It always seems like no matter how much I prepare, something comes up at the last minute! I find myself scrambling to pull quick ideas together for gifts I've totally forgotten needed to be given.So whether you've just put it off til the last minute, or you've just had ALL the things come up to keep you from finishing your shopping, here are a few of my favorite things! They would all make perfect gifts and with two day shipping, will arrive with plenty of time to get them wrapped and under the tree.As an added bonus, you can shop from the comfort of your home WITHOUT having to brave the malls. Cuz y'all. It's crazy out there!![showboutiquewidget id="522732"]
Stress-free Holidays
I know what you're thinking.There's NO such thing as a stress-free holiday!It's so easy to believe that. We all know that the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas is jam packed with cookie exchanges, school programs, Santa visits, family functions, office parties, and on and on and on.If you're one of those people who doesn't operate well in high stress environments and goes into the Holiday season with a plastered smile trying to make everything and everyone happy, while inwardly you're feeling overwhelmed and burned out, I get you.While it might not be possible to put a halt to all the activities and just stroll thru December, we can at least have some tools for managing the stress and actually ENJOYING this sweet season!For starters, let go of expectations. These always have a way of getting me into trouble. My secret weapon for any situation is to identify my expectations (especially with my kiddos) and let them go before they try to ruin everything. Maybe your expectations revolve around finishing a to-do list within a certain time frame. Give yourself grace on grace, friend! I've always put a lot of time and energy into wrapping gifts but this year we have had so many other things going on that the presents might not have bows! Who cares? There's always next year. Stop with the guilt over not doing enough and just enjoy the present moment... even if it's messy!Remember to take time to reflect. My favorite thing to do around Christmas time is to wake up before anyone else (not easy to do!) and go sit in front of the Christmas tree. I don't journal or read. I don't take my phone with me. I just sit and soak and it's glorious. It's my way of being centered. It allows me to just slow down in the midst of the craziness and be still. In the same way that the Bible says Mary "treasured up all these things in her heart" concerning the birth of our Savior, let's take time to treasure things in our hearts as well.This next one is a tough one, but I think it might be the most important one. Say NO. Part of the reason we get ourselves into such a Christmastime tizzy is because we are so over committed. I love carving out nights at home where we have nothing going on. Some times this means we don't go to the Sunday School Christmas party. Sorry, guys! There are certain things we really must attend, but if there's anything we can cut out, we will do it! Try to resist the urge to be everywhere and simplify as much as possible in any area you can.Another thing I love doing is trying to turn seemingly stressful activities into fun events. For instance, wrapping gifts can be super overwhelming (especially in my family of seven siblings and 12 nieces and nephews!). So light your candles, build a fire, turn on a Christmas movie, get all your supplies organized and get it done. If you find yourself in the car a lot going here and there, turn it into a game of who can spot the Christmas lights. We talk a lot in our family about finding the bright spots. But in order to find bright spots, you have to be looking for them.I hope thinking through some of these ideas will help you to get yourself a little more grounded. I won't pretend that I've got it all figured out and I'm constantly having to remind myself to take my own advice! But while we can't control all the stress that comes our way, we can control how we respond to it. So take a deep breath, sweet friend, and take time to rejoice in this season of Hope.
NYC Recap - Day One
Hi!Oh my goodness, y'all. We just recently returned from the MOST magical stay in NYC!This was my second time going to New York and I feel like it's one of those places that the more accustomed to it you become, the easier it is to navigate. BUT you just can't get used to the sites and sounds of this place. It really is just amazing.Here's a recap of how we spent our first day in New York!
[showshopthepostwidget id="2245187"] We decided to take a really early flight out Friday morning so we could take advantage of having a nearly full day of site seeing. As soon as we got to our gate, we fueled up with Starbucks and chick fil a biscuits. Just the essentials, y'all. Our flight was great (thanks, Delta!) and fairly quick. Once we landed and located our luggage, we called an Uber and headed to the hotel.
We weren't supposed to check in at The Lotte New York Palace until 3:00 in the afternoon so we were just hoping we could store our luggage. But when we checked in, they already had our room ready. Holla! Oh, what a room it was. When we walked in, there was soft music playing and the most beautiful view of St. Patrick's Cathedral across the street. The room was HUGE, the bathroom was also HUGE. Praises. We spent a few minutes getting unpacked and settled in before we hit the streets.
