My Birthday Wishlist!

Okay, so y'all know how over the last few weeks everybody & their Mama has been posting their "Christmas Wishlist?" Did you notice how I didn't even do one?! It's not because I'm all, "it's not about the gifts, it's about the reason," although, it's not about the gifts! 

I held off because I thought it would be more fun to do my Birthday Wishlist! 

My birthday is THIS FRIDAY! Woohoo! I'd be really excited but I'm getting old, or something like it. Anyhow, since my birthday is so close to Christmas I'm often told that I'm hard to buy for. So if you are blessing me with a gift for my birthday this year, I figure the least I could do is give you some pointers ;) 

Notice: this is all in good fun, but I really DO want everything on this list. 

Let's get this party started, shall we?

I received a gorgeous Coach bag for Christmas, but I've had my eye on this Dooney & Bourke beauty for awhile now. The size & style of this bag is perfect and I just love this fun print!

Aren't they gorgeous? I've been wanting riding boots for awhile now; I finally found some at a GREAT price on Black Friday and by the time I got to the computer to order myself a pair they were all.sold.out. Cried me a river for days, y'all! I'm not set on this exact pair, although I think they are perfect, but I am wishing for some that are very similar! Oh, in brown AND black. LOL.

I've actually had my eye on a Bulova watch that is similar to this Fossil beauty right here but they are seriously expensive. So when my girl Lindsey showed me her Fossil that she got for Christmas I fell in love!

My hubby bought me a Nikon 5100 as an early Christmas present on Black Friday and ever since I've been lusting over this gorgeous Jo Totes camera bag! All of her bags are gorgeous but this one is my favorite! 

Other things that I'm coveting:

Giftcards for KiKi La'Rue, Sephora and JCP!

Also, cash is always accepted! I'm hoping to purchase tickets to see George Strait's last concert here in Houston (I get early access to them!!), a ticket to Blissdom, and a plane ticket to visit my girl in Tulsa!! Anyone have an airline hook up? lol

Okay, so this was a lot of fun, but now I feel like a total brat for showing y'all all the things I want for my Birthday. Do you make wish lists like this too? What's the one thing you are wishing for right now?

BLOGGERS: I'm putting together a giveaway to celebrate my birthday! If you'd like to sponsor/donate to the giveaway let me know! I'm giving free ad space for anyone who helps out! 

                                           

The Eve of a New Year

Happy New Year's EVE! Are y'all excited about a fresh beginning, a new year? I am! It seems as though 2012 just flew by. I was talking about it with hubs and he says that 2012 feels like a big blur and he's right! I'm not a fan of life passing us by in a blur. We've both vowed to slow down this year and enjoy every single little thing.

I'm not making "resolutions" this year (except for the one above!) but I do have a long list of goals. I feel like there isn't just one area of my life that needs improvement, so why not work on all areas?

~Relationships~

This year I am going to put forth more effort into all of my relationships. I want to be a better mom, wife, and friend. 

I'm hoping to forge great friendships this year (especially with other bloggers!! ;) ) and continue to nurture the ones I already have. I feel like I"m not always the best friend I could be and I want to be better in that department! 

I'm going to spend more quality time with my husband this year. I'm going to make him feel special. I'm going to make "us" a priority. I am so blessed to have such an amazing man by my side and sometimes, I take that for granted. I don't want to be that wife.

I will be a better mom this year. I will be more patient. I will listen to them, even when they are rambling on about nothing. I will be thoughtful and giving of my time. I will spend time playing with them even when I have a million and one things to do. God has blessed me with these two beautiful children and I will not waste one single minute more. 

~Taking Care of Me~

Of course, like a lot of people, I want to lose weight and get in shape this year. Just like last year, and the year before. I'm turning 28 in just a few days; only 2 years left in my 20s. It's time to do this y'all, I'm sick of all this extra "cushion." 

Beyond losing the weight though, I will make myself a priority. I tend to put myself last on my "to do" list and I really have to stop that. I've realized that I am the glue that holds this family together and I have to take care of myself. Whether that means working out and getting fit or finding time to relax and pamper myself, I have got to remember that I have needs that must be met.

~Finances~ 

This year, finances are going to be a huge focus for us! Spend less, save more! So much easier said than done, but we already know where we need to cut back and how to save more! We have to drastically cut the amount of times we eat out a month (which will help with weight loss too!) and that will save a bundle! 

My husband and I are hoping to sell our house this year and purchase a larger one. This is especially important to me, so I'll be working very hard to save save save. ;) I'm also saving for a family vacation! We usually take little road trips close to home throughout the year, but I'm talking Disney here people! 

These are my main goals for 2013 and are the things that I will put the most focus on. In fact, I'm probably going to make a bullet list and print it out to go on my refrigerator!

  Do you make New Year's Resolutions? What are they?

Y'all - if you are going out tonight to celebrate, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be extra careful. 

I want to see how 2013 pans out for each and every one of you!

 

Christmas {All Wrapped Up}

Hey friends! I think I've finally recovered from my Christmas "hangover" (no alcohol involved) and I'm ready to get back in my groove around here! I was feeling bad about not having blogged in awhile, but apparently I really needed the break!

Christmas around here was a total whirlwind! We had 4 straight days of celebrations, with a different place to be each of those 4 days. It was exhausting and wonderful all at the same time. Of course the easiest way for me to share those 4 days with you is with picture overload, so I hope you're ready :)

Our first stop was last Saturday at my cousin's house for Christmas with my Uncle (Dad's brother!), Aunt, Cousins and Dad, Step mom and brother.

We let the kids exchange gifts and they had a blast playing together!

On Sunday we went to my Mom's house for Christmas dinner with her and my brother. Our dinner was amazing y'all, my mom really outdid herself!

We had a crown roast (OMG!), mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sauteed brussell sprouts, and rolls. Oh, and that cake - sea salt chocolate something or another - HEAVEN with chocolate covered cherries on top. Oh My.

Then we all got spoiled with gifts :)

My brother, Fischer - he has a serious shoe addiction! 

My beautiful Mama! 

On Christmas Eve we spent the afternoon at my Dad's house, but before we left we made sure to spread out the food we made for Santa's reindeer in the front yard. We had a blast watching the kids open up all of their gifts and then playing with them! My Dad works shift work so often he is not there for holidays and I was so happy to have him home this year! Granted, the only reason he had the time off is because he'd just had knee surgery. Blessing in disguise? Maybe.

They were begging Uncle Jeffrey for a ride!

 My Dad is a huge hunter and he loves ducks so when I found this awesome vintage clock that had a duck scene on it, I knew it was for him! He loved it :)

This is my step mom Carrie - She and my Dad have been married for almost 21 years! I don't know how she has put up with him this long (running joke) but I'm so glad she has! She is a God send and I adore her!

Handsome Hubs :)

Watching this almost made me cry, seriously. lol

My brother, Jeffrey, is a turd. But I love him :)

Which brings us to Christmas Day! My darling daughter woke up at 4 a.m. and I made her stay in bed. She finally went back to sleep around 6 but I stayed up until I knew she was asleep. Around 7 James woke up and I was exhausted, but had no other choice but to get moving. I took great joy in waking Addison from her peaceful slumber! We spent the morning opening gifts at home and then we headed out to spend Christmas Day with my in-laws.

Santa Came!

He loves his construction equipment! 

The "I can't believe I got an Easy Bake Oven" face = priceless :)

Some of the guys

All but one of the kiddos

Cousins & Buds

My Sister in Law, Amy & her future (HOPEFULLY!) hubby, Bryan

Brother in law, Alex, Nephew, Ehyan, Sister in law, Malissa (Ehyan's Mommy!)

My goofy father in law!

My mother in law is Farmville addicted, so this was a perfect gift for her :)

 Well, that's it folks! My Christmas all wrapped up in one very long, picture loaded post! How was your Christmas?

Dinner Tonight..and Tomorrow..and The Next Day too.

I am a planner and a list maker; this little habit reaches every part of my life. Meal planning is one of the things I do to stay organized and to help my family save money. I used to plan meals for a week at a time, then I went to two weeks & now I plan meals out for an entire month. I wrote this post about meal planning last year. Planning out our meals has saved me a lot of time and money but it is hard work. eMeals, the online leader in meal planning, can make it so much easier! 

eMeals offers over 50 delicious meal plans and corresponding grocery lists every week based on food style preferences, family size and the current sales at selected grocery stores. Dinner menu plans include classic family meals, low-fat, portion control, low-carb, gluten-free, vegetarian, clean eating, paleo and the natural and organic plan. WOW! For more information, please visit www.emeals.com.

I'm going to be giving eMeals a try and I'm giving you all a discount code to try it for yourself! Get 15% off of the meal planning system with the coupon code "2013" at www.emeals.com.

Do you plan out your meals? Would a system like this be useful to you?

             

Merry Christmas Friends!

My family & I would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas! We hope that you enjoy your time with friends and family, consume lots of wonderful food, and even check a thing or two off of your "wish list." See y'all on Wednesday! 

                          

Stuff My Stocking, Honey!

Okay, Okay hear me out! Call me a six year old if you want to, but I expect my for husband to play Santa and make sure my stocking is stuffed full of goodies come Christmas morning. Just like I expect him to bring me an Easter basket, something divine & something stuffed for Valentines' day, and well...the list goes on. Whatever, it is his responsibility to stuff his wife's stocking. Ahem. 

I've managed to get the man to comply with my needs to be overly spoiled on the other holidays, but Christmas? Not so much. Don't get me wrong, he delivers when it comes to gifts under the tree. Seriously. The stocking? Again, not so much. 

So, I've taken to stuffing my own stocking! 

This was too fun y'all! I searched through some awesome sales & got some great clearance finds! Y'all know I love a good deal. Everything in this photo above is from Forever 21 w/ the exception of the monogram necklace and the Reese's Pieces! :) 

Stuffing your own stocking isn't quite as exciting as someone else doing it, but at least I already know I love everything that was put in it!

What kind of things do you typically find in your stocking?

                                                

That Friday Blog Hop!

 

Welcome to That Friday Blog Hop.

With your hosts: Rebecca @ Let Them Eat Cake and Chrissy @ A Lil' Dash Of Diva. Hop around, have fun, and find lots of fun blogs to enjoy!

So here is what we ask from all of you lovely people.

Follow the two hosts 
Follow the week's special co-host
Grab the button, share it everywhere to spread the word Tweet.




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Hosts:


     

Our co-host this week is Lacey from ...And They  Call Me Mommy. Stop by her blog and show her some love! You can find her blog by clicking on her button below. Don't forget to leave a comment there as well. We all love comment love!


So link up all your social networks and have a wonderful Friday and weekend! 

                                                            

Fa la la la la la la la

Like a lot of people, Christmas music sort of kids on my nerves, for the most part. However, every so often throughout the season you just might find me rockin' or beltin' my heart out to a few tunes. Here are a few of my favorites:

Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas"

I've been loving this song for about as long as I can remember; for some reason it has always struck a chord with me and I will always turn this one up and sing it at the top of my lungs. Besides, who doesn't love Dolly?



Gayla Peevy's "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas"

Okay, we all love this one right? It's just so fun! Also, a fun little giggle fest waiting to happen between me & the best frann! We love this song.



Skip Ewing's "Christmas Carol"

Oh, this one, it's a tear jerker! The lyrics tell such a sweet story.



Elvis Presley's "Silent Night"

Did y'all know I love Elvis? Like love him. Well,  I do. Elvis has the very best Christmas albums and Silent Night is one of my very favorite Christmas songs. Win. Win.



Last but not least, I plan on starting a new Christmas tradition this year with my man Blake's new Christmas album:

I love Blake and I don't care what Miranda says, he loves me too! (Love you Miranda!)

Aren't y'all glad you can't hear me singing? What is your favorite Christmas tune?

                                    

Santa's Reindeer Need A Snack Too! {Reindeer Food Tutorial}

Everyone leaves good 'ol Saint Nick milk and cookies on Christmas Eve, but often, folks forget about those hard working reindeer. Reindeer get the munchies too folks!

Spreading reindeer food in the front yard is one of my favorite Christmas Eve traditions and it has been since I was a kid! My step mom introduced me to this activity when I was 11 or 12 and I always loved sharing this tradition with my little brother. Now, I enjoy doing this with my own children just as much!

Reindeer food can really be anything you want it to be and I often change it up from year to year. This year I just used some things that I had on hand:

Ingredients: 

2 pkgs. instant oatmeal

4 TBS of Raisins

2 handfuls of chocolate chips (or any other variety)

2 handfuls of Cheerios

2 ziploc baggies

Stapler

Glitter (optional)

Directions:

Empty one package of instant oatmeal into each ziploc bag. Add 2 TBS of raisins, 1 handful of chocolate chips, and 1 handful of Cheerios to each bag. If you are using glitter, add desired amount. Then, shake shake shake! Squeeze all of the air out of the bag and seal.

Now, I hand drew little labels for each of the bags just to show you that this can be a really simple project done with things you already have at home. You can, however, make a really nice digital label and then print it out. My kiddos tend to like it when I break out the markers and construction paper :)

Staple your label to the ziploc bag, and voila! A super sweet treat for your reindeer friends!

Now, on Christmas Eve you take your bag of reindeer food outside and sprinkle it all over your front yard. While Santa is busy delivering presents inside, his reindeer will be refueling for the long night ahead of them. Trust me when I tell y'all that the reindeer really appreciate this! Your kids will love it too!