I don’t know about your house but my house always feels a little strange in January! I take down Christmas and have a clean empty slate and then I take my time slowly adding life back here and there. It can be hard to know how to decorate this time of year! I just focus on adding a little warmth, but it usually takes me a full month before things feel fully decorated again. Probably because I’m spending most of my time organizing and decluttering! :) I’m still decorating my living/family room but thought I’d share a few things I have out in the kitchen. A good faux plant and/or stems always go a long way in January!
These peonies are a little taller than I’d like for this spot so I might eventually move them and put something else here, but I love a pop of pink this time of year when the weather can feel a little dreary. Keeping them here for now!
This is where my brown jug vases are at the moment. I was going to add some stems to the tall vase and might in the spring, but I’m loving the simplicity of them just on their own for now.
I love starting a new year with some new kitchen towels. Just feels like a fresh clean start in so many ways! (These heart towels are so cute for the bathroom!)
These green leaf branches are also adding life to my home at the moment! They make me excited for spring! Moving them to my dining room table. I have 5 stems in this vase but you could definitely do a more sparse look with 3-4.
I know these are “little things” and I almost felt like they weren’t even worth a blog post! But I decided to share them today anyway because for me it’s the little things that add happiness to each day. A compliment from a random stranger at the grocery store, a funny text from a friend, a hug from one of my kids, a cute heart board in my kitchen. These are the things that make me smile.
Anyone else out there drag their feet about putting Christmas trees away? Just me? I can live with that. :) I NEVER get excited about putting away my Christmas trees and not because it’s work to put them away. I mean.. I don’t love that part either, but the main reason I dread taking them down is because I just love having the lights up as long as possible! I never get tired of Christmas tree lights. Especially when it’s still winter and gets dark outside so early in the evening.
Years ago when I was sad to take my porch trees down I decided I just wouldn’t. Trees are winter and it’s still winter! I turned my Christmas porch into a Valentine’s Day porch (trees included) and loved it and have never looked back. Good-bye Christmas porch! You were good to us this year.
I went on a search for what might work in my planter instead and decided to try these artificial topiary balls. They come in a set of 2 and each set is separate like this until you attach them. Smart because they will be so much easier to store this way!
I love the look! I ended up only using half of one for this planter.. it just tucked down right inside.
Then I decided to put one together and see how it would look with my fluted outdoor planters. SO good! I’m going to use these in the spring! I set one on my Valentine’s Day porch and didn’t love just one on the right side. It looked best with 2 (one on each side of my door) and then I didn’t have room for my lanterns. I decided to just wait to use my artificial topiary balls in the spring because I want to use my lanterns for another couple of months, but I’m sharing them now in case you are looking for porch decor ideas! They are a beautiful no maintenance solution that will work year round.
I liked the pink and red wreath better up close but ended up choosing the pink & white tulip wreath because the white tulips worked well with the white flocked trees when I looked at my porch as a whole.
Like everyone else I make a lot of decisions each day that aren’t very fun. Which tulip wreath to use for the front door is the kind of decision I want more of in my life. Ha. ;)
I traded my gold starts for hearts and my poinsettias for pink peonies and I was set! So easy. (Thinking I’ll switch out these peonies I’m using for these cute peonies on Amazon! They are less expensive and then I can bring my PB peonies back inside.)
The best part? I get to enjoy the lights a little bit longer. :)
So many cute things are coming out for Valentine’s Day so I linked lots of favorites below! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Wrapping up another week.. I hope you had a good one! I’m sharing my Saturday 6 today and I’m kicking things off with a big accomplishment for me!
1 – 6 AM WALKS
Yours truly woke up and walked every day this week from 6 to 7 am. You heard me right! This might not be a huge accomplishment for many, but for this night owl who hates waking up in the morning.. it’s huge. :) I truly never thought I could actually do it! I set a goal for myself to create a little morning routine this year and wake up an hour before I need to be awake to get Kole off to school. I also set a goal to get to bed earlier each night. I think this is going to actually happen for me this year! I’m very motivated because I’m so tired of feeling exhausted, starting my day off sluggish and not prioritizing exercise. I also think it helps that I’m starting slow. Walking is all I did this week (nothing else in the morning routine.. I didn’t even make my bed because Kenny was still in it!). I also told myself I would just do it for ONE week. That feels better than saying I’ll do this all year. On Sunday night I’ll set a goal to do it for another week. At some point I hope it just becomes a habit. It wasn’t easy.. I hate mornings and it was so dark and cold when I left my house! But after about 20 minutes the sun starts to pop up and it was just gorgeous.
By the end of the walk it’s bright and beautiful. I felt SO good after each doing this every morning! Happy that I actually kept a promise I made to myself, energized from exercise and just in a good mood ready to start the day. Getting to bed at a good time is still a work in progress! I made it to bed before 11 one night but the next two nights I just couldn’t wrap things up after midnight so I’m definitely tired heading into the weekend. I’ll try to do better in that area next week. Taking this one day/night at a time. Ha.
