A (Different) Christmas Story

 
Earlier this week, I was one of the crazy people who ventured out to do some last minute shopping before Christmas. This is the EXACT opposite place I prefer to be in during that time of year! I'm a planner, to the extreme, and usually start shopping early so that I can be finished by the time I head home for the holidays. This just makes things easier and allows me to be with my family completely while at home.

Due to circumstances beyond my control, life has been hectic for this little peach as of late. Work is busy, my personal life is crazy, and my family has had a lot going on. The sheer amount of things bouncing around my head at any given point is scary, but my circumstances lately have put things into overdrive! Complaining out of the way, I was less than thrilled to finish up the large amount of shopping I had to do among the masses a mere 3 days before Christmas.

That's definitely another perk of shopping early- there's no mad rush in the stores!! I can't stand crowds and have a low tolerance for people who are rude. It seems like everyone turns into a shopping grinch around the holidays and I just prefer to stay at home away from it all. My final gift that I was purchasing happened to be a Starbucks giftcard and travel mug. Oh boy was I relieved to be finished shopping AND at the mecca of caffeine. It had been a long day of loud chatter, long lines, and complaints constantly swirling around me.

After waiting in the long line, I was grateful when my turn rolled around. I placed my complicated drink order and stepped to the bar to people watch as I waited for my bright red cup of joy to pop up. I'm so glad that I was watching my surroundings, because I saw the sweetest act of selflessness. I witnessed a man buy coffee for the frazzled young mom in front of him who was struggling to find her wallet in her large purse and balance a baby on her hip. It was so small, but seeing the unexpected happiness on her face reminded me what this season is truly about. It's not about buying the perfect gift. It's not about perfect wrapping, or the flawless picture for the card, or staging the perfect Instagram.

It's about giving. It's about showing love to everyone, even the lady delaying your turn to order a your caffeinated beverage in a long line. For me, it's about celebrating the birth of Jesus by mimicking his behavior. I hope that you have a lovely Christmas, and regardless of your beliefs, I hope you find the true meaning of the season and carry that with you even after the lights and trees come down.

10 Ways to De-Stress This Holiday Season

Happy Wednesday everybody! I hope you're having a wonderful week. I'm officially on my Christmas vacation! Wahoo! Because I live away from my family, I like to save up my vacation and use it around the holidays to ensure that I have plenty of time to spend time with everyone! As much as I'd love to hit up the beach earlier in the year, I never regret having all of my vacation time around the holidays. Even though I'm on vacation, I feel the undue stress of the holiday season. Why do we do that to ourselves? I know that Christmas is supposed to be a joyous time of celebration but I always seem to get caught up in the craziness of it all. I want to refocus, and thought y'all might too, so I wanted to share my favorite 10 ways to de-stress during the holiday season.

1 Watch your favorite movie. Several popular TV channels do marathons leading up to Christmas and play some of the best holiday movies! I always make sure to watch Elf and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Make an evening of it- pop some popcorn, make some hot cocoa, and snuggle in your favorite blanket to unwind.

2 Listen to festive music. When I'm feeling overwhelmed, cheery music is a quick and easy way to lift my mood. Earlier this week I posted my favorite Christmas songs in a playlist- that's a great place to get started!

3 Bake. If you're like me, taking time to try a new recipe is a great way to relax. I really love baking and have always found it to be a great stress reliever! There are all kinds of yummy holiday recipes out there to try or you could whip up a family favorite!

4 Visit a light display. Where I grew up, there were always neighborhoods who took their Christmas decor to another level as compared to mine. Everyone knew who they were and made a point to drive by to check the displays out every year! You could also check out one of the many drive-through light shows that pop up around the season!

5 Read a holiday devotional. My small group is working through one right now and I think it's the best way to refocus on what the season is about. There are tons of bible reading guides online surrounding the Christmas story or advent-style devotionals that you can find for free!

