SHE: Had a Fabulous Holiday

Hey Y'all,

I hope your Christmas season has been one that filled your heart with love and gave your sweet memories for years to come.  Ours was all that and more.  We had a precious candlelight service, family time, lots of yummy food and even some sweet gifts to top off the day. It was so much fun, we forgot to take any photos!! Can you believe that?? We are bloggers... pictures of everything are a BIG Deal.  Sorry to let you down. But it was all good and that's what really matters. 

Now we are looking forward to the freshness of the New Year ~ a clean slate for whatever our hearts desire...   Join us next week as we return with regular tips & "I never knew that's", recipes and everyday how to's.   

Until then, I can be found finishing off the Christmas goodies and enjoying the last of those awesome Hallmark movies. Have a great week friends!! 

xoxo,

Amy

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It's Christmas Week Y'all!

Hey Friends,

Can you believe it is Christmas week?  Well, it is and just like you we are all crazy busy. 

How are you doing on your Christmas lists? Checking off all of your to do's ? My list is getting

pretty close to complete. 

I finished my baking yesterday ~ Pecan Tassies, Salted Nut Bars (PayDay bars), Buckeyes and white chocolate trail mix.  I really enjoy baking and sharing treats with friends. I have an assortment of goodies in gift boxes ready to deliver to some sweet friends and coworkers tomorrow.  Hope they enjoy them.

Need any last minute gift ideas for the challenging name on your list? Are they the ones who "have everything"?  This is typically my hardest friend to shop for.  Here are a few suggestions, that I think would work great for anyone on your list.

1) Give them gift cards to restaurants, to their favorite grocery store or gas cards.

                  A gift card works for services too. What about one for car washes? for a manicure? 

a hair salon? lawn service? Something they need during the year.

       

2) A set of all occasion cards ~ pre stamped! A friend suggested this and I love it! 

3) Food is always a hit ~ homemade or purchased

Remember that the presentation is as important as the present. So put a little effort in it to wrapping up your items.  And with that, it's time for me to get wrapping... (I could use some little elves.)

Merry Christmas sweet friends ~  

We have had a wonderful year and hope you have too!

Wishing the you happiest of weeks with lots of love, fun and family time. 

Amy

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SHE: Makes Christmas Happen

Hey Y'all,

It is certainly the Most Wonderful time of the Year! But I think it is also the busiest time of the year. 
So much to do and see in a short span of time. Hopefully you are finding it an enjoyable time too.

I am a list maker.. and this comes in handy when my days get crazy. A list keeps me on track and helps me remember what I have and what I still need.  My list consists of decorations, shopping, Christmas cards, baking & special events ( Christmas programs, parties, gift exchanges) and is always with me. It is a sense of accomplishment checking things off!

Decorations go up Thanksgiving week, Shopping - begins Black Friday of course, Christmas cards and goody baking is usually 2nd or 3rd weekend of December, and fun times are held throughout the month. 

Thanksgiving weekend is when I decorate, but I have been know to get a jump start on it to enjoy it longer.  It is done is 1 day. I can't take those boxes and storage bins scattered throughout the house.  I love the house to be all "Christmasy" and clean. 

Shopping ~ With a little one, I shopped throughout the year and made sure to get that must have toy.  It was also helpful to spread the spending love out over a few months, instead of waiting until the last few weeks.  As my family got older, my Christmas shopping plan changed. I don't have to shop for a special toy so I typically haven't worried about an item being sold out.  (or so I thought! I have encountered that this year, but hope to be successful with a replacement item.) And so much can be ordered on line ~ Amazon Prime is fab! and you know, they sell everything!  But I still make my list for any gift I need to purchase. And of course plan how these items will work in my budget. 


Baking ~ I organize my baking list with all the ingredients I will be needing and start purchasing extra spices or sugar/ flour when I am grocery shopping. Everything comes out of the pantry on baking weekend and the fun baking times begin.  I have always enjoyed holiday recipes. We have so many yummy ones; which one is your favorite? I love to share the treats with friends and family, coworkers and neighbors.

As for my Christmas cards, I admit that we do not send one to every person we know.  I mostly send them to those we don't see as often, but want them to know we are thinking of them.  And those I do while watching a Christmas movie ( or 5 ~ this weekend was The Family Stone & Christmas With the Kranks).

We always made sure to have a special Christmas activity each year. I always enjoyed driving around and looking at all the lights.  The 12 days of Christmas ( I think this was Brittney's favorite tradition).We saw the Rockettes one year in Nashville. The Nutcracker is always fun and so pretty and festive.  My favorite is the candle lit service on Christmas eve at our church.

