So remember in my last post how I was talking about slowing down? Yeah.. that’s maybe happening next week. Ha. :) This seems to be the week with ALL the December activities and parties hitting at once. Are you all feeling that too? It has been so fun but wow.. I’m tired! Although full disclosure, 40 teenage girls just left my home so that might have something to do with how I’m feeling at the moment.
Just Maybe. ;)
But more on that later. I have a Hallmark movie going to keep me awake because I’m excited to share my master bedroom Christmas decor with you all!
You might remember this Christmas tree I got for my master bedroom last year. I kept it decorated mostly the same with silver, white and pink ornaments. I wanted it to have a ‘snowy’ look so I added a lot more quilt batting this time. A fun, inexpensive way to add a little something to your tree!
And to fake snow if you aren’t seeing it out your window. :)
One thing I also love doing when I decorate this tree is doubling up ornaments and putting two of them really close together. It’s the buddy system. Everyone gets a buddy.
(Suddenly I’m on a 2nd grade field trip.. anyone else? Once a school teacher always a school teacher..) ;)
I really didn’t do too much to the rest of the room. I just added cozy throws (this is a long time favorite!) and then some greenery to the mantel.
This garland I’ve had for years. It already had the small silver and gold ornaments attached and then I added the rest of the larger pink ornaments. I didn’t attach them.. just nestled them carefully in the greenery so they won’t fall off!
I love how that simple, inexpensive touch that took all of 5 minutes tied the mantel and tree together and made the bedroom feel so elegant!
That’s all it took to make this room holiday ready!
And oh so cozy.
Especially at night with the tree lights on! I told Kenny he should be happy that I added a Christmas tree to our bedroom last year.. that having a tree in the master bedroom created an incredibly romantic space.
Absolutely perfect for flannel pj’s, ice cream and Hallmark movies in bed.
Maybe not exactly what he had in mind, but it’s working pretty great for me.
How to Make December Intentional and Gifts for Men
Christmas is in two weeks! Can you believe that!? In past years when I would hear that Christmas was right around the corner I would feel stressed about all that still needed to get done.. gifts left to buy/wrap, parties to attend, treats left to make, etc. Now that my kids are getting older and the realization has really set in that Decembers with our little family all living at home together are numbered, I find myself worrying about different things. Are we spending enough time together as a family? Are we making memories together vs. just running around busy trying to do too much? Am I setting a good example to my kids of what Christmas is all about and focusing on service?
So we are sitting down as a family to plan the rest of 2018! We are cutting things that aren’t important and focusing on fun things we can do to spend time together. We are also focusing on small acts of kindness. Simple things we can do each day that don’t take a lot of time, but show others that we care. I created a Holiday Acts of Kindness/Holiday Bucket List page full of fun ideas that was an extra in my Holiday Planner this year and I want to share it with you all today! I also added a December calendar page next to it in my printable library so that you can easily plan out the rest of the month if you want to make sure that you are intentional with your time too. It goes by so quickly. I want to make the most of the rest of this year!
(If you are already a Sunny Side Up subscriber just enter your info. again to get the printables.. it won’t add you twice! Also, if you sign up and don’t get an e-mail soon after check your junk mail! Once in a while it lands there first.)
Ok.. moving on to my next gift guide! Gifts for the guys! Because regardless of how intentional we are being this month, we still need to get a little something for the men in our lives. ;) I don’t know about all of you but shopping for my husband, dad, brother, father-in-law etc. is always the hardest for me! Women/girls are so easy.. I just buy things that I would want! It’s a little harder with men, isn’t it!? But I think I’ve rounded up some fun gifts that will make it easier on all of us this year. These are all things Kenny has and loves or that I would love to get him!
1 – Patagonia Nano Puff Vest – You can’t go wrong with this lightweight but super warm vest. Looks great too!
2 – Wireless Charging Accessory Tray – This tray was on Oprah’s favorite things list this year and looks amazing! The perfect spot to drop a phone, keys, wallet and the best part.. no cords!
3 – North Face Jester Backpack – Every man can use a good backpack! This is a popular option because it’s lightweight but still holds a lot. Can be for the office every day or camping or traveling.. perfect for ALL the things! My husband always has a backpack with him!
5 – Carhartt Work in Progress Watch Hat – We don’t wear a lot of beanies in my neck of the woods but this is perfect for cooler temps! I’ve been hearing really good things about these and think my husband would love it for our winter Utah trips!
7 – Electric Egg Cooker – I shared more details on this in my eBay post but seriously one of Kenny’s favorite things. He uses it to make our eggs every morning!
8 – Ugg Slippers – The coziest! You just can’t go wrong with these!
9 – DJ1 Spark Remote Control Combo – My husband and son love to play with their Drone! This one has great reviews and is sure to be a hit!
10 – Canon EOS Rebel SL1 – If you have a man in your life looking to up his photography game I have this SLR and love it! If he’s really into photography and ready for the next step this is the camera I use now with this lens and can’t say enough good things about them.
11 – Bindle – I shared this Bindle water bottle on my first neighbor/friend gift guide but it’s so perfect for men too! I know my husband would love taking this to the gym. So handy to hold his keys, wallet, etc. while he works out.