I bought this basket to hold extra blankets and I’m loving it because it’s cute (fun pattern and leather handles!) but also because of the shape! Most of my baskets are round and I can fit several large blankets in this rectangle basket.
Plus it fits so nicely on the end of my couch. It would be perfect for kids’ toys too if you have young children!
3 – OUTDOOR SIDE TABLE
Last summer I bought some new outdoor side tables for this space and they sold out so quickly I never had a chance to share them!
They just came back in stock! Aren’t they beautiful!? LOVE that fluted design and white works with everything. They are such nice quality too. I have loved them and know they will sell out quickly again once things start warming up so I wanted to share them early!
A few pics so you can see how they look! I snapped these quick with my phone today while I was walking out to check on my potted lemon trees.
We got a good crop this year. :)
It’s supposed to rain most of next week so I have been enjoying the sun while it’s out even though it’s deceiving because it’s so cold right now! I know it’s 10 times colder in most places (we’re wimps with cold weather here) so please stay warm and safe!
I had NO choice but to get this strawberry shortcake graphic t-shirt the second I saw it. It sums up my childhood! Well not completely.. but I was a huge strawberry shortcake fan and looked forward to those cartoons like Christmas every Saturday morning! I had all the dolls growing up.. Lemon Meringue, Blueberry Muffin, Plum Pudding, and of cours the Peculiar Purple Pieman of Porcupine Peak! Remember waking up early to watch Saturday morning cartoons!? I’m really dating myself with this one.. ha. I just couldn’t love this top more.. it brings back ALL the memories!
This cute funnel neck sweater just went on sale! It comes in other colors too. Cozy and warm.. I’m finally enjoying my warm sweaters and coats this month! This cute brigitte satchel is a recent favorite purse that I couldn’t love more. It’s so soft! This style of purse comes in multiple colors and sizes. I’m personally loving a smaller purse at my current stage of life. I had large purses for so long full of all the things my kids needed.. it feels amazing to just carry around my phone, keys, lipgloss and a few credit cards! Plus I love to switch up my purses often and carrying around less makes that easy.
This fiona beaded bag is another favorite from Anthro a friend gave me for Christmas. I have a thing for Anthro bags! But you probably already knew that. :)
I bought these fun kitchen items for a gift for a friend and they are so cute I had to share them! (The brand is Figment.) I also had to order a few of these items for myself. HAD to. No option. I mean if my cooking supplies are this cute I might actually cook! ;)
6 – 20 YEARS OLD
My beautiful Ellie turned 20 on Friday!
How has it been 20 years!? I remember every single thing about this sweet bald baby. Who grew up to have the thickest hair I’ve ever seen! Ha.
To know Ellie is to love her. She is the kindest soul you could meet. Full of empathy and love and so creative. The best big sister and daughter and friend imaginable. With my kids she is the glue that holds the 3 of them together.
She has been having fun celebrating with friends but for her family party she just wanted to take us all to her favorite look out at the beach to watch the sunset together. Then Mexican food at her favorite spot close to the beach. She is my child who has always LOVED the beach! She goes more than any of us and is there several times a week. Often just to read a book or do homework.
It was a beautiful evening celebrating 20 years of Ellie.. we are so grateful for her! Perfect way to kick off the weekend.
It has been a productive week around here! I’m being ruthless when it comes to cleaning out spaces and it feels amazing. My storage attic was bursting at the seams and it feels so good to have room to breathe in that space again!
I’ve also been going through a few spots in my kitchen. Not horrible “befores” – these spaces have all been organized before (as you all know) but everything has been feeling overstuffed! I was having a hard time opening and closing this drawer and I’ve had these organizers since we moved in (about 10 years!). They are stained and crooked so I’m moving them under a cabinet. Time for a change!
15 minutes later I had this situation going on and I have to say.. I’m in love. :) Definitely an upgrade! This expandable kitchen drawer organizer is so nice! The sides pull out so it’s totally adjustable to fit any drawer size. It’s so nice and sturdy and I love the look. I keep opening and closing this drawer. Ha.
I only keep items we use all the time in this drawer and then I have a different drawer for items we use only use once in a while (the ice cream scoop, etc.) This egg spatula is a favorite we use daily. It has a little ledge so you can rest it on the counter while you’re scrambling eggs without making a mess.
Also kind of obsessed with this meat chopper! Have you used it? My favorite companion when I’m getting hamburger cooked for our taco soup. :) I linked my favorite magnetic measuring spoons too!
So good.
I loved my new cooking utensil drawer so much I decided the junk drawer needed a facelift too! I moved these grey organizers into my office and got to work.
I love how the smaller bins can also fit inside the bigger bins. Of course things won’t stay this perfect longer than a day, but everything does have a place so it should be easy to keep relatively clean!
