2015 Ultimate Wish List

Y'all I have been talking with the ladies I work with about Christmas wants and wishes for over a month now. I kid you not, teachers know how to make a mean list or 100! After TONS, I mean TONS of lists, sticky notes, debates, and research (y'all, I told you I was crazy organized/type-A) I present my 2015 Christmas wish list!

If we lived in a perfect world all of these would be under my tree. AAAAAAAA-AND, since we don't, I will be pleased with any one. After all, it is about giving. So if you're in a giving mood, here are a few items I wouldn't mind having.

1. Tory Burch flats

2. Diamond earrings

3. Fit Bit Surge

4. Lululemon yoga pants and tops

5. Anything Pilates related... I am obsessed!

Oh Kitchen-aid, Oh Kitchen-aid

Oh Kitchen-aid, Oh Kitchen-aid how lovely are your mixers! But really, someone should make a song out of that because holy-cow, how amazing are kitchen aid mixers. Jeffrey gave it to me a few days ago as an early Christmas gift. Have I ever mentioned how amazing my husband is? Well, he is SO incredibly amazing!

I made Peppermint Chocolate Chip "heaven" Cookies! If you like peppermint and chocolate these are a must try.

ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 ½ cups gluten free flour (I used cup 4 cup)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 large candy canes, crushed
• 12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and the extract and combine well.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well and add to the cookie dough. Combine well.
4. Add the Candy canes and chocolate chips and mix just until the candy has been incorporated.
5. Scoop by the rounded tablespoon onto the pans, leaving lots of room for the cookies to spread (because they will spread quite a bit.)
6. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes and then let them cool for a few moments on the baking pan before transferring them to a cooling rack or counter top.
7. These store really well in the freezer!

What recipes do you love?

-Kelsey 

Tacky Christmas Sweater

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my job? Well, I love being a first grade teacher and my co-workers at Palmetto Christian Academy. One of my favorite festive traditions is the "ugly" Christmas sweater contest. We had such a contest at PCA last week. The teachers pulled out all the stops and we had a great fashion show during chapel. The kids LOVED IT! Y'all, I even won 2nd place!!!

How to get tacky!

1. Buy an ugly sweater at Kholes after you have visited a million other stores a the last minute,

2. Wear a tree skirt as a skirt. They were made for people not trees obviously. 

3. Put on your obnoxious red pants to seal the deal

4. Get ribbon curls and tie it in your hair

5. Strut your ugly self in holiday glory!!!

The amazing PCA 1st grade dream team!!!

Merry Christmas Blogging world! May your sweaters be tacky and your hot coco be sweet!

-Kelsey 

Friday Favorites

Five Fabulous Friday Favorites (I love a good alliteration!) 

1. Kombucha Tea // This stuff is amazing. It can be purchased at your local Whole Foods or Earth Fare. It is organic and is made from all natural ingredients that truly give you a natural boost of energy. My Pilates instructor brews her own at home and I have been considering doing the same.

2. Okra // I could eat this vegetable for lunch and dinner everyday. Slice it down the middle, toss it in a bowl with olive oil and garlic, then roast it in a pan. Delicious.

3. Pilates // I have started going to Pilates twice a week now, and I can feel such a difference. I don't feel so silly anymore and I can see myself getting stronger! Y'all I opened a really hard jar all on my own! I also held a plank in perfect position for over 2 minutes! This is such a celebration for me.

4. Wrapping // I have wrapped everything in my house. Honestly, I am surprised I haven't tried to wrap Roxie in all my wrapping rage.

5. Online shopping // It is so nice to grab a cup of coffee and sit by the television  in my PJ's while I Christmas shop. I can relax browsing and finding the perfect gift, I don't have to wait in line, and I can use promo codes for money off and free shipping. Thank you to whoever invented online shopping!

What are some of your favorite things right now?


-Kelsey

DIY Gift Ideas

I have been a DIY Mrs. Claus running around covered in glue, paint, and sugar busy making Christmas gifts for friends, family, and co-workers. Here are my DIY gifts that your friends will enjoy and actually find useful!

The hubby and I at the Charleston boat parade this past weekend

1. Homemade Sugar-Cookie Scrub // This is a great gift and so easy to make. I actually made one for myself because it is so awesome. 

Sugar-Cookie Scrub

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup coconut or olive oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract.

***Mix all in a large bowl and spoon into a clear jar***

2. Ornaments // I have been a little elf making millions of ornaments. All I did was purchase some paint pens and look up fun sayings. You can even fill them with fake snow or glitter. I am really happy with the way they have turned out.

3. Keep Sake Boxes // I would these on Pinterest and had to make them! These are so cute and are really useful for those special jewelry pieces. 

DIY Gemstone Keepsake Box

1. buy small boxes. I found mine at Michaels.

2. Spray paint them using a glossy white color.

3. 3. Once the paint is dry, glue a gem to the top. I got my gems at Michaels as well.

I hope you are enjoying this Holiday season. What DIY gift ideas do you have?

Happy crafting!

-Kelsey 

AWWWW-KWARD!

One of my favorite times of the Christmas season is our very awkward photo with Santa. Each year we have a different Santa, and you can see they just get better and better (I am being sarcastic),

Roxie is our baby, so we make her do all ridiculous holiday things because, well, because we can! I present to you five years of fabulous faux-Santas! Enjoy!

This was our first year with sweet Roxie!

This was behind the scenes from this year's Santa photo!

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do! What awkward traditions do you have?

-Kelsey 

Friday update... 1 week down, a million to go!

It has been one week since Jeffrey started his new job. Thank you to everyone for their texts, calls, Facebook messages, prayers, and well wishes this past week. I feel so loved! How did my first three nights go without my bffl Jeffrey? *drum roll please* It went a lot better then I thought. So that's good right? So how was the first week for Mr. Big-shot? His response, "boring". He is ready to start meeting clients, working with his team, and manipulating software and other Georgia Tech grad smart stuff. He reassured me by saying there is HUGE opportunity for him and our family so we are so thankful! 

I will admit, I did go to work with wet hair one day and no makeup the next so it is still a work in progress. The main point is, I made it! I cooked for myself (except Monday and Wednesday; I went out with friends). Okay so you caught me, I only cooked one meal out of the three, but hey, that's something right?!?!

I wrapped gifts, went to Pilates twice in one week, tutored, and cleaned. All and all, I accomplished a lot. Did I miss my husband? H-E-(double hockey sticks) YES! I missed him something fierce, but I was strong and prayed and God got me through those three days just like HE will get me through the next three days until...well, until Jeff decides his next big job... so I am thinking early retirement?!?! Just kidding, or am I?!?

When Jeffrey came home yesterday, we cooked greasy food and sat like bums on the couch talking and snuggling. Perfection I tell you, absolute perfection. He is working from home today and we have a very full, fun weekend planned in Charleston.

These are our "we are so excited to be together again" faces!

I am so excited to see what the future holds. In the mean time, I am so thankful that I am being so loved and taken care of by friends and extended family. God is so good! I would be lost without my faith and trust in our Savior. It is so refreshing to know Jeffrey and I are on the same page. It makes my heart flutter when he says he is praying for me. Y'all, I am truly blessed.

Remember to refresh yourself,
Kelsey