Christmas Photos!

Hey All! Just wanted to put up a quick post showing some of my favorite pictures from all of our Christmas Festivities :) 

Can you tell she loved her Christmas gift ;)

The girls from work and me in our Christmas sweaters :)

My sweet little Hope

She was all smiles!

Got Grammy to pose for a picture :)

Yes I kiss my cat.. no shame

I promise he loves me, just hates pictures ;)

All the nieces and nephews were VERY excited for Christmas... can you tell

Also got some great pics with my sisters and mom :)

I was told Ana was my twin ;)

To read the story of this beautiful ring go here.

 Got some cute shots of Seth's 3 youngest brothers!

Sorry for the picture overload, but I couldn't resist sharing! Hope you all are having a relaxing weekend :) 

It's All About The Rings

Wow, so Christmas is over and boy was it busy! Tomorrow or Sunday I will give you all a run down (with lots of pictures ;)) of how Seth and I's Christmas went, but today I'm just focusing on the rings!

Laken and Bryan are Engaged!!

Future Mr. and Mrs. Elston!

 

Laken and I became Besties in 6th grade. We were the kind of friends that would spend HOURS on the phone with each other almost every day. We would talk about boys, make up ridiculous code names, and always have great laughs.  We have been best friends ever since! Sure there were years we fought and bickered, but just because we love each other like sisters ;)

On Christmas Eve Laken's boyfriend Bryan became her Fiance and I could not be happier for the both of them! It's always so great to see your best friends find forever happiness!

The Sweetest Gift

 

Just about 2 months ago Seth's Grandma Hull passed away. It was obviously a very hard and sad time for the family, and with the holidays it always makes it extra difficult. Yesterday afternoon we had Christmas with Grandpa Hull and he game me this beautiful opal ring as a gift. He told me that Grandma had wanted me to have it. It was one of the most amazing and emotional gifts I have ever received. I put it on right away and it hasn't left my hand since! 

So blessed to have gotten to spend so much time with all of Seth and I's families the past couple of days. We still have one more Christmas tonight and then its straight on to New Years!

Hope you all have an amazingly blessed day! :) 

How To Take the Stress Out of the Holidays

The Christmas season is full of happiness, love, family, and unfortunately for many families is also a time of stress. As we quickly approach Christmas (only 4 day!!!!!) I wanted to share a few helpful ways to  reduce that stress.

Make a Schedule:

This year Seth and I have 7 Christmas celebrations, yes SEVEN! The thought of trying to fit that many get togethers in a few days span was daunting to say the least. We decided the only way to make it work was to make a schedule so we know exactly when we need to be where. Its a simple as this:

Christmas Eve: 

I work: 8:30-12:00

Seth works 11:00-3:00

4:00-6:30ish: Christmas at Seth's Uncle Mark's house

7:00-whenever: Christmas at my Grandma's house

Christmas Day:

9:00: Go to Seth's Mom's house for breakfast

10:00ish: Be at my Mom's house for brunch

2:00 or 3:00: Head over to Seth's Grandpa Hull;s house 

End the day at Seth's Dad's house

It still stinks that we have so many places to go, but it really reduces the stress to have a plan!

Fake it Til You Feel it

So you feel super stressed and not so Jolly? Well instead of pouting and making the worst of it, get psyched.  And why wouldn't you trust the advice of Mindy Kaling anyway ;)

Remember What It's All About

This is the most important way to reduce holiday stress. Take time out of the day to get away from all the hustle and bustle and spend time with the creator who it is all about. Take extra time to thank Jesus for who he is and what he has done for you. Pray for the things that are stressing you out and causing you to be uneasy, and trust me he will listen! 

I hope you take time to enjoy your Christmas instead of stressing over the details! Thanks for stopping by friends :) 

Have a blessed day! 

Had to share! Got a rare pic with the hubby ;)

Friday Favorites!

Wow, I am SO Glad it's Friday again! This week has been pretty crazy, busy, and full of me not having a voice. Today I'm thrilled to be linking up with a few of my very favorite blogs to read to do another "Friday Favorites". Check out Andrea's blog Momfessionals, Erika's blog called A Little Bit of Everything, and Narci's blog called Grace and Love.

1) My number one favorite thing about this week was reconnecting with a couple of my Besties!

 On Wednesday night Maddie and Stacie came over to my house to catch up. It was  so nice getting to chat about random things and laugh! No matter how long we go between seeing each other we always have a great time! Can't wait for our annual scarf exchange in January!!

2) The fact that Christmas is less than a week away!! If you need any ideas on Christmas treats check out my previous post here.

 

3) My Momma goes on my list of favorites this week. Yesterday when I was home sick she rescued me by picking up cat food for my cats, and bringing me all the essentials to feel better. Even as a grown woman I still always want my momma when I'm sick. Love you mom ;)

 4) Nyquil. Yep this is happening, Nyquil is on my list of favorite things. It is the only reason I have been sleeping the past few nights. I like to call it a "nyquil induced coma". Regardless what you call it, It is wonderful.

No I'm not a druggy, and yes I do love Ecards.

 Sorry all, but this is all I have for you today, blame it on the Nyquil or the fact that I still can barely speak ;). Hope you all have a FABULOUS weekend! 

Be Blessed!!

Tis The Season!