I love these organizers because you can adjust them so many different ways and they all fit together. It’s like putting together a fun puzzle when you’re figuring out the best way to use them. :)
I have 4 pairs of these gold scissors all over the house (in offices and my closet)! They are my favorite if you need a good pair. I had a little extra room in the top right corner so I set my marble coasters there.
Feeling so good about this situation and wondering what else I can give a facelift to with these organizers. No drawer is safe! :)
This is another set I saw on-line that look so pretty. I love the gold trim! Thinking of using them in my office or for some drawers in the girls’ bedrooms.
There is nothing like an organized drawer is there!?
They make me so happy! You too? I had a feeling. :)
Happy Saturday! I’m so glad we made it to the weekend! This week wore me out and we only started school on Wednesday.. ha. Re-entry is brutal! I’m grateful for a weekend to catch my breath and do a little organizing. :) I thought it would be fun to try a new series this year! Saturday 6 where I share 6 things I’m loving every Saturday. Years ago I wrote Friday 5 posts with the same concept, but I always got busy and the post didn’t go up until Saturday or Sunday which was just not quite right. We’ll see if I can make this one happen. On Saturday! Wish me luck. ;)
Target always has fun new home collections to kick off the new year! These are a few things I ordered that I’ll share styled as soon as I style them! The vases and plant and wood tray are so good! I’m excited to start decorating.
I love the texture on this bowl too! Perfect for the coffee table. I linked a few other favorites I’m eyeing below!
So excited about this cozy top and joggers! They are the same set I bought a couple of years ago in a holiday pattern and they are back in stock in solid colors. So good! My favorite thing about this set is that it’s perfect to sleep in. They aren’t super thick and hot so I don’t over heat in them. They really are so comfy! I usually wear the Christmas set for months after Christmas so now I can transition into these for January. :)
Also still loving in these cute pjs. COZY VIBES all the way. They transition so perfectly from Christmas to Valentine’s Day. I would just live in pjs if I could! I practically do this time of year. :)
Ok.. not pjs but this Zella pullover is so comfy it might as well be! It’s buttery soft and such a cute fit. It cinches at the waist so you can make it as tight or loose as you want. Perfect to throw on after exercise to run around in all day. The collar is so cute and it comes in several colors.
Have you tried Geometry towels yet? If you haven’t you are in for a treat! I was beyond giddy when I discovered them last year at a Favorite Things party. They are the fastest drying towels EVER and what I reach for every time I’m drying dishes or drying my counter or drying anything! Trust me.. once you use them you won’t want to use anything else in the kitchen! I was thrilled when I discovered that now you can buy them on Amazon. They have lots of fun patterns and always come out with cute holiday options. Love these 3 for V day (my red heart towel is on its way). :)
I love this little hand held I’ve had for a while now but wanted one more good vacuum for organizing drawers that I could keep in my kitchen (moving the small one to my bathroom). This black & decker dustbuster packs a punch! Perfect for cleaning out drawers and spills. It has a little more power than my smallest handheld so I’m happy to have it for bigger messes too. You can never have too many handheld vacuums around the house in my opinion! Giving this a 10/10.
It’s no secret I love all things T 3! I couldn’t wait to try these hot rollers when I saw them. I bought them for me and the girls for Christmas and I’ve had so much fun playing with them! They heat up SO fast and I only have to leave them in my hair 5-10 min. They do my hair for me while I’m putting on make-up. (Bonus!) My hair is pretty curly when I first take them out but then it quickly loosens and looks so salon done! The rollers really smooth my hair out and style it in half the time it takes me to use a curling iron or straight iron.
They just give your hair a soft smooth look! I’m in my hot roller era. Ha.
Aren’t these wreaths beautiful!? The tulips look so realistic and are perfect for both Valentine’s Day and all things spring. I love the bright colors! I couldn’t decide which one to get for my front door so I bought them both to try. I might keep one inside!
Sharing a few more favorites for Valentine’s Day I’m seeing on-line below and that wraps up this Saturday’s 6! I hope you like this series! I’m hoping it sticks. :)
I thought we’d kick off the new year with some favorite organizers! WOOT WOOT! I’ve shared all of these before but thought it would be nice to share them again for some motivation for all of us! Also nice to have them all in one place for easy reference because these are my tried and true. :) I can’t wait to organize new spaces this year! My house is so empty with all of Christmas (mostly) put away and I’m just living with it empty for a few days dreaming up all sorts of decor and wanting to organize every nook and cranny!
Kicking things off with organization in the master bathroom! Love these clear organizers for drawers. I put a little bit of this putty on the bottom of the organizers to hold them in place!
These are the dividers I have been loving to separate my clothes! Drawer dividers in general are one of my favorites to organize with because they don’t take up much space in the drawer.
