Here’s what this past week looked like- My Everyday Life Week 50
Good morning indeed.
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Quick Question!
Do any of you have an Instant Pot? I am researching them! Tell me everything I need to know! What do you make with it??!
Living in the house I grew up in means that at times, completely out of nowhere, I’ll randomly have memories (good and bad) trickle through into my everyday life.
The holidays trigger so many memories while I’m decorating our house.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my grandparents. I wish I could ask them a whole bunch of things. Questions that I only know to ask because I have more perspective in my life. Like…grown up conversations! I’d ask my grandpa what he liked to take pictures of on his Rolleiflex he gifted me. I wish more than anything that I could see my other grandpa watch Cooper play baseball. But they are gone and here we are.
This year I teamed up with Pier 1 again for my holiday decor. I used some of the items from last year, a few new pieces and a couple of meaningful little trinkets to honor my family who is no longer with us.
Btw….
My grandpa used to dress up as Santa and sit on this fireplace (I was always terrified of Santa) with us kids hanging off of him.
I’ll have to dig up a picture. 80s fashions are unbelievable.
Both of my grandpa’s first names start with A.
Andrew and Armand.
I cut fresh clippings from our trees outside for the mantle.
It’s such a cozy spot at night.
All the items I used from Pier 1 for this mantle:
And we move onto the other fireplace we have in our house.
This one is in the family room where we spend most of our time (it’s attached to the kitchen).
I went with a gold star/candlestick/antler vibe this year.
This is what my mantle looked like last year!
I put a couple of lions on the mantle for my grandma. She was also a Leo 😉
Another one!
I love the combo of the gold with the black. All of the stars are so glittery. They’re so beautiful in candlelight.
While I was Pier 1, I picked up a few balsam fir diffusers so my house can smell like Christmas tree.
It’s already working!
That lamp (my mom’s) was on this mantle when I was a kid. It’s back in business.
Thanks Mom!
What I used for the mantle:
photography by Ashley Batz
This post was produced in partnership with Pier 1 Imports. As always, all opinions are my own.
Here’s what this past week looked like- My Everyday Life: Week 49
Sun through FOG.
Date night/holiday party with my boo.
I haven’t worn this dress in ages.
We went to Molina and had a wonderful dinner.
Highly recommend the steak. It was bonkers.
Greenery.
Book for a new baby named FOX 🙂
Cute little squishy baby fingers.
Dust off your punch bowl, we’re making Holiday Rum Punch for a crowd!
This punch is inspired by one of the drinks I had on my trip to Jamaica for the Click Retreat last month. It’s totally tropical but deceptively holiday-ish with the orange and the cranberry garnishes. If you make this at a holiday party people will be like…oooooh and then ahhhhhhhh.
Think:
Mixed with this:
A hint of:
and a side of this:
Keep reading and I can show you how you can win a 4 day/3 night stay at one of the Playa Hotel Resorts!
After this holiday season, we all could use one!
This punch is a real crowd pleaser with rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, ginger beer and sparkling water. If you want to serve this during warmer times, just garnish with maraschino cherries instead of cranberries.
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Gift giving changes a lot as we get older. We’re not children huddled around the tree waiting (impatiently) for their turn to open presents. We’re adults managing more than we’ve ever had to while figuring out how to muster up a satisfactory amount of holiday magic and sparkle during the home stretch of another exhaustingly full year.
No?
Just me?
What does it mean to give a gift?
(I actually googled that and found this really good article).
It means that you were thinking of someone else. You were putting energy into make someone feel happy and special. You were taking a moment to be thoughtful and spread cheer. You gave the gift of your time.
What it really comes down to, and what my parents said to us kids when we got gifts like Miss Piggy bow biters from my Auntie Toni:
It’s the thought that counts.
Sometimes we don’t give gifts because we don’t have enough time.
Time can be carved out if you’re thoughtful enough.
This Jasmine Tea Infused Vodka is one of the simplest ways to show you’re thinking of your friend or family member who appreciates spirits as gifts. If you’ve gotta see someone in the afternoon or evening, all you have to do is let jasmine tea steep in vodka for about 2-3 hours in the morning, strain it and package it up and you’re good to go! Just put effort into the wrapping + packaging. That’s a gift in itself!
