Snow Days

I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas! I know that I sure did. I love this time of year and spending time with family, it's the best. We are taking a break for a few days from the celebrations and then we are off to Orangeville to visit my husbands side of the family. It's a busy time of year! I have been wanting these boots for a while now and my husband gave them to me for Christmas! He did good work. Beckett, Beckett, Beckett....he got spoiled for Christmas and got some cu-ute stuff! That spoiled boy.

My Outfit:

Cardigan: Kohls

T-Shirt: Nordstrom Rack

Jeans: Papyrus

Belt: Old

Boots: Lauren Conrad (gift)

Necklace: Forever 21

 

B's Outfit:

T-shirt: Old Navy

Cardigan: H&M

Bomber Jacket: Baby Gap

Jeans: 77 Kids

Shoes: Old Navy

Last Minute Christmas Gift: Homemade Berry Granola

Okay, so for all of you that have a few people left on your list to buy for, this is a great idea! I found this mixed berry granola recipe idea in Family Circle magazine and put my own twist on it. I have made granola at home before but this recipe is by FAR my favorite. Plus, it's better than store bought-healthy and you know exactly what you're eating. It's even husband and child approved!

Mixed Berry Granola
Ingredients:
1/3 C honey
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 C rolled oats (old fashioned)
1 C pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 C flax seeds
1 bag (6 oz) dried mixed berries and cherries (any dried fruit would work)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 325. In a small saucepan melt butter, honey, and salt over low heat, about 3 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, pecans, and flax seeds. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture, toss to coat. Pour onto a baking sheet and flatten into one layer. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

3. Transfer oat mixture to a large bowl and coming with the dried fruit. Let it cool completely and then package into jars or bags. (Servings size: 1/4 Cup = 115 calories)

Casual Saturday

It's the big one! Last Saturday before Christmas. You couldn't pay me to fight the crowds at the mall today. This is the day i'm glad that I get my Christmas shopping done early! Today was full of little errands and spending time with family, so my outfit reflected that. Merry Christmas!

 

Shirt: Nordstrom Rack

Cardigan: Cotton On

Jeans: M.E.K.

Shoes: Target

Scarf: Old Navy

Hat: Target (mens section)

Watch: Gift

Candy Cane Cookies

I have been OVERLOADED with holiday sweets as of late. I feel like i've eaten enough sugar these past few weeks to last me a lifetime. I'm definitely going to need to detox after New Years. However, the holiday season wouldn't be the same without all these sugar filled treasures. One of my favorite is a cookie that I grew up making with my mom, candy cane cookies. They are yummy and best yet they are cute. Perfect for a neighborhood gift, which is exactly what I used them for this year :)

Ingredients:
1/2 C shortening
1/2 C butter, softened
1 C powdered sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp almond flavoring
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red food coloring
1/2 C crushed peppermint candy (candycanes)
1/2 C sugar

Directions:
1. Cream together the shortening. butter, powdered sugar, egg, and flavorings. Mix the flour and salt together and add to the creamed mixture.

2. Divide the dough in half. With one half mix in the red food coloring and knead well to mix evenly.

3. Roll out 1 small spoonful of each color into a strip about 4 inches long. Place strips side by side. press lightly together and twist like a rope. Put on ungreased baking sheet. Curve top down for the handle of the cane.

4. Bake at 375 for 9 minutes. As soon as you take them out of the oven, sprinkle the peppermint and sugar on top.

Simplicity

It's the simple things in life that really make it enjoyable. Today's out fit was comfy and easy to throw on for a long day at work. The best part of my day? Seeing these two waiting for me when I got home :)

Top: H&M

Cords: American Eagle

Booties: shoedazzle.com

Necklace: Forever 21

Pop of Color

 

Hello, hello! Hope everyone is enjoying their holidays, I know I am! Our household has been under the weather the past few days because Beckett caught the Stomach Flu and daycare. He has been a trooper and I think he is starting to get better. I hate seeing that little guy sick. So, this outfit is a little bit dreary with the black and gray, but I felt like the little pop of red was just what it needed.