Happy 2024 friends! I hope you all had a nice holiday and that your new year is off to a good start! I took a little blog/IG break – half of it was planned and half of it was definitely not! The flu hit us HARD right before Christmas. Kole came home from school sick a few days before Christmas and I was taking care of him and washing my hands 10 times a minute thinking “I’m not going to get sick I’m not going to get sick.” Well.. I got sick. SO sick on Christmas Eve. I made it through the night and through Christmas morning and then went straight to bed and was pretty much down for 4 days. It hit Kenny two days after it hit me and he went down hard too. Not our best Christmas with 3 of us sick! We were grateful the girls didn’t get sick (they distanced themselves from us as much as possible!) and we were grateful that while the timing was horrible with the holiday it was also good that we didn’t have anywhere we had to be other than in bed sick watching movies. We were also grateful that we were all feeling better in time for the trip we had planned!
We spent New Years in Hawaii and it felt amazing to have some down time with family after such a busy holiday season and being sick! Just what the dr. ordered. Hawaii just forces you to SLOW DOWN and I’ve never been so grateful to do just that! View off our balcony.
Not a bad sight to wake up to! This was our first trip to the big island and we loved it. Absolutely beautiful! I’m happy to share where we stayed and the few things we did if anyone is interested! (I had my Maui tips post ready to go right before the fires. So heartbreaking.)
The best part was just all being together will no interruption or agenda. Bliss! :)
Now we’re back and I’m attempting to take down Christmas and feeling all things New Year! I love taking time during January to reflect on the past year. I’ve been thinking a lot about what I feel good about at this stage of my life and what I want to change going forward. These are just a few thoughts for me personally..
Positives of 2023:
Friendships were a big part of our year. They always are, but even more so in 2023. I feel like our social calendar erupted in a good way! I made new friends and connected even more with friends I’ve had for years. Lots of girls trips and lunch dates. :) Kenny and I started hanging out with lots of different couple friends more often too which we have loved. We have had seasons throughout our marriage when we haven’t had as many couple friends and I feel like it’s so good for us to go out with friends together. Especially with our kids getting older (and more busy!) it has been so nice to have lives of our own! I want to keep prioritizing that so that we have things to look forward to when it’s just the two of us.
Speaking of kids getting older.. I got a bonus year with both of my girls home and I have really taken advantage of it hanging out with my girls as much as possible! I know it will be hard on me when things change, but I’m really trying to stay in the moment and just enjoy this time I have with them.
I created a few systems with work/time blocking for my schedule that were helpful. I’m always looking for ways to get more focused work done during the time I have before 2:30 pm! Once Kole is out of school I become an uber and evenings are always crazy and full of kids and activities so if my stuff doesn’t get done before 2:30 it’s not getting done or I’m staying up too late.
Changes I want to make in 2024:
I need more sleep. Plain and simple! My night owl days need to come to an end. I used to be able to pull off life with little sleep but it is affecting me more as I get older and I really feel like this year I need to focus on my health more. I’m going to keep fine tuning my schedule/systems and have a few ideas I’m going to try.
One of my main goals this year is to create a morning routine. For years my morning routine has consisted of rolling out of bed and jumping straight into getting kids ready and taking them to school. Now that the kids get themselves ready I feel like I can take a little time for me each morning before I drive Kole. I’m still working out the details and will let you know how it goes. I’m going to have to get to bed earlier to make it stick so we’ll see.. ha.
I also need to get back in a better exercise routine. I used to be so on top of this but our past year was busy and exercise is always the first thing to go when I get overwhelmed! I’m going to mix things up and will report back on what I’m doing this year as soon as I figure it out myself!
Really I just want to feel better physically and mentally this year so I’m going to make my health a priority.
Also I WILL conquer my closet this year! And keep it organized. If it’s the last thing I do. Hold me to that.. ;) I made major progress in this area last year but still have a few things to finish/work on.
When it comes to work/blog goals I just want to keep sharing but even more/better. I told Kenny I was in the mood to watch City Slickers! Remember that show? So good. Mitch learns that he has to find his “one thing” that makes him happy and focus on it. At the end of the show he realizes that he doesn’t need a new life/job after all.. but to just do everything better in the life he already has.
I feel like I’m kicking off 2024 full of gratitude and optimism with a desire to just be better!
I would love to hear your goals for the new year! Any that are similar? :)
What better way to start the year than with a new planner right!? Even though we know a new planner isn’t the secret to achieving goals it’s still certainly motivating to write on that first planning page. :) I love this style because it has a week layout where I can write all of my main to-do’s.
The week layout is next to each day of the week. I like being able to see my whole week laid out like this with specifics for each day next to more general things I want to get done.
This year I feel like I just need to hit more focused, random spots around my home so I’m kicking things off with my 15 minute organizing printable. I’ll share progress most days in IG stories. So excited to get everything back in order! My house is a total mess at the moment!
WRITE THINGS DOWN. It’s so motivating to check off a list when you complete spaces! Trust me on this one and make a list!