12 – Digital Hanging Luggage Scale – I told my friend about this and she laughed that it’s one of Kenny’s favorite things but it seriously is! He loves his luggage scale! I’m such an over packer and he loves weighing my bag before the airport so we don’t run into problems. Ha! I’m telling you it comes in handy! Except when it means I have to take out one of my six pairs of shoes. (sigh)
14 – Cole Haan Grandpro Tennis Sneaker – My husband’s favorite shoes and this nice grey pair is on sale! I bought them for my brother for Christmas last year and now he’s a fan too. :)
17 – Saddle Leather Toiletry Case & Fossil Leather Passport Case – I had to put both of these in because I love them equally! My husband has a similar leather toiletry case and it has been his long time favorite travel companion. I’ve tried buying him more elaborate travel cases with lots of pockets and he always goes back to his simple leather case that he can just toss everything in! I also thought this leather passport case would make a great gift. Both of these are perfect for men who travel often!
18 – Coleman Sundome Dome Tent – The perfect easy to set up tent! Great for any man who enjoys the outdoors. Backyard campouts count too. :)
20 – ThermaSphere Max Hooded Running Jacket – The perfect running jacket! Especially great for running in not so ideal weather. Plus it has a good, athletic cut and is soft and warm.
So that’s it! 20 fun gift ideas for the men in your life. I hope they are helpful! Happy shopping and intentional planning. Two of my all time favorite things. ;)
Sharing a few pics from my Christmas Pajama party I threw right before Thanksgiving break today! I sat down with a few friends to discuss a date for my annual pj party in early November and our December weekends were already so busy that we decided to do it early. It gave me a deadline for getting my house decorated which I loved because without a deadline I’ll just keep decorating right up until Dec. 24th.. ha. :)
The tables were set and candles were lit the afternoon of the party, but the rest of my house was a mess because my family had been home all morning. I finally sent Kenny out the door with the kids two hours before the party because trying to get things clean with everyone living and eating in the house was proving to be a challenge. I know you know what I mean. :)
I wrote on all of the tags “Happy Holidays Cutie” as a little personal joke. Some of my friends give me a hard time for calling everyone “cutie.” They always say they love it, but they love to tease me about it! Addison has always given me a hard time about it too. She always says “mom.. it’s fine when you call my friends cutie, but when you call your friends cutie it’s just weird.” Is it weird? I don’t know. I can’t help it! It’s just what always comes out of my mouth! Ha ha. So “Happy Holidays Cutie” to everyone out there. ;)
Two of my friends came early to help with the party prep! My friend Katy who is an amazing cook did all of the food. She just took right over in my kitchen slicing and dicing while I was running around fluffing pillows, lighting candles and turning on Christmas lights and music. (The really important stuff.. ha)
We were so excited to try our first Charcuterie board! (I found inspiration in this favorite book.) Katy did an amazing job pulling it all together. I got this farmhouse serving board from Magnolia. Some of the reviews made me a little nervous, but I couldn’t find anything else as long as I wanted. It is really rough! I had to wash and oil it before we used it, but I think after a lot of use it will smooth out. I’ll link other boards I considered and also love below. (Shorter, but smoother boards!)
Katy sent me a list of things she used so I’ll add that in case any of you want to try a board like this with some of the same things. I’ve never heard of a few of the items, but it was all so delicious! {Cheeses: aged roth cheddar black, gouda van kaas red, triple cream brie, humboldt fog goats milk cheese, manchebo sheeps milk cheese. We also added fig jam, dried apricots, spanish marcona almonds, mini toasts, baby sour gherkins, roasted marinated greek olives, pitted marinated green olives stuffed with blue cheese, cheese bread straws, toscano salami, calabrese salami, thin sliced prosciutto, blackberries, green apple slices, and a french baguette!}
A few friends started arriving so I asked Kenny to take a quick picture of us with the spread before it disappeared!
Which didn’t take long. :)
My favorite thing about this party is that it’s so low key. Good friends, good food, lots of time to chat and catch up.
And of course the fact that we’re all in comfy pj’s. That’s my most favorite part of all. :)
Dinner was delicious too!
Chef Katy is in the black star pjs and I’m making her start a cooking blog! She is so talented when it comes to food. We make a good party planning team because I just want to decorate and organize all the details except the food.
We ate, we talked, we laughed, we decided we’re starting a book club, we shared holiday traditions, we laughed and talked and ate some more. Love these sweet friends of mine.
And my sweet Kenny who was such a good blog husband and took both a horizontal and a vertical group picture. He has been trained well and knows. Having options is key. ;)
My friends even all stayed to help clean up! And to eat more cake. We didn’t want the night to end.
Because Christmas pj parties are the best parties. If you don’t believe me, host one! You’ll see.
Happy Friday everyone! We made it through out first week in December! Bring on the weekend. :) I’m excited to share some fun personalized gift ideas from Walmart with you all today! I’ve always loved finding that perfect gift for someone. It’s kind of like a challenge I give myself every December to find things that I know my family and friends will love. At the end of the day we all know the actual gift doesn’t really matter. It’s the thought behind the gift. It’s a way to say “hey.. I know and understand you! I know what you love and it makes me happy to give you something you love. Because I love you.” :) I’m always thrilled anytime I can find something that is personalized in some way or that just has my loved one’s name all over it!
For example.. if you were all shopping for a gift for me you might know that this personalized fa-la-la pillow with Christmas lights is right up my alley. I love home decor (check!). I love Christmas pillows (check!). Fa-la-la seems to be a theme in my house this time of year (check!). Plus you can add your own words to the bottom of this pillow. I thought about putting our last name but then decided “bring it on” is a little more “me.”
