Hello friends! The end of the month is once again upon us... Let's jump right in!
- Favorite Store: Bath & Body Works Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year, and Bath & Body has all my favorite scents of the season.
- Favorite Article of Clothing: Sweater Leggings These are new for me, but I adore them. They are the coziest things and are essentially socially acceptable, chic pajamas.
- Favorite Shoes: Boots 'Tis the season for boots all the time, and it's a trend I will happily wear.
- Favorite Skincare/Beauty Products: Carmex Ultra Moisturizing Lipbalm (Vanilla) & Covergirl Lashblast Fusion Mascara I'm obsessed with anything that makes my lips soft, and the Carmex lipbalm is a long time favorite. The mascara is just great at adding volume and length without getting clumpy, which is always a plus.
- Favorite Smelly Item: Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black Perfume I recently ordered a perfume sampler from Sephora, and this is my favorite. It smells incredible.
- Favorite Music: Pentatonix's "That's Christmas to Me" Delux Album / "Beauty and the Beast: The Broadway Musical" Soundtrack Christmas being my favorite season and Pentatonix being my favorite artists, this was a match made in heaven. And I recently saw a production of "Beauty and the Beast" and fell in love with the music.
- Favorite App: Disney World I'm going to Disney in a few weeks, and this app gives wait times for rides, where to find characters, get FastPasses, order tickets, make restaurant reservations, and so much more.
- Favorite Activity: Seeing "Beauty and the Beast" I went with a friend back to our high school to see the show, and it was great.
- Favorite Food & Drink: Keebler Club & Cheddar Sandwich Crackers & Starbucks Chestnut Praline Hot Chocolate I love all cracker snacks and these are tops; I'm sure my love of Starbucks is apparent by now, and I wait all year for the holiday flavors (I put them all in hot chocolate because I don't do hot coffee).
- Bonus Favorite: Thanksgiving & Decorating for Christmas I love the holiday season. My family came over for Thanksgiving (I'd like to add all that food to my favorites, as well), which is always fun, and it's tradition that my immediate family stay home on Black Friday to decorate for Christmas. And then watch "Elf" because it's a classic.
*Again, I apologize for the lack of pictures, but rest assured that I have some fun picture-filled posts coming up.
I wish you all the best,
Erin
Hello friends! This week is Thanksgiving so I thought it would be the perfect time to reflect on the things I'm most thankful for and tell you how my family celebrates this wonderful holiday.
Thanksgiving is big in my family - everyone comes over, there's enough food to feed an army, so on and so forth. It all starts about 5am in my house, with my mom cooking away, and I join her shortly after. We watch the Macy's parade as we cook, and before long, people are at our door. Then the fun ensues: lots of laughing, food on food on food, and the annual Wii Bowling Tournament. Really it's just about being together, and I love more than anything. It will always mean so much to me.
I had seen on Pinterest a "52 Things I'm Grateful For" tag-type thing that I assume is for Instagram, but the point is to post a picture to fit each week's category for a year. I'll never remember to do that for a year, so I figured I'd share them all here at once and throw in a few pictures where they fit:
1. Why start this challenge? Because it's Thanksgiving, thank you very much.
2. Spouse/significant other I don't have one; I'm enjoying being me, for me.
3. Family I don't want to show them because they may not want to be on the Internet but
trust me, they're the best bunch of weirdos I've ever met.
4. A family member My mom is an angel. I love her to pieces.
5. Something someone gave you When I was little my grandma gave me a giant teddy bear
before she passed away. It still sits on my bedroom floor.
6. The city you live in For privacy I will not be divulging that one, but again, it's the best
in my humble opinion.
7. A friend My cousin is three years younger than me and she is my other half. No one has
seen me like she has and I love her.
8. Express gratitude to 3 people Thank you to my junior year English teacher for
teaching me how to write a kick-butt paper, my best friends for always giving me a
bright side to see, and of course my family, to whom I owe everything.