BEFORE
A couple quick of wins that have stayed organized and make me so happy!
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
My workout clothes drawer has stayed looking just like this and was a huge game changer for me! So nice to be able to see what I have quickly each day! Why didn’t I do this sooner!?
BEFORE
I always kick off January by tackling my make-up drawer first.
Since I’ve organized it already it stays pretty put together, but I love taking everything out once a year and giving it a deep clean!
This printable is a great one for goal setting! I like to write a few things to work on every year in each category.
Also if you are tackling home projects..
or projects of any kind these printables are so helpful!
This is another fun printable for the new year where you can really focus on new habits you are creating by checking off each day you stick to it. I like to use this one for drinking water!
Merry Christmas Eve! Kids are finally out of school (finals are done – yea!) and we are ready to party! And by party I mean lay around watching Christmas movies together and eating chocolate. Just what the dr. ordered at this stage of the game, right!? :) I’m so ready to spend some quality, uninterrupted time with these 3 teens of mine. They are on the go with friends and school and activities non stop and this time of year is about the only time I can cage them. ;)
Catching up today on a few things I’ve been loving and then some pics of my home I never shared! I got so behind this month. I’ll probably pop in soon after Christmas with more home pics that I never had time to post.
Absolutely loving these sweats! Talk about cozy. They are lined with fleece, so comfortable and a great fit. The brand is Aritzia and it’s actually a brand/store my girls have been obsessed with. I tried out a few things and now I’m loving their clothes too.. especially their sweatsuits and coats! They have so many different styles and fits to choose from. I bought the regular in these sweat pants and can roll them up at the waist once (which I like for sweats!) but if you’re on the short side and don’t want to roll them up definitely get the short length. They come in tall sizes too. You can see all of their cute sweatsuits here. They all just went on sale! The cute green cargo pants are calling my name. :)
And their cute coats. I got this super puff shorty for our Utah/cold weather trips. Their coats are legit! They are so stylish and keep you so warm and I love the cuffs with thumbholes.
And since we don’t get much of a winter in San Diego this has become my new grocery store outfit! I swear they keep our grocery store colder than the coldest arctic tundra.
Layered and ready to get my thin sliced turkey. Ha.
When I’m not wearing my cute sweats I’ll be living in Christmas pjs! At least for the next few weeks before I switch to hearts for Valentine’s Day. Tis the season to be comfy. :)
We had lots of dressy events this month (probably another reason I’m dying to put on sweats/pjs and not take them off!) and this was my favorite dress. It’s beautiful and so comfortable and also on sale. I wanted to share in case you need something for New Year’s Eve! On our way to Kenny’s office party.
We’ve made so many close friends through his job and have all been together now for around 20 years! Which makes me feel really old. :) Kenny gave such a good speech/toast at the party (I always get so nervous for him when he has to do stuff like that even though it doesn’t phase him!). He loves his firm and the people there so much. It was a special night and I left feeling really proud of him and grateful for the people in our lives.
Our little elf left this surprise gift the other day! The games look so fun to play over the break.
Have the best holiday with your loved ones! I’m so grateful for you all! And grateful for another year of celebrating the little things that make us happy. :) Here are some home pics I never shared. (I linked items at the end of the post.. let me know if I’m missing something!)
Wish my house was this clean right now. If only our elf did more than leave fun games for the kids. I need to get that spunky little guy working for me next year. :)
One week until Christmas! How are you holding up!? Exhaustion is definitely hitting for me! Ha. Very excited for some down time with my family. I’m bummed I haven’t had time to share more of my holiday decor here on the blog! It has been such a busy month (honestly probably our craziest December yet!) so I’ve been sharing more on IG lately because I can do that faster (you can see a little video home tour here!). I’ll still try to get more Christmas decor pics taken this week and I have a few things to share today, but I want to tell you about a fun party that I did with some friends this year that you might want to do too!
My friends and I have always joked and laughed about the state of our stockings on Christmas morning (they are usually flat unless we fill them for ourselves!) so we really loved SNL’s Christmas Morning skit when it came out! (If you haven’ seen it yet look it up on YouTube!). It’s the one where everyone gets fun gifts for Christmas and the mom just gets a robe. She burns her hand on the oven and her stocking is flat and even the dog gets a robe. It’s hilarious and the reason it’s hilarious is because it’s so true! Often it’s the mom doing everything to make the magic happen on Christmas morning and she doesn’t get much in return. I have been joking with my friends for years that we should be filling each others stockings! Well this year two of my cute friends ran with that idea and took charge and planned a stocking party! They sent out a little survey about our favorite colors/stores/gifts and then they drew names and assigned each of us one person to buy/fill a stocking for. We had a nice budget so we were able to really spoil each other! (You can obviously decide on any budget for this.) Then we had a beautiful lunch together to celebrate and we each went home with a stocking full of personalized gifts that we get to open on Christmas morning. So much fun! I wanted to share that idea here if it’s something you want to do with your friends this year! Or just a fun idea to plan for next year. :) We’ve done pajama parties and favorite things parities and lots of fun get togethers but this was our first official “stocking for mom” party and we loved it. :)
Pic from the lunch!