Yup.. I pretty much nailed this gift to myself. Ha. ;)
This is another fun personalized gift I got this year at Walmart that I’m giving to Kenny! It’s kind of to both of us really. We love throwing summer pool parties and having friends over to swim and every single time we’ve thrown a party the past few summers we’ve wished we had something better to hold drinks! We keep using our coolers which work, but they are a hassle to pull down from our camping stuff in the garage (Kenny’s issue) and they don’t look very cute (my issue). So I was so excited when I found this cute galvanized beverage tub on a stand!
You can personalize it (love that!) so I just wrote Summer Drinks. I don’t want anyone to be confused. ;) But you could add your family name or have them say anything you want.
Lots of room for ice and drinks! I loved this so much when it came that I hurried and ordered another one so we can have one to hold water bottles and one for soda. (Walmart has lots of fun beverage tub options!) I know it’s more of a practical thing to give my husband, but I also know him well and know that he will love that I came up with a way for him to not have to drag out camping coolers every time we have friends over. (I’m here for you babe.)
Another fun gift I got that hasn’t come yet (being delivered next week!) is this cute Santa sack for Kole. They have darling Santa sack options at Walmart and you can put your child’s name on the front. So fun to wake up to this full of presents Christmas morning! I ended up ordering the red sack, but had a hard time choosing from all of these fun options..
I also love all of the fun personalized tree ornaments Walmart has. I have several friends who have the fun tradition of buying their child one ornament each year that says something about them. (Do any of you do this?) It’s a tradition I wish I would have started when my kids were little! So if your child dances a lot one year, you get a fun ballerina ornament or if they love to read you can get an ornament of little books, etc. I love this because when kids move out they have a set of ornaments that bring back childhood memories to take with them to their own home. (If you are a mom to little ones this would be a fun tradition to start!) Walmart has a huge selection of personalized ornaments that would be perfect for this. This one cracked me up and would be perfect for Kole right now! And these ornaments would have been a huge hit for years with my girls. They used to be obsessed with My Little Pony. (When we moved into our house El wanted a My Little Pony themed bedroom so badly! She thanked me profusely a year later for not giving into that one.. ha!)
These are some other fun personalized ornaments I love that would be fun for kids or just to give as a gift for a family! You can see more options here.
This is a special early Christmas gift I picked up for Kole. When I was shopping on-line and came across this climbing Santa I could not stop thinking about him! I just know Kole so well and knew he would LOVE this. It’s a tall ladder that has a pole attached to the top end that you just slide into your Christmas tree to hold it.
It plays 15 different Christmas songs, has a string of lights that light up, and the Santa climbs up and down the ladder. It is too cute and I wish so badly I would have had this years ago when all of my kids were little.
I knew Kole would be obsessed with this so he got one of his Christmas presents early this year!
I was right. :) I was so excited to show it to him when he got home from school! It was a HUGE hit. He’s obsessed and I have to admit.. it’s so darling. I’m a little obsessed with our climbing Santa too!
If you want to know where to find my son in the evenings look no further than our family room tree! He’s listening to the music and watching our Santa climb up the ladder..
down the ladder..
and back up the ladder again. Over and over. It’s keeping him off the iPad so I’ll take it. ;) It makes my day seeing his face light up. I want to freeze him in time right now. This age is too much fun. Especially this time of year!
Walmart has so many fun personalized gift ideas! I’m in love with their cutting boards and think they would make a perfect gift for neighbors, teachers or friends. I’ve linked to the boards I’m considering below along with some other fun personalized gift ideas I love. Huge thank you to Walmart for sponsoring this post and for making gift giving easier this year! Kole thanks you too. Climbing Santa was a hit. :)
The holiday craziness has officially begun. Happens quickly doesn’t it!? I can tell it’s December because we have some type of event every single night this week (2 Christmas parties, a band concert, a play, etc.). Honestly this is the first December I’ve felt somewhat calm regardless of our schedule because I did so much prep work ahead of time. My holiday planner saved me this year! I hope some of you are feeling the same. If not, don’t stress! Breathe and take it one day at a time. It will all get done.
Lots of breathing. ;)
I’m excited to share my Christmas living room decor with you all today! As soon as I pulled out the pictures for our Christmas gallery wall it felt like December! I kept a lot of things the same as last year in this room with just a few new additions.
I think my favorite new addition to this room this year (aside from the Sherpa’s!) are these beautiful new bowls. (Harrison Serving bowl/Harrison Snack bowl) I know they will be great for entertaining in the kitchen later on, but for now they are perfect to hold shiny ornaments on the coffee table. I have the large bowl on my family room coffee table too. :)
Even though my kids are getting older, they still love to read these every December. Santa Mouse just never gets old. :)
I mixed up our mantel and shelf decor a little bit! Always so fun to play around with styling shelves and mantels.
I moved our striped stockings into the family room so this year I just added some of my lit birch trees, these cute little wool trees and my favorite – the church birdhouse. :) I also added one Ivory pom garland and I might add some real greenery next week. I love the way real garland looks but it’s so messy! Plus it usually dries out in a couple of weeks so I like to wait until a little closer to Christmas to add some.
I left up the books I used to style these shelves in the Fall and just added wooden bowls, greenery, and a few ornaments sprinkled here and there.
Oh what do you know! Another Sherpa reindeer. Merry Christmas little guy. :)
My favorite thing about this room is how it looks at night when it’s all lit up! (I’ll share some night pics soon) It just glows and is such a fun space to greet people who come to our front door.
