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Friday, December 5, 2025

Friday Favorites (December 5, 2025)

 




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

 


 Have a wonderful and festive weekend friends! XO

 

 

 

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Wednesday Hodgepodge


 
 Hi Friends and Happy Wednesday!  I am joining Joyce once again for her link up..let's answer her fun questions...
 
 
1. What does it mean to have the 'holiday spirit'? On a scale of 1-10 how is yours this year? (10=off the charts, 1=still looking for it)
 

 
 
I think holiday spirit is feeling the joy and hope of the birth of Christ.  I think the materialism in this day and age can really affect your spirit and I struggle with that every year...the pressure...the lists...it gets to be too much.  I like practicing traditions for my family and friends and that brings me JOY...but the shopping/materialism really does get to me.  So as far as my holiday spirit, it is a work in progress.  Right now I would say I am at a 5? 

 

 

 

2. What's your favorite character from a (December) holiday-themed movie, book, or TV special? Tell us why. 


 

 Clark Griswold by far.  Christmas Vacation is one of my favorite movies of all time and I LOVE Clark and his grandiose plans...I often say I am the female Clark Griswold and my family agrees ;)

 

 

3. Do you like gingerbread? Are gingerbread houses part of your holiday tradition? 


 

 Love gingerbread.  Gingerbread houses are not really part of our traditions.  I do love to grab one Gingerbread Muffin this time of year from Gingerbread Construction Company- a local and festive shop to our area!

 

 

4. Much of our vocabulary is determined by where we live or where we grew up. What say you-

sprinkles or jimmies? lightning bugs or fireflies? soda or pop? sneakers, trainers, or tennis shoes? sub, hoagie, grinder, or hero? freeway, highway, or motorway? frosting or icing? sauce or gravy?

 


For sure!  Jimmies- Fireflies- Soda/Tonic in New England actually- Sneakers- Subs- Highway- Frosting and Sauce for everything BUT Gravy for the Sunday Pasta Sauce! :)

 

 

5. Share a favorite holiday memory from your childhood. 

 





Christmas Eve...The Feast of the Seven Fishes with our family...church services...the magic of that night (pictures above are from Christmas Eve in more recent years)

 

 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.  

 


 Tis' the Season- trying to enjoy it- not get too stressed- work in progress...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Currently: December 2025

 


 

Hi Friends!  I am joining Jennifer for her Currently Linkup.  I am a day early so I could squeeze this and Hodgepodge in this week.  This month, we are sharing what we are Loving, Hoping, Doing, Wearing and Seeing...so fun...let's get to it!

 

 

Loving

  




The Canvas Prints I made for our parents for Christmas...a special year for sure with Diana's senior pics...and appreciating family at the same time!

 

 

Hoping

 


Hoping and praying that 2026 is a more successful year professionally for Rob and Me

 

 

 Doing

 


Working Hard...Planning for the Holidays and All of the Traditions...and Enjoying Diana's Senior Year...oh yeah and waiting on college answers!!  Ahhh!!!

 

 

Wearing

 



The Usual...Business Attire...Workout Clothes...and Cute Outfits on Nights and Weekends When Going Out...Exhibit A...Black Friday Festive Outfit...Thank You Amazon ;)

 

 

 Seeing

 


Christmas Lights Going Up Everywhere...love the warm glow and the magic they bring for sure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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