My friend made this gorgeous flower arrangement for the table.
Not the whole group but the 5 of us snapped this on our way out. Grateful for good friends this year! I wasn’t able to throw my holiday party (boo.. just didn’t have the time for it!) but it has been so much fun celebrating with different friends throughout the month. I was chatting about this party idea on IG stories right after the lunch and got lots of outfit questions so I linked it all here (including the rings I’ve been wearing this year!). My dress is on sale and comes in black too. :)
Also on a sidenote while we’re talking clothes.. my favorite jeans just went on major sale! 40% off! I’ve shared these so many times. They are so flattering! Especially if you are curvy! I’m almost 5’4 and they are long on me so I have to wear them with a higher boot heel. They are my go-to’s and I love them so much! My cute striped top is on sale too and comes in lots of colors.
You can see the cute ruffle sleeve of my top in this pic with my girls!
Which led to this pic.
Which led to this pic and then we tipped over.. ha. They keep me young!
If you need some cute last minute cards to pair with a little gift this holiday season this set is my favorite! I love the patterns so much! It’s a nice set of cards for the price. We send out holiday cards with our family picture, but I always feel like I need some blank cards to write a little note on for friends/teachers that week before Christmas!
I did some wrapping yesterday and snapped a pic of a few things my girls are getting! Their favorite elastics, this cute jewelry case, my dry shampoo (this one is also a texture spray and I am LOVING it), some brushes for wet hair and then this lip mask my friend gave me last month and I love it so much I bought it for my girls too. :) I also realized I had more Christmas gifts for my girls than I do for Kole (I’m always worried about making it even for my kids.. you too!?) so I found some cute things for him on Amazon. I linked a few things I bought and other fun ideas at the end of this post if you are also shopping for teen boys. He has hands down been the hardest for me to shop for this year!
I’m also giving these cute pom sherpa throws to a few people this year! Bought several because they are on sale. I love the look of them draped over a chair and they are SO soft to curl up in.
Did I ever share this cute blanket ladder!? I’m loving it in this corner of our family room! It’s black and wood and has a modern look. Perfect to hold extra throws and it doubles as cute decor.
Ok.. I have to share this fun idea for Christmas cards! I have always loved hanging our past Christmas cards from garland on our stairs and in previous years I have used ribbon to hold them. I went to my photographers house this year to pick out our Christmas card picture and she was using this cute wooden bead garland to hold her Christmas cards. I looked at it and said “oh I do this too but what a fun idea to add the little clothes pins to this bead garland!” and she said “that bead garland came with the clothespins and I got it on Amazon!” Then I of course said “no way.. I need that link ASAP!” Ha. GENIUS!
So excited about this! The bead garland comes in 4 feet or 7 feet and I’m using two of the 7 foot strands to hold our family Christmas cards this year. The clothespins make it so easy to hang cards! (Ignore the garland in this pic.. I was still attaching things when I snapped this!)
I love seeing our family pictures/holiday cards through the years.
Especially long time favorite pics like this one when Kole would NOT stop screaming and trying to run away during the photoshoot so we just snapped the picture and rolled with the “better not cry, better not pout” theme. Ha! Good times. :)
Last 4 years. My kids are growing up! {tear}
These are cell phone pics at night so not the best lighting but my little tree turned out so cute on my shiplap wall! It sold out quickly this year. (It was from grandinroad.)
Especially fun at night. :)
But my favorite part of this little hallway off our mudroom is the tree I made with our Santa pics. You knew they would pop up somewhere! :)
I just used painters tape to attach them all to the wall and then hung this cute star ornament with a little command hook. We need to get our 2023 Santa pic taken this week! My kids are always good sports because they know it’s a non negotiable. If they want to live here rent free they are getting a pic with Santa every December. ;)
I added these cute little wreaths all over my house this year! They sold out so I’ll try to share them early next year when they are back in stock. I tied little bows with my favorite velvet ribbon and then ended up just using a glue gun to hold the ribbon. Just a tiny dot and then they will be easy to pull off if I want to switch the ribbon next year.
Happy Sunday! We are officially starting our family Christmas movie nights this week and I am so ready for it! At 8 pm there will be a Christmas movie on in the family room every night we are home from now through the holidays. If people need to be on their laptops during the movie finishing up work that’s fine! We’ve got a lot of movies to watch in a short period of time so it’s time to get serious. Ha. I asked my kids if they want to take turns picking out the movie OR if they want me to write all of our favorite Christmas movie titles on pieces of paper and put them in a jar so we can draw one out each night. They liked the jar idea! They also requested hot chocolate so I set up this cute little hot cocoa station. It’s simple but just right for the 5 of us and our family movie nights.