I hope you enjoyed the tour of my Christmas living room today! We haven’t turned on the fireplace in this room yet this year but after tonight I think it’s time! It’s cooling off and really starting to feel like Christmas. Partly because of the weather.
Happy weekend friends! I’m so excited to be sharing my 2018 Holiday Gift Guide for Kids with you all today! The “kid” gift guides are always my easiest and favorite to put together. Between teaching Elementary School for 6 years and then parenting my 3 kids the past 15 years I feel like I have a pretty good idea of what a lot of kids love. Plus toys are just FUN! Nothing like surprising a little girl with a new doll house on Christmas morning. Or a little boy with a new punching ball set. Wait… what? Ha ha.. that’s one thing Kole wants this year! Sometimes my kids wish for off the wall things, but for the most part, the toys I’m sharing in this gift guide have been tried and true and tested around here and are hands down our favorites! I hope these ideas are helpful (for you or Santa) this year. :)
1 – Mongoose Expo Scooter 12″ Wheels – Since Kole doesn’t read this blog I think I’m ok mentioning that mom bought these fun scooters for him and his cousins this year! They have absolutely loved their Razor Scooters and ride them all the time so she thought this would make a fun upgrade. Sure to be a hit! I still remember the Christmas me and my sister and our neighborhood friends all got pink scooters. One of our favorite Christmas mornings we always talk about!
2 –Zingo – Kole’s all time favorite game when he was a couple of years younger. If only I had a dollar for all the times I’ve played it with him! I could afford a lot of Zingo games. ;)
3 – PB Kids Dolls (on sale!) – PB Kid dolls are too much fun. So life like and you can brush/style their hair. I miss buying dolls! If my niece was a few years older I would buy this Special Edition Equestrian Doll so fast! And the horse and stable. Maybe I want these for myself for Christmas. I’m not even kidding about that. Ha..
4 – The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs– This looks so cute for kids who are interested in learning to cook! I got it for Addison this year (she knows to stay away from this post!). The recipes look simple so maybe her mom can also learn a thing or two. ;)
5 –Let’s Play House (Dust Sweep Mop) Pretend Play Set – All three of my kids LOVED to pretend to clean with me when they were little! They always cleaned along side of me and I honestly think it helped teach them some basic housekeeping skills and how to pitch in and help at a young age. Our little pretend broom and mop were favorites and we still have them today!
6 – Let it Snow (snow powder for slime) – if you have a child who is still into slime (I’m so sorry.. I’m suffering from the same fate over here!) this snow powder is all the rage.
7 –Harry Potter Hogwarts Great Hall – This looks amazing! Perfect for the child who is into Legos or Harry Potter. And if you have a child who loves both.. this should make him/her very happy. And very occupied! The gift that gives back to parents too.. ;)
8 – Stencils and Drawing Art Set for Kids – Most kids love stencils! And I think they get overlooked a lot. We often get our kids art sets, but stencils are a great addition because they give kids some direction. Kole has never been into art and coloring, but if I place a set of stencils in front of him and he can trace a few things it spurs his imagination and creativity. I’ve always loved stencils!
9 –Personalized Woodwork Bench – Santa brought Kole this personalized Woodwork Bench for Christmas when he was younger and he loved it! I loved that it had his name on it. :) Kids have so much fun hammering and pounding with tools. Kole also had and loved a set just like this one he got for Christmas one year. Toys he played with again and again and again! He still gets out the drill from time to time and “fixes” our cupboards. :)
10 –Incredibles Action Figures – My kids played with small action figures like this ALL the time when they were younger and this set is adorable! Have you all seen the new Incredibles movie? We watched it as a family last week and loved it.
11 – Black Stripe Teepee (on sale!) – If you follow my blog closely you know we have and love this black stripe teepee! Aside from being fun to play inside, it also looks darling in a playroom or bedroom. Because.. stripes. :)
12 – JellyCat Stuffed Animals– My kids all love their stuffed animals. Still today they each have a few that they sleep with and drag around. JellyCat stuffed animals are the softest! Lots of fun, fuzzy options for a child of any age. :)
13 – Lifetime Youth Basketball Hoop – I’m not totally sure what Santa has up his sleeve this year but if I had to guess I’d bet on this lifetime youth basketball hoop for Kole. Or this one. Both look like great options for some easy basketball practice in the back yard. :)
14 – Kids UGG boots – I held off getting my girls Ugg boots for a long time because they are pricey and kids’ feet grow so quickly! But they wanted them so much so one Christmas a few years ago I finally caved. I’ve been pleasantly surprised how much they wear them! They live in them during the winter months even with our not so freezing climate. They have been so cute on them and worth the money! So many fun styles out this year. I especially love these Bailey Bow boots for girls and I know Kole would love these cozy Dakota Moccasins!
15 – Disney Princess Dress Up Trunk – I can’t share a gift guide for kids and not include princess dresses for little girls! Long time readers remember just how many we use to have at our house. :)
16 – Portable Soccer Goal – Perfect gift for any little soccer player! My mom bought one for Kole when he started playing soccer this year and it’s so easy to pop up in the yard for a little kicking practice or a game when friends are over. This one comes in multiple size options too!