6 Visit a coffee shop. I find a stop by the coffee shop to be relaxing. You can settle into a comfortable chair with a hot drink and take a deep breath. Not only do I love to get a good cup of coffee, I love to people watch! I've always found this to be relaxing.

7 Find a way to give back. Last year I volunteered at the Capital Area Food Bank close to the holidays, and am so thankful that I did! It was really rewarding to do something charitable in the middle of a time that has become so consumer- and self-focused. You can read all about my experience here. This year, I participated in Operation Christmas Child and it felt amazing. Giving back can mean donating time, or food, or money to those less fortunate that yourself.

8 Reflect. Simply take a moment and reflect on everything that you have to be thankful for this year. In the midst of the hustle and bustle, the best thing you can do to de-stress is to focus on the blessings in your life. It makes everything else feel small!

9 Call a relative or friend to catch up. It can be so rejuvenating to talk with someone you haven't spoken with in a while! I love to call my grandmother or some family friends when I'm feeling stressed. They're a breath of fresh air and help me relax for sure.

10 Take a soothing bath. This is my go-to all year round to de-stress and things are no different around the holidays! I love bath products and always put them to good use during the busy holiday season.

How do you de-stress during the holiday season? What do you do to keep it all together when you're busy?

My Ultimate Christmas Playlist

Hey y'all! I'm back with another Christmas post today. I've wrapped up my gift guides for the season (if you missed them; see here, here, here, and here) and I hope you've enjoyed them. They were fun to compile yet again this year, and I look forward to doing them again next Christmas. Personally, I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping and will be finishing up when I return home for the holidays! Until then, I'm doing everything I can to stay motivated to finish up my year strong at work. The end of the year is super slow, especially in comparison to the busy busy fall months we've just finished, and I am thankful for the break. I've been borderline insane the past few months. I'm happy to recharge and return to normal just in time to enjoy Christmas with my family! One of my favorite ways to unwind this time of year is by listening to Christmas music.

With that being said, I took some time to create my ultimate Christmas playlist to enjoy during my last week of work. These songs range from funny to religious to throwback and represent some of my absolute FAVORITE songs of the season. I love the variety of choices you have with respect to Christmas music. You can go the carol route, the hymnal route, the acoustic route, the pop route, and so many more! While I'm traditionally an indecisive person, I really enjoy all of the options! If you need something to get you through until your time off, or just want to spread some Christmas cheer, this playlist is for you. I hope you enjoy!

I'm not even kidding when I say that I struggle to pick just one favorite Christmas song. I have so many memories tied to so many different songs, it almost doesn't feel fair to pick just one! Thankfully, no one asked. So I won't have to. But if pressed, I would just have to send this whole playlist.

What is your favorite Christmas song? How do you embrace the holiday spirit?

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, y'all! I hope that you get everything on your list this year, spend plenty of time with family, eat great food, and find time to relax in between all of that. I always try to take a minute to reflect in the chaos of Christmas day to remember why we celebrate in the first place.

But the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior- yes, the Messiah, the Lord- has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!"

Luke 2:10-11

May each of you find peace and joy this Christmas!

Christmas Tree Inspiration

Hello there!

I can't believe that Christmas is just 10 days away! I absolutely love this time of year and plan on soaking up each minute I can. This past weekend, I went into Georgetown with a couple of my girlfriends to look at the lights and get a little more shopping done. There are several storefronts who participate in festive displays as well as the art exhibit 'glow' that they had around M Street to really get you in the Christmas spirit. It was really awesome to see and definitely made my Christmas shopping special! After looking at the lights, it made me wish I had my own tree to decorate. I decided not to decorate at all this year because I won't be in my apartment for very long before heading home for Christmas. I have definitely regretted this decision {more than once!}, but it's too late to do anything about it at this point! So to substitute, I created a Christmas tree mood board to share with y'all! I decided to stick with a traditional red theme- nothing screams Christmas to me like a tall, jolly, red tree. 

Shop these items below:

How are you decorating this year? Do you decorate even when you aren't spending the holidays in your home?

Holiday Gift Guide: For Him

Happy Thursday!

Today I am sharing with y'all my fourth and final gift guide for this holiday season. {Fear not, I will continue to update my Pinterest board with my picks!} I am a self-proclaimed lover of shopping for guys- yet I still seem to struggle to find unique gifts for all of the special men I am blessed to know. Maybe it just comes with age, but I feel like I've gotten into gift patterns with certain people in my life- dad gets clothing, uncles get sports gear, male cousins get gift cards.. you get the picture. I love a well dressed man, but can't help but wonder if guys get sick of being dressed at each holiday? Thankfully, there are many novelty options for men that allow to you break the routine if you've slipped into one. Here are a few ideas I've gathered for you- happy shopping!

cufflinks / coasters / book / glasses / watch / shoes / jerky / shirt / kit

Personalized cufflinks. As I've mentioned before, I am a lover of personalized items! I am also a firm believer in male and female monograms- male being block letters in order {first middle last} and female in the traditional sequence {first LAST middle}. These cufflinks are great for any age- whether they are about to enter the workforce soon or have been there for 30 years! It never hurts to have atleast one pair and adding the initials ensures that they know which are theirs!

Leather coasters. Almost every home has a liquid-sensitive surface in it, which make coasters a must. I love these leather coasters that look like they are made of wood! They have a rustic and masculine feel while keeping your surface dry. Could he ask for more?!

Cocktail book. I love the simplicity offered in this book. It is a must for any home-bar or masculine coffee table stack and even better for you if you get to taste-test the beverages!

Old-fashioned glasses. Any man would be lucky to have this gorgeous set of glasses to sip from! Williams-Sonoma offers personalization on these babies and I think they make an excellent gift- alone or paired with a nice drink to fill them!

Watch. When you enter the workforce, a watch becomes a necessity! It is no longer socially acceptable to use your phone clock as your primary time source, so why not gift a lucky guy in your life with a professional-looking timepiece? The eco-drive watches don't contain batteries so you don't have to worry about it stopping! He will {hopefully} never be late again.

Sperry boat shoes. Brown shoes are a wardrobe staple. I personally love Sperry's for myself and have given several pairs as gifts. There's nothing like a comfortable pair of shoes!

Unique jerky. I like to throw in an eclectic piece every now and then, and the flavors of this jerky sound great!

Button-down shirt. Most southern men appreciate a good plaid shirt. This pick caught my eye with its pastel colors and Vineyard Vines offer great fitting shirts for guys. Seems like an A+ gift in my book!

Home-brew kit. I have given this exact kit to my beer-enthusiast boyfriend and he absolutely LOVED it. It doesn't take up too much space or require experience- making it a great opportunity for any guy to make his own beer. It's really special to cheers with a drink he made himself!

What are you getting for the lucky guys in your life? Do you have any experience with these items? Are you still unsure of what to get the ladies in your life? Check out my other gift guides for her: boho, gold, & classic.

Holiday Gift Guide: Classic

Well hello there! I can't believe that a week of December has already come and gone- and that Christmas is so close! I am so excited to be headed home for the holidays and to be able to see my family again. That has got to be one of the best things about Thanksgiving and Christmas being only a month apart. This year has been hard for me from a gift perspective- I am normally finished shopping by now but I am pretty stumped on several people in my life. I think that living away from everyone makes it difficult to be sneaky and pick up on good gift ideas throughout the year. How are you doing with shopping this year? If you are stumped as well, here is another gift guide {if you haven't checked out my others check here and here} for that classic loving girl in your life!

bottle / pullover / glasses / bracelet / stationary {sold out; similar here} / scarf / mittens / tray / tech wristlet / necklace

Water bottle. I love the mint color and practicality of this water bottle. It is perfect for taking to work or yoga class. I can't think of something better for a girl on the go!

Monogrammed pullover. Ask anyone who knows me- I love a good monogram. This pullover is extremely cute and affordable. I would throw it on to run errands on the weekend or snuggle up on the couch in this to get me through the winter. Personalization takes a great gift one step further into an awesome gift!

Champagne flutes. These rosy glasses are absolutely divine. They are awesome to have around for a special occasion or any evening you want to take things up a notch. I think they could be a lovely hostess gift during the holiday season.

Bracelet. I adore this pearl bracelet! The pearl look is classic in itself but the anchor detailing makes it perfect! Although the nautical look screams summertime, I think this fits perfectly in a winter wardrobe as well!

Stationary. Every girl needs a good assortment of stationary. I love these note cards because they are so cute yet generic enough to be used in many different situations. These are a perfect gift for any girl right now- we all need to be writing thank you notes through the holidays!

Cashmere scarf. There's no more denying it- we are in the dead of winter. To me, that means layers layers and more layers. A cashmere scarf is not only practical, but it has the right touch of fancy for a friend on your list this holiday! I love having a soft scarf up by my face to keep me warm. 

Mittens. Keeping up with winter weather needs, mittens are a cute and functional gift to give this holiday season!

Tray. I think that every home needs a tray. Not only are they beautiful decorations, but they are functional to hold things together on a coffee table or console. I love this navy striped tray!

Tech wristlet. This is a fabulous gift for any friend who likes to have a fun night out on the town! The wristlet has just enough room for your going out essentials and is so sleek. I also love the color options!

Statement necklace. I am a huge fan of statement necklaces. Is there an easier way to completely change the feel of an outfit besides adding a dazzling necklace? If so, please let me know- I haven't found one! I like to add a bit of sparkle to my work outfits, as well as my weekend wear, so this seems like a gift set to be used!

What gifts are you getting for the classic girls in your life? How is your holiday shopping going? Look out for one last gift guide for the guys and be sure to check out my Pinterest board for more present recommendations!

Giving back this Christmas

Happy Monday!

I was less than enthusiastic when I woke up this morning with another weekend gone by. They seem to get shorter and shorter as you get older, no? I had a particularly special visitor this weekend and was sad that it flew by so quickly. The one thing that functioned as a serious pick-me-up this morning was the fact that I wasn't going into work today. Thankfully, I work for a company that encourages its employees to give back in their local communities. I joined 3 of my co-workers this morning to head into DC to work at the Capital Area Food Bank. {I have to admit I was slightly disappointed that I didn't run into Prince William in the city today!} We spent the day packing boxes of donated food that will be sent out to feed local families. It was extremely humbling to go work with the wonderful people at the food bank and be a small part of the battle to end hunger. I have always been blessed with a high level of compassion and have been looking for a fulfilling way to give back to my new community. Not only was I amazed at the amount of supplies that the generous metro-DC communities have donated, but I was so pleased to hear that some of the largest donations came from grocery stores in the area. Hunger may seem like a surprising problem to have in today's society {especially in the wake of Thanksgiving}, but it is a staggering problem world wide- even here in our own country. One in six people in the US struggle with hunger. ONE IN SIX. That is sickening to me.

As we continue with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it's easy to get caught up in our own lives- our days are filled with shopping, wrapping up the year, arranging travel plans, as well as planning and attending parties. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to take a step back and refocus with the bigger picture in mind. Here in Virgina, one in eight people struggle with having enough food. There is definitely more work to do and I am happy to have found a great place to do my part. Here are a few photos from my day:

 

This was my first experience at a food bank, and I am really excited to go back when I am able. I HIGHLY encourage you to take some time to give back to your community, especially as we continue through the Christmas season. Please check out the Capital Area Food Bank's website if you are in the metro-DC area for more opportunities or Feeding America's website to find opportunities in your area.

How do you give back in your community? Are you planning to take time out during the holidays to serve others? Please share your thoughts in a comment below!

