Last 2017 Friday FAVORITES!

Happy Friday, friends!  I took an impromptu little break this week and it was glorious!  We've been busy organizing EVERYTHING, playing a ton of games and testing out all the new Christmas things.  We've also been spending plenty of time snuggled up under blankets watching movies :)  #favorite

Erika, Narci and I are in for another year of Friday Favorites and we hope y'all are in too!  Every Friday we'll be sharing our favorites from the week and you can join us by writing your own Friday Favorites post (not just linking a bunch of your previous posts, pretty please!) and adding your link to the link-up widget at the bottom of any of our posts.  So easy and fun and a great way to find new blogs to read and follow and interact through comments.  We're wrapping up this year and kicking off '18 with a fresh new graphic.  Go ahead and right click and save it to your desktop so you can add it onto your Friday Favorites posts as well!

Show and Tell Tuesday - Favorite Posts of 2017

Today is the FINAL Show and Tell Tuesday of 2017!  How crazy is that?!?!  We're talking favorite posts of 2017 and I'm going to highlight some reader favorites as well as my own choices :)

Reader Choice - Day in the Life Posts

Everyone loves a day in the life post and these posts were some of my most popular throughout the year.  I think we all love seeing other people's "normal" and how we all "do life" on the regular.  You can check out a few of my day in the life posts from 2017  here,  here or here.

My Favorite - Kid Interviews

Last April I decided to  "interview" the kids around the time of their birthdays with the intent of doing it every year.  I had the best time putting it together and loved doing it so much I interviewed them again as we  headed back to school and again at  Thanksgiving time about what they were thankful for.  These posts and videos are some of my most favorite things EVER!

Reader Choice - Teacher Tuesday

I never do these posts as often as I say I will, but my Teacher Tuesday posts are another popular category here on the blog.  This year I shared my planner, gave a tour of my new classroom,  and talked about  a fun first week activity.

My Favorite - The Struggle Is Real

As much as I love sharing fun crafts, photos from our daily lives, how we celebrate Holidays, recipes we love and everything in between -  sharing about some of the things that I struggle with as a working mom (including  mom guilt, finding balance and maintaining friendships) was one of the most rewarding posts I've ever shared.  I received SO MANY emails of encouragement and camaraderie and had the opportunity to connect with dozens of women and it was incredibly uplifting.

Reader Choice - Trader Joe's Favorites

Back in April  I shared some of our favorite things from Trader Joe's and judging by how popular that post was I'd say 1) Y'all love Trader Joe's as much as we do and/or 2) Lots of y'all were looking for where to "start" when shopping TJ's.  If you're new to Trader Joe's (or even a seasoned TJ's shopper) you should definitely check out the post and be sure to read through the recommendations in the comments a well!

My Favorite - Three Things

Three things posts are some of my favorites to write because they highlight the little things that may otherwise go unmentioned and provides a fun little way for us to go back and remember the simple things that were going on in our lives throughout the year.

Thank y'all so much for reading and following along with our family!  I'd love to know if you had any favorite post(s) from 2017!

An InLinkz Link-up

Friday Favorites - All Things Christmas

I still can't believe that Christmas Eve is THIS WEEKEND!  I mean - where did the entire Christmas season go???  We've been making the most of it, even if it's been flying by, and this week I'm sharing a few of our FAVORITES from the week that are all pretty festive.

Erika and Narci are joining me and I'd love it if you'd join in too!  Link up your Friday Favorites blog post below and/or leave a comment and share your favorite(s) from the week!

First up are a few new ornament additions to our tree...

BREAK!!!

We're officially on Christmas break! We are so excited for some downtime together and we kicked off a couple weeks of no bedtimes with a trip to Enchant Christmas in Arlington last night.  I had planned to share about it today but we ended up staying until it closed at 11:00 pm and didn't get home until after midnight - so this is about all I have in me.  I'll be back tomorrow for Friday Favorites and hope you can join in as well.  Happy Thursday, friends!

12 Games of Christmas

Last night was our Sunday School class's annual Christmas party and we hang out, eat and play "12 games of Christmas".  We do 12 little "minute-to-win-it" style games and have so much fun.  I thought I'd share the games we played in case you're looking for something fun to do at a gathering over the holidays.

