Five on Friday: Post Christmas Blues

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you had a wonderful time with your family and friends. It was strange to be here in Virginia Beach instead of home in Vegas but we made it work and had a good time.

I truly get so excited for this time of year, especially Christmas. It's such a magical time and as a Christian, it's one of the most important celebrations (other than Easter of course) because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born. I spend the whole month relishing in the excitement of decorating the house, listening to Christmas music, wrapping presents, and soaking in every moment. Then all of a sudden it's over and I'm majorly depressed. This year I tried to avoid the post Christmas blues by keeping our Christmas decor up longer and just trying to really live in the moment. So far so good but I do feel the sadness creeping in a little... I think that's because I have to go back to work an entire week earlier than all my other teacher friends back home. Why Virginia Beach, why?? Anyways, lets jump into this Five on Friday!

A little piece of home in VB

One of our closest friends came to visit us last weekend. She was in Virginia to visit her family and made the trek over to VA Beach to hang out with us. It meant the world to us that she would brave the traffic on such a busy holiday weekend to come see our new home. We had a blast with her, per usual, and miss her so much already!

Rodanniversary

Today is my 2 year Rodanniversary! I can't believe it's been two years already since I did something that scared the tar out of me and decided to start my virtual skincare business. I was nervous about how people would react, what they would say,  and if I would be good at it. Now, two years later I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have grown so much from this business and have learned a ton about myself. I know that I can work extremely hard at something so out of my comfort zone, even when it scares me. I know that I can do other things than just teach. I seriously thought that was my only skill lol. Turns out, I can help people feel confident in their own skin and build a serious second income as well. It has also helped me to come out of my shy shell. Once you get to know me, I can be very outgoing but I get anxiety in new situations and around new people. R+F has given me confidence to be who I am and to not shy away from new places. And lastly, I have met the BEST people. They are friends that I never would have met if it wasn't for this business. They live all over the US and some even in Canada. They encourage me, push me, and uplift me when I am feeling down. They are not only my business partners but my friends too. So thankful for them!

The last two years have also helped us financially. I have paid off two student loans, my credit card (a few times lol), two trips to Vegas for convention (including airfare, hotel rooms, and ALL expenses), new furniture for the house, and countless other things. The biggest blessing that it has helped us with is saving enough money to do a round of IVF. We were able to put money aside this year and now feel very comfortable to make that next step. Looking back, I had NO idea how much we would need this money or how it could help us, but I am so grateful for the sense of security it has given us. Thank you Sara for caring enough about me to introduce me to this incredible business!

The Crown

I finally finished Gossip Girl, just in time for the 2nd season of the Crown to come out. I wasn't in love with the first season but I liked it enough to watch the 2nd. Well this season turned out to be sooo good and I was immediately sucked in. I finished it last night and I'm so sad it's over! I'm hope there will be a 3rd season!

Miracle Morning

buy it here

This book was recommended by several friends and has incredible ratings on Amazon. I knew it would speak to me because I am NOT a morning person and want help in that area. I'm only about 25 pages in and I am already loving everything the author has to say. I'll keep you updated on my final thoughts.

Slipper Socks

buy them here

Mark got me these Ugg slipper socks for Christmas and they are seriously my favorite thing right now. They are so comfy and have been perfect for these VERY cold days we have been having in Virginia Beach. I can't seem to stop wearing them and they also make me want to never leave the house haha. That's a bad thing!

Last Minute Gift Ideas

Can you believe Christmas is only a week away?? It came so fast! I have been looking forward to it for weeks now but I also want this time to slow down.

I am pretty much done with my shopping but have to pick up a couple last minute items. Thank the Lord for Amazon and it's two day shipping! I have picked some of my favorite items from Amazon and I have something for everyone on your list.

Kindle Paper white: Mark got me an e-reader several years ago and I LOVE it. I was hesitant at first to buy one for myself because I am such a purest when it comes to books. What I have found is that it's soooo nice to be able to instantly download a book when I want it. Plus it's less expensive. This is a great gift for anyone on your list!

Moccasins: These slippers look so comfortable and are perfect for the man on your list. I know my hubby would love a pair.