9. How did you do and feel? I'm guessing this is in reference to #8, but these people all
know and have know for a long time, so it was reaffirming to the universe what
already exists.
10. List 5 things you like about you I like my eyes, my strength, my mom-like nature, my
passion and drive, and my baking skills.
11. Someone who inspires you Once again, my mom. She's Super Woman if there ever was
one, and I can only hope to be like her some day.
12. Your favorite personality trait In myself, my quick wit. In others, compassion.
13. A challenge you've overcome College. Sort of. We're getting there. *shameless plug
for my college post*
14. A talent you have I'm uber crafty, so I can make just about anything.
15. Things you like about spring I like the rainy days, Easter, and that feeling that
something good is about to happen that's in the air all season long.
16. Simple things in life Photo albums, warm blankets and candles on cold nights,
watching recorded TV shows with my family... I could go on and on.
17. Something you take for granted I try not to take anything for granted, but I know I
take my family for granted more than I should.
18. The weather It's chilly and supposed to rain tonight.
19. Health I got some stitches out last week, so other than that I'm pretty good.
20. Another friend My best friend from high school. Yet another person I love to pieces.
21. Things you like about summer I like the Fourth of July, all the family birthdays, and
the anticipation for school in August.
22. Something you use every day The easiest thing to say is my phone. Especially because
I'm still not home (though I'm counting down the days) it's my lifeline to the people I
love while I'm away.
23. Favorite physical trait Eyes. They say a lot more than the mouth ever could.
24. A book you learned from The Magic Tree House series. Every story took place in a
different time period or setting.
25. Education College freshman
26. Someone you got to meet I met two Broadway stars two summers ago with my a
cappella choir. We were singing for a PR event and they were there, of course.
27. Favorite spot in your city There are so many, but I love little coffee shops (or
Starbucks) that are tucked away from the business right outside.
28. Your past I was a very happy kid, but didn't have any friends until high school, so most
of my childhood was spent with my family, and I'm not complaining. High school was a
blast, and college kind of sucks so far, but I'm working on it. I give life a thumbs up.
29. Your favorite memory There are too many to pick just one, but my trip to Ireland
came to mind pretty quickly.
30. Your current age 19
31. Core value Honesty. If you can be honest, everything else flows from that.
32. A city you've visited New Buffalo, Michigan
33. Something you look forward to I always look forward to the holiday season in general,
but my family is going to Florida before Christmas and I'm beyond excited.
34. Things you like about fall My birthday borders on summer and fall, and then there's
Halloween, Thanksgiving, cozy sweaters, boots...
35. Your neighborhood Changing, but still feels like home.
36. Your home My best memories are in those walls, and everything about it is perfect in
my eyes.
37. Something you created Recently I've been into arm knitting, so I've been making a lot
of scarves.
38. Music you love I love Christmas music (I'm listening to it as I write this), a cappella
music, some pop songs, and showtunes.
39. Your heritage I'm all kinds of European (Polish, Irish, Welsh, pretty much everything).
40. Greatest accomplishment High school was full of accomplishments I'm proud of, but I
received an award that was essentially the "right-hand man" award of our fine arts
department, which meant a lot.
41. Hobbies Singing, baking, crafting, etc. I'm basically a Disney house wife.
42. Your favorite possession This one's hard. I have photos everywhere and I love them,
and I also have a necklace and ring make of the rose petals from each of my
grandmothers' funerals. It's like I always have them with me.
43. A mentor/teacher Are you sick of hearing about my mom yet? Because it's her. Again.
44. Your favorite holiday I love the simplicity of Thanksgiving - no focus on the presents of
Christmas, but I adore Christmas as much as Buddy the Elf, if not more.
45. What you do for fun Well I'm a grandma in a young adult's body, so I bake, knit, meet
friends at old-timey soda fountains, etc.
46. Technology I'm not sure what this means, so I guess I'll say what I like about it. I like
how it has the power to connect people who wouldn't have a way to connect
otherwise.
47. Opportunities you've been given There are so many and I'm grateful for all of them.
My a cappella group sang everywhere - Ireland, the local news and radio, a
Broadway PR event... Just to name a few.
48. Your job I was just hired at a local bakery.
49. Things you like about winter I'm one of those odd beings who loves winter. I love the
snow, festive Starbucks drinks, and feeling warm and fuzzy all season long. And
Christmas. I love Christmas.
50. Lessons learned this year You are in charge of your own life and nobody can control
that, and the people who are meant to be in your life will stay in it despite changes
that may come.
51. 100 Things to be thankful for Oh goodness. We have to be close with the first 50.
52. Did that challenge change you? I don't know if it changed me, but it definitely gave me
the chance to reflect on the things that I often overlook.
I wish you all the best,
Erin
PS: If you made it to the end of that, you're the real champ and I'm thankful for you, too.
Hello friends! I've rounded up all of my favorite life hacks to share with you, because who doesn't want to make life easier? Here are my favorites:
1. Mitten clips for wearing boots - All you do is take some kids' mitten clips and attach them to the legs of your pants (under your heel) to keep your pants inside low-cut booties. Simple as that!
2. Panty liners to prevent sweat spots - I'm always super paranoid about sweat stains showing through my shirts, so I take the ultra-thin panty liners and stick them to the inside of my shirt under the arms. Works like a charm.
3. Flat ironing wrinkles - I hate ironing, specifically because it takes longer to drag out the ironing board and heat up the iron than it does to iron the clothes. I use quite a few ironing hacks (throwing clothes in the dryer with a damp washcloth, hanging the clothes in the bathroom to steam while I shower, having a mini steamer on hand), but my favorite is using my flat iron. I just plug it in when I'm getting ready and iron out any wrinkles. Easy peasy.
4. Dry shampoo at night - I always use dry shampoo at night before I throw my hair in a braid for bed. It gives the powder ample time to soak up oils as they're produced, so your hair is nice and fresh in the morning. And as an added bonus, the braid minimizes tangles and gives some texture for the next 'do.
5. Conditioner as shaving cream - Pretty self-explanatory, but using conditioner as shaving cream makes your skin super soft. It's also one less product to buy on your Target run.
6. Preset everything before bed - I always set out my outfit and whatever I need to get ready in the morning before bed. It's a no-brainer, but awesome when you're half-asleep in the morning. No thought required.
7. Coffee creamer in hot chocolate - I'm not a hot coffee drinker, but I love holiday drinks as much as the next girl. I add a splash of flavored creamer to hot chocolate when I make it at home (gingerbread hot chocolate changed my life), and most places are happy to add a pump of flavoring to any drink you order.
8. Jammies in the dryer - Tale as old as time, I love putting my pajamas in the dryer on cold nights. There's nothing better.
9. Breakfast on the go - I can't function without breakfast, but making it every day is a pain. So on Sundays, I'll make a frittata (a giant egg pancake with all your favorites packed inside), and I cut it into circles the size of an English muffin. Come morning, I pop the baby frittata in the microwave, the English muffin in the toaster, and boom. Breakfast sandwich.
10. Emergency purse kit - I'm the mom of my friend group, so I'm required to have any and everything needed for minor emergencies. I always have tissues, ibuprofen, Vaseline (for dry hands and lips, and doubles as temporary Neosporin), tampons, cough drops, etc. for anyone who needs them. I just keep them in a travel makeup bag and pop them in whatever bag I'm taking with me.
I wish you all the best,
Erin
Hello friends! Today I have another recipe I made for dinner a few weeks back. My family is always going in different directions, so quick and easy dinners are our go-to. The problem is, quick and easy can become kind of monotonous. When I saw this on Pinterest, I thought it would be the perfect addition to our recipe arsenal.
The Lineup:
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 lb. lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
Garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup steak sauce
1 cup beef stock
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 cup 2% milk
1 cup provolone cheese, shredded (I used provolone & mozzarella)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 buns or rolls, split in half*
The Play-by-Play:
1. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large pan. Add ground beef and cook thoroughly, making sure
meat is crumbled. Season to taste with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and
pepper.
2. Add steak sauce and beef stock to ground beef. Bring to a bubble and cook about 2
minutes.
3. In a separate saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour. Cook about 1 minute until
thickened.
4. Slowly whisk in milk to butter and flour, bringing to a bubble.
5. Stir in cheese, mixing until melted. Remove from heat.
6. In a small pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil. Add peppers and onions, seasoning with salt and
pepper to taste, cooking until onions are caramelized.
*7. To bring sandwiches to the next level, split buns in half, lightly brush with oil, and
season. Put under oven broiler or grill, watching carefully, until crisp and warm.
8. Assemble sandwiches. Enjoy!
Quick Play:
The original recipe calls for onions in the ground beef, and has nothing about bell peppers. To keep the sandwiches more like Philly cheesesteaks, I decided to sauté the peppers and onions to top the sandwiches.
*Note: I completely forgot to take pictures of the finished product. The whole process went smoothly until I burnt the buns because they were on the lower rack of my oven (upon which everything burns), and then they spilled into my sink of dirty dishes because my hand was burning through my oven mitt. It was a very eventful 30 seconds, but the sandwiches were still great.
The Playmaker: http://joandsue.blogspot.ca/2012/07/philly-cheesesteak-sloppy-joes.html
I wish you all the best,
Erin
Hello friends! Happy Halloween! Yesterday was the day of fun costumes, tasty treats, and ghouls and goblins galore. Here are the treats I made for a family Halloween party, the tricks my family planned, and my costume. Enjoy!
Treats
Because I'm still at school and going home on the weekends, I needed to shortcut these recipes. Of course, you can tweak these to your liking and do them from scratch (typically I would, but shortcuts work just the same), and there are a million ways to decorate them.
First, I made Creepy Cupcakes. Cake batter is the one thing I can never get right from scratch, so I always need a little help from Betty Crocker or the Pillsbury Dough Boy. I started with these adorable candy corn cupcake liners by Wilton, and filled them with vanilla cake batter. When they were done, I loaded my chocolate frosting into a Ziplock bag with a decorating tip, and iced away. The liners came with these adorable decorative picks, and that's how I topped mine off. You could use red velvet cake to make these extra creepy, but I wanted the designs on the liner to show through.
Next up, I made Ghastly Ghost Cookies. Again, homemade dough is my preference, but I was all about ease this time around. I used Nestle Tollhouse Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (in the refrigerator section) and baked as per usual. When the cookies were cool, I melted some white chocolate and spooned it onto each cookie in a puddle-like shape. I topped each puddle with a marshmallow and attached some Wilton candy eyes with melted semi-sweet chocolate, which I also used to pipe on a mouth. You can use any type of cookie for these, and I also saw online using Whoppers (instead of white chocolate and marshmallows) and making spiders or bats.
Tricks
My family loves Halloween, especially my uncle. He turns their house into a graveyard/haunted mansion deal every year, and always invites us over to check out his months of work. It was creepy to say the least.
My Costume
I'm not the type to dress up in the gore (or teeny tiny outfits) typical of Halloween, so finding a costume is usually a challenge. This year, I decided to combine one of the makeup trends of the season with a classic character, and came up with comic book Superwoman. I did the pop art makeup, curled my hair, and made a tee shirt with the logo. After that, it was super easy: all I needed were red pants (I had some red jeggings), a gold belt, and a cape (I got mine for $7 at Party City). Typically Superwoman wears patent red stiletto boots, but I didn't have those and certainly wasn't going to buy them, so I opted for some white tennis shoes. I also layered my tee shirt over a white thermal because it was quite chilly out.
I wish you all the best,
Erin
