*This post is sponsored by Walmart. All product selections and opinions are my own!

Happy almost December! I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving! We spent a few days in Utah with family and it was exactly what we all needed. (My dad snapped this pic right before we ate). :)

I wish we could have stayed another week! So much fun. We are always a little sad to say good-bye to grandparents and cousins after time spent in Utah so I cheered my crew up with a happy reminder that we were heading home to our house in San Diego decked for the holidays with a fun month ahead!

First up on the agenda? A Christmas movie party of course! I’ve never in my life waited until after Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas.. or to start listening to Christmas music (I’m ready in early October!) but I DO hold off on the Christmas movies. We have so many favorites and love spending the month of December watching as many as we possibly can. December is a busy month and with kids in high school schedules get tricky so we try to schedule set family movie nights ahead of time to prioritize some time together.

Christmas movies are best with pjs and fuzzy Christmas socks by the way. In case you didn’t know. :)

(*more fun sock options here)

Oh.. and with food. LOTS of food! One of my favorite ways to make December feel special is by making fun treats for our Christmas movie nights!

I get a lot of our groceries from Walmart and order ahead to pick up or have them shipped to our home. They make it so easy and when it comes to groceries/food they have everything you need for the holidays! When I ordered some groceries for our movie party I couldn’t resist getting this fun new 4 piece serving set. It’s perfect to hold a few different types of candy/treats!

I bought this cute red dinnerware set in the summer for 4th of July get togethers and it works great for Christmas parties too! The mugs will be perfect for hot chocolate. :)  (Speaking of hot chocolate, that 4 piece serving set above will also be ideal for holding hot chocolate toppings!)

I got everything ready in the kitchen and then moved it to our family room for the movie. We love to snack in this room when we’re watching movies. That’s why a rug that hides everything and a couch with slipcovers I can wash is crucial. :)

I’ve always found that the snacks themselves don’t have to be fancy with my crew. When I display snacks with fun dishes and have at least one thing that everyone loves it’s a hit and feels extra special. (The popcorn is my must have. In case you didn’t know.) :)

This 3-tier serving tray set is another favorite for movie night or hosting parties with family/friends. You can easily separate a few things you are serving and it always looks beautiful! I tossed  a few fruits/veggies in there to keep us healthy. ;)

These white porcelain serving platters are also ideal for entertaining and I reach for them all the time for our every day dinners too. The treats in the first platter are called Oatmeal Carmelitas and you guys.. they are to die for! SO delicious! My friend’s daughter made them for a party and as soon as I ate one I knew I had to have her make some for me and send the recipe! I added it at the bottom of this post for anyone interested. Seriously.. they are so good! If you make them and love them too let me know! I didn’t add calories because that would spoil the fun pretty quick so just serve some carrots next to your Oatmeal Carmelitas and all will be well. ;)

Ad and Kole couldn’t wait to get this party started. :)

I couldn’t wait to join them! They were so good to hold off and not eat anything until Kenny snapped a few pictures for me. My sweet family.. blogging is a family effort a lot of the time! Ha. They didn’t seem to mind one bit once I put the camera away and said “enjoy!” I see LOTS of family movie parties in our future. And LOTS of oatmeal carmelitas.

I love this time of year.

In case you didn’t know. :)

{POST SOURCES}

Oatmeal Carmelitas

{Ingredients}

Crust:

• 2 cups All Purpose or Unbleached Flour 
• 2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats 
• 1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• 1 ¼ cups margarine or butter, softened 

Filling:

• 1 (12.5-oz.) jar (1 cup) caramel ice cream topping 
• 3 tablespoons All Purpose or Unbleached Flour 
• 1 (6-oz.) pkg. (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips 
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Steps:

•  Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13×9-inch pan. Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup; level off. In a large bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix at low speed until crumbly. Reserve half of the crumb mixture (about 3 cups) for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture in bottom of greased pan. Bake at 350°F. for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine caramel topping and 3 tablespoons flour; blend well.
• Remove partially baked crust from the oven; sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Drizzle evenly with caramel mixture; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
• Return to the oven; bake an additional 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 hour or until completely cooled. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until filling is set. Cut into bars.