Holiday Gift Guides: Golden Girl

Hi y'all! I'm back again with another gift guide to get you through your holiday shopping. I'm not sure what it is about this year, but I feel so behind my typical shopping timeline! I did some major damage on Cyber Monday, but everyone I have left is stumping me. Hopefully I will get some inspiration soon! On that note, I have put together a gift guide that shines {literally!} for the gold loving girl in your life.

earrings / necklace / candle / charger / tshirt / notebook / bracelet / cards

Glitter earrings. These sparkling earrings are a perfect gift for any glam girl. What a great addition to any outfit that needs some extra shine and I know I would put them to use during the holiday party season.

Golden heart necklace. I am loving dainty jewelry right now. This necklace is so pretty AND has a sweet message on the packaging. Perfect for a girlfriend {romantic} or a close friend!

Polka dot candle. Kate Spade gold + white candle- Need I say more?

Back-up iPhone charger. I love this black, gold, and white combo! The charger is the perfect size to be portable and perfect for that friend who is constantly killing her phone battery while capturing that perfect shot for Instagram!

Gilded t-shirt. This shirt screams glam girl and is perfect to ring in New Years! I love the shiny detailing against the plain white background.

Striped notebook. A notebook this cute begs to be used! I could see this being perfect for your list-making friend, or maybe as a friendly suggestion to that friend who needs to START making lists. We all know one!

Bracelet. I am totally loving this chunky chain link bracelet! It is great on its own or would make a fabulous addition to a stacked look.

Metallic playing cards. Not only are these pretty, but they are entertaining! Perfect for a friend who loves to play card games.

What are your golden must-haves? Did you miss the guide for boho chic gals? Keep checking back for my remaining gift guides for the rest of the season, and check out my Pinterest board for more present recommendations!

Holiday Gift Guides: Boho Chic

Why hello there! I can't believe it's actually time to start thinking about the holidays!! I absolutely love this time of year. I love spending my time hunting for the perfect gift for all of the special people in my life, seeing all of the decorations, listening to the music, being with family, and enjoying all of the traditions I look forward to every year. Giving gifts is absolutely the highlight of this season for me! I love the look on someone's face when you get their gift just right.

To kick off the most wonderful time of the year, I wanted to put together some gift guides for y'all! I am starting off with this guide for her- channeling the inner, laid back chick we all have inside (some buried deeper than others!).

bracelet / blanket / phone case / purse / necklace / jewelry holder / ring set / pillow / nail polish / headband

Wrap Bracelet. I am absolutely drooling over Alex and Ani jewelry right now. I love the meaning behind all of the symbols as well as the stacked look. So effortlessly trendy! 

Blanket. With the cold weather setting in, I can't imagine anyone not loving a cozy faux fur blanket! I would live in that on my couch. It's perfect for that friend who just moved, or anyone who is always chilly!

Phone Case. This case is cute and functional. I get nervous just seeing people who carry a phone around without a case- so this could be a great gift for that friend!

Purse. Who doesn't like a great cross-body purse? This one is a beauty and perfect for any purse-loving girl! I love the color options and the small tassel detail is perfection.

Pillows. I love the bright colors here, and the patterned case is a great way to brighten up any room.

Necklace. A gift like this is great for two different people- the girl who always switches out her jewelry, as well as the girl who never wears jewelry! I love versatile gifts and really love giving gifts that people like but wouldn't necessarily buy for themselves.

Jewelry Holder. I am a firm believer that well thought out gifts are the best gifts and who wouldn't love that decorative holder to keep their jewelry organized?! 

Ring set. Stacked rings are EVERYWHERE right now. A whole set is a great gift option because you can wear as many or few as you'd like! Options are always a good thing.

Nail Polish. As I have mentioned before, I am a huge fan of Essie polish! The gift sets are excellent to sample new colors for the season. These are great on their own or as part of a spa day set!

Headband. Last, but not least, I love this knitted headband. Perfect for keeping your hair tame in the wind and your ears warm. What more can a girl ask for?

What gifts are you getting for those trendy friends? Keep checking back for my remaining gift guides for the rest of the season, and check out my Pinterest board for more recommendations!