I ordered this cute sign to set behind my hot chocolate station mostly to cover the plug outlet on this wall! I wish it was a little bigger but it will do for this year.
I set out a couple of my pretty glass trees and laid out some of these cute snowflake marshmallows. Aren’t they fun!? My kids loved them. I knew they would!
Another fun addition are these adorable Christmas spoons I ordered. They have little Christmas pendants on the end of them and are just right for stirring hot chocolate. Another hit with the kids!
Because I don’t have a lot of space on this counter I knew I needed skinny jars for the toppings. I found this cute set of 5 glass kitchen canisters on-line and they are perfect! I love the sealed lids too. Hot cocoa mix, marshmallows, candy canes, chocolate chips and crushed peppermint. Our family favorites for hot chocolate. :)
This is going to be a busy spot for the next few weeks! I’m not mad about it. :)
I’m also not mad about the fact that when I’m home I’m in Christmas pjs. Love this cozy vibes set! Brand is PJ salvage so a little more pricey but they are so soft and comfy. I especially love that they are cute for the holidays but will also work through the winter months after Christmas too.
Got my Christmas movie mug, pjs, and hot chocolate. I am SET. If you need me you know where I’ll be. :)
I’ve been chipping away at my holiday shopping and thought I’d share some cute things I’m seeing and loving for my teens! My girls are so easy to shop for. I can basically just pick out things I love! The items below are all things they have and use or items on their wish list for this year. Kole is another story. Teen boys are HARD to buy for aren’t they!? I rounded up some of the items I’m debating/ordering for Kole. If you have a teen boy and know of some other fun gift ideas please share! It’s a tricky stage for gift giving. I hope these gift ideas help!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Off to make a Christmas movie jar. :)
Cruising through December! Tis the season for joy and fun and cheer and stress! Ha. I hope you’re hanging in there and not too overwhelmed at this point in the game. Days and evenings are so busy this time of year. I’m constantly reminding myself to pause on the never ending to-do list and focus on enjoying the season! My kids are a big help with that. :) Addison really wanted her room decorated for the holidays this year and requested traditional red and green. She has been so busy and usually gets home around 7 every night and then has hours of homework. She wanted to help me decorate but we couldn’t find a time so a few days ago I surprised her and added a little Christmas to her bedroom. To say she was excited when she saw her room is an understatement! I wish I would have filmed her sweet reaction. Priceless. :) It made me so happy to see her so happy!
The tree is a little crowded in this corner but Ad loves her chair (that she stole from Ellie!) so I knew she would want that to stay. Both the girls love to sit in it to read, study, talk on the phone. I added a couple of cute pillows that are long time favorites!
I decorated her tree with a bead garland, snowflakes, white houses and red ball ornaments.
I also added these fun clip-on candles I put on our family room tree. Did I mention that they change colors!?
I keep them on the warm white setting for our main tree.
But for Ad’s room she is loving the colorful setting. They turn red, green, purple, blue.. all the colors.
So cute for a teen bedroom! The candles are half off right now so I picked up more for Kole’s bedroom next year. :) (I used one set of 20 on each tree.)
A fun wreath is always a win over the bed! And you all know my merry pillow makes an appearance every December somewhere in my house. I bought that pillow when the girls were little!
I ordered this floor mirror about six months ago (was looking for one for this room for over a year!) and we love it so much. It’s HUGE and makes her room feel a lot larger than it is. It’s on major sale this weekend too!
I kept her shelves simple and just added a few things with lights.
It looks so cute lit up at night!
I hope you enjoyed the tour of Ad’s room! So simple but it doesn’t take much to add some Christmas cheer to a space. :) I really need to photograph the rest of my house. I had plans to take more room pictures this week but December has a way of laughing in the face of plans right? Hopefully coming soon!
Before I sign off I thought I’d share a quick dose of real life. Ready to see the other side of Ad’s room?
Hello Peaches. Ha! Nothing like a Bearded Dragon in a huge cage to kill the mood. ;)
Check out the side eye she gives me. She knows I’m not a fan of lizards. The two of us aren’t exactly tight, but we manage to stay cordial for Addison’s sake.
I’m sure she appreciates her new view. ;)
Below are a few favorites on sale and I’ll be back soon with more to share. Happy Saturday!
Happy December! Another holiday season is here. I hope we can all slow down enough to enjoy it! I’m going to make a good effort and start by digging into my favorite drawer in my closet. Bring on Christmas pjs and Michael Bublè! It’s the most wonderful time of the year. :) As you can see I need a new pair of Christmas pjs about as much as I need another Christmas tree but that never seems to stop me from looking. Ha. Below are some favorites I’m seeing on-line this year!
Today’s post is a bit random! I’m sharing an assortment of holiday favorites around here starting with this happy little arrangement on my kitchen island!