Notes: 

*For the caramel topping I used one package of Kraft caramel bits and melted them over the stove then added the flour 

*I also used both milk chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips (about half a 6oz package of each to have an even balance for taste)

*Feel free to throw in nuts too. I didn’t because Ad is allergic. :) 

{tree sources}

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you’re all surrounded by family and good food and enjoying the day! I’ve rounded up some of my favorite items from favorite stores that are on major sale this weekend. I LOVE that I can happily shop Black Friday sales from my couch in my stretchy pants while munching on pie! The best. :) I hope my top picks help make your holiday shopping a little easier!

*affiliate links used

1- stella  jewelry box   2- plaid picture frame   3- plaid sham

4- flameless pillar candles   5- throws   6- plaid duvet cover

PB candles can’t be beat! The frames, throw and jewelry box would make a great gift and I have the fun plaid bedding. The shams are on my guest bed (I’ll share pics at some point!) and look so festive for the holidays! All of PB’s holiday bedding is marked down and there are so many fun options! I really love these sheets.  And these!

My barstools are 20% off! I love them so much I bought the exact same set for my office. :)

{chunky wool jute rug/all family room sources}

My coffee table is also on sale!

1- cutting boards   2- charcoal link   3- guthrie cabinet   4- floor mirror

5- gray tapered jar   6- coffee table   7- seagrass basket  8- woven counter stool

Other McGee favorites on sale. LOVE everything pictured above! 20% off sitewide right now!

Serena & Lily has 25% off everything right now! I love their pillows. Especially in the summer.

These towels are also favorites!

1- poetto vase   2- stripe tassel pillow cover   3- healdsburg bath collection

4- stool   5- malibu chandelier   6- beachside bowls

I have and love most of these items. The vases have been on my wishlist forever. (Hint Kenny if you’re reading this. El.. Ad.. tell him!) ;)

This long time favorite sweater is back in stock and on sale! I love it so much I have it in two colors. Comes in so many color options!  (This is my Christmas porch a few years ago.. head here to see what it looks like today.) :)

1- puff sleeve sweater   2- bobble ribbed sweater   3– lounge pants 

4- fur slipper   5- styling iron   6- leather tote

A few other Nordstrom favorites. They are dropping new items on sale daily!

These beloved joggers and sneakers (in pink!) are also marked down!

1- pocket joggers   2- necklace   3-   slipper   4- swift run sneaker

5- oversized quilted jacket    6- convertible shoulder bag

Linked here with other Nordstrom top picks. I have these Uggs (#3) and they are the coziest!

1- flannel pajama set   2- pullover sweater   3- necklace set

4- medium transport tote   5-  boots   6- turtleneck sweater

You can never go wrong with Madewell.  30% off of everything right now! If you’re looking for a nice gift the transport tote (#4) is one of my favorite bags and I’ve had it for YEARS. It never goes out of style.. holds a lot and always looks so classy. I also have and love the necklace set and wear it often.

I bought this beautiful top during the last J Crew sale and have loved it! I snapped this pic after church one day (just paired it with a skirt and boots) but it also looks so cute with jeans for a night out. On sale again and it comes in 5 different colors!

1- pajama set   2- puff sleeve top   3- pom-pom beanie

4- chateau parka   5- ruffle top   6- sweater 

A few other J Crew favorites. 40% off of everything right now! I ordered the black coat (#4) and have been patiently waiting for it to arrive! I also just ordered that cute puff sleeve top (#2). Isn’t it so cute for the holidays!?

1- ruffled midi dress    2- pine cone wreath   3- capri blue candle   4- spiral planner

5- pine cone garland   6- capri blue hand soap & lotion   7- wooden tree candle   8- mirror

Last but certainly not least.. Anthro! 30% off at Anthropologie. Oh happy day. :) If you haven’t tried my favorite Christmas candle (#3) you need to! I always stock up and give some as gifts. Aren’t the wooden tree candles fun too!? I’ve been waiting for them to go on sale and just ordered them! I have the blue hand soap/lotion in my downstairs laundry room and in my girls bathroom. The navy and gold really adds so much charm to any bathroom, laundry or kitchen (aside from smelling amazing!). The pine wreath and garland is beautiful and still in stock if you are looking for something to dress your house up for the holidays!

