Best red dresses for Valentine's day

It's time to pick out that perfect red dress for Vday!  I've rounded up all my favorites in all the styles.  We have off the shoulder, frilly lace options and comfy shift dresses. 

Galentine's Brunch

Valentine's day is almost here!  I decided to invite some of my favorite ladies over for a little celebration of my love for them with a Galentine's lunch.  I am so blessed to be surrounded by such special, smart, kind and amazing women.  They inspire me daily!  I wanted to make sure I was able to love on them as they have loved on me!  

I started my table with a girly color palette of pinks, blue and yellow.  I layered my table with a Hearth and Hand striped table runner and pieces like sweet bud vases, drinking glasses and striped pitchers from the newest Hearth and Hand Spring collection.  I filled each vessel with different fluffy roses.  I added little sweet treats to heart shaped ramekins and added my favorite Chandon Rose Mini's for some festive bubbles.  

For our place settings, I layered simple blue and white placemats, straw chargers and pretty coral Hearth and Hand  hand towels as napkins.  Next, I added crisp white chargers and dinner plates and topped the setting with beautiful floral china.  I received these beautiful dishes as a wedding shower gift and I still feel like they are the prettiest addition to the table.  Goes to show that you can incorporate any piece into a setting and make it feel fresh and new. 

I added little notes on each setting for each of my friends sharing three of my most favorite things about them. Nothing like a love note to cap off a girly lunch! 

Palm Springs vacay packing list

    I am so giddy to be heading to Palm Springs with my guy next month!  We used to make this our annual trip and haven't been able to make it happen for a couple years now.  I booked us at The Saguaro which I have never stayed at before.  I love the bright, retro vibe of the hotel and can't wait to lounge poolside all day!  So excited!  Of course, my outfit situation is in full force!  I can't take a mini vacay without an outfit!!

     Here's what my overnight bag will be holding!  I like to keep my packing really simple when we travel.  I wash and wear my hair on most days or blast it with dry shampoo.  Throw on sunnies add a little color to my cheeks and hit the pool.  I have officially embraced my one piece life and love a good bright swimsuit for a day at the pool.  Erik and I like to keep our dinners out simple.  We like to walk to a new restaurant or explore after eating.  A comfy sundress and slides makes for the perfect evening outfit.  

Master Bedroom Before and After with Serena and Lily

     When Serena and Lily reached out to collaborate on a bedding project the timing just couldn’t have been more perfect. Not to mention Serena and Lily is my all time favorite brand. My master bedroom needed some sprucing. As I poured over bedding textures and patterns I fell in love with so many pieces.  The thing I love about Serena and Lily is how their designs flood life and energy into each room but still has a sophisticated, relaxed feel.  I strongly believe a  bedroom is where you shut out the noise of the world.  It’s that intimate space in a home where you put your thoughts to rest and bring peace to your mind. 

Tips for revamping your bedding: 

-Be aware of scale of patterns. Keep a small and larger pattern together.  

-Trust your gut. You know what makes you happy.

-Keep in mind the other people that share this space.  Not too flowery ladies!  Give your men a little bit of a masculine feel in your choices. 

-Stick with a color pallet of three colors or three different shades of one color to not overwhelm. 

-Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box in terms of pattern and texture mixing. 

     I kept things fun and a little unexpected by mixing the Oxford Stripe sheets and the Sanibel Chambray sheets.  I topped the sheets with the fresh white Chambers quilt. The quilt has a subtle blue stitching to keep things feeling light yet also adding a slight texture.

      I love the Chambers pattern and wanted to tie it back in with three large Euro size pillows against the headboard.  Against our dark wood frame the white feels so crisp and ties into the quilt.  Next, I layered the  Two Tone Zip pillows.  The zipper detail on these pillows had me at hello.  This is where I was able to bring in some masculine details and add some subtle sophistication to the light and airy sheets and quilt. I topped off the pillows with the Whitley Embroidered Midnight pillow.