Teacher Tuesday - Funny Stories

Last Thursday night I was on Instagram stories talking a little bit about how TOUGH being a teacher can be during the last few days before a break.  I asked teachers to send me their funniest teacher stories and my direct message inbox was packed almost immediately!  

My plan was to share them on IG stories, but they are just too good for that so I'm going to share some today and will probably share more in a couple of weeks.  

Weekend Recap - Low and Slow

This weekend we kept things "low and slow" and only left the house to go to breakfast on Saturday morning.  One - because I had a TON of house stuff I needed to get taken care of before Christmas break hits and TWO - I feel like everyone and their mom is sick right now and with exams this week I couldn't risk one of my kids getting sick. hahaha  So we literally just hunkered down and had THE BEST time.

Saturday morning we had Breakfast with Santa at the country club which we've been going to since Luke's very first Christmas.  I feel like the next two pictures are examples of why we hire professional help to get family pictures :)

Friday Favorites - 12/15

Today's post is going to be short and sweet because y'all... this has been a WEEK!  I'm happy to say that I'm DONE with Christmas cards, all of my exams (and practice exams and answer keys and prep emails and study guides) are prepped, my report cards are done and my house is only halfway a disaster ;)  I'm not sure I've been asleep before 1:00 a.m. a single day this week but Christmas break is in our sights and we're determined to finish strong!

Erika,  Narci and I are sharing our favorites again this week and we'd love for you to join  us.

We brought back three of  our FAVORITE snowmen this week and the kids could NOT be happier!

ELF

Isn't it funny how sometimes our kids can teach us the biggest lessons?  Earlier this week I was having kind of a "down" day.  I wasn't in the best mood, Dave was going to be working that night and I was flying solo from after school through bedtime and, honestly, I didn't have the best attitude about the whole thing.  I was going through homework folders, sorting papers and prepping dinner when Mason kept insisting that I come into my bedroom because he "saw something on my pillow".  I was not super receptive to interrupting what I was doing and grumbly made my way to the bedroom to pretty much just get him to stop pestering me about it (insert #momguilt here).  I went into the bedroom and there he was, standing all sneaky yet proud next to my bed where there was a little piece of paper all folded up.  

"Look mom... where do you think this could have come from???"

Guys Gift Guide

Today I'm partnering with Nordstrom to share a few gift ideas for the guys in your life.  Husbands, dads, brothers... why are the guys always the hardest to buy for?!?!  Like always, I like to shop at Nordstrom for gifts because they make exchanges and returns insanely easy.  If you end up needing a different size or color the process is fast and simple which is perfect when you're giving a gift.

(you can shop the graphic above by clicking on the item numbers!)

1/2 - I mentioned before that Dave RARELY buys anything for himself, so I really love picking up pieces for him that I know he'll wear a ton and will last a long time.  Since he's in and out of restaurant kitchens all day he doesn't love spending time/money on his work wardrobe (he's SUPER basic when it comes to that) but he does appreciate some good Nike apparel :)  

I grabbed  these pants and  this hoodie for him a few weeks ago and he has worn them a TON!  

These pictures are from the other night (and yes... my boys are in shorts and t-shirts because they are NEVER cold.  Anyone else's kids like this??)...

... and he obliged my request for a photo of the hoodie because look how great the neckline is!

This is what happens when we try to take a group pic :)

3 - I talked about these slippers last week and they would be a great gift that the recipient would get lots of years of wear out of.  They're a bit of a splurge and something that they might not buy themselves which would be a great surprise on Christmas morning.

4 - Dave got a  portable Bose speaker last year and has used it pretty much every day since.  It's what we play music on throughout our house, out by the pool, in the driveway when we're doing yard stuff, to Mason's football practice, etc.   This one is great because it's waterproof!

5 - Our family LOVES a good blanket and  this barefoot dreams throw is one of our favorites.  It's soft and light and perfect for snuggling up on the couch. 

6 - We don't need gloves very often in Texas, but if you live in a colder climate this pair is great because you don't have to take them off to use your smartphone.  Dave has a similar pair that he's already pulled out for the season :)

7 - I've been searching for a new cologne for Dave (this is something that he wouldn't go out and buy for himself) and am LOVING  this Joe Malone scent.  It has great reviews as well!

