Friday, December 27, 2013

December: 5 Things I'm Loving

Hey everyone! I hope your Christmas was spectacular and that you're having a little bit of time to rest in between all the holiday craziness. And...most importantly,  enjoying time with friends and family. Before December comes to a close, I wanted to do my monthly round-up of the five things I'm really loving lately. So without further ado...here we go!

1. Christmas Decor!

Starting with the obvious here. John and I really don't go too crazy decorating for the season, but I do have a few cherished things that I absolutely love, and look forward to seeing every year. We don't put up a tree, because a certain non-human member of our household likes to consider it his own personal jungle gym. I would love to have a tree. I have a fabulous vintage silver aluminum one from the 40's (color wheel and everything!), but we can't put it in a room were Furry Lewis will be. We've put it in another part of the house before, but then we don't end up seeing it very much either.  Here's just a sampling of how we decorate. The nutcrackers are a new addition. I got two of them and they are pretty tall. You'll never believe where I found them. Walgreens! Even better, they were on sale for $14. Score!
Glitter Deer! I have 2 of these and I just think they are so sweet. Purchased at Home Goods.
Sparkly Trees! Made these myself! 
 
It isn't Christmas without Snoopy.
 
The Tree Assassin's personal stocking.
 
Lazy girl tip: just throw a whole bunch of ornaments into a giant glass urn!
 
Walgreen's, I heart you.
 
Our mini tree...high up on a shelf. ;) Planet of the Apes lunchbox....not so Christmassy. :)
 
 
2. Starbucks Venti Iced Coffee.
 
I'm just going to admit it. I'm a complete Starbucks addict. There is a Starbucks very near my gym, and I've gotten into the habit lately every rewarding myself with a coffee after an especially hard work out. But what's cool is I've gotten my Starbucks drink down to about 20 calories. I get a Venti iced coffee with no classic syrup. Completely unsweetened. You have to be especially careful when you order this, because they automatically put classic syrup and all iced coffee drinks. I take it home and doctor it up with a little bit of fat-free half-and-half and about four packets of equal. Delicious.

3. Sandwich Bros. Pita Cheeseburgers and Chicken Melts
These are really the food find of the month. I've mentioned that I've been really enjoying being in what I think is the Green Zone. These little sandwiches are absolutely perfect for lunch. You just have to pop it in the microwave for about 45 seconds. I got them at my local Walmart, but I'm sure they can be found other places. The nutrition stats are pretty good. The chicken version has 160 calories and 11 g of protein. The cheeseburger has 160 calories and 10 g of protein. They make a really great light lunch.

4. Bath and Body Works Three Wick Candle: Marshmallow Fireside
Another thing that I've been really loving this month is this candle from Bath and Body Works. The scent is kind of hard to explain, but I think it is simply out of this world. It has an outdoor campfire smell, but also the delicious scent of something baking. It might not appeal to everyone, but I can't get enough of it. B&B Works is one of those places where I never buy anything without a coupon. There's always one available. I went a little crazy and stocked up on these during the 2 for $22 sale. If I'm home for any length of time, this is burning. I love the way it makes my house smell.

5. The Body Shop Body Butter in Vineyard Peach
 
 
And one last thing I wanted to mention is this fabulous body butter from The Body Shop. It's getting to be the time of the year when I notice my skin becoming drier by the day. I love to put this on after I shower and the scent is just amazing. I want to put my whole face in the jar and just inhale it. It's super hydrating, and it would probably be a little bit rich for warmer weather, but in the winter time it's just perfect.

John and I are leaving for our Treehouse Get-away soon, so I won't be back until next week. I hope you have enjoyed 2013 as much as I have. I have a feeling that 2014 is going to be even better. Thanks so much for reading and I will see you all soon!

9 comments:

  1. Bath & Body Works gives me quite the headache... BUT their winter scents are almost the reason for the season to me! ha. I LOVE their Vanilla Bean Noel...it smells like sugar cookies baking to me. Also I'm quite the candle addict. I went yesterday and purchased $88 worth of Vanilla Bean Noel Candles, soaps, and lotions for $24 due to a 50% off Christmas items sale and a $10 off coupon!

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    1. Oh my gosh...so true! I have a maximum time limit of about fifteen minutes in there until I just cannot breathe. Kirkland's is by far the worst though. I can last about 5 in there.

      I should go back in there this weekend and scope out the after-Christmas sales. I can always use a few back-ups!

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    2. good luck! I hope you find some stuff... my store was mostly wiped out, I finished off the Vanilla Bean Noel lol. But it's also in a busy mall... there's a stand alone store near my house too, maybe I'll check there for a few more candles.

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  2. I went NUTS this year for Bath and Body Works semi Annual sale. I love their candles so much! My favorite candle is the Apple Crumb :)

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    1. Oooooh. I need to check that one out!

      How are you doing? I am sooooo enjoying your blog, but try as I might, it will NOT let me leave comments! I wonder what the deal is?

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  3. I missed you! I love your Christmas post. I love yummy smells and glitter and lights. I am so excited to watch how 2014 is our best year yet. ;)

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    1. I've missed you too!! I know....I'm going to take down the decor today and I am dreading it. The house always looks so plain afterwards.

      Girl, 2014 is gonna be great. I've had a few days of slacking....I won't even pretend otherwise, but now that the whole country is all New Year's Resolution crazy, hopefully the holiday temptations are OVER. I went to the gym today for the first time since Saturday and it was so crowded.

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  4. I just found your blog, I'm scheduled for my lap band on the 21st. I'm so glad to find your blog and can't wait to try some of your recipes.

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    1. Yay!! So glad you found me!

      Man...that's not long at all. How are you feeling? Excited? Nervous? I remember being strangely calm until the morning of.

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