20 Gifts You Can Amazon Prime

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I can’t believe Christmas is one week away. Yes, you read that right – One. Week. Away. I’m not sure what happened, but I feel like December flew by. One minute I was eating cranberry sauce (the best side!) on Thanksgiving saying how nice it was that Turkey Day was early this year, and the next I’m racing around getting last minute gifts for family members, friends, and coworkers. If you’re like me scrabbling for gift ideas at the last hour, grab your wallet and head straight to Amazon. Trust me, Amazon Prime is your best friend, or Santa Claus, this time of year. 

I’ve rounded up gift ideas for everyone on your list at varying price points. Just call me one of Santa’s elves! 

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A Christmas Eve Tradition

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It’s no secret from my family and friends that I love traditions. For me, traditions create memories that last a lifetime, and also brings families and friends together to celebrate, reminisce or experience a certain thing. Traditions are a memory, a moment of reflection on the family members before you who created this ritual, but also a glimpse at the future and the excitement that you can pass on these moments to future generations. 

Unfortunately, in today’s day in age, traditions do come and go. Families separate, new families form, and life gets too busy or in the way and we lose track of those moments that were once so important to us. Coming from a divorced family, many of my childhood traditions disappeared. And I won’t lie – it was heartbreaking. But as I got older, new traditions formed and the dream of passing down family traditions to my future family kept my spirit alive. In my 24 years of living, there is one family tradition that never faded. There was one magical tradition that my mom kept alive, and passed on to my friends and boyfriends as I got older. Whether we were together on Christmas Eve or not, my mom never let me down with my longstanding family tradition: Christmas Eve Pajamas. 

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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

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You know what they say – Chicken Noodle Soup, it’s good for the soul! I firmly believe chicken noodle soup is one of those staple foods that everyone should learn how to make. It’s hearty, healthy, and let’s be honest, it’s the best cure for the common cold. Yet, for some reason, everyone is more willing to go grab a can of salty soup from the grocery store instead of making a pot from scratch. Why? What is so intimidating about making homemade soup? Your grandparents did it and so can you.

I’m one of those people who can eat soup all year round, but it’s not until the temperature drops below 30 degrees that I am in the “soup making” mood. This past week my friend whipped up a pot of chicken noodle soup and ever since she mentioned it, I’ve been CRAVING it. I threw my apron on and made my own this past weekend, some to freeze and some for lunch this week. Soup is one of the simplest meal prep menu items you can make for lunch or busy weeknight dinners. Paired with a side salad, you’ll get a punch of vitamins and antioxidants that will power you through the day, while boosting your immune system!

If you have a secret soup recipe passed down from grandma, grab a pot and start cooking. If you don’t have a recipe in your back pocket, follow these easy steps to make homemade chicken noodle soup even grandma would love!

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10 Tips for Saving Money While Decorating for the Holidays

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Our house is finally decorated for the holidays, making it hard to leave our little wonderland each morning for work. At night when we get home from work, I love to turn on all the twinkling lights and sit in our cozy home with a fire. There’s nothing more peaceful to me. Since moving into our house in February, we have heavily relied on hand me down decorations, and just recently started sourcing new holiday items of our own. I think the perfect balance of old + new is what creates the best holiday spirit and cheer!

For those new to the holiday decorating game, like we are, I’m here with a PSA: Decorations can get expensive! I won’t forget the mile long receipt from my first holiday run to Target. Needless to say I returned a few things and started investing time and money into the items I truly wanted and needed, rather than those I coveted or saw on display. Let’s not forget about the cost of the electric bill during the month of December due to a surplus of outdoor lights! I wanted to share my top tips for saving money during the holiday season, without giving up on design and style!

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DIY Advent Calendar

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Advent calendars have always been a special part of my holiday season ever since I was a little girl. And no, I’m not referring to those chocolate advent boxes you can buy at the grocery store. I’m talking authentic, homemade advent calendar that is a true countdown to Christmas.

Growing up, my advent calendar was special to our family. It was a handmade fabric calendar my mom made in a previous, crafty life of hers that featured a Christmas tree with a decoration for each day of the month. Each day was a small wooden ornament that I was always so eager to place on the tree (and see what the surprise was that day!) I didn’t need chocolate and my favorite cartoon characters to countdown the holiday. I just needed the spirit of Christmas.