Coming in and out of our hotel lobby was one of my favorite parts of our whole trip. It was breathtaking! The tree near the entrance was stunning so it was delightful to walk past it multiple times a day.We were also only about a block away from Rockefeller so we got to see that tree as well!
We got our first meal at Melt Shop. I had the grilled cheese with caramelized onions and it was delicious. I'd also highly recommend the tots as a side. The tomato soup was ok but nothing groundbreaking.Next we headed over to Bryant Park to meander thru the open air shops. It's a beautiful spot for ice skating if you want to avoid the craziness of Rockefeller and Central Park.
We ended up right near the New York Public Library so we decided to pop in there real quick and I'm so glad we did. The architecture was so beautiful and I loved reading about some of the history.
Once we were done exploring the library, we went to Herald Square to see Macy's and 34th Street. The entrance to Macy's is unreal but the rest of the floors just look like a department store so don't waste your time going upstairs!
By this time it was late afternoon so we decided to head over to The Empire State Building. We hadn't even thought about the fact that we would be getting up there right as the sun was setting. But gracious it was gorgeous! We got to watch the sun set over the city and felt like we were going to nearly blow off the top due to the incredible gusts. Totally worth it!
Since we were getting close to our dinner reservation, we decided to head back to the hotel to rest, change, and get ready for supper. We ate our first night at PJ Clarkes at Lincoln Center. It's a quaint little spot that has some really great menu options. I'd recommend the burger.After dinner we went back to the hotel to change into some warmer clothes since we had planned on being outside most of the remainder of the night. We headed straight to Rockefeller to see the tree and watch the amazing light show in front of Saks 5th Avenue.
A short walk from Rockefeller is Magnolia Bakery, which is known for its banana pudding. Thankfully the line wasn't too bad but there really is no place to sit inside so we decided to take our dessert to go and enjoy it at our hotel.I'm pretty sure we all fell asleep the very second our heads hit the pillow. And it was a good thing because we had another very full day ahead of us.Later in the week I'll recap our second day, which included some hilarious misadventures.
Sweater Weather
It might actually officially be sweater weather in Georgia. Of course as soon as I say that, we will probably experience a record breaking heat wave.Regardless of the weather, I'm fully committed to sweater wearing and I wanted to share a few of my current favorites with you.This marled tunic sweater is what I have on right this very second (also wore it yesterday which was when the above picture was taken). You know you got a good one when you wear it two days in a row! It comes in four different colors and is just so comfy. The length is just right because you can wear it over leggings and get some bum coverage. Please and thank you. Oh! And did I mention it's only $11.99?!I paired it with this stripe long sleeve tee (that I also pair with everything!), black denim, and some classic black booties.I've linked a few more below for your viewing pleasure.This week is crazy town USA over here since we are doing the install for the special project I told y'all about last week. Stay tuned for more details! [showboutiquewidget id="517672"]
Staying Fit During The Holidays
I'm the first to admit that when it comes to the abundance of sweets and treats during the holidays, I'm not usually one to say no. After years of balancing between wanting to enjoy and not wanting to pack on the seasonal pounds, I've found that keeping a few things in mind help me to stay on course without missing out on all the goodies!
- Keep up your workout routine: I know this seems like common sense but when things get really busy, sometimes working out is the first thing to go. Continuing to workout will not only keep your metabolism up, but it'll keep you on track for after the Holidays. Plus, burning those extra calories makes room for more of the fun stuff!
- Indulge, but don't over indulge: Sometimes when I deny myself is when I end up going overboard. Allowing yourself to enjoy in moderation and small portions will help you to feel like you're not missing out but also won't make you feel miserable.
- Don't keep sweets in your house: Self discipline isn't my strong suit, especially when something resembling dessert is around. SO! I don't keep sweets in our house. When we go to events or parties around the Holidays, it's fun to eat the yummy stuff but keeping it in my house will put me in my fat pants quicker than you can say SUGAR COOKIE. My one exception to this rule is that we have a hot cocoa bar in our kitchen and once a week, we will snuggle up in front of the fire for a Christmas movie. So the hot cocoa is a must! Most nights we do apple cider so it's totally guilt free.
- Eat clean when you can: Try keeping fresh veggies and simple clean foods in your house for most of your meals to be light and healthy. That way, when you do indulge in the heavier foods, it won't hit you like a ton of bricks.