17 – Boxing Ball Set with Punching Ball – Kole wants a punching ball for Christmas this year and this is the best I found! I’m actually really excited about this because he has SO MUCH ENERGY and is always walking around punching things like my throw pillows. Hoping he can burn off some energy with this thing and leave my beloved pillows alone. ;)
18 –Latch Board – all three of my kids LOVED this! Such a great little toy for toddlers! It really held their attention and was great for fine motor skills. We still have ours. I’m saving this beloved toy for grandkids! I absolutely love Melissa and Doug and would recommend any of their puzzles, games and toys for young kids.
20 – Pirate Ship Bath Toys – Kole’s all time favorite bath toys! These fun pirates stick to the side of the tub so kids can build ships on the side of the tub and and then float the rafts while they play. Kole played with these in the tub for years and never got tired of them! My kids also loved these foam letters and numbers in the tub when they were younger. Too much fun sticking things on the side of the bathtub. :)
21 – Princess Castle Play Tent – I think the only thing my girls loved as much as their dolls and dollhouses (and their princess dresses!) was their pink play tent. We had a pink play tent in our living room for years! This Castle Play Tent is such a dream for any little girl.
22 – Radio Flyer Ziggle – Ending on one of Kole’s long time favorite toys. He loved his Ziggle and rode it every afternoon for years!
I usually include 20 items for my gift guides but had these 22 and just couldn’t shave 2 off because I love all of these toys so much! Like I said.. I hope they are helpful! Happy toy shopping. :)
Happy weekend! I’m so excited to share my little mudroom Christmas tree with you all that almost didn’t happen this year! I mentioned in an earlier post that I moved my original mudroom tree into the dining room. I didn’t plan on putting a new tree in the mudroom because well.. our house is quickly becoming a Christmas tree farm. While I couldn’t love that more, my husband seems to think we have reached our “tree max” as he likes to call it.
But really.. what does he know. ;)
So there I was.. about to go treeless in our mudroom (my favorite spot to have a happy tree greeting us when we walk in the door off of our garage every day!) when Wayfair reached out to me and asked if I would like to help spread the word about their amazing 12 Days of Deals.. starting with day 1 – CHRISTMAS TREES.
Oh happy day. Fate!! It was fate I tell you. That’s what I told Kenny too. I mean how could I possibly help spread the word about Wayfair’s amazing deals on Christmas trees without getting one myself!? I really had no say in the matter.
But my favorite Wayfair score (besides the new tree!) is this beautiful mercury garland that’s on sale. I can’t believe the quality of this garland.. beautiful mercury ornaments! The type you would pay $12 or $14 for just one. I put 5 garlands on this little tree..
and then hung one in front of the door. A coset door that we won’t be using much this month. Kinda like we don’t use our black dutch door much in December.. #priorities ;) The garland is heavy so be careful hanging it! I used two strong command hooks.
I put mine on the tree, but I can think of so many fun ways to use this mercury garland every December! Hanging across mantels, on stairs, laying across garland. It just adds such a beautiful sparkle.
I decorated this tree yesterday and just used ornaments I’ve had for years for the rest of it.. all ball ornaments and I’ve linked to a few similar options below. I’m so happy to have a tree back in our mudroom! It just doesn’t feel like Christmas without it. :)
Like all Christmas trees, it especially steals the show at night.
12/12-12/13: Gift Card Promo (Buy $100 gift card, get a $20 gift card)
If you have been waiting to get a Christmas tree for a certain room in your house, today is the day to pull the trigger! Wayfair has so many cute trees (I’ve linked to some favorites below) and they are on major markdown! Trust me.. it’s fun to have a tree farm inside your house. Christmas lights galore!
A tree max? Really Kenny? I don’t think it exists.
At least not in this house.
:)
*Huge thank you to Wayfair for sponsoring this post and for giving me an opportunity to get my mudroom tree! My husband thanks you too.. even if he won’t admit it.
How to Cook Perfect Chicken (and kitchen favorites!)
I’m so excited about today’s post! I have a few small kitchen appliances to share from eBay that are making my life in the kitchen so much easier and I am seriously obsessed. They have so many fun things to get your kitchen holiday ready! I’ve been shopping through eBay a lot more lately because most of their items are new (something a lot of people don’t know!) and 69% of their items ship for free. Love that.
*affiliate links used
First up.. this Copper Chef perfect egg maker. You might remember from last year’s “day in the life” post I mentioned that I boil an egg for breakfast every morning. Many of you reached out to me after that post and mentioned using an egg maker so I did a little research and have been using this Electric Egg cooker to boil perfect eggs. It’s SO easy to use, makes up to 6 different types of eggs and they come out perfect every time!
We took it to Utah because I knew my parents would love it too. This pic was the morning of Thanksgiving (my mom was dicing celery for the stuffing). :) Kenny used it to make hard boiled eggs for me and my mom for breakfast.
You can use it to make up to 14 eggs at a time (genius!) or less. We usually only make 4-6 at a time.
Then he used it to make poached eggs for him and my dad. He was so excited to show my parents how cool it is! Now they want one too so we added that to their Christmas gifts this year.
We get pretty fancy for breakfast.. ha! Nice plates were being used for Thanksgiving so paper plates for breakfast it it! Seriously though.. the eggs were delicious! It even makes omelettes. Any type of egg you want.
I’ll take mine Sunny Side Up please. ;)
Second favorite from eBay is this beautiful three-tier dessert stand. I’m so excited to have this for the holiday season! I made our favorite pretzel hugs for my pajama party and loved having a fun way to display them. This stand made it so easy for everyone to pick up a few to munch on! Perfect for any holiday entertaining – cookies, cupcakes.. so many cute little treats you can display with this.