When I studied abroad in Denmark, I was fortunate to stay with an incredible family who took me in as their own daughter for the five months. My host mom was both compassionate and crafty, and gifted me my very own custom made advent calendar that she and her husband designed for me.

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10 Gifts that #GIVEBACK

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Happy #GivingTuesday! For those who don’t know, Giving Tuesday began as an international movement to kick off the holiday season by giving back to charities and non-profits across the world.

My family and friends can attest to this, but I always try to give back to my community, especially during the holiday season. I’ve always purchased Secret Angel gifts for under privileged children through my church or my work, and I am notorious for adding on a $1 or rounding up my bill at stores to give back to local children’s hospitals and organizations.

One Christmas as a young girl, I decided to only purchase gifts that gave a portion of proceeds back to charity. I remember that included makeup for mom (such as Burt’s Bees!) and Heifer International animal donations for dad. At a young age, I saw the importance of helping and supporting others and I personally believe holiday gifts are a great, easy and selfless way to give (in multiple ways!)

I’ve rounded up 10 gifts that give back to charity and are great for anyone in your life – moms, dads, brothers, sisters, significant others, friends, baby, animal lovers and even their furry friends.

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Caramel Corn Muffins

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It’s the day before Thanksgiving and you were just asked to bring a side dish to tomorrow night’s dinner! What are other people making? What will everyone like? Before you panic, grab your favorite corn bread mix and make these sweet and unique Caramel Corn Muffins!

Yes, you heard me right. Grab your favorite corn bread mix. While some things I think are easier and better to make from scratch, corn bread comes best out of a box or bag (in my opinion!) Plus, if you’re in a rush, why spend time perfecting a recipe when commercial brands have already done that for us! The secret homemade touch to these corn muffins is a drizzle of caramel on top. A little bit of sweet, a little bit of buttery and a whole lot of yum! Even though they are sweet with the touch of caramel, I still categorize these muffins are a side dish and appetizer right next to the traditional dinner rolls. I promise these miniature muffins will be a hit this holiday season!

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Holiday Gift Guide for Him

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Why are guys so difficult to shop for? The truth: They don’t even know what they want! If you have a man in your life who actually provides you gift suggestions, never let him go! Whether it’s your dad, brother, boyfriend, husband, or even just a guy friend, it’s hard to find them a meaningful gift they will love and use instead of the gift cards that they ask for year after year. 

Over the years, I’ve gotten creative and sneaky with my holiday gifts for Nick, taking hints on what he shops throughout the year, what his friends are getting for birthdays and anniversaries and other random, unique items I know he’ll love just based on our hobbies. My advice for anyone shopping for the man in their life is to think about their passions – sports, comics, video games, food, beer and spirits – and create a customized gift for him. Customized gifts do go a long way and even if they don’t say it, guys do appreciate the extra step you took to make his gift extra special. 

I’ve gathered up a few tangible gifts under $200 that the men in my family have loved over the years, that I am sure the man in your life will love too. 

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#ADULTING Holiday Gift Guide

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Can you believe the holidays are around the corner? I’ve been trying my hardest to keep our fall decorations and pumpkins out for as long as possible, but the recent snow storm and the 24/7 streaming of Hallmark Christmas movies have made it very difficult. Once Thanksgiving is over, all bets are off and the our house will look like winter wonderland! 

So many of the bloggers I follow create these beautiful gift guides each year, and I’ve always found them helpful when looking for unique gifts for my friends and family. Since I am promoting a domesticated life, I wanted to gather some of my favorite items and gifts that I have received that have helped my #adulting transition from slumming it in college dorms to decorating and hosting in my first home! Whether you know someone who is moving into their first apartment or home, or looking for the perfect gift for the millennial in your life, these gifts and gadgets will be winners this holiday season and spread cheer all year long. 

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A Letter to My Mom on Her Birthday

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For starters, I must say that parents are selfless. I don’t care how old you are, whether you’re reading this at age 13 or age 63. At any age, it is important to understand and know that your parents are selfless individuals who go above and beyond for you. They are your biggest supporter and fan. They are your ear, ready to listen to you. At the end of the day, they will always be there for you, ready to make you smile, ready to wipe away the tears and ready to motivate you to achieve greatness in everything you do.

I’ve gone back and forth about sharing this post. It’s personal. It’s raw. It’s real. While this letter to my mom started off as my personal grieving mechanism, there’s a much larger meaning behind my personal encounter that I hope I can offer a new perspective on love and life for my readers. If you can take anything away from this message, it would be to:

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