That’s it for now! I’m off to do a little on-line shopping of my own. Bring on the pie! I’ve been training for this weekend (the on-line sale shopping and the eating) all year long.

;)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from our family to yours!

*affiliate links used

My kitchen window is decked and now it officially feels like the holidays! Last November I decided that since we had no snow in sight (and never will!) that I would create my own snowy magic. A few village houses, my favorite birch trees (on sale right now!) and some realistic faux snow did the trick! I loved it so much that I decided to do the same this year and just added a few wool trees. (Similar wool trees in blush are still in stock!)

I also switched out my snowflakes and hung gold star drop ornaments instead. They are the same stars I hung on my family room Christmas tree this year. Kind of obsessed with them but can you blame me!? So beautiful. I used clear fishing wire to hang them.

{large gold tree/medium gold tree/round gold vase/decorative gold vase/antiqued metal tray (large)/faux snow/string lights}

I also added these beautiful gold trees and vases on my gold tray and then used faux snow and my favorite string lights to add to my cozy night lights. (Going to add some greenery in my small round vase!)

I placed white ceramic houses in my cabinet although I’m still debating whether or not I should keep it like this! I kind of want the large houses in my entry so we’ll see. Plus sometimes this looks a little busy for me. I love it! But it’s a lot going on. For now I’m keeping it and enjoying the cozy glow from the cabinet. (I linked the white ceramic houses at the end of this post!)

It makes me so happy to walk into this scene when it gets dark each night!

A few more angles because I took too many pictures. But you already knew that. :)

Love this time of year! If you are traveling this week be safe! I’ll be back very soon with some fun Black Friday deals. If you are celebrating Thanksgiving I want to wish you a wonderful holiday! I’m so grateful for you all (your support means so much to me!) and I hope you are able to relax and enjoy your family. Along with ALL the good food. Bring on the stretchy pants!

Lucky for me I own lots of them. ;)

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*affiliate links used

Teen girls! Pretty much sums up my life right now. This pic was from last year around this time. We need Ellie to snap a new selfie of the 3 of us with the bread. :) It’s always an adventure with these two. Love them both so much and overall I’ve loved this stage. It’s like having two mini besties running around with me all day.

I’ve rounded up LOTS of gift ideas if you have teen girls in your life too! These are all items my girls either already have and love or things would be excited about (and might be getting!) for Christmas this year. I shared ideas in this post from Urban, Nordstrom, Amazon and Sephora (some of the main places I shop for my girls.) Sephora gift sets were a huge hit with my girls last year! They always love trying new skin and make-up products and the gift sets are perfect for that. If you aren’t buying for teen girls this year still take a look at the items I’ve rounded up because quite a few are good gifts for women of all ages. Another fun thing about this stage with my girls is that we can share! So many things they love I love too. :)

I’ll have teen boy gift ideas coming soon!  Teen girl gift ideas are easy, but I had to recruit a few friends to check out my ideas for teen boys and make sure they were legit. I passed.. phew. Ha. ;)

Thanksgiving week! Let’s do this! It’s a busy one for sure. Good luck kicking off the week, happy shopping and I’ll be back soon. :)

1- adidas waist pack  2- tote bag   3- gel under eye pads  4- claw clip

5- fujifilm instant camera  6- fujifilm film   7- ugg sandal    8- roller skates

9- hydro flask water bottle   10- dr. martens jadon platform  11- disposable camera

12- shag throw pillow   13- mini instax film   14- smartphone printer

1- ribbed sweater   2- sparkle bobby pins   3- lemon drop detangler   4- flash patch eye gels  

5- long shirt jacket   6- 4-pack liner socks  7- jaw clip  8- airpods pro case 

9- no. 7 bonding oil    no.5 bond maintenance conditioner    no.4 bond maintenance shampoo 

 no.6 bond smoother   10- slingback sandal

1- sportswear sweatshirt   2- chuck taylor high top sneaker    3- eyeshadow palette  

4- ponytail holder   5- detangling primer   6- jadon boot   7- curling iron

8- oversized sweatshirt   9- plumping lip gloss set   10- flannel pajama pants

1- leather backpack  2- tie-dye party   3- 10pk natural lip balm

4- sherpa wearable blanket  5- fuzzy socks   6- night light bluetooth speaker

1- photo string lights   2- travel size brush set   3- crossbody bag

4- tripod stand   5- vanity mirror   6- mud mask

1-EMU Australia    2- supergoop glow sunscreen   3- rainbow puzzle

4- felt letter board   5-  hair towel wrap   6- echo dot

1 – the baking cookbook for teens  2 – how to cookbook for teens

3 – 7 habits of highly effective teens   4- mindfulness for teens

1- galaxy gorgeous set   2- holy sheet

3- hydration starter kit   4- rose deep hydration skincare

1- shine lip gloss & plumper set   2- pillow talk lip set

3- plumping lip set   4- lip color lipstick & lip balm set

1- makeup brush set   2- clean makeup set

3- beauty must have set   4- lash kit

*affiliate links used

Last night I kicked off the holiday season with a group of friends at a favorite things party. Favorite things parties are always so much fun this time of year! I’m pretty pumped because I am going to 3 of them this holiday season. The best because I get to spend time with 3 different groups of amazing friends and also the best because WOW.. so many fun gift ideas! You can be pumped right along with me because of course I’m going to share these fun gift ideas with all of you! Virtual favorite things after in person favorite things! Everyone is invited! Everyone gets a car!

Sorry.. flashback to Oprah. No cars. I got a little excited there. :)

A friend snapped this picture right after a few of us walked in the door and I’m bummed because I really didn’t take many pictures after that and I wish I would have! I didn’t even get a picture with my friend Megan – the beautiful party host who owns this house. You can tell by her stunning tree that she has an eye for design. Her home is gorgeous!

Her cute 8 year old daughter snapped this one quick before we walked into the party and I wanted to share it to show off that wall.. amazing right!? I love the way she layered black, white and gold frames that hold sentimental pictures on shelves. Such a stunning statement right when you walk into her home.

Bouquets of red, pink, gold and black balloons were going down her stairs and placed in other fun spots throughout her house.

Pink is always such a fun, unexpected color for holiday decor. Her kitchen looked beautiful and the food was amazing!

Snapped this of the balloons while everyone was in the living room and realized after that I was in the mirror.. Diet Coke in hand of course. Ha.

Most of you know the drill with Favorite Things parties – I’ve been sharing them on my blog for longer than I want to remember! ;) – but if you are new here and haven’t been to a favorite things party this is how it goes down. The host tells everyone how many gifts to bring and what amount. For this party we each brought 3 of one of our favorite things that cost between $15-$20. 3 of the same thing! (For the party I’m going to in a couple of weeks people are bringing 2 of the same favorite thing that costs between $25-$30). Either works! Then at the party each person gets up and tells about their item and why they love it so much. How the gifts are distributed can be done in lots of ways. At this party we all signed our names on 3 separate pieces of paper when we arrived and names were drawn after each person shared their favorite thing to see which 3 people got to take it home. Another way to do it is to all share favorites first and then start at one end of the room and go in order letting each person choose a gift. Then back again starting where you left off so the order reverses. Am I making sense? Anyway.. so many creative ways to do this! At the end of the day it’s just so fun seeing what your friends love. Usually if it’s a friend’s favorite thing it’s something you would love too! Each person goes home with 2 or 3 new gifts and even more gift ideas!

After a few hours of chatting, gift sharing and laughing these were the favorites shared last night. Perfect gifts for family, teachers, neighbors and friends!

