Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with family, friends, and loved ones!  My family and I had a very nice Christmas Eve, complete with a candlelight service at our church, as well as a fun yet relaxing Christmas Day.

Wishing you all a continued joyful Christmas and holiday season.  Let's not forget that Jesus is the true reason for the season!  Without Him, we are nothing.

Xoxo!

Christmas & Winter Bucket List

If you haven't noticed, I am quite eager about Christmas break!  I've been thinking of so many fun things I want to do, and decided I would share my list with y'all!  I have completed a few things on my list already, but who knows, maybe I'll get to do them again! 

Christmas & Winter Bucket List

*The cute graphics are from Evelyn Henson!

What's on your list?! I will keep y'all posted on whether or not I complete my list!

Enjoy today, xo!

Finals Week

Finals week is here! I put together a list of some tips that might help you succeed this week:



1. Pray - God cares about you fully, and he cares about every single detail of you life, including your exam week! Pray and ask God to help you and calm your stress, and you will be glad you did!

2. Organize - I personally don't get anything done unless I organize everything.  Organize what you need to study and the process is bound to go much easier!

3. Eliminate distractions - Yes, this could even mean leaving your phone at home when you go to the library!  It's so easy for me to get distracted by social media, Pinterest, and Netflix, but when you're able to focus you'll feel much more accomplished!

4. Take breaks - If you think you don't have time for a break, make time.  You deserve it!  Whether your idea of a break is getting coffee, taking a nap, or even making a quick trip to the mall, you'll find that when you return to studying that your brain is refreshed and ready to go again!

5. Workout & Eat healthy - This makes such a difference, especially in the way you feel.  Unhealthy food and an inconsistent workout schedule make me feel bogged down and even affects my mood.  It's crucial to feel your best during finals week so you can do your best!

6. Do your best - This may be an obvious one, but it's important to put in some effort and try hard.  Remember this verse:

7. Relax - Finals week can be stressful if you let it be, but relax! It's not the end of the world if you don't ace an exam.  There are much more important things in life.

I hope these tips help & good luck on your finals!
Xo,

Christmas Cheer

I can not wait for finals week to be over so I don't have to be distracted from the Christmas season by school any longer! Half way kidding, but I really am excited for Christmas break.  I've been loving being able to hang out with friends lately and get to do some fun holiday activities, such as ice skating, drinking Starbucks' holiday drinks, and looking at Christmas lights, but I thought I would put together a list of even more things to do to help anyone who needs a little boost of Christmas Spirit! 

How to get into the Christmas Spirit

source

1) Many parks put up beautiful Christmas light displays & it'd be a shame not to make a point to look at them.  Grab your friends and make it a night full of fun!

2) I absolutely love Hallmark movies, and they have the BEST ones at Christmas time!  Although they may be somewhat predictive, they're still absolutely adorable.

3) Starbucks. Peppermint. Mocha. My favorite holiday drink!  Or the gingerbread latte - yumm!  It's my goal try all of the drinks on the holiday menu at least once this season.

4) Decorating is a simple way to get in the Christmassy mood! Tis the season for trees, ornaments, lights, glitter, and all things red and green!  

5) Holiday baking is my favorite and there are so many wonderful recipes out there - don't be afraid to stick to your old favorites but also have fun and try something new!

6) Christmas caroling can be intimidating maybe, but also super fun.  As buddy the elf says, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!" 

7) Tis the season for giving and caring, donating a Christmas gift to someone is bound to cheer them up and bring you cheer too!

8) Pick out your favorite wrapping paper, find some glittering ribbon, and get wrapping! Turn on some Christmas music too and you're bound to get into the Christmas spirit!

9) Planning parties is so fun - my grammy and I absolutely adore throwing themed Christmas parties! This year we're planning an "Elegant Seaside Christmas," and we couldn't be more excited!

I hope these tips help bring you some Christmas cheer!  

Xo,

Winter Nail Colors

It's difficult for me to want any color other than pink on my nails - whether light pink, dark pink, bright pink, glittery pink, or any shade of pink in between!  But now that the holiday is upon us, I'm trying to broaden my horizons and try some new colors!  Currently my nails are painted a cheery Christmassy red color.  Here are some of the other colors I think would be perfect for the season:

Double Breasted Jacket | Virgin Snow | Private Weekend | Rock at the Top | Pretty Edgy

All of these Essie colors are so fun and festive! You could even add a accent nail (or party nail, as I like to call it) with the gold glitter, while using a solid color on the other nails.  The opportunities are endless, really! 

Enjoy today! Xo,

Holiday Baking List

December is here and I could not be more excited for the Christmas season! I absolutely love this time of year, and one of many, many reasons I enjoy it so much is because holiday baking! Can you say peppermint everything?!  I have a whole board on Pinterest dedicated to Christmas and winter so I can pin ideas all year long.  I do admit, almost half of the board is full of sugary baked goods.  Here are some of the treats I can not wait to make soon:

Peppermint Puppy Chow

I am already planning on making this for a Christmas party that I have next week.  I told my friends about it and they're looking forward to me making it too!

Gingerbread Reindeer & Santa Cookies

I can not get over how cute these are!!!! I love the pink noses that both the reindeer and santa share, and the gold antlers are so precious (not to mention the cute eyelashes, too!)  I might have to order some new cookie cutters just to make these cookies!

Eggnog Snickerdoodles

While some people do not like eggnog, I happen to really enjoy it.  That's probably why I think these eggnog snickerdoodles sound perfect!  Snickerdoodle cookies are so easy to make anyways, and there are so many seasonal variations - such as pumpkin snickerdoodles which I made this past fall (they were delicious!!!)

Peppermint White Hot Chocolate

I can just imagine how yummy this must be! My best friend and I love making homemade hot chocolate - we will have to put this recipe on our list.  Would go perfectly with a Hallmark Christmas movie!

Let me know if you have any other yummy holiday baking ideas!

Xo, happy December,