Half Baked Harvest: This cookbook is on my list this year and it was written by one of my favorite bloggers. The pictures look beautiful and is a great gift for the cook on your list.

Amazon Fire Stick: We switched over to a Fire TV a few years ago and haven't looked back. It's so easy to use and I love that our Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu accounts are all in one place. The Fire stick is less expensive than the Fire TV and still does a ton.

The Not Very Merry Pout Pout Fish: The Pout Pout Fish books are adorable and this one is no exception. This is a great stocking stuffer or a gift for a new mom!

Star Wars Monopoly: I'm a huge fan of gifting games because it's something the whole family can take part in.

Pajamas: My mom always gifts us pajamas on Christmas Eve and I know a lot of other people share in this tradition. If you haven't found the perfect pair yet, take a look at these. So cute!

Qalo Rings: I talked about these rings in my Five on Friday post last week. My hubby wears one everyday and I always wear one when I workout. They are great!

Instant Pot: I know that kitchen gadgets aren't the most romantic gifts but when they make our lives easier, I'm on board. I've had my eye on an Instant Pot for a long time and people swear by them!

Milk Frother: A milk frother is an easy way to elevate your coffee and this one has great reviews.

Hydroflask: This is my favorite insulated water bottle. They keep beverages super cold for 24 hours or even hot for 6 hours.

Paw Patrol Mini Figures: Paw Patrol is seriously adorable and these little guys would be perfect for the kiddo on your list.

Weekend Recap: December Edition

Hey everyone! Happy Monday! I'm in a great mood today because we have a very short week and then it's Winter Break! Hallelujah! We also had a wonderful weekend and I was super productive, win win!

The weekend started with dinner at Flip Flops and a drink at Chowboy's. Flip flops was okay, but not great. We always LOVE Chowboys so we should have eaten there instead. Oh well! The rest of the night was spent watching The Santa Claus, one of my favorite movies!

apple pie mimosa

On Saturday, we had breakfast at Commune, once again it was just okay. Kinda hipster which isn't really our scene lol. Then we grabbed at coffee from Three Ships and walked around the Farmer's Market. It was the perfect relaxing morning! Afterwards, Mark and I finished some Christmas shopping and I headed home to clean the house. It makes my week start off so much better with a clean home. Don't you agree?? Saturday night we went out to dinner with a couple friends to Mahi  Mah's and had a great time. The night ended with listening to live music at a bar down the street.

Sunday morning was very lazy and we ended up watching our home church from SD online. Mark made us breakfast which was so yummy, thank you!! :) We both ended up running errands and then I worked on making some Christmas treats. My mom always makes toffee so she sent me her recipe so I could make some too. I made a huge mess in the kitchen but it looks like it turned out pretty well so far. We will have to see when I break it apart and actually try it. :) I also made the Pioneer Woman's pot roast recipe, YUM!

I hope you all have a great week and accomplish everything on your list before Christmas! :)

Five on Friday

I'm back with my favorite post of the week... Five on Friday! Today I'm sharing some things that I'm loving. A BIG fave right now is the Christmas season in general. I love all the Christmas decorations, the hustle and bustle when it comes to shopping and wrapping gifts, and of course the yummy treats. I will be so depressed when we have to take down our Christmas stuff lol. Anyways, I'm not going to let the depression set in yet. :)

Christmas Planner

So if you're like me, you need to write everything down to stay organized and sane. I'm super old fashioned in the sense that I need to see it on paper, not track it on my phone or on a spreadsheet. That's why using things like a gift tracker makes my like soooo much simpler lol! I was sent this Christmas planner from Gifts.com and I immediately fell in love with how easy it is to keep everything organized. I would show you my printed version but then my friends and fam would see their gifts lol. So just take my word for it... I've used it and love it. 

Dry Shampoo

My friend Stephanie introduced me to the Dry Bar dry shampoo and I LOVE it. Dry shampoo has never been much of a game changer for me but this one is! I section off my hair, spray it into my roots, and then rub it in to soak up the oil. Then I blow dry each section using my big round brush to give my hair more volume. It has really helped my second day hair to look so much better and I can actually wear it down instead of up in a ponytail. I have the travel size right now but I need to buy the full size asap. This would also make a great stocking stuffer, hint hint Mark :) Thanks of the recommendation Steph!