    To add another layer of texture and bring in one more pattern, I added the Avery throw in the Harbor blue tone.  This throw is so luxe!  It adds another rich blue tone and completes the whole bedding just perfectly. 

    I wanted to bring up the lightness on our dark furniture again and found the perfect compliment in the Tinsley table lamps.  The soft bubbled texture adds interest without taking away from the busier bedding. 

Before and After 

A huge thanks to Serena and Lily for collaborating on this post. 

My top skin savers of 2017 Video

I worked really hard on my skin this past year and am so excited to share with you some of the products that made my skin super happy. We tackled fine lines, melasma, hydration and crows feet majorly this year and I've linked all my finds below! 

Disclaimer: while watching this video you will experience a severe amount of jazz hands. 

A day of detox meals

After our super fun New Years Eve party it was time to clean out all the champagne, sweets and pizza from our systems.  I have done multiple juice cleanses and love the results of Whole 30 and decided to jump into Tone it Up's 5 day Detox on January 1st.  I can't tell you how over the idea I was when we woke up after our fun party and I had to make a clean meal and some batch meals for the week.  It ended up being the perfect day to start.  We didn't have any plans that day other than puttering around the house and cleaning up.  

The whole purpose of the detox was to flush out the toxins and sugars from the last couple months and restart our systems, minds and energy levels.  Not to forget our metabolisms. I think mine has been on a break for a bit.  

 I consider myself to be fairly knowledgable about healthy eating and what our body thrives yet was surprised by two new things I learned.  One, is getting plenty of water ( 90 oz. helps not only your body flush itself clean but also helps your muscles recover effectively.  Secondly, I learned about the major benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar.  APC is essential to keeping lean.  I helps control your appetite by maintaining your blood sugar levels.  It also is rich in potassium which helps muscle growth.  It also is a great anti viral , anti-bacterial and anti-fungal due to its extremely high levels of malic acid.  It helps break down fat and not store it.  I'm in!     So here is what a day of detox looked like: 

Breakfast: Morning Mocktail : 8 oz. water, 1 T of apple cider vinegar, juice of half a lemon and pinch of cayenne pepper) I can't at all lie.  This is rough to get down but the benefits are beyond important to cleansing your body.   

Coffee ( always add a splash of unsweetened almond milk )

Coconut protein pancakes: 1/2 half banana smashed, 1 scoop coconut Tone it Up protein powder ( you could use vanilla too), 1/4 cup egg whites.  Wisk together to make batter.  If consistency is to thick you can add a little almond milk to thin.  I like my batter fairly thick for fluffier pancakes.  Spray pan with coconut spray and pour two dollops of batter into pan.  Cook on each side until brown.  Top with 1/2 cup fresh berries and sprinkle of unsweetened coconut flakes.  

Midmorning snack: Sliced apples with sprinkle of cinnamon

Lunch:  Lettuce wraps were my favorite easy go to.  I would top two lettuce stalks with sliced turkey ( nitrate free and low sodium) chopped veggies ( I love mushrooms, red bell pepper cucumbers and red onion) I would drizzle each wrap with regular or dijon mustard and roll up to eat.  So filling and yummy.  

Afternoon Snack: Slimming soup ( disclaimer: make this one mid morning so it's ready for the week. One batch can last you for four days.)  You will need 2 T olive oil, 4 carrots, 1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and sliced, 1 onion, 2 cups veggie broth, 1 cup red lentils, 1 T cumin, 1 T chili powder, 1 T Corriander and pinch of cayenne pepper.  Heat oil in  a large pot or dutch oven.  Add chopped carrots and onion.  Cook until onion is translucent or about 3 min.  Dump in lentils, spices and broth.  Bring to a boil then lower heat to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Carefully add half of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth.  Repeat with the remainder of the soup.  I stored our soup in mason jars so they were easy to transport and eat while on the go.  

Dinner: 

Spicy Mexican Shrimp bowl- I make this meal often and just tweaked a couple things to fit the detox plan. Add 2 T of olive oil to a pan on high. Toss in  1 1/2 cup cauliflower rice and sauce with my favorite taco seasoning ( 1 T cumin, 1 T chili powder, 1 t garlic powder, 1 t coriander and little pinch of cayenne)   Add in chopped bell peppers and half of an onion.  Once veggies are cooked through, add about 1 1/2 jump uncooked shrimp.  Cook until shrimp is cooked through and pink.   I add in a can of organic black beans and stir to warm. Serve warm and top with a little avocado.  So yummy you won't miss anything else!  This would also be super yummy with ground turkey. 

5 ways to refresh your home for the new year

Always after the new year, I get itchy to clean my house.  Sort of an early spring cleaning of sorts.  This could be a big closet clean out or declutter of my pantry.  I have to admit I haven't done either of those things yet but I have done 5 little things that make my house feel fresh and bright. I hope these tips help you start your new year fresh and calm. 

1.  Open all the windows- my dad has always been so big on getting all the windows open during the day and the lights on at night.  We always eye roll when he is bustling through the house opening all the windows.  I'm officially becoming my father in my fresh air ways.  I absolutely love having all our back doors open and the fresh breeze coming through our windows. I say this because it's 75 degrees in California!  Even a little cool winter air can freshen up any space. 

2.  Lemon in the garbage disposal- age old kitchen trick but always works.  Since redoing our kitchen we did replace our garbage disposal but there is nothing like the fresh smell of lemon.   I use lemon in my water and through the rinds  in and grind them up.  

photo via

3. Dust your hard to reach spots- you know those spots.  The tops of the fan blades, on taller shelves and on top of the fridge.  There are a million more places but tackling these make me feel that much more clean at home.  

photo via

4  Bring in nature- we have a couple monstrous rose bushes on our porch.  They are huge and bloom bright pink and purple roses.  While I'm a major white rose only person, these gorgeous blooms get brought inside more often than not for a pretty pop of color.  If you don't have flowers at home some branches with pretty leaves are always lovely and create interest in a room. 

photo via

5. Hang tea towels- simple but there is something really pretty to me about tea towels.  I love to collect pretty ones on my Home Goods runs and hang then over the oven handle or drape them over our sink.  It's just makes me feel fancy somehow.  

Our Cozy NYE Party

As I sit and gather pictures for this post my house is still full of glitter and balloons are still floating. We had the best time ringing in the new year with some sweet friends!

If  you follow me on Instagram you saw my story about not having much a decor meter. I either go full out and have a whole styled decor situation or I do nothing. Not great at the middle ground.  I decided to keep my crazy down to a normal level and do a festive drink station and only a couple other sparkly accents.  I love how our little champagne bar turned out!  

 I wanted to keep the vibe celebratory but super comfy and simple.  We had each family wear their comfiest pjs and bring a little something to eat.  I put together some sparkly cupcakes and a charcuterie board along with a handful of pizzas and sipped on Chandon.  

The kids started the night with a round of Twister while us adults got into my pile of games.  I have been really wanting to start hosting game nights so this was the perfect excuse to bust out the games.  Us girls broke open What the Meme and the boys joined us for Telestrations, Left Right Center and Cards of Humanity.  I had never played Telestrations but it quickly became my favorite!  My tummy muscles hurt today from laughing so hard.  

We were hoping to pop our poppers and do an early East Coast ball drop to keep it an early night.  We quickly ditched the idea of turing in early and kept the fun going until 11:30.  I had a handful of poppers for the kids and some super big crackers for us adults.  Our house was quickly full of glitter!  I have to say it doesn't bother me one bit!  

Cheers to you and a sparkly 2018!  I can't wait to share new content, videos and travel with you this year! 

2018 Goal setting gathering

It's a sparkling fresh new year and time for new goals and dreams!  One of my best friends is a major promoter of vision boards.  I make pretty thorough goals for myself throughout the year but never have made a vision board.  We thought how fun would it be to do our vision boards together and have a couple more of our favorite ladies play too.  It became a thing!  Goal Gathering!  I like a name for get togethers!  

We kept our gathering small and intimate with just 4 of us.  I put together a Charcuterie board with yummy snacks and we sipped on mini Chandon splits.  

A couple of the girls have done intense courses on goal planning for their businesses and helped create a format for both our big goal lists and our vision boards.  We broke down the goals into categories.  

Here is how it looked: 

Family: to encompass anything family or relationship related.  This would include family camping trips, quality time with each child, date nights or getaways with your hubby, lunch dates with parents, special notes and coffee dates with friends, etc. 

Spiritual: faith based goals like incorporating a daily devotional into your morning routine, attending a women's bible study, making Sunday's a priority to attend church, read faith based books, etc. 

Physical: this could be the obvious like getting back to the gym or cleaning up your eating.  This category could also be things like bleaching your teeth regularly,trying that new haircut you have been eyeing, doing weekly at home masks or practicing yoga daily.  

Educational: this category could be business related or personal development related.  I am going to take an official photography class to learn more about my camera.  You could make it a goal to go back to school, attend conferences in your field or reading educational books like biographies or biz books. 

Business /Work: this category can include your work goals for promotion or even little goals like keeping your office drawers organized regularly.  

Material things: this is a bigger category.  This would include the material things or projects you are aiming to gain or finish in the year. This category can also include getting debt free or adding to your savings. Some of my material goals this year are to add built ins and a powder room to the house.  I also want to create my garden this year.   

Then you get to my favorite part!  The vision board making!  I am super visual person and really get inspired by beauty.  We chose our most powerful goals for the year and found inspiring images for each from Pinterest.  We all found the most inspiration from pins we have already gathered on our boards. We then  used Canva.com  templates to upload our images and create our beautiful vision boards.  

I hope you are more than inspired throughout the year to attain your goals and dreams!  I am a huge goal setter and believe in 1, 5, 10 year goals!  I'd love to see your vision boards too!  If you create one add it to Instagram and tag me in it! Cheers to a gorgeous 2018!

Best New Years Champagne

I love Champagne and can't wait to ring in the new year with my favorite people!  In order to pop only the best bubbly correctly, I asked my adorable sorority little sis and champagne professional ( no really!! it's her career! ) Alissa to help me guide you through the best champagne for your 2018 celebration.  She rounded up the best champs priced from lowest to highest, gave us the scoop on each selection, food pairing and party tips for how to make sure you are prepared to be the perfect hostess!   Don't miss the best champs fun facts at the end!  My favorite part! 

Domaine Chandon Brut Classic

California Sparkling

$15-$20

A great choice if someone is a fan of buying local.  This amazing winery was opened by Moet & Chandon in Yountville, CA in the mid 70's.  They create their sparkling in exactly the same fashion as it's French Cousins and have a very playful side.  Their we bite features cocktail recipes as well as entertaining tips and tricks.  They even release special limited edition holiday bottles and this year the bottles were designed by the incredibly talented Rebecca Minkoff

Etoile by Domaine Chandon

California Sparkling

$20- $25

Etoile, French for Star, is the Prestige offering from Domaine Chandon.  A hugely food friendly sparkling and presented in an exquisite bottle with long neck and simple gold writing.  this is an awesome, esoteric offering and one that is splendidly priced for gifting.

Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial NV

Champagne

Epernay, France

$30- $40

Veuve Clicquot "Yellow Label" Brut

Champagne 

Reims, France

$40- $55

Champagne Ruinart, Blanc de Blancs

Champagne

Reims, France

$65-$85

Dom Perignon, Blanc Vintage 2009

Champagne

Epernay, France

$149- $199

Krug

Champagne

Reims, France

$179- $200

When selecting your Champagne for this holiday season, it is definitely a good idea to look around for the best price available.  Champagne and sparkling are an affordable luxury and if you are going to splurge a little ….. now is the time to do so.  From Big box chains, to your local grocery store, to independent wine and spirits shops, and yes even online only stores…. everyone is offering their best foot forward when it comes to pricing and availability this time of year.  Some helpful hints and tips:  Above is a list of some of the world's most loved bubbles.  Including the oldest Champagne house, as well as the very first Sparkling Winery from Napa and of course Champagne Royalty …. KRUG and the beloved Dom Perignon.  

When looking for Champagne for your holiday gathering it is a good idea to keep a few things in mind when shopping around on price.  

1) Number of people in attendance- each 750ml bottle of Champagne will provide approximately 5-6 glasses.  If you are having a small party of 2 or a large gathering of 100 there is a Champagne for you and a size to match.  Sizes include individual "mini" bottles in 187ml (Moet & Chandon and Domaine Chandon) "Half Bottles" 375ml (Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, KRUG) or Large formats such as the "Magnum" 1.5L or the equivalent to 2 regular 750ml bottles(Domaine Chandon, Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, Dom Perignon, and KRUG)..  

2)Who is your audience and what is on the menu?: will your guests be simply toasting to the New Year or do you have a home filled with wine aficionado's?  Champagne LOVES food so if your group falls into the later category…. your menu will be a huge help in your selection.  If you are having lighter fare such as Turkey, Fish, Vegetarian or Vegan…. a brut or Blancs de Blancs will be the true companion to your spread.  Should your menu include items such as red meat, lamb, pork, or items with hearty sauces…. then Rose will truly be the perfect choice to wow your guests whether they be Sommelier's or first time Champagne Sippers.

3) Have FUN! Champagne is a beautiful way to not just celebrate the holidays but the everyday and the people you are with.  It is truly unique in that it can be carried from welcome, to appetizers.  Main dishes, desserts and of course ringing in the New Year.

Fun Facts:

1. there are approximately 49 million bubbles in a 750ml bottle of Champagne
2. Marilyn Monroe is believed to have taken a both in over 350 bottles of Champagne
3. There are approximately 100 calories in a single serving of Champagne
4. The velocity at which the cork leaves the bottle can garner speed of up to 100 mph

What topped my Christmas wish list

I sat down a couple weeks back after a lot of nagging from my husband for my Christmas wish list.  I just couldn't think of anything tangible that I wanted.  We typically don't exchange gifts, but this year decided it would be a fun change.  I thought and thought about all the little things that I wanted and just didn't come up with anything that I cared that much about.  It made me realize that what I really wanted for Christmas was time together.  Isn't that the most precious thing you can give another person, is your time?  

Erik and I both have very busy schedules. To be honest ,we more often times than not, feel like strangers passing in the night. One heading this direction and one running in that direction. School, homework, dance, work etc etc etc.  A law enforcement life sorta looks like that and definitely a family with young kids does.  I can't say that I have anything to complain about because if anything it has taught me to prioritize our time and really value what time we do have.  If that means, missing events or scheduling a date night weeks in advance, then that is what it is. We have luckily made it work but not without effort.  If you have followed my insta stories for some time you know how many times, I look over to see my romantic movie night partner dead asleep. 

So this Christmas, I asked for time.  I've asked for a long drive to a explore a new city.  I've asked for a night of playing cards by the fire.  Just slow, quality time to connect. Cheers to you and your loved ones getting that quiet time to focus on each other and create priceless memories. 

Christmas Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

  I've adopted Chocolate Crinkle cookies as our family's official Christmas cookie. I know, very dramatic! I just think they are the prettiest little things!  Not to mention, they are beyond delish. Like a fluffy brownie!  We make a whole assembly line of these beauties and have fun wrapping them all up for our neighbors.  A couple years back, we topped them with crushed candy canes and stacked them in mason jars with pretty ribbon.  Last year, I scored some adorable galvanized buckets from the dollar bin at Target and layered them inside.  This year, I found some sweet,snowflake adorned baking dishes and we are wrapping them up in fluffy cellophane and blue glittery bows.  It's all in the presentation!  I included the recipe below for these babies! 

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

you will need: 

4 oz unsweetened chocolate , chopped

1/4 c unsalted butter

4 large eggs

2 c granulated sugar

1 t vanilla extract

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour ( plain)

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 t salt

1 1/2 c (9oz) mini semisweet chocolate chips

 1/2 c powdered sugar

to make: 

Combine the unsweetened chocolate and the butter in the top of a double boiler pan or heatproof bowl. Set over simmering water and stir until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. 

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on med. speed, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla until light in color and thick, about 3 minutes.  Add the melted chocolate mix and beat until blended.  In a bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and beat until blended.  Mix in the chocolate chips.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 2 hours.  

Preheat oven to 325

Rol rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll each ball in the powdered sugar to coat completely.  Arrange the balls on baking sheets about 3 inches apart.  

Bake the bookies for about 13-17 minutes or until tops are puffed and crinkled.  Let cooked cool on baking sheet on wire rack for 5 minutes.  

recipe adapted from Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen by Georgeanne Breannan

Mommy Monday-which shoes?

I find these ages of 8 and 6 to be my favorite.  We are in such a sweet spot. I don't know if it's me feeling more peace and joy in my own life or absorbing my little's lives.  I find myself often worrying or anxious if  day to day I am doing a good job of creating a life for the girls that they will remember and want to replicate.  I cherish my childhood with my family and always aim to recreate the same feelings for my girls.  Of course we are all different, but I know exactly what I hope to create for my girls.  I want them to feel confident, included, loved, special and secure.  I want them to trust their instincts and know their opinions.  I want they to be fiercely confident in what makes them happy and strive to have that feeling daily.  

I had a great conversation recently with my dad about the girls.  I love that we can talk so openly about what his feelings were raising me and my brother with my mom and his male perspective. My dad and I are incredibly alike and I value his masculine opinion greatly.  It helps me see things clearly from a different angle.  We are both very self competitive and strive for more all the time.  We aren't perfectionists but see things very fast moving.  Always quickly moving towards the bigger goal.  That is a really hard perspective to carry when raising kids. I teeter on the line of " to much and not enough" never sure what's the right thing.  I want my girls to feel independent from me but still feel me close if they need me. 

My dad gave me the best advice and interestingly enough it was things I had been mulling over for some time.  He said " make sure they feel included in your decisions". So simple.  This I hope makes the girls feel that their opinion is good , valued and taken seriously by me.  I had been adopting this practice but didn't know I was doing it.  For example, I would be getting dressed for a date with Erik and ask the girls to pick out my shoes that they thought would work with the outfit I had on. They would scamper into the closet and come out with options.  Some super "wow" and some really great!  I would try them all on and we would discuss which was better and why.  Then we would move onto earrings, lipstick and coat.  This seems frivolous but made my heart so happy.  They knew mommy wanted to look nice for my date with daddy and wanted to help.  

I remember the silliest things about my mom getting ready for a special event and I want my girls to remember their own special memories about me.  

Gifts for Kids

I am so giddy with my shopping picks this year for the girls!  We aren't a big toy family and the girls rarely get gifts outside of their birthday and Christmas.  I found some of the cutest presents this year that I can't wait to surprise them with!  Here are some of my favorites! 

1.  iPod Nano- if you have followed my Insta Stories you are familiar with Peyton's epic dance shows we get each night.  I am so excited to load up all her favorite tunes for her to rock out with. 

2.  Polaroid Instax Mini - Capri went to her dance competition team party a couple months back and I really wanted her to be able to take pictures of her and her friends since mommy's weren't allowed.  This is the perfect camera for her for next time! 

3. Mind Blowing Science kit-  I love interactive, activity gifts.  This kit has tons of cool learning projects. Perfect for school age boys and girls who have everything.  

4. Mancala- BEST board game ever!  

5.  Luminous Skateboard- a skateboard that lights up!  I mean.....no more discussion!

6.  Teepee- perfect for the little ones to snuggle in with their books and toys.  My girls still love having slumber parties their big teepee at nana's house!  So cozy!  

7.  Off Broadway puppet theater and Medevil puppets- so adorable for any age!  Create your own show and work that imagination!  

8.  Lemonade cart- The girls LOVE selling lemonade and other odds and ends in the summer.  This cart makes their little entrepreneur endeavors all the more official. 

9.  LIFE board game- this has quickly become one of our family's favorite game night picks. 

10.  Kids Kayak- This gift makes me so excited!  This will be Capri's big Santa gift.  We visit Balboa Island often and each time we visit she befriends any kids that have one of these kayaks. Eventually she hijacks it completely.  Now she has her own to adventure with!  

Gingerbread House Decorating Tradition

One of my most favorite traditions with the kids is gingerbread house making.  We have done it since they were super little and it' the perfect way to kick off the holiday!  This year had to be my most favorite! The girls are at that sweet age where they are creative and can enjoy the process.  In the past, I've made the rookie mistake of buying the non preassembled houses. You know, the one with all the house pieces flat in the box and a big 'ol frosting pouch.  I don't care what the directions say, you need to be an engineer to get that nonsense to stick and the house stand up!  So of course in my busyness I grabbed the non assembled from Target.  NOOOO!!!  The directions assured me, this would be a cinch!  Assemble in minutes they say!  This was a 20 minute, two man job!  Once we got the houses in order, it was go time and mommy could sit back and let the decorating fly.  Peyton eats more than she decorates and Capri is very into excessive decor.

I had a great time making the table festive!  I grabbed up sweet Target Dollar Bin pine tree and Bottle brush trees, candy jars and festive ramekins to hold treats. I can across this adorable sleigh serving platter and used it for our chocolate milks.   We pumped our Christmas tunes and mommy's heart was full! 

Christmas Pajamas Tradition

We have made a fun tradition of surprising the girls iwht their Christmas pajamas each year. In years past we add in a fun holiday movie also for a family night.  We have had cookies and popcorn with The Polar Express.  Hot cocoa and sweet treats paired perfectly last year with Elf.  This year I had a hard time finding an age appropriate movie, so I opted for some new books!  Some of our all time favorites are "What to do with an idea" by Kobi Yamada, "Lily the Unicorn" by Dallas Clayton and "Girl Power short stories" by various authors.  

Black Friday and Cyber Monday

This is the best time of year to snag all the killer deals on your list!  I've rounded up some of my favorite sales to keep your shopping simple!

J.Crew ( 40% off with code THANKU)  is my favorite place to shop for clothes and I have my eye on a handful of things!  This simple velvet bow sweater would pair perfectly with these high waisted skinny jeans for a casual day at home or a holiday party. This Chatueau parka wool  fur lined coat is the major covet all year and would pair perfectly with this fair aisle sweater and these high waisted button  jeans that I can't get enough of. Lastly, the some party dresses I can't live without for the girls!  This  and this turquoise floral party dress make my heart go pitter patter! Lastly, these fleece lined Nordic boots will keep your tootsies extra cozy and cute!

Nordstrom is my go to for basics and this cowel neck knit sweater  would be perfect for a cozy day in! This Tory Burch Parker leather tote is buttery heaven and would compliment any look both in the colder weather and warm season. If you have checked out my "Gift Guide for the Beauty Lover" you would know my MAJOR list topper is the PMD Personal Microderm device!  It's at a all time low price! 

Some of my favorite household gadgets and accents are on sale too!  If you have followed my stories for a while you know about our Roomba Puppy.  She is super sassy and means business when she is on cleaning duty!  She saves my sanity!  Find her $100 off here! We have serious dance parties with our Google Home and keep the house smelling fresh as a daisy with my Wooden globe essential oil diffuser!  

Gifts for the Beauty Lovers

Gifts for the Hostess

Gifts for Teachers