8 - I mentioned that Dave's work wardrobe is pretty basic, but he does love  fun socks and the kids always have fun picking them out for him.  

9 - I gave Dave  this zip-front jacket and he's already worn it way more than I thought he would. It's washed and worn really well and is a piece that I think he'll have in his closet for a long time.

10 -  These flip flops would be a perfect stocking stuffer because who couldn't use an extra pair of flip flops!

11 - Dave's notorious for just grabbing his credit card and throwing it into his pocket when we go places and I think  this cell phone case would work really well for him. 

I'd love to know what great guy gift ideas y'all have up your sleeves.  Big gifts, stocking stuffers, etc. share in the comments!

Thank you so much to Nordstrom for partnering with me on this post!  The links above are affiliate links and I so appreciate y'all supporting my blog!

Disney on Ice

A few weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon Griffin and I headed out on our much-anticipated girls date to see Disney on Ice!  WE WERE SO EXCITED!!!

Most Festive Weekend Ever

Y'all... this weekend was so much fun!  I need another weekend to recover from all the fun we had, but it was totally worth it!  Saturday morning we went to the first performance of Prestonwood's Gift of Christmas.  Ashby came with us and I thought Griffin's face was going to fall off from all the smiling :) 

Friday Favorites - Comfies Edition

Today is an EXTRA happy Friday because we're out of school!  MCA made the state playoffs for football and with so many staff members going to the game (parents, coaches, etc.) they cancelled school!  (they couldn't get enough subs to cover for everyone who was going!)

The game is at noon in Waco and while we had planned on driving down there to watch, the FREEZING temps have changed our plans up a bit and the kids and I are going to go see a movie, run a few errands and just hang out WARM at home ;)  Say a few big cheers for the mustangs today at noon!

Erika,  Narci and I are all sharing our FAVORITES today and we'd love for you to join us!

First up on my list are what we lovingly refer to as "comfies" :)  When we're hanging out at home we're pretty much always in comfy clothes - it's a must.  This week I decided to order a few new comfy things for Dave as an early Christmas present.  His slippers were on their last leg and while he had pajama pants in his closet he didn't have anything that was more "loungy" (when I say loungy I mean that you could run to grab milk at the grocery store really quick and you wouldn't feel like you had to change before you went out... but if you fell asleep on the couch in them you wouldn't feel compelled to change before bed either) ;)

Playroom Christmas

I shared our downstairs decor on Tuesday and today I thought I'd share our little Christmas touches in the playroom upstairs.  I decided to share the decor as well as a typical" kind of afternoon/evening upstairs at our house.  My kids pretty much always change straight out of their school uniforms into pjs after school and then hang out upstairs while I get dinner sorted out.  Boden sent them some  new jammies and slippers that they've been loving - look how cute! 

Thanksgiving Week Part 3 - Home for the Holidays

My Oma (my mom's mom and my last living grandparent) passed away unexpectedly last week and her services are today in Canada.  I'm heartbroken.

 Some of my earliest and fondest childhood memories include her as she had a way of always making me feel loved, special and important.  She was funny and fun, witty and wise.  She had an incredible servant's heart and was always serving her family and others.  I was her first grandchild and I adored her with my entire heart.  Even though we didn't see each other very often we always had a way of picking up right where we left off and even as an adult with children of my own sitting next to her on the couch was a place of comfort and peace.  If I'm 100% honest I really didn't think this would ever happen (I know, I know) because I just can't imagine a world without her.

Show and Tell Tuesday - Christmas Decor

The day is finally here!  I seriously look forward to this day all year long!  I adore Christmas decor and love seeing how other people do theirs.  There is nothing happier than a house decorated for Christmas!

We moved our tree location this year and I couldn't love it more...

North Pole Breakfast 2017

Our Elf on the Shelf returned on Saturday morning and brought our annual "North Pole Breakfast".  This is a tradition  we started back in 2012 and it's a morning we all look forward to.

Friday Favorites - It's DECEMBER Edition!

Happy Friday, friends!!!

Erika,  Narci and I are sharing our FAVORITES today and we'd love for you to join us!

Not going to lie - going back to work this week kind of kicked my butt.  It's funny how quickly you can fall out of your routine and how hard it can be to get back into it (wearing "real clothes" included!)

If you were looking for me on break I was probably in something like this...