 

 

Shirt: Forever 21

Vest: Nordstrom

Jeans: Target

Boots: Shoebuy

Belt: H&M

Scarf: Urban Wear

Necklace: Forever21

Snowflakes & Chocolate

I have been waiting for another snowstorm, and we finally got a small one yesterday. We met up with some friends of ours for a double date; we did some shopping and eating. We went up to see the new outlets at Traverse Mountain but boy....it was cold and windy.

Cardigan: Cotton On

Dress: Macys

Belt: Nordstrom

Leggings: Forever 21

Boots: Shoebuy.com

Headband: Forever 21

Necklace: Cotton On
 

While my friend and I checked out some stores, the boys went and took a break at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store, Beckett came out with a chocolate covered marshmallow. He was more than excited. Love his face.

Also, I think I have a nail polish hoarding issue.

shake it like a polaroid picture

I have been one busy lady this week. I teach Health & Dance at a junior high and we've been getting a dance ready that they're performing in the high school's christmas concert this weekend. (I can't foreget to mention the awesome 70's couch in the background)

 

I haven't been home as much as I usually am, so i've been missing this guy. He lo-oves wearing mom & dads shoes :)

Bib Necklace & Sock Bun

I don't know about where you guys live but it has been SO windy the last few days by our house. This morning the wind finally took the power out. So we had to get ready for church with the power turning off & on. I got this new bib necklace i'm lovin it. It's more simple, plain black, so it goes with more. And a sock bun on a day like this? Yes, please! (Sorry about the picture today, bad quality)

Top: H&M

Necklace: Forever 21

Skirt: Target

Tights: Forever 21

Shoes: Forever Young

Watch: Gift

Earrings: Dillards

Reindeer Feed

This is a delish, super easy recipe. It's great to have in the house to munch on during the holidays. I've had this recipe for a while and don't remember the original source. I have put my own twist on it. I like it because with the peppermint and white chocolate, it doesn't feel too heavy.

Ingredients:
6 Cups Rice Chex
12 oz (2 Cups) White Chocolate
12-16 miniature candy canes, smashed (you can smash them finely or more chunky, up to you)

Directions:
1. Lay down wax paper or foil onto a cookie sheet-or directly onto the counter.
2. Measure out the rice chex into a large bowl.
3. Add the white chocolate into a small bowl. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes. Every 30 seconds pull the bowl out and stir the chocolate.
4. Once the chocolate is smooth, pour in 1/2 of the smashed candy canes and stir together. Immediately pour entire chocolate mixture over the rice chex and stir to mix.
5. Spoon chex mix onto the wax paper/foil. Lay out in one layer. As quickly as you can pour the rest of the smashed candy canes on top of the chex mix. You want to make sure you do this as quickly as possible so that the candy canes can melt a little bit.

6. Let rest for at least 20 minutes. Break up the chex mix and place in an airtight container.

Yogurt Bites

Okay, so probably everyone of you reading this has seen a picture or pin on Pinterest about frozen yogurt bites, or something similar. I was no different. My son has been a picky eater lately but has always liked popsicles, so I decided to try this out. I didn't read any of the tutorials on how to make these, it is pretty self explanitory. Here is my spin on it.

What you need: yogurt, ziploc bag, spoon, wax paper, food coloring (optional)

1. First I divided my yogurt into 2 small bowls. In one bowl I added blue food coloring (made it a little more fun), I left the other bowl the natural color.

2. I cut a VERY tiny piece off of one of the corners on the ziploc bag. I then filled the ziploc bag with one of the bowls of yogurt.

3. Squeezing gently, squeeze little dollups of yogurt onto the wax paper. Repeat this with the next bowl of yogurt.

4. When you're all done making the little dollups/dots put the wax paper in the freezer. I put the wax paper on top of a big pot lid I had so that it sat more flat in the freezer. These freeze pretty quickly, an hour or two.

5. When frozen and ready to eat, I popped off the yogurt dots into a bowl for my son to eat. They are super easy to pop off when you put them on wax paper. The best part? Beckett loved them! He thought the colors were fun and I think he thought it was candy since it was frozen. A great way to deceive little ones :)

Suggestion: If your children are little, I would recommend NOT putting food coloring in the yogurt. It makes it more visually appealing, but it is a bit more messy when they are eating.

BEST Christmas CD

No, i'm not even kidding. This is the BEST Christmas CD i've ever heard. If you know me well, you know i'm obsessed with this come Christmas time! I grew up listening to this CD and I haven't found anything better since. It's one of those CD's that doesn't have 1 bad song and no matter how you're feeling it puts a big ol' smile on your face. My favorite song on this album is 'Go Tell It On The Mountain/Mary Had A Baby' by Vanessa Williams. Seriously, you can't help but get up and shake yo bootaaay when it comes on.

 

Give it a try. You'll never be disappointed.

DIY: Christmas Hanging Decor

I LOVE Christmas decorations! I have really added to my collection these past few years. This year I made a few new decorations that I think added the perfect touch. They all ended up being some type of hanging decoration, which was not planned. They were all SUPER easy to make and easy to make it your own.

 

 

1. Falling Window Ornaments: All you need for this are ornaments (various colors & sizes), and ribbons or string. You want to make sure you have a sturdy top to your ornament; I hot glued the tops to the ornament to make sure they wouldn't fall apart. Then you string the ribbon through the loop, your going to want various lengths of ribbon. After that, you're ready to hang them up, it's that easy!  I just taped the top of the ribbon to the backside of the blinds. You can make as many or few as you want and adapt it to the size of your window.

;

 2. Window Bells: I found a great deal on these glittery bells at Target, just $1 each! Just like above I hung them from string and hung them to the outside of the window. It added a fun little touch to the porch decor. I also liked them because they sparkle at night with all that glitter!

3. Falling Snowflakes: For this last decoration idea you need popsicle sticks (lots), a glue gun, paint, and string. First I made snowflakes using different amounts of popsicle sticks, hot gluing them in the center. When done I painted them, I did half red and half white. Once they were all done drying I hot glued some cute brown ribbon in between each one. In my house, I thought it would be cute to hang up two strands of these snowflakes, one on each side of the fireplace. I liked the outcome!

Studs

I don't know about you all, but I always feel lazy during the holidays. It probably has something to do with all the food that has been eaten! This morning I got back to the gym and got back into the swing of things, it felt great!

 

Have I mentioned that I love this time of year? I love doing all of the 'holiday activities'. There is so much to look forward to. For now, i'll look forward to all of the Christmas shopping I get to do:)

Sweater: Kohls

Pants: Target

Shoes: Steve Madden

Necklace: Forever 21
Bracelets: H&M
Purse: Nordstrom

Thankful

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving! I know I did. I love spending good, quality time with family and it doesn't hurt to eat some delicious food while we're at it. Our Thanksgiving was a fun-filled day that started off with a family Turkey Bowl, white versus black. My team, the white team won-hoo rah! It's a good thing we burned some calories because we sure made up for it with our Thanksgiving feast. Beckett sure loved being around family, he is always the center of attention and likes it that way! Love him. 

Beckett's Outfit:

Sweater: H&M

Jeans: Old Navy

Belt: The Childrens Place

Shoes: Toms (Lola Bella Boutique)

Flowers

Todays outfit was inspired by summer. Sometimes I miss the warm weather. These pants were a staple in my summer wardrobe. I think they transition to the cooler months well, just throw on a cardigan or jean shirt like I did. I wish I could say I only wore these glasses because I thought they were cute. However, ever since Beckett was born my eyes have been getting worse by the day. I'm going to have to get a new prescription soon. I suppose it also means I can get a new pair of glasses...there is a plus side to everything! :)

 

Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone!

Tshirt: Nordstrom

Jean Shirt: Forever 21

Jeans: AE

Belt: Buckle (old)

Shoes: ShoeBuy

Necklace: Forever 21

Melt In Your Mouth Chicken & Quinoa

This time of year I feel like it's especially important to eat as healthy as possible. With so many holidays that are surrounded with high calorie, fatty foods it is easy to gain some extra pounds. These recipes are healthy AND yummy, not to mention super easy!

Melt In Your Mouth Chicken

4 Chicken Breasts
1/2 C Parmesan
1 C Greek Yogurt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp pepper

Mix all the ingredients together. Spread over chicken, covering it evenly. Place in a baking pan, bake at 375 for 45 minutes. When cooked, I sprinkled some more fresh parmeson on top.

Quinoa & Black Beans

1 tsp Vegetable Oil
1 Onion
3 Cloves Garlic
3/4 C Quinoa
1 1/2 C Vegetable Broth
1 tsp Cumin
S&P to taste
1 C Frozen Corn
1 Can Black Beans

Heat oil in a saucepan, saute garlic and onion. Add Quinoa, spices, and broth. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Add corn and beans, cook 5 minutes longer.

Matching

I'm officially dressing for these cold (almost) winter days. These booties I found are my new go-to shoe. They are SUPER comfortable, which is key for my job, and go with all types of outfits. After getting myself and Beckett ready for the day I realized we were super matchy-matchy...it wasn't even planned! So, who won the red pants battle? Beckett, of course.  

 Beanie: H&M

Cardigan & Purse: Nordstrom

Tank: Forever 21

Scarf: AE

Pants: AE

Booties: Target

Watch: Gift

 Beckett:

Beanie: H&M

Top: Carters

Pants: H&M

Shoes: Toms (Lola Bella Boutique)

Button-Ups & Leopard

Oh my goodness, I LOVE a good button-up. They work well with so many different things. Sometimes, the simplest outfits are the best. I recently found this black shirt and fell in love! It's super comfy, made really well, and even has a bit of stretch. Mmmm....perfecto! For work I paired it with some comfy leopard flats.

 

Top: Nordstrom Rack

Pants: AE

Shoes: Steve Madden

Belt: Old Navy
Bracelet: Forever 21 

 

No Sew Christmas Tree Skirt

I've been married 3 years now and still haven't gotten a Christmas tree skirt! Growing up my mom had sewn hers and our stockings, so I've been biased ever since. Homemade is always better than store bought! This year I was lucky enough to spot this fab no sew Christmas tree skirt on Pinterest. It looked fool proof enough so I gave it a try.

What You Need:

• Old tree skirt, or cut your own out of left over fabric
• Fabric cut into 2 1/2" wide strips (as many different colors as you like, about 3 yards total)
• Glue gun and LOTS of glue sticks
• Ribbon to tie the tree skirt together (I made my ties out of the leftover fabric)

Directions:

• Cut your fabric into strips. I bought 2 colors of fabric, 1 1/2 yards each and I had leftovers.
• Start on the bottom edge of the opening of the tree skirt with your fabric & glue gun. You will glue the end down and with the rest of the strip you'll fold it over and glue it down as you go, creating little ripples. It's super easy! You keep doing that same thing all the way around.

• When you get to the next row you can change up your fabric or keep it the same, overlapping it a bit with the first layer. Do this all the way until you get to the top.
• When you're all done gluing the strips down you will want to cut out all of the little strings that appear from using the glue gun.
• Glue or sew your ribbon on the opening of the tree skirt.

• Option: You can sew this whole thing instead of gluing it. It's up to you! Either way will work great.

I really liked the outcome of my tree skirt. However, if I did it again I would have chosen more fabric options than just two. If you end up trying this out, let me know how it goes!