1 – capri blue volcano candle  2 – madewell blanket scarf   3 – winter white holiday candle

4 – snowflake ornament  5 – olaplex blonde enhancing toning shampoo

6 – olaplex bond maintenance conditioner   7 – mini maker electric griddle

8 – hair finishing stick   9 – fullstar 4 in 1 vegetable chopper plus  10 – large makeup bag organizer 

 11 – true lime (with gift card for Diet Coke)  12 – self tanning facial  drops  13 – tarte mascara

All so good! As you know Anthro candles are long time favorites of mine and you can’t go wrong with anything Madewell! I brought Olaplex (LOVE all of their products) and so did a couple of others (the purple shampoo is great for blondes!). I actually wanted to bring my battery organizer full of batteries. I ordered it and shipping was delayed! It didn’t come in time for the party. Maybe only a nerd like me loves things like that anyway so all good. ;) They actually drew my name for the vegetable chopper and we all had a good laugh! Then my friend put my name right back in the jar and gave it to someone else. My friends know me well enough to know that a vegetable chopper wouldn’t get used much at my house.. ha. :) My friend Katy who loves to cook brought that and raved about it so it’s a great gift for anyone who does love to cook! We were laughing at my friend Darci who loves to put true lime in everything she eats and drinks. Perfect especially for water and Diet Coke! I’m dying to try the hair finishing stick and the tanning facial drops! The make up bag was a hit too! All such fun items.

1 – adubor silk pillowcase  2 – fir and firewood candle  3 – magnetic measuring spoons set

4 – it’s a 10 miracle leave-in product  5 – pumi bar    6 – japanese salut towel

7 – danish dough whisk  8 – tinkle hair trimmer  9 – rose quartz roller (use with Aloe Vera)

10 – battery organizer   11 – supergoop sunscreen  12 – epicurean lip balm

Silk pillowcases are so good for your skin and hair! My friend swears by this one. Firewood and fir is hands down the best scent for the holiday season (I have that candle going in my house right now as I type this!). The measuring spoons are genius.. never lose one again! I can vouch for It’s a 10! I started using that as a de-tangler after a favorite things party a few years back and love it too. Same with the tinkle facial razors. I want to try Supergoop.. people rave about that sunscreen! The dough whisk was another popular items for cookers and I linked my battery organizer in this collage because you know.. there might be another nerd out there like me who would prefer that over a vegetable chopper. Stranger things have happened! ;) One item that accidentally didn’t make it into either collage was this microfiber hair towel wrap.  Another fun item!

I hope this post gave you a few fun gift ideas! I’ll share more from other parties and also my own favorite things round-up at some point too!

If you’re feeling at all stressed about gift giving or any other planning that needs to happen this holiday season it’s not too late to download my free holiday planner! I don’t know what I would be doing without my never ending brain dumps inside of mine. I love having a place to keep all of my Christmas lists/planning organized!

You might even call it one of my favorite things.

Second only to my battery organizer.

;)

*affiliate links used

{cable knit faux fur pillow/knitted tree Christmas throw}

I’m sharing two of my Christmas trees today! Complete rooms aren’t well.. complete yet. But progress has been made so I’m sharing progress. :)

First up.. my family room tree! This Norway 9′ Faux Spruce Tree might be my favorite tree ever. In this world. Which is saying a lot. The shape and lights.. it’s just beautiful and was so much fun to decorate!

I kept it really simple and just used this burgundy wood bead garland layered with this gold bead garland (similar here) for a base. Then I added the glitter star ornaments I love from my tree last year, these long time favorite gold ball ornaments and a few of these beautiful star drop ornaments. I was so excited when I found the star drop ornaments on-line because they go so well with the stars I already had! This glitter gold star was perfect to top things off and then I picked up this fun woven tree skirt to complete the look.

Really such an easy tree! The only thing that was a little tricky was getting the two garlands to look right. I had to space them far enough in-between one another and then I had to space the two individual garlands apart so they weren’t clumped together. That took a little effort! This is the tree I always decorate with my kids so I put the garland on and arranged it first and then they helped me with the ornaments. Always the best solution if part of the tree is going to take some planning. ;)

{woven tree skirt/wool jute rug}

Mad game of Sorry was going on this weekend. Hands down my kids’ favorite board game! These two play Sorry and Chess weekly and things get pretty heated.. ha.

I was worried the tree skirt would blend in too much with my family room rug but it works great! Really loving how well they compliment each other. I just need to finish a few things on my mantel and style my coffee table and then this room will be holiday ready!

To be continued.. :)

{windowpane plaid/red & green plaid/oversized burgundy/boucle with zipper/Christmas tree loops}

On a side note this is the one room I’m doing with more of a burgundy look vs. red. These pillows are a few favorites from Target I’m using this year. All going in different rooms but the two burgundy options (that got cut off on the far right!) will be in this space. Sorry for the bad lighting here.. cell phone on a cloudy day!

Ok.. next up is my living room tree! Here is a pic with the tree lights off.

And with lights on! While my family room tree is more elegant this tree is playful and just FUN. I love both looks so much! Which is why I end up with multiple trees throughout my house every year. It’s too hard to be limited to just one style! I know you all feel me on this one.

That’s why we hang out together here and all get along so well. :)

This is my fa-la-la tree in what I’m calling my fa-la-la room. You all know how deep my love is for this glitter garland! It will always have a place in my home during the holidays. :) Aside from that I layered in a bright red bead garland (similar here) with my favorite wood bead garland. I placed them a little less loopy than the bead garlands on my family room tree so they were a lot easier to work with!  Then I layered in white snowflakes (similar here and I’ll share more options linked below), and my cute little sherpa reindeer. :)

The only item I bought new this year for my living room tree are these beautiful fa-la-la white ball ornaments! Of course.. they were speaking to me. They are so large and stunning in person!

{red & green plaid/similar velvet green/fa-la-la pillow}

But if you get the ornaments you have to get this fa-la-la pillow too. I mean can you really have one without the other!? I think not and I would appreciate it if one of you could explain this to my husband. He needs to understand that all things fa-la-la are a package deal. He also needs to understand that these items definitely fall in the need category.. not a want. A need.

I’m so happy you’re with me on this one. ;)

*Sidenote.. did anyone notice the picture in the corner of baby Kole by the swimming pool? Summer pics are still in these frames! Switching them to Christmas pics is on this week’s to-do list.

This room is off to a great start with the tree and couch pillows done! I need to finish my mantel, style the shelves and coffee table and switch out the pictures. Then this room will be holiday ready too.

One step at a time. :)

{similar velvet green/Christmas tree loops}

I’m still playing around with pillow combos on my chairs and will probably move this tree pillow to another spot but isn’t it adorable!? The loops bring in so much texture! A perfect little accent pillow. Comes in red and gray too and in a lumbar size.

Well.. that wraps up my tale of two trees! Like I said.. complete rooms aren’t 100% complete yet, but we are definitely celebrating progress around here!

{plaid flannel joggers/ugg slippers}

In other fun news, these cute pj bottoms Ad and I bought last December are back in stock and on sale this weekend! Love them! (I’m linking them below.) They also come in shorts and I just ordered a pair of the shorts for each of my girls because they like to sleep in them. Cooler at night! Abercrombie is also having a huge sale on all of their coats this weekend so I linked favorites of those below too. Pjs or a new coat would make a great Christmas gift! (Mens coats are marked down too!)

Enjoy the rest of the weekend! I’ll keep decking the halls over here and report back with more soon.

;)

{POST SOURCES & FUN SALES}

85 degrees today on the coast! Time to head to the beach? Or decorate our porch for the holidays?

I say both! But porch first.

Always. ;)

We are feeling all sorts of festive around here now that I’ve turned our porch into a mini forest! I have to get my winter fix one way or another. :)

This really was the easiest Christmas porch and didn’t take long at all to set up. I put a few command hooks on the ledge above the door and then layered garland across the top. (Tip: Wait 30-60 min to add the garland after you place the command hooks. I’ve learned the hard way NOT to attach items right after you put the hooks on! The command hooks need some time to really stick and secure where you’ve placed them.) 

{cypress tree/basket}

I pulled out my long time favorite faux Cypress trees, placed them in baskets to add some texture and then added smaller trees around them.

{large pine tree/medium pine tree/small pine tree}

{red plaid rug here & here/fa la la door mat}

You might remember this fun plaid red rug that I’ve had in my dining room during previous holiday months. I bought a smaller size for the porch and love it! What better to layer with the crown jewel.. my fa la la mat. ;)

{similar garland (more options linked below)/wreath hook/hanging bells}

I hung bells from the door with a wreath hook and called it done! Come on over! We are ready to welcome friends and family for the holiday.

And then all head to the beach.

:)

*I shared a quick video here of me styling this porch if it’s helpful! 

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