Gossip Girl

I have been on a major Gossip Girl kick over the last few weeks and I am so obsessed. I used to watch the show years ago but never finished it. Now, I'm cruising through the seasons and will be done soon lol.  It's just an easy show to have on in the background and doesn't stress me out like a lot of other shows do. I really appreciate that lol!

Qalo Ring

I've had a Qalo ring for awhile now but the new options are seriously so cute. These are made to be stacked and I love the idea of changing them up a bit. Plus it's just a nice option to still wear a ring when I workout but I don't risk ruining my actual ring. The peach option is next on my list!

Sunsets

Sunsets are my jam and I have reeeeally missed my walks at Sunset Cliffs. Every now and then I catch a gorgeous sunset here in VA and this one was amazing! I love the colors!

Christmas Home Tour 2017

It's the most wonderful time of the year! I love Christmas and I especially love all the decor that comes with it. I've collected a lot of Christmas stuff over the years but when we moved into a house that was three times as big as any place we ever lived in, I realized that I need a ton more to fill the house. Thankfully, I was able to score some great Black Friday weekend deals on garland and wreaths but of course I would love every room to be covered :) I feel like we have a good start though. The living room, dining room, and family room are all decorated. I have a few pieces in the kitchen that have some cute things too but they aren't pictured because I really hate our kitchen lol. It needs to be updated so badly! So without blabbing any further, let's get into the pictures of the house.

Garland down our bannister 

Living room corner

Bookshelf in the living room- I made these mason jars last year :)

Sorry the pictures are dark, I was trying to show the cute lights in the garland. 

the bar in the dining room

I made the buffalo plaid and burlap banner last year for Mark's birthday. 

My photo buddy

I can't hep it with these adorable birds!

Phew, did you make it through all those pictures?? Like I said, this is only part of the house but hopefully next year we will have more rooms decorated. I'll include some pictures of the outside of the house later this week :)

Stocking Stuffers for Her

The stocking is one of my favorite parts of the whole Christmas gift process! I LOVE picking out items to stuff the stockings and to be honest, I really love opening my own. :) I mean who doesn't love presents right lol?? It's fun to see what kind of amazing things you can stuff into the little stocking and it was always the first thing we would open as a family.  My sister and I would even sneak down in the middle of the night and look at our stockings since everything else was wrapped. Whoops lol! They can contain anything from jewelry, books, movies, and of course candy.  I didn't put candy on this list because I figured that picking out your loved ones fave candy is a personal choice. I really love the Christmas tree Reese's and York Peppermint patties :) Hope this helps you get some ideas or you can always send the link to your man too!

Kyoko Town- My cousin has an Etsy shop with the best jewelry. I own a bunch and she even made my wedding jewelry, including my headpiece. Everything she makes is high quality and perfect! These name charm necklaces are the cutest!

Lancome Grandiose Mascara: This is my favorite mascara of all time. It makes my lashes look even longer and fuller and stays all day long.

Argan Hand Mask: I love these for the winter time when my hands are dry and cracked. These masks work wonders and smell amazing!

The Simplified Life: Emily Ley is one of my favorite people to follow on Instagram. Her posts are so calming and helpful. I was just talking about her with a friend the other night and realized that this would be a great gift for anyone! Thanks for the idea Colleen!

Deborah Lippmann nail polish: I LOVE the Deborah Lippmann nail polishes and these colors are perfect for the holidays.

Reindeer Gloves: I think these gloves are so stinking adorable! Plus they are subtle enough to wear all winter long.

Birchwood Pine Candle: I include this in every gift guide but there's good reason... it's the best candle ever!!! I have been saving mine from last year and can't wait to start burning it. I need to buy the bigger version asap though.

Lululemon headbands: These are my favorite workout headbands!

Mug: Elf is one of my favorite Christmas movies and this mug cracked me up as soon as I saw it. Perfect!