You might remember my faux pine branches I shared earlier when I put together this festive tray. They sold out so quickly but if you are looking for some that are similar I found some really good options I linked above! I actually ordered this set and will share them when they come in. They look very similar!
I added these fun lighted brown branches I bought a couple of months ago and love how festive they look! They are especially pretty at night with the lights on.
They come with a little battery pack that you can set on a timer and then tuck away inside your vase. You could also use the lit branches in a long tray with greenery like the one I just shared above! So many ways to use them for holiday decor. I’m a fan. :)
I’m also a fan of these stunning gold glitter trees! They are so pretty and are on sale right now! You can buy them individually or as a set of 3.
I’ve moved them around so much and love them everywhere. (My white ceramic vase is also on sale right now! Long time favorite.)
Another recent favorite I’ve had fun with is this cute tree board. You know I can’t pass up a cute board! This is such a good size to use for entertaining and it looks beautiful for decor when not in use too.
I’m sure this wood tree is fine to set food on, but because I wanted to keep it nice to put on a shelf I traced the tree and cut out some parchment paper to set down. I took two seconds to do this so you can see it isn’t perfect.. ha.
Good enough for me!
I pulled out snacks we always have on hand and got to work!
SO EASY and cute! I didn’t spend more than 5 minutes putting this together and my kids were so excited to come home to this snack! I added some baby dill on the sides to give it more of a fresh tree look. I couldn’t find my big star cookie cutter so my cheese star is looking a little small for this big tree.. ha. I’ll have to fix that for next time. This tree tray would look cute with holiday cookies or crackers or chips or anything really! An easy way to make your food festive for holiday get togethers or family movie night. :)
I’ve been making this for years on regular boards. This large cheese board is a favorite I’ve shared so many times. It sells out and then comes back and is in stock at the moment!
Last year I used this cute cutting board for my tree snacks. I rounded up more cute tree boards (and a few cute snowman boards!) below. Seriously one of my favorite things to buy and use during the holidays. My holiday boards are up there with Christmas pj’s. That’s how much I love them. :) They are also one of my favorite things to give as a gift! Wrap them with some cute holiday dish towels or pair a board with a charcuterie board book. Something everyone can use!
Nothing to do with holidays but since we’re talking favorites lately I’ve been loving Golden Hour tees and sweatshirts. They have so many cute styles, I love the fit and they are really comfortable.
This north pole sweatshirt was love at first sight! I’ve been living in it during the day and with pj pants at night! I don’t know why it has the date 1997 on it but that’s the year Kenny and I were married so I mean.. I HAD to have it. :) Wearing it here at my mom’s over Thanksgiving Break. Her pomegranate trees were so full and pretty this year!
Another pic from Utah! I was COLD. And I’m from southern Utah where it actually doesn’t get THAT cold but compared to San Diego’s forever 70 degrees it was definitely chilly! Kole and I stayed pretty warm and stylish in our north face coats. I actually ordered mine after making these fun colored gift collages! I put this down jacket in the “brown” favorites collage and then promptly ordered it. Rounding up cute gift ideas for all of you is a definite hazard of this job. Ha. But I love my new coat (it kept me warm!) and I love my little buddy who is almost as tall as I am at the moment.
Speaking of cute brown coats.. I love this pullover my sister got from Madewell! We didn’t try matching in brown but weren’t sorry when we did. :) We snapped this pic on black friday. We ventured out to a couple of stores and then went back to my mom’s and promptly put our pjs back on. :)
My favorite store I visit every time I’m in my hometown is Cosy House. Home decor of course and everything is just beautiful! I look forward to going every time I’m in town.
This pic is from last year and this is Nancy who owns the store. She’s the sweetest! I know her well because I stop by so much.. ha. I keep telling her she needs to get her store on-line too so I can share favorites with all of you! Hopefully some day. If you’re ever visiting or driving through southern Utah make sure to stop by Cosy House and check it out! Tell Nancy I said hi. I know you will love her and her store as much as I do. :)
We’re kicking off December with this cute little advent calendar! I bought it for Kole. He LOVES advent calendars and I love that he isn’t growing out of this fun tradition! We have a felt tree that we decorate each day that my grandma made, but I knew he would love this too so I bought it for his bedroom. It has a little battery spot on the back and lights up so cute! We’re picking out his candy for each drawer this weekend. :)
I actually got the inspiration for this calendar from an advent calendar I saw at Anthro! I love it so much and almost bought it but then decided to look on Amazon and found the house option for less. Both so cute! The anthro calendar actually just went on sale too!
Nordstrom is doing some fun “limited sales” for the holidays that last for a short time so I rounded up some fun gift ideas below! Really cute coats are on sale for just a few days too. Enjoy your weekend! I am STILL decorating my house (so behind where I’m usually at by this time of year!) so I’ll be covered in garland this weekend if you need me. You too?
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