Plus I love the way it looks on my kitchen counter. :)
Little back story on my next favorite – When I was growing up my mom worked full time. She taught Elementary school so most days we went home late with her or went home right after school with a sitter (I was the sitter as soon as I was old enough!). But her school was on a track system so she would work a certain amount of weeks and then have three weeks off. I LOVED it when she had those three weeks off. I have the best memories of coming home from school to a clean house and cookies baking in the oven. She was always in a good mood (time off will do that to you!) and she would ask me and my brother and sister about our day and we’d hang out in the kitchen chatting and eating cookies. Not that things weren’t great when she was teaching (I loved that she taught at our Elementary school), but the cookies didn’t happen. ;)
So every now and then after I clean the kitchen, I bake cookies (usually easy pre-made cookies because I work from home.. ha) and I light a candle. I pick up my kids from school and they are always so excited when they come home to a clean house and cookies.
I feel like these racks are something everyone can use.. especially friends who love to bake!
Ok.. I’m most excited to share this next favorite eBay find with you all. I mentioned a while ago that a friend of mine needed help with paint colors. I introduced her to my favorite grey paint colors and to pay me back.. she taught me how to cook chicken! I have NEVER been able to figure out how to cook chicken. I mean I can cook it, but it doesn’t usually taste that great. I always just want Kenny to make it on the grill because it tastes so much better.
So here’s how to make perfect chicken! Either be an amazing cook (not in the cards for me) OR use the griddle and Santa Maria Style Seasoning. I’m telling you.. the secret is in the griddle and the seasoning! You can get this seasoning at most health food stores. Look in the meat section! It’s so good. The only other things you need are chicken breast tenders and olive oil.
Put your chicken tenders in a bowl and pour in some Extra Virgin Olive Oil and then sprinkle on the seasoning. Be generous with the seasoning making sure there is plenty on each piece of chicken. You really can’t mess this part up (which is what I love and why I can make it.. ha) so just put in enough to really cover the chicken.
Mix it all together with your hands. Wash you hand first. And after.
See.. some cooking rules actually stick with me. ;)
Then you set the griddle on your two front burners and turn them on medium heat. Lay the chicken tenders across the griddle.
Cook them for a few minutes and then flip them all on the other side. Keep cooking and flipping the chicken until you can tell it’s done! (I can never tell so I always cut inside and just make sure it isn’t still pink.)
This outtake made me laugh. It’s how I really look and feel when I’m cooking.. a mix of total stress and anxiety with an inner dialogue going on in my head saying “it’s ok.. you can do this. Sort of.”
But cooking the chicken on this griddle pretty much guarantees success! Look at that! perfectly grilled chicken by yours truly.
This picture shows how my burners were on medium heat the whole time. The best part is that the chicken tastes even better than it looks! My family is so impressed and proud. :) The only down side is that you have to clean the griddle, but I’d rather do that than scrub my stove (I make a massive mess cooking chicken in a pan) so I’ll take it!
Stress and anxiety gone. Inner dialogue saying “it’s ok.. you really CAN do this. Sort of.” :)
Overall I’m feeling pretty chef like with the help of these small but mighty kitchen appliances. If I keep finding helpful eBay finds like these you all better watch out! You’ll wake up one day and this blog will have morphed into all things cooking.
Crazier things have happened!
Or have they?
;)
*Huge thank you to eBay for sponsoring this post! And for offering so many affordable new products and appliances that make life in the kitchen less of a struggle.
But other than that everything was the same as my formal dining room set up. I laughed when I saw this pic.. looks like I snapped it when I was starting to set out silverware but hadn’t quite finished. I never do very well at taking pics for parties when I’m entertaining because I’m so scattered getting everything ready!
Sharing a few random pics from our trip to Utah for Thanksgiving that are currently on my phone. We threw a quick surprise family birthday party for my sister because she is turning 40 in December! My mom and I were cracking up. Getting this party ready was one of those things where everything that could possibly go wrong did! But we all made it there and pulled it off. She was surprised, my mom and I couldn’t stop laughing and the kids had fun “helping” with everything.
So happy she’s joining the 40 and up club.. I was feeling a little lonely there without these two. ;)
Shopping post party. Don’t even think we wouldn’t dare.. 40 just means more fun. And being old enough to wear a snowman dress if it makes you happy and not care about what anyone thinks.
Although if I sport this dress in my next Fashion Friday post I have a feeling I might lose a few of you.. ha! But maybe if I add some cute over the knee black boots? Not so bad? ;)
Lots of blanket forts for the kids. This one had a secret entry that only certain people had access too. I was lucky to be among the chosen few.
Ad’s recent favorite sweatshirt from grandma. So her! This girl needs to join a debate team. She is too much like her daddy and can argue explain her way out of any and everything.
I had the best time hanging with my sweet niece! The two of us are thick as thieves and it is seriously so hard for me to say good-bye to her. Especially when she runs up and gives me hugs and kisses when it’s time to go. I cry every time! I miss having a little one this age so badly.
I know I’m ready for December! Fun afternoon shopping with my mom. I picked up a few things to finalize my Christmas decor. Not that it’s ever really final. And yes.. that’s a Santa hat keychain hanging from my purse.
