Sunday, December 31, 2017

Tonight's the Night the World Begins Again


A a new year is upon us!  A new chance to begin again and reflect on the year that was...


Some people make their resolutions and set their goals.  I've discovered that I 'm the worst at keeping my resolutions, so I don't make them.  I'm better at goal setting but in all honesty, those don't all get checked off the list either.

I've only set one goal for 2018 that I think I can stick to...2018 is going to be the year of the HOUSE!!  2018 is year five in my little house, and after 5 years, there's lots that needs to be done. Instead of spending all my money on clothes, I'll put it toward the house!  I'm on my way!

So while a new year is also a clean slate, Me being Me, this year I'll probably make some of the same mistakes, still say yes when I should've said no, or no, when the better answer would've been yes!  I'm still gonna be loud, laughing at horribly inappropriate times, and procrastinating.  I'll still be over here drinking all the drinks and eating all the cheese, eating out way more than I should or staying home living on pasta and quesadillas!


That's not to say I don't know there are plenty of things I need to do or cut back on (probably the drinking, cheese and shopping!!)  But all good things in moderation!  HA!!



The blog is a big reminder of me breaking resolutions and goals.  In 2017 had I big plans for the blog!  But not a lot of  that came to fruition.  Yes, I hit triple digits on the blog, but it was my lowest number since 2014, when I first committed to growing the blog.  As I'm typing this I have 54 posts in draft....eeeekkk!  Even after my Toronto trip with the TBB ladies where I was invigorated, I fell short.  54 times I wanted to write then didn't! But in Vegas, after another trip with a few of the TBB ladies, I realized it's not really the blogging that matters. In the end it's the connections with THE PEOPLE I've made that matters.

I can honestly say, I'm not sure where I'll go with blogging in 2018, but I'll still be around...maybe just here and there.  Maybe I'll post more on social media, and less on the blog itself.  And that's OK.

But before the year comes to a close, I just want to say thanks!  For reading, following and everything in between.  I truly wish you nothing but the best in 2018 and beyond!  That you have more better days than bad days, laugh more than you cry, and surround yourself with people and things you love!

Cheers to a New Year!!



Tuesday, December 19, 2017

My Home at Christmas

Morning all!!

  I can't even believe that this time next week Christmas will already be a fond memory. Eeeeekkk!!!

It finally feels like Christmas in my house...but the house is pretty much the only thing that's ready!! No gifts are wrapped, no cards are sent, nothing!  I'll probably do everything on Saturday!  HA!!!

But since the house is Christmas Glammed, I'd love it if you'd let me indulge in a little Christmas tour! The girls of The Blended Blog and I have been linking up and sharing our homes for a few years now.  I'm super excited to share a number of new touches around my house this year with you.

Come on in...


My favorite new Christmas decoration is definitely this large canvas print.  When I saw it I knew I had to have it.  It's the perfect colors for my home, I knew exactly where I'd put it, and it was affordable. Win-Win!  Also love my little tree!

The little snowman you spy on the left, used to look like this!!  I just flipped it around!!!


The Tree skirt and stocking were a gift from my mom when I first moved out on my own.  She spent hours making them.  The first year, I got the tree skirt.  The next, the stocking.  My mom is very Crafty and likes' to DIY!

I finally have a new TV stand and a Christmassy red accent wall! Thanks to my dad.  Because the TV stand with the electric fireplace is taller than my old stand and really centered all around the TV, I have less room for displaying than I did.  But I like the way it came out.  Less is more!


My home is one big great room, so I basically squeeze in decorations anywhere I can!

The kitchen is pretty Christmassy!  Here's my 2017 Christmas Kitchen!






















I guess I'm pretty nostalgic because I still like to display my very first Christmas Stocking, from 1980 during Christmas!


Something else new I got this year was this frame as a fun way to display the Christmas cards of years passed that I've sent.  I really like the way it turned out.  After Christmas, I think I'll keep it up and swap the cards out for other fun prints or photos!



The cards I receive are displayed on this ribbon hanging from my pantry door!