Hello Everyone! Last night I went over to my sister Anna's house to make some delicious Christmas treats. We had such a great time just chatting, catching up, and of course creating delicious desserts. Here is a list of some of my favorite treats we made with links to the recipe :)

Recipe here.

Recipe here.

Recipe here.

Recipe here.

I ended up indulging in WAY too many snacks, but it was well worth it to spend some quality time with my family! 

My Sister Anna and me

My SIL Ashley and me posing by the tree :)

Hope and Easton being adorable!

Hope you all are ready for the Holidays because they are fast approaching. Thanks for stopping by!
Be Blessed,
Addie 

Christmas Traditions: Taking You Back to The True Meaning

It's so easy around Christmas time to forget what it's all about. We get so wrapped up in decorations, gifts, and good food that we forget to take the time to reflect on Jesus' birth.  I wanted to share some tradition ideas that will help keep Christ at the center of Christmas Festivities.

Make a Birthday Cake for Jesus

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This is a neat way to remind kids that Christmas is actually a celebration of Christ's birth. You could even go all out and throw Jesus a whole birthday party!

Operation Christmas Child

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I have been involved with Operation Christmas Child multiple times and I LOVE it. It puts the focus back on giving instead of receiving gifts. 

 

Letters/Prayers to Jesus

Having Children write out prayers for the needs of others during Christmas time will instill in them that Christmas is more about giving then receiving. Also you are bound to get some cute responses out of them ;) 

Read The Christmas Story as a Family

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I think the most important thing you can do is remember to make the holidays about Christ, your family, and giving. And less about receiving! 

Feel free to share any traditions that your family enjoy

Have a Blessed day!!

Partial Projects + An Early New Years Resolution!

Hello everyone! Just wanted to give you lovely readers some updates on where I am on a couple projects I've mentioned in previous posts, and stick around because at the end of this post I'm going to share my New Years resolution (early I know, but I have to start preparing myself ;), and challenge you all to join in with me :)

It's a rug if you were wondering ;)

I saw this rug at Walmart over a month ago and every time I would look at it and contemplate buying it, and every time I would leave it there! about a week ago I was in and saw that it was marked down to $20 and there was only one left, and yet I still left it there. I told myself today if it hadn't been sold yet then it was meant to be... and long story short its now at my house!

 It serves a greater purpose then just being an awesome rug, it is my first purchase and my style basis on how I will be redecorating our laundry room. I'm already in love with the pop of color it is adding by replacing the horribly boring brown rug that formerly resided on our laundry room floor. (To read my previous post on my Laundry room redo go here.)

It's not finished, but who doesn't like a work in progress ;)

Last week I shared a post with inspiration for DIY Christmas gifts (view post here.). One of the ideas I shared was a DIY Mug. Here is a little sneak peak at where I am at on this project. If you know me at all you know that I am a constant doodler so that's what I decided to do on this mug. I purchased a $2 plain black mug and Painters brand paint markers at Walmart and just started.

Now this isn't going to turn out perfect by any means, but I think the people that I give them to as gifts will appreciate having some authentic artwork while they drink their morning coffee. I clearly still need to finish the design and then bake it to set the paint. (oh yeah and I still have 5 more I'm going to make after this one). I may try some simpler techniques for those ;)

And now the moment you've all been waiting for...

... Or not, but I'm going to tell you anyways. Seth and I are kinda messy people and I usually wait until the house get so messy that I start panicking and go into "crazy cleaning mode" as Seth so kindly calls it. Well my vow is that next year WILL be different, and here is how. 

Get the printable from Tried and True Blog here

Each month I'm going to follow the deep cleaning advice of this nifty schedule, and I challenge all of you to do the same! Starting in January I will be posting each month what the challenge is and how it went when I completed it.

Let me know if you plan on joining me on this challenge, you have almost a whole month to decide ;)

Just In Case You Need Inspiration

There are many reasons to turn to DIY gifts. Maybe money is tight but you still have loved ones that you want to give something to, maybe you have to give a gift to someone who is IMPOSSIBLE to shop for, or maybe you are just super crafty and love a good project. No matter the reason with Christmas less then a month a way it is time to get working on those gifts!

I have compiled together some ideas that have inspired me this Christmas and hopefully they can help you out too (I mean isn't that what Christmas is all about ;)).

Decorated Mugs

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I love this gift idea because it is extremely easy to customize! Whether you want to do initials, a special quote or saying, or custom artwork the choice is yours. Just make sure you get oil based paint pens, regular sharpies will wash off in the dishwasher and fade over time. Follow the link for step by step directions, and be watching out in the next couple of weeks when I post my own version of these lovely mugs! 

Mason Jar Gifts

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I don't know about you but I am ALL about the mason jar fad that's going around. They are so cute, affordable, and perfect for so many projects. Here is one example of an adorable way to pull off a mason jar gift. Perfect for your girlfriends because you can choose special items that will fit their personality. Also if you follow the link you can get the free gift tag printable. 

Infused Vodka

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I absolutely LOVE this idea! For one they are incredibly adorable and for two who wouldn't want to get a little homemade infused vodka for Christmas? If you follow the link you can get the specific recipes for the ones pictured above, but really this is perfect because you can get creative! You can infuse the vodka with anything you think would be delicious, and it gives you the excuse to sample a little for yourself. 

I hope these inspire you to get creative with your gift giving this year :) I would love to hear about any other DIY gifts that you are trying out!