Hi Friends and Happy Wednesday! I am here for Joyce's fun linkup...answering these questions...
1. Do you struggle with the commercialization of the holiday season?
What helps you keep your focus when the season’s busyness and
commercialism start to take over?
Yes I really do...I try to focus on the reason and step up my prayer time and time spent in church and then also focus on creating fun traditions for my family and friends because being together during the season is the greatest gift in my book.
2. What's one small thing you want to savor before the year ends?
Admiring the holiday lights...in cozy pj's with a warm drink...savor all of the glow
3.
December 9th is National Christmas Card Day. Do you still send
Christmas cards? If so does yours include a photo or is it a more
traditional card, or maybe homemade? How do you feel about the tradition
of exchanging cards at the holidays? If Hanukkah is the holiday you
celebrate in December do you send cards to mark the occasion?
Exchanging holiday cards is one of my favorite annual traditions...we always do photos on ours and sometimes, like this year, with a religious message
4. What's your least favorite holiday related task? What's your favorite?
Shopping = Least Favorite
Hosting Family and Friends= Favorite
5. Let's do a little holiday this or that?
shopping or wrapping- don't enjoy either- yikes baking or decorating- decorating eggnog or wassail- eggnog real tree or artificial- artificial turkey or ham- turkey white lights or colored lights- white lights ugly sweaters or matching pjs- matching pjs peppermint or cinnamon - peppermint presents Christmas Eve or presents Christmas Day- both!
6. Insert your own random thought here.
As my girls are getting older and some of the magic has disappeared...I try to keep the traditions alive as much as possible...they really do enjoy so many of the things we do...and as far as gifts, I am at the point where I love to give experiences...experiences that will create wonderful memories together...that is my favorite gift and I know they will agree :)
Hi Friends and Happy Monday! I am here with Sara and we are chatting about our weekends. Hope you will join us! Here is what our little festive weekend looked like...
Friday Night
I hosted my annual Favorite Things Party and we had a blast...we enjoyed catching up...gobbling up yummy bites and sipping delish cocktails and then exchanging gifts...the night just flew by for me!
Eva and Robby B headed out to a "fancy" dinner with friends
Ally took Diana to her very first Celtics game!
Saturday
I started my day with my tea of course and a "supermodel snack" for breakfast while starting the series "All Her Fault"...incredible...definitely got sucked in this weekend!
Rob and Eva were at softball and Diana was at a cheer clinic...then she and I hit Playa Bowls for lunch...love how festive Tuscan Village is right now :)
After that, I made out our Christmas Cards while watching more of "All Her Fault"
That night, we headed to our friends Christmas Party...fun for the adults and kids complete with karaoke...a Secret Santa and Gingerbread House decorating!
Diana headed to MC for a "function" with her besties....she is LOVING that school and hoping to get in and cheer there...fingers crossed!
Sunday
Rob and Eva headed to softball first thing...Diana and I hit Nutrition Corner
Then I headed to mass.
After that, it was time to get organized for the week....get a chicken soup in the crockpot for dinner...oh and regress apparently? Yup...slime...ugh! ;)
Then Diana and I took a ride to Home Goods just to window shop....and then I hit the rail trail :)
After that, I finished "All Her Fault"...wow! So many twists and turns- highly recommend this thriller series. Also watched the latest episode of Stumble- hysterical!
Rob and Eva headed to the middle school hockey game last night. Diana worked and I crashed early with Remi. What were you all up to?
Hi Friends and Happy Friday! Ahhh...my favorite day of the week...this one is extra special as tonight I am hosting my Annual Favorite Things Party...so excited....today I will be sharing some faves from my week, as always, and this week I am putting a festive look on it all...Pink Lady Style ;)
Clean Eating
I have been asked "what have you been doing" over the last year time and again...honestly it was a slow shift to cleaner eating....more exercise (mostly walking which is good for not only my body but my mind) and HRT (yes a controversial topic) and limiting alcohol (to only social consumption, when I am with family and friends) and limiting sugar....I never want to feel deprived so if I want something I have it- when I feel deprived is when I stray.....so I have lost 35 pounds in the last year by just putting some basics into practice. I still have a ways to go but I feel great. Anyway, I digress...clean eating is one part of this transformation...lately, being inspired by Bethenny, I have experimented with some new recipes and I am loving them- they are keeping eating more exciting! Here are a few recents...meals and snacks...
Sushi- Opting for hand rolls with no rice
While chopping veggies for dinner, I whipped up a quick lunch of butternut squash with a little EVOO and Hot Honey- delish!
Homemade Chicken Salad with Pickled Onions, Pickles and Everything But The Bagel Seasoning
Multigrain Wasa Crackers with Low Fat Cottage Cheese, Shredded Carrots, Pickled Onions and Truffle Hot Sauce- yum!
Whipping Up Some Healthy Tacos for the Fam for Dinner- everyone loved them! I marinated chicken tenders in lime juice, EVOO, chili powder and salt and pepper then cooked them in the air fryer and tossed them into the tacos chalk full of veggies and guac
Homemade Tuna Salad with Pickled Onions, Truffle Hot Sauce and Everything But The Bagel Seasoning with a Multigrain Wasa Cracker on the side
Awesome Protein Bars! They taste like Snickers seriously!
Multigrain Wasa Crackers with Shredded Turkey, Truffle Hot Sauce and Cucumbers
Sushi Bowls for Dinner one night- Diana's and My Bowls had sushi rice, rare salmon, pickled onions, shredded carrots, cucumbers, sesame seeds and seaweed. Rob's and Eva's bowls had sushi rice, grilled chicken, shredded carrots, sesame seeds and cucumbers. We tossed some soy sauce and hot sauce on these bad boys too :)
First Snowfall
Not a fave, however, trying to stay positive and appreciate the way it looks against the Christmas lights...and the JOY that Remi gets from running around outside :)
My Top Music in 2025
Love the way Apple Music does this collection for me every year...no surprise that Taylor Swift was at the top...followed by Sabrina Carpenter of course...and my top song was Stargazer by Myles Smith...LOVE
Senior Superlatives Are In!
Yup....Rob and I are SO PROUD ;)
We have all been cracking up...glad Diana can laugh at herself!
Hockey Duck
LOVE the Duck that Eva brought back for me for my Jeep collection...and I have loved seeing the happy photos from her hockey trip :)
Remi's Bath
Not one of his faves but definitely one of ours....ha!
and the end result is the greatest...he even agrees ;)
Heated Yoga and The Rail Trail
Ahh...salvation....
Bible Study
Best for last! Each month, in my Bible Study, there has been a theme...and when I opened up December to get started on the month...you can imagine my JOY when I saw the theme for the month! #bestforlast