This week starts the 12 days of Christmas. We loved this tradition!  It starts on the 13th, and each day Brittney got a small gift with a note: do a good deed, share some Christmas spirit, snuggle up and enjoy a Christmas movie....  Just a short little note and a gift. It was often a movie, a popcorn tin, Christmas pjs, hot cocoa and new mug... little items hidden each day for a special little treat leading up to Christmas morning.  It helped spread the holiday magic out a little longer and we were able to enjoy every day.  What are your favorite traditions? 


Does this sound like your December too? I think most Moms have a similar version.  The trick is to stay calm and actually take the time to enjoy the special moments with your family. One year in particular I was very busy with work and our Christmas plan was a little behind schedule. My daughter just knew Christmas was ruined. She couldn't figure out why things weren't happening just like they always had...   I told her Christmas doesn't just "happen" ~ It takes a lot of work to pull it off. And a little Christmas magic never hurts.

Have a great week friends!      

xoxo,

                                                       Amy

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SHE Found Open Doors & Patience

Happy Friday! Y’all that is one of my favorite things to say!

Anyways, today I’m going to keep it fairly short and a little bit personal. It’s not so much a how-to, but more of a reminder.

Today my reminder is – everything will work out in the right timing for you. I know, cue the eye-roll. That is the most overused and annoying phrase out there. But, be patient because your time is coming and It’ll be better than you expected.

I started knocking on doors somewhere between a year and half and two years ago. I would knock and knock, someone would open and I’d see a teaser and then they’d slam right in my face. I would smile and put on my “it’s fine” face and say something along the lines of “it’s okay, this (fill in the blank of what I was looking for) clearly wasn’t right for me/us and something better is out there for me/us.” But on the inside – I was mad. I threw around the word “unfair” a lot. And sometimes I pouted like a three year old. Every now and then I would see why a door closed and I would be thankful, but there weren’t enough of the moments to be okay with all of the closed doors. I fell into a pretty unhappy rut. 2016 was supposed to be the best year – and you know what it kinda sucked.

Back in mid-October I was done. I was ready for January 1^st so I could have a clean start. “Okay, 2016 was clearly not my year, but 2017 will totally rock!” I was saying the words but didn’t quite feel them. And then it happened. A door for almost everything I had been wanting opened. Like within a couple weeks of each other. It all happened so fast, I thought it was a dream. My husband found a new job that he loves, we’re moving into a house next week, we were able to go the beach for Thanksgiving and have another small getaway planned for New Years and I’ve got a couple more things in the works.  Suddenly, 2016 decided to end on a good note.  I personally felt like I did a complete 180 returning to my old happy self and I couldn’t be more thrilled (I was annoying myself. So to my loved ones out there – thanks for putting up with me!!).  I’ve still got a few doors I’m knocking on but after having these past few open so perfectly, it helped remind me that they’ll open when it is right.

So to everyone out there struggling with closed doors – I feel you! Enjoy this holiday season and put your worries aside. Be patient the best you can (trust me I’m not a patient person and that is the hardest part!!), your open door is coming I PROMISE!

xo Courtney

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SHE Degree Christmas Market

Hey Y'all,

We had such a fun time at our Christmas market a few weeks ago. 

Here is a video to show you a little snippet of the event. 

Have a great week friends. 

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SHE Packs & Moves Her Kitchen

Hey y’all! Can you believe it’s December? I know I can’t. My sister, my mom, two very close family friends, and I all have birthdays from the 13^th – 21^st. Combine that with Christmas and all the holiday parties and you’ve got yourself one hectic month!! But I love it, it’s by far my favorite month of the year.

This year I’ve lost my mind though… My husband and I started looking for a rental house to get out of our apartment and guess what? We get the keys December 16. ONE. WEEK. BEFORE. CHRISTMAS. As someone who usually decorates in early – mid November, not having my tree up yet has been very difficult for me! Let’s not even think about the fact that I’m moving at the worst possible time!

Anyway… there have been a few things that I’m doing to help make this smooth. Since we’re moving in the middle of parties galore we have to pack whenever we get a chance, but how do you pack something like your kitchen two weeks before you move? Here is what I’m doing…

First, I’m going to the grocery store this weekend and making a handful of freezer meals in aluminum pans (think casseroles – something like Shepard’s Pie has your meat and veggies all in one dish, no need for sides!). This way all I have to do is pull it out of the freezer, place in the oven, and then throw away when done. No need for pots and pans! Go ahead and pack those away.

Second, while I’m at the grocery store I’m getting paper plates, plastic utensils, napkins, and solo cups. Again all throw away stuff so I can go ahead and pack all my dishes!

Isn’t this so much easier? Not only can you go ahead and get another room packed, but now you don’t have any dishes to do! It’s a win-win!

Do you have any tips on packing your kitchen or surviving without one? I’d love to hear it!

xo Courtney

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