love “Miracle on 34th Street” (this newer version and the original – I love old movies!).  And what’s Christmas without “It’s a Wonderful Life?”  BEST movie ever made.  I’ve usually seen this four or five times by the time Christmas rolls around.  It’s my favorite gift wrapping movie.  Kenny and I adore “The Family Man”.  We always call out to each other in random places “We have a house in Jersey!”  I know.  We’re dorks.  And while I think “Fred Claus” is a bit cheesy, it’s Kenny’s all time favorite.  I tease him for laughing so hard while he watches it each year but then at the end when all the elves watch the snow globe of families on Christmas morning I always cry!  Then he teases me.  :)
 
 
 
 
Nothing like a fun Christmas movie to put you in the mood for the holidays!  Then in January there’s nothing like a messy pile of Christmas movies to put you in the mood to organize!
:)
Do you and your family have a favorite Christmas movie that isn’t on my list?
*affiliate links used
xoxo, Erin
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