Five on BLACK Friday | In a Snowglobe

Hello Friends! I have been blessed with my Friday starting on Wednesday just like many of you who have Thanksgiving and Friday off from work. Although it was a short work week it seemed like I had a few hiccups before Vacation mode. Monday morning I woke to having car troubles and my car had to go to the shop. Thankfully though, I have wonderful friends who were able to tote me around until my car was fixed--- just in time for me to pack it and head to Snowshoe. I made it safely and it has been snowing ever since I arrived.

A little peek into my week...

ONE: I'll admit I am completely obsessed with Taylor Swift. Did you see her performance of "Blank Space" at the 2014 AMA's? Ahhhmazing-- per usual.

TWO: My drive up to Snowshoe was clear the entire way until the last few miles of the drive--it had begun to snow!! The entrance to our condo buildings was so pretty as I pulled in.  It was beautiful to see my first snow so early in the season even though it was MIDNIGHT when I finally made it! Mom and dad rolled in around 3am and we moved a new refrigerator into the condo. After a long night it was finally bedtime at 4:30 am!

THREE: Have you ever had one of the gourmet cupcakes from Gigi's? I had never tried them before {sorry you cupcake lovers} and my dad brought these decadent cupcakes up to the mountains. I split the Candy bar Crunch cupcake and I was in Butterfingers heaven. I have never been much of a frosting person-- but this frosting was savory and sweet.

FOUR: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! To see what I am thankful for go here. This Thanksgiving I woke up to a beautiful view of snow-covered trees, saw the Turkey Skiing, and had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with my parents. By the end of the day we had gotten a FOOT of fresh powder and more on the way.

FIVE: BLACK FRIDAY {ONLINE} DEALS! Although I am doing no shopping today, I wanted to share my top 5 online deals for Black Friday:
BAUBLEBAR: 15% off two items

GAP: 50% off sitewide | code BLKFRIDAY

JCREW: 30% off select full price items, 40% off sale | code HOLIDAY

KATE SPADE SATURDAY: 30% off everything, free shipping | code DEALME

OLDNAVY: 50% off sitewide

FIVE A: Today I woke up and watched Live! with Kelly and Michael, which was a treat since I usually am at work. They wore these hilarious Christmas sweaters on the first part of the show and now I am looking forward to Tacky Christmas Sweater parties. Jack has been wanting this Knitted Crackling Fireplace sweater and I already have TWO new sweaters in my closet. TACKY CHRISTMAS here we come! 

Post by LIVE with Kelly and Michael.

Thanks to Darci, April, Christina, and Natasha!

xoxo

Thanksgiving 2014

"I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.  For in him you have been enriched in every way--in all your speaking and in all your knowledge"

1 Corinthians 1:4-5

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FRIENDS!!
I hope that you are enjoying spending time with family & friends, watching the 87th Macy's Day Parade or a little football, eating turkey and all the fixing's and MAKING SURE to leave some room for dessert-- the most important part!

There are so many things thanks I am thankful for--- I am SUPER thankful for my family {and dogs}, friends, health, shelter, food, faith, and everything else I have been given. Today has consisted so far of the parade {Alex was on the Kool Aid Man Balloon}, yummy food, and incredible skiing weather {it has been snowing all day--- 12 inches in the past 24 hrs!}.

Tonight i'll be at the condo with a nice fire and enjoy not being in the midst of the hustle and bustle! Please be safe if you are going out for "Black Friday" sales.

xoxo

Vacation | Thanksgiving 2014

It's that time again for first tracks, powders stashes, and downhill fun---- TODAY Nov 26th is OPENING DAY at Snowshoe Ski Resort in West Virginia. LUCKY me I am heading up after work to Snowshoe for a Thanksgiving Celebration with my mom, dad, and Cricket! Current weather forecast is 32°F with 16 inches of snow for the season already-- and looking for more tonight! I am super happy that the eastern part of the state is getting fresh powder & cannot wait to hit the slopes.

Snowshoe 2013 Christmas

This year will be a little different Thanksgiving for my family. Alex is visiting friends up in Hoboken/ NYC- which is where we have done Thanksgiving for the past 5 years. Our normal Thanksgiving those years involved watching Alex in the Macy's Parade carrying a balloon {last year was BUZZ LIGHTYEAR, not sure yet which balloon he is on this year}.

View from Hoboken of NYC 2013

Blowing Up the Balloons 2013

Although the plans are different, I am going to enjoy the vacation time skiing/ snowboarding, spending time with my parents, eating Thanksgiving food + leftovers, and relaxing. There is not much shopping within a hour from Snowshoe so there will not be any Black Friday shopping during my Thanksgiving vacation. Time to hit the road now...