Bring it on. :)
I found a few more favorites on sale wrapping up some shopping this weekend. Black Friday/Cyber Monday did not disappoint! Have you all been finding some good deals on gifts!? Below are a few more ideas. I also shared fun things that are on sale a few days ago here, a teen gift guide and gift ideas for neighbors, teachers and friends. I’m working on a few more gift guides for December. I’ve been so happy to hear from some of you that they have been helpful! I also have my Favorite Things parties coming up and those parties are always full of great gift ideas. So more good gift ideas are coming! Wishing you all the best of luck getting back into the routine this week. I’m not really ready to be done with turkey and pjs. But lots to look forward to.. so there’s that.
Hopefully it will be enough to pull me out of my turkey coma. ;)
All room sources are at the bottom of this post!*affiliate links used
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Holidays always go by too fast don’t they? We have had the best few days with family in Utah.. so good I kept forgetting to even pick up my phone. It has been nice! We’re heading back to San Diego and while I was sad to say good-bye to family I’m excited to go home because my house is decked and ready for the holidays! Best feeling ever walking into a Christmas wonderland. :) Speaking of.. I have lots of pics to share! I’m starting with my Christmas dining room. Ever since I planked the walls and painted them white this has been my favorite room in the house. It was so fun throwing a dinner party and using this space last week!
I started this little Hot Cocoa Station tradition the first Christmas in our new house and my kids look forward to it every year. Hard to believe that was 5 years ago!
The candy in these bowls never last long. I’d love to blame my kids but you know. I work from home.. so there’s that.
Warm and Delicious. Freshly Made. Served Daily. Don’t mind if I do. I’ll pay for it in January but let’s worry about that later. Because it’s Christmas! Worrying about things later is part of the joy. :)
A shot of the whole Christmas dining room the day of my pajama party. I will be so sad to take down the Christmas touches in this room!
We are entertaining a lot this month so I wanted to keep the table centerpiece simple and low so people could chat. This Eucalyptus Garland was perfect! I keep two of them on the table when there are no plates, but one was all I needed after I added all of the dinner dishes.
Such a simple, easy way to dress up cabinets and windows! I just tied some festive ribbon around this wreath and tied it to my cabinet latch.
Speaking of my dining room looking all grown up.. my new wall mirrors make such a difference! The mirrors and the tall end chairs draw your eye up and make the whole room feel bigger. And as if that didn’t make me love the room enough already..
I decided to move my little Snowflake mudroom Christmas tree to this corner. I might have done a happy dance when I turned the lights on for the first time.. could not love it in this room more! Every room just looks better with a Christmas tree in it doesn’t it!? It does. (You all weren’t answering fast enough so I went ahead and answered for you.) ;) It’s the reason my house is turning into a faux Christmas tree farm.. ha! Kenny is thrilled.
Seriously though.. perfect for that little corner right!?
Christmas lights just might be my favorite thing ever.
I hope you like the new additions to my dining room! So excited to entertain more in this space. I honestly wish I could have you all over for dinner and get to know each one of you this holiday season. I’d let you do most of the talking since you already know me. And my family. And what the inside of my bathroom drawers look like. ;)
I have a feeling that we’d all get along famously.
I might have to buy a few more stripe napkins and red rimmed plates, but if you’ll bring the side dishes.. consider it done.
:)
{POST SOURCES}
The tall chairs were from Wisteria, the farmhouse table is from Restoration Hardware and the dining bench was made custom. I’ve linked to a couple of similar less expensive options below!
Happy Thanksgiving friends! My mom just snapped this pic of me with my little buddy tonight. We made it over the river and through the woods to grandma’s house! Which means it’s officially time for cousin chaos, Hallmark Christmas movies, late nights talking and laughing with siblings and of course.. stretchy pants. :) My mom and I spent the evening getting food prepped and browsing early Cyber Week deals on-line. Well.. let me clarify. My mom spent the evening getting food prepped while I spent the evening browsing early Cyber week deals on-line. I know. She’s lucky to have me. Ha. :) In my defense, I did help dice some celery and I found an awesome gift for her so I think she’ll ultimately forgive me. She always does. (Love you mom.. and I’m all over that stuffing prep tomorrow morning.)
Last week I was looking through some of the Gratitude cards I wrote on during this past year and it made me feel especially grateful for family, friends and for all of you. All of the little things that make me so happy on a daily basis usually involve someone I love or the kindness of others. Several of my cards included gratitude I was feeling for sweet comments/e-mails/DM’s from many of you! Your kind words of love and support for me and my family and this blog brighten my day more than you’ll ever know. I’m so grateful for this space on-line where we’ve been able to connect and grow close. So thank you! For reading, for commenting, for encouraging, for sharing my ideas with others. I’m so thankful for all of you this Thanksgiving!
Ok.. sap is over. I can just hear Kenny singing “A Whole New World” in the background. His favorite go-to song when I start waxing poetic. ;)
I remember past Thanksgivings after the meal and dishes were done and the boys were all watching football, my mom and sister and I would wish we could start our on-sale Christmas shopping early. But from the comfort of our own couch in our pjs. Now that’s exactly what we plan to do! Black Friday/Cyber Monday has kind of turned into a full week of great deals and shopping on-line has never been easier. To be honest I’m planning on avoiding stores all together this weekend! The crowds stress me out and I’d much rather spend time with my family and just do everything on-line. I actually knocked a lot of my Christmas gift shopping out on-line today and found so many cute things that are already marked down! These are a lot of my favorite sale items below. I hope this post is helpful if you are looking for gifts and plan on shopping from your couch in your pjs this week too! In-between the celery dicing of course. ;)
Happy Thanksgiving friends! I hope it’s a good one.