Another thing I always love sharing is my Nativity.  It was my grandmother's original Hummel Nativity!  I display it on my wine table...because why not?!? It actually fits there perfectly.


Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season...filled with the love and fun of family and friends!
How do you decorate for the holidays?  Head to The Blended Blog to link up your home too!!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night....


Christmases Past:


In cased you missed it!  Head here to help me choose which Ugly Christmas Sweater to wear on Friday!

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Great Gifts for Teacher Friends, Hostesses, and Everyone in Between


Back again today with some more fun gift ideas.

For the last few years, there have been some teacher friends that I've exchanged gifts with.  These are a few of the ladies that I'm really, really close with.  We all know that our budgets are tight, but don't want the holidays to go by without celebrating so it's usually a little something.

Most times, what does every teacher want??  WINE!!  HA!!  So for a few of my friends I do that.  A  good bottle that I know they'll enjoy.  Usually, I'll add a fun Wine tage to go with it, like this one!

 I like these wine tags because, although there a little large, they can then double as a nice ornament for your tree!  They can help you fill in a big gap!!  :)


Often times, I'll give my teacher friends books!  Being the librarian and teaching in Catholic School, there are a number of my teacher friends who read and love the author Matthew Kelly!  Each year around this time, he'll offer his books at big savings with the intention that they're shared!  So each year I purchase his latest title to give as gifts.  For the past few years  I have been participating in his #BestAdventEver and loving it!



You know how sometimes during the holidays, you get invited maybe to a house party on the spur of the moment?  It's for times like these, that I have a few gifts in my arsenal.  Rather than just giving the hostess a bottle of wine, that I know, so many others will do, I like to go with a small gift, that might be useful at the party.  Usually these are Christmas related.  I've given candles, candies in a Christmas dish, cookies on a Christmas platter, Christmas coaters, even a Christmas Decoration!

Last year during early new year's sale I bought a few frames like the one above on the cheap!  I am considering printing out a few fun Christmas sayings like the one above and framing them to give away this year!!  (Bucket List Item Checked Off!)

What do you like to give?  Let me know in the comments below!!  And if you missed yesterday's fashion post, click here and help me choose which ugly sweater to wear this year!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Have a Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Festive Christmas Sweaters...help me choose!!

It's been quite a while since I've shared any type of fashion post.  The winter sees me in my uniform of leggings and boots with not much motivation to get at all gussied up in the mornings!!  But when I heard Christy was showcasing her festive Christmas sweater today over at The Blended Blog and was looking for others to join her, I jumped at the chance.

I've found that as I get older, the teacher in me (or maybe just the fool!) is dressing up more and more and getting into "it" during the holidays.  I wear the festive scaves, socks, even leggings!!  And it really is just so much fun!!

But Christmas is all about the sweaters!  Some may call them ugly, and there's a time and a place for that, but I perfer to call festive!  Especially when we all wear them on the last day of school before Chrsitmas break!  My collection has grown quite  bit!

Here are some of my favorites!!




This one is pretty ugly too...but I liked it too because it's like the game Pac-Man and being a technology teacher, I thought I needed it.  My students enjoyed it!

This is admittedly my "ugly" sweater go-to!



It's still up in the air what I'm going to wear this year and I'd love your help!!   In the comments below let me know if I should rock my reindeer vest or my sweet elf!!



Monday, December 11, 2017

Holiday Gift Ideas!

For the next two weeks The Blended Blog is running the Home Tour and Holiday Gift Guide link up!  I'll be sharing my home tour next Monday, in hopes that it's all back to normal after getting a paint job!  Today...and on Thursday this week, I'll be sharing my gift ideas based on gifts I've given and people have loved.  I've decided to break it up because I don't want it to be too long and just because I think it's more fun that way!!

Today I'll be sharing my ideas for kids!  I know what you're thinking...I'm the single one living the solitary life!  What do I know about buy for the kids?  Maybe a lil summin' summin' !

Today is Green Monday too!  Perfect for shopping those last minute gifts!!



As an aunt to10 kids ranging in ages 7-15, when it comes to Christmas gifts, I like to go with a theme.  So basically everyone gets the same thing, but different.

In the past I've given the all kids cozy PJ's.  I loved when I did this!  The kids did too!  And there are so many fun, festive ones out there at great prices!  Places like Gap, Old Navy, Vineyard Vines and Life is Good have pajamas at every price point and some really good sales.

Old Navy's Sale is crazy today...up to 60% off plus 10% more and 6% back at Ebates!!  You need Ebates!!  Sign up here!! PJs for everyone!!

One year I gave everyone cold weather gear...scarves, hats, gloves and fleeces. Old Navy and Gap are my go-to for these things.  Actually the year I did that, I ordered them all during the end of season sales in January.  At such cheap prices and with so many kids of different ages, I bought a few of each size, taking into account them growing during the year.  There was only one vest that ended up being too small, so that one I donated to a local coat drive!

The Crew Minus Two!

The kids really had fun the year I bought them board games.  I made sure to get them all something they didn't have!  That then also made for some fun family game nights throughout the year.
Here are some of our faves!


Being a librarian, you know I've bought them BOOKS!!  Can't go wrong with books!  If I remember correctly each child received 2.  One Christmas title, and a children's bestseller from that year.  Then a Barnes and Noble gift card, to pick out a title of their choosing!  I liked this best.

This year, now that I am a classroom teacher again, I've bought each of my students a copy of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.  Hope they love it!

One of the biggest hits though, was the Gift Card Grab Bag!  I got the kids gift cards: iTunes, Toys R Us, Game Stop, Justice, American Eagle, Amazon, even Nordstrom, just to name a few!  They each got a chance to pick from the grab bag a different card and after all had been picked could trade!  The kids loved this!  So much so, that when I didn't do it, immediately following my gift giving,the next year, my nephew asked me if I remembered doing the Gift Card Grab Bag and told me to do that again!  HA!  You win some, you lose some!! Wish I had pictures!!!

So I think I may do that again this year!!

What do you love to buy the kids in your life?  Let me know in the comments below!!

Monday, December 4, 2017

#TBB Asks: The Holiday Edition!

It's that time again!  It's the TBB Asks link up!  This time we're talking all things holiday!!

Grab the graphic and play along!!



1. Real or Fake Tree?
Mine's fake, simply for the fact that I like to keep it up!  And maybe I'm not the type to go cut one down...

2. Favorite Christmas Cookies:
Can I say all of them? Who doesn't like cookies!?!

3. Home on Christmas Morning or Travel?
It's just me, so I'm home before I have to go to my sister's in the afternoon!  I will say being on my own on Christmas morning is very different but I've created my own tradition.  I spend the morning sipping mimosas while watching Love Actually and wrapping the rest of my gifts!



4. Clear or Colored Lights?
Definitely clear on my tree but I do enjoy seeing colored lights on displays!

5. Send Christmas Cards?
YES!  Although this year I am not 100% sure I'll be getting any out. I try to be creative each year, and to be honest, this year nothing's coming to me yet!


6. Favorite Christmas Present Received?
So hard!!  From when I was little? I'd have to say my Humphrey Peter Cabbage Patch in Christmas 83 or 84!  I still have him.  My parents were part of the Cabbage Patch Crazy back then and I'm not even sure how they pulled off 4 dolls for four girls.  And we still have them all!!


7. Favorite Christmas Present Given?  Ugh...I have no idea!  I am not a creative buyer.  It's so much easier to buy things for myself! I used to make my mom things for Christmas when I was younger, which she still has, so that's always fun to see!

8.  Stockings?
Definitely...3 actually!  My original from the year I was born in 1980.  It was completely different from my three sisters, who all have the same nice embroidered ones...mine was probably bought all the mall but it's original fuzzy stocking, with my name in glitter!!  So there!
I also have a stocking from Pottery Barn from my sister and one to match the tree skirt my mom made for me, when I got my own place.Click here to see them all!

9. Christmas PJs?
YES!!  A few years back my family started the new tradition to wear PJ's to Christmas all day!!  Finding new Christmas themed PJs each year is always fun. Already got mine for this year and can't wait to wear them!!

Christmas 2014...this first year we started wearing our PJs I think!

10. Favorite Christmas Carol?
The Christmas Cannon by the Transiberian Orchestra.  A less traditional Christmas song I love is by an Irish band populkar her in New York called Shilelagh Law.  It was written the Christmas after September 11th, 2001 and it's just really beautiful!!

11. Favorite Christmas Tradition...
Aside from Christmas PJs, I'd have to say Cookies and Cocktails with my sister each year...that's really turned into a whole family thing.

12. Early Shopper or Last Minute?
I always think I'm a good shopper and then at the last minute, it seems that I scramble.  So I guess it's a toss up!!

13. Favorite Christmas Movie or Show?
I love Love Actually, obviously (see above!)  But Elf is great too and The Holiday is just the cutest!

14. Favorite Holiday beverage?
Anything!  Hahahaha..just kidding!  I enjoy a peppermint mocha at least once during the holidays.

15. Cookies and Milk for Santa?
But of course!


How fun was that?!? Head on over to The Blended Blog and link up too!!

Wishing you all the best that this holiday season has to offer!  Have a Merry Merry Monday!!

Friday, December 1, 2017

Christmas Bucket List: 5 things I'd love to do this Holiday Season!

Happy Friday!  And happy First Day of December!  What??  Where does the time go.  I'm excited December is here but it's also really scary!  Christmas is right around the corner...and I am soooo not ready!!  My tree is not up, my cards are not mailed (or even ordered!!) and I still have lots of gifts to buy!

Today I'm excited though to be taking the time to blog!!  I'm joining a bunch of fun gals and sharing a Mini Christmas Bucket List...5 things I'd love to do this Holiday Season!




Get a picture with Santa
I'm so angry with myself.  On Saturday, while I was shopping Small Business Saturday, they were giving a way SWAG Bags, having a food drive, and offering free pictures with Santa.  I dropped off my cans of food and noticed all these kids taking pictures with Santa.  It wasn't crowded and I thought for a moment about hopping on Santa's lap!  But then said to myself, "I can't really take a picture with Santa!"  But now, after seeing a friend's photo on Facebook of her two dogs (only dogs!!!) on Santa's lap, I'm totally regretting that I didn't do it!!  He was a really great Santa too.  So now I'm determined to get my picture with Santa!! LOL


Head the the Beach to see the Christmas Light Display!
A local beach had a huge drive through Christmas Display for years and I never made it.  When it closed I was sad that I never got there. They are bringing it back for the 2017 Christmas Season and now I'm determined to go!  Fingers crossed I make it this year!!


Actually bake my cookies this year!!
For the past few years my sisters and I have had our annual cookies and cocktails day!  It has always been the joke that I bring the break-and-bakes (and drink more than I eat)!!  I want this year to be the year that I actually bake my cookies!  I am hoping to find a fun recipe I can bake.  I think I'll be able to do it this year too!  Because now that the family's gotten so big and cookie day has gotten so crazy, we've decided to have the dough prepared ahead of time.  This way, while we're there all we have to do is bake!!  Oh and I'm open to recipe suggestions, so if you have nay, I'd love to know about them!!



Drive around the neighborhood and look at lights!
Years ago my friend and I used to go out and look at the Christmas lights on the houses.  We haven't done it in forever!  This year I want to bring back this tradition!!  Maybe make a Jammie Cocoa Christmas.

Get Christmas Crafty!
For the last few years, my mom has been gifting each of my sisters and I a Christmas present that she's made herself. And I've been wanting to do the to do the same. I have an idea as to what I want to make...actually I've had it for quite a while.  Half the battle is really just getting my butt in gear and finding the time to do it!  I think that the gift I have in mind is fun and will be appreciated.  If I put an actual time line and this and actually put the idea in writing, maybe, my chances are good that I get it completed this year. HA!
Mom with last year's Christmas creation!

What fun things do you want to do and see this holiday season?  Let me know!!  Have a wonderful December Weekend!!  And thanks for visiting today!




Linking up today:
The Blended Blog
Friday Favorites
H54F