Safe Travels to all !

xoxo

2014 Favorite Things| Stocking Stuffers

I am excited to link up with April, Elise, Katie, & Zelle to share a few of my favorite STOCKING STUFFERS for others!!! In my stocking I love getting some candy, practical items, and a few surprises along the way + who can forget the mini wine bottle that has made it in my stocking since I turned 21. #santaknowseverything

If you don't know what to get someone, a Gift Card or MULAH will always work, and you will never hear a complaint!

Now onto the list...

ONE/ Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Almond Toffee. If you have not had these, you need to try them. they are amazinggg! Let's face it--- what isn't amazing from TJ's? They offer many different sweet treats that are perfect to fill the stocking.

TWO/ Don't you hate when your favorite drink loses its hot/cold goodness before you can fully enjoy it. Why not give someone the YETI Rambler in their stocking? It's an over-engineered tumbler that comes in two sizes.

THREE/ Every time I walk into World Market especially around Christmas I am sure to find a few items that someone on my list needs in their stocking. I love this Tonal Gold Tassel Necklace made in India + its under $20!!

FOUR/ The new iPhone6 or charger accessories. 

FIVE/ Bvlgari Omnia Crystalline has been one of my new favorite scents this year.. but I have not made the plunge and bought a bottle. Most perfumes come in a rollerball or purse size bottle-- so if you know his or her favorite scent why not pick up a smaller travel size bottle.

SIX/ LULULEMON. Roll almost anything up and it will fit somehow into the stocking. I have been loving this and this.

SEVEN/ Working out I like to listen to music. It pumps me up and keeps me going throughout my workout. Although the cord does not bother me, it bothers some. Why not give them the new BEATS by Dre Wireless Headphones. They come in many different styles and colors. Designed for Sound. Tuned for Emotion.

Thanks to April, Elise, Katie, Zelle 

xoxo

Weekending | Hornets & Friendsgiving

Friday night Jack and I went to my first Charlotte Hornets game. We had pretty good seats in section 116 and were sitting right next to the UNC-Chapel Hill Basketball team!! Of course I had to get my picture with Marcus Paige--- I mean who wouldn't when your that close! Although the Hornets lost in the end even though they were up 25 points at one point I had a wonderful time cheering on the team, dancing to the music {it was 90s night}, and getting to see the UNC team + Roy Williams. 

JG's Insta  #lovedit                                                 Me & Marcus Paige                         

Saturday we had our pre-friendsgiving football game. Amanda and I were the only girls to show up, but we had a wonderful time. I even caught the ball when my team went for the extra 2 points despite that my team lost both games! 

Opponents

After the game we watched The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in anticipation of going to see Mockingjay, Part 1 ---which we were going to watch Sunday and ended up just watching Netflix.
Saturday night we headed to our friends Goddard & Kirkham's house for our 2nd Annual Friendsgiving. I made one of Jack's favorites-- Cheesey Potatoes {recipe soon!}, and the guys fried a turkey, which was something that I had never had before. The turkey was my favorite thing with the mashed potatoes coming in a close second. By the end of the night we were all stuffed! We had a great time together with old friends and some new... and especially enjoyed when Goddard sang/danced along to "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift. Just plain Hilarious!

Caanan, Amanda, Jack, & Me!

Goddard with Mr. Turkey hat

Me, Chris, & Michelle

Sunday we watched Netflix all day, played a little N64 Mario Kart, and Jack made a wonderful sirloin roast for dinner. The weekend flew by but THANKgoodness it is a short week with Thanksgiving in just a few days!

Toad- JG, Peach- ETB

Sirloin roast, pre-oven! 

xoxo

5 on Friday | Oh the Weather Outside is Freightful

Thank goodness it if FINALLY FRIDAY!! It's has been bitterly chilly here the past few days {ahem... Tuesday all 50 states were below freezing!!}, which has called for layers upon layers of comfy, cozy sweaters, scarves, and boots. For me, this week has been hectic and outright crazy. I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend and spending Saturday playing football and enjoying a meal with friends.

Sooooo let's get to it:

ONE
The theme of my week has been crazy "firedrill" after "firedrill" at work. Planning a year in advance can sometimes be difficult & setting up and "fluffing" aprox. 18 Christmas Trees was just the icing on the cake. I think that I learned this week more than I ever want to know about a fake Christmas tree. From tips to hinges versus branches to wrapped and twigs, