Christmas 2013

Yesterday was the last day of Christmas celebrations for Josh and me, and today I’ll take down our decorations.

It has whirred by and, honestly, I’m kind of sad about it. I didn’t watch as many Christmas movies, make as many candies/cookies or take as many pictures as I wanted to.

But I did get to enjoy lots of good times with lots of good friends and family.

Here are the highlights:

Weekending 12.10.2012

My weekend involved a lot of kitchen time. This weekend I….

Hosted a cookie exchange,

Tried some marshmallow vodka….

To put in my Grown Up Hot Chocolate,

And made boozy Marshmallows.

What did you do this weekend? If you have any new recipes, I’d love to try them!

{infatuation friday}

12.7.12

1. Christmas Countdown. So, I’m kind of feeling a Christmas countdown coming on. Maybe via Instagram  or Twitter; just a fun daily update to get ya pumped for Christmas. It would start at the end of next week. Let me know in the comments if you would be interested in seeing something like that!
2. 12 Days of Giving. I don’t know how this has gone over my head for the past few days, but Starbucks is currently hosting their annual 12 Days of Giving. Coupon Pro Blog has each daily item listed, so you’ll know when to look for discounts on the things you want.
3. Blood Bricks. I usually don’t share things from work here because, let’s be honest, construction equipment has nothing to do with this blog. Buuut… today we have something really strange and interesting on the website: bricks made from cow blood. Yeah, you read that right. Gross, I know. But you totally want to read about it.
4. Brunswick Stew. For the first time ever, I made Brunswick stew last night. I take a lot of pride in this because 1) I took a couple of ideas to create my own recipe, and 2) Josh loved it! He went back for second and thirds and maybe even fourths (I don’t know, he acted like he ate half the batch). Plus, it was the first time I’d used my slow cooker since we moved. It was so nice to come home and smell dinner already cooking.
5. Grown Up Hot Chocolate. I’m kind of really excited because I’ll finally have the chance to make this over the weekend. I’ve honestly wanted to make some Grown Up Hot Chocolate for more than a year. Now, if I could find an excuse for S’moretini Shooters…
6. Christmas Cards. I hope to make my Christmas cards this weekend. I’m super excited because I don’t think I’ve ever done this (I usually just buy a box of generic Christmas cards to send). I’m 99 percent sure I know what I’m going to make. I have big plans, y’all–big plans. If you need some Christmas card inspiration, check out my Festivus board.
7. Santa Tracker. As a kid, one of my favorite Christmas traditions was to watch the news track Santa’s whereabouts on Christmas Eve. So. Stinkin’. Cool. What with all the new social sites popping up, NORAD has really amped up this whole Santa-tracking thing. You can find NORAD Santa Tracker on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The team even has an app (available through iTunes, Google Play and Windows). For more fun facts about NORAD Santa Tracker, visit AL.com.
8. Cookies. I’m making more cookies this weekend, and they definitely will not be spritz. I still haven’t decided exactly what I’ll do, but I guess I’ll figure it out while I’m shopping tonight. Anyway, look for photos of the cookies (and others!) on Instagram tomorrow night.
9. Meal Planning. Josh and I started really dedicating to meal planning this week, and it’s totally working for us! I’ve only had to go out once this week, and that’s only because I didn’t have time to go home until well after dinner. But the Brunswick stew? Totally planned it, like, last week. And we even have meals planned for next week too. This has definitely relieved some stress. Next thing to tackle: organizing household chores.
10. Slow Cooking. I’ve been a bit obsessed with the idea of slow cooking lately. Dinner is ready when I get home? Yes, please! I’ve been trying to hold back on choosing too many slow cooker recipes for our meal plans because most of my favorites are soups, stews or chilis. However, in my recent obsession, I’ve been learning a lot about slow cooking–like these seven tips for slow cooking in a crock pot. By the way, if anyone wants to buy me that Crock Pot Smart-Pot mentioned at the end, by all means, feel free to send it to me.

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