Pom Beanie: I love a good pom beanie and this BP one is perfect!

Sloth jewelry holder: I have a love affair with sloths. I think they are adorable and this little jewelry holder is just so fun. How cute is that little guy??

Cozy Slipper Socks: Slipper socks are a great stocking stuffer and these polar bears are so cute!

Thanksgiving Week Recap

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is over already?? I was looking forward to this week for months now and I'm so sad that it flew by. We had a blast having family in town but sadly my dad was sick with the flu all week. Hopefully he will be feeling better soon. Now that the holiday season is here I am soooo excited for all the festivities. I am a little bit of a Christmas freak so bring all the holiday magic!

Our week was jam-packed with activities especially since I was still working until Wednesday. Here are some of my fave pictures from the week!

From our walk along the oceanfront

We stopped and had drinks at Catch 33. So pretty!

My parents in front of the tree outside our house. Gorgeous leaves right now!

I made the Pioneer Woman's Chipotle Chicken Chili on their 2nd night in town. YUM!

We also ventured out to Green Flash for some beers and to play corn hole 

On Wednesday night, we went to see the Deloreans play at Chichos and oh my goodness, it was a blast! I LOVE some good 80s cover songs!

Breakfast on Thanksgiving... ignore my crazy beehive hair and the lovely faces Mark and Chase are making lol

After Thanksgiving dinner, we walked around the neighborhood to check out the lights. Walks are my fave so this was the PERFECT way to end the evening.

Everyone headed up early Saturday morning and I wish they could have stayed longer. I love hosting people at the house and it was a blast to be together for Thanksgiving. Come back soon!!

The rest of the weekend was spent cleaning, doing laundry, and decorating the house for Christmas. Mark and I did venture out to get breakfast at the Bee and the Biscuit on Saturday morning. I LOVE going there! Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!!

Gift Guide for Him

I'm back today with another gift guide but this time it's for the men in your life. Thankfully I had Mark to help me with this because shopping for guys is hard work. Most of these items are going to be based around an outdoorsy guy but some will work for any man in your life.

ONE   TWO  THREE
FOUR   FIVE   SIX
SEVEN   EIGHT   NINE

One- This Garmin heart rate watch is awesome for any athletic guy.  Mark uses it for tracking his workouts by connecting it to the Garmin app. You can also download maps for hikes or even golf courses on to the watch. "It's the ultimate watch for the man on the go" says Mark.

Two- Who doesn't love a GoPro?? This latest edition has all the bells and whistles such as voice controls, a 2-inch touch screen display, and is waterproof up to 33 ft without a housing. The best thing about though it is the single touch go feature.

Three- Patagonia jackets are long lasting and will always be in style. This plaid one is perfectly casual but is a little different than a standard nano puff.

Four- This Leatherman multitool is a must-have for any guy in your life. This would also make a great stocking stuffer!

Five- My brother in law had these Nikes with him this past week during his visit and we all loved them. They look really nice but are still comfortable enough to wear everyday. This gray and white combo is my favorite but they have other options too.

Six- The Amazon Echo will work for almost anyone on your list. It's super versatile and can do almost anything from change a song to requesting an uber. This is on my list this year too! Bonus is that it's on sale on Amazon right now.

Seven- These are another recommendation from my brother in law. He loves Lululemon pants and always raves about how comfortable they are. They are on the pricey side but I'm sure you have someone on your list who would really appreciate a pair.

Eight- These Norman Copenhagen whiskey glasses are super nice and would be a great addition to any bar. I know Mark would love these!

Nine- Golf balls are always a safe option (well if your guy golfs lol) and I always end up buying Mark at least one box. The Pro V1s are a fan fave in my family! Plus right now you can get them personalized for free which is a really nice touch.

**Bonus item: This didn't make the collage above but I recently saw this and thought it would be a great gift idea. The Classic Nintendo is back and what a fun gift for a girl, guy, or even the whole family. I wish we still had our Nintendo from growing up! Duck hunt was my jam!

Hope this helps you get some inspiration and of course if you have any ideas, comment them below! I'll be back with more gift ideas this week!