Happy Thanksgiving week everyone! I threw a PJ dinner party for friends on Saturday night and we had so much fun. First holiday party of the season was a success! Good friends, good food, good conversation and Christmas pjs. In my book you really don’t need much else. :) I’ll share a few more pics and party details soon but I wanted to quickly get my Teen Gift Guide up! I’m trying to get a gift guide up every weekend to help you all with your holiday shopping and I was so busy with party prep that I’m a little late with this one!
But ahh! I have to share my new sign I got in the mail with you all first! I had this sign made custom for my Hot Cocoa Station this year and could not be more excited about it! It’s seriously HUGE you guys. Kenny had to lift it for me it was so heavy! It’s from Jen at Harper Grace. I have loved her signs for a while now so I reached out to her to make this Hot Cocoa sign for my dining room and another sign for my guest room that I’ll share soon. I could not love them more! I wanted black lettering with just a touch of red – perfection! If you want to order one of her signs use the code “sunnysideup” when you check out and she’ll give you 15% off!(Thanks again Jen!) :)
I’ll have pics of my dining room up soon (going through them all tonight!) but here is a peek of the corner with my hot cocoa station. I needed something large on that wall with my new chairs and console table and this sign is perfect!
Ok.. let’s talk teens! Gone are the days that I could pick up all things doll and princess for my girls and call Christmas done. I miss those easy shopping trips. Teens can be so hard to buy for! Gift cards are always a safe bet, but it’s not too fun to wake up to just gift cards on Christmas morning. I’ve talked to all of my friends who also have teens and we came up with some fun ideas for our kids that seem to be “in” right now. These are the things our teens are wanting for Christmas! I hope this is helpful! Moms of teens need to stick together just like moms of toddlers do. #thestruggleisreal
2 – Instax Mini 9 – Cutest little mini camera! Teens love instant film cameras like this and I have to admit that I love them too! This newest model has a built-in selfie camera and comes in so many cute colors. You can buy the full bundle here with the case, film, etc. I’m thinking this would be perfect to get my girls working on their first scrapbooks.
4 – Echo Dot – Is there anything the Echo Dot can’t do!? Such a fun gift for teens or adults!
5 –Faux-Fur Bean Bag – This bean bag looks to comfy. Ever since I bought Ad this extra large pouf (another fun option!) my whole family wants bean bags. On it this year. :)
6 – Nike Air Force 1 Sneaker – Clearly these are big right now because they are selling out everywhere! Huge right now for teens. I seriously can’t keep up with the shoes! First it was Converse, then Adidas, then Vans and now these Nike Air Force 1 Sneakers. To be honest I don’t love these shoes, but they are all Ellie wants for Christmas so I’ll have to get over it and save the shoes I love for me. ;)
8 – Anthro Monogram Candle – Love that you can personalize with this candle! Would be especially fun to give to college aged kids who are away from home for the first time.
9 – Brandy Melville and Starbucks Gift Cards – If you are going to go the gift card route I know the two gift cards my girls would want! They are obsessed with all things Brandy Melville and with Starbucks lemonade drinks! I don’t let them get them often (hello $8 and gone in 5 seconds) so I know a Starbucks gift card would make them both happy campers.
10 – Hydro Flask – LONG time favorites. My girls love these and so does the rest of my family. I gave everyone one for Christmas two years ago (mom, dad, brother, sister, etc.) and they are all still using them!
11 – LED Make-Up Mirror – Such a fun gift for a teen girl who is starting to wear make-up! Now she can easily listen to her favorite tunes while she gets ready.
12 – Spikeball Game Set – I have friends with teens who love this game! Looks like so much fun and something the kids can play with friends or family. There is a video you can watch when you click on the link to the game that shows kids playing it.
13 – Drybar Detangler – Such a good brush! These might be popping up in stockings this year for the girls. Thank you Santa! :)
14 – The Ranger’s Apprentice Series – I knew I’d be heavy on girl ideas and clueless on ideas for teen boys, so I talked to friends with teen boys and they all said their boys are obsessed with these books! I’m taking notes for when Kole is older!
16 – Apple AirPods – All the rage with everyone this year!
17 – Firefly String Lights – These string lights are so much fun for teens! Addison has some similar lights in her bedroom that were a gift from a friend.
18 – Clarisonic Mia – The best time to start teaching good skin care habits! I love my Clarisonic Mia and want my girls to have their own!
20 – Umbra Hangit Photo Display – We hung two of these in Ad’s room (you can see them here) and she is seriously so in love! She has thanked me for her picture display wall so many times. Makes me happy! Ellie wants something similar now in her room too. This would be such a fun gift to give with the Instax Mini 9 camera so your teen can take pics with family and friends and instantly hang them up in their room!
I hope that was helpful for those of you who are shopping for teens this year! If you missed my first Gift Guide you can find it here and I’ll be sharing ideas for younger kids and other people on your list soon too. Plus I have my whole house to share with you.. it’s decked and ready for Christmas! I never want to take all of the lights down. They make me too happy. If you live in the states I hope you are enjoying Thanksgiving preparations and if you are traveling be safe! We’ll talk soon! I have lots to share. :)
xoxo, Erin
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My friends even all stayed to help clean up! And to eat more cake. We didn’t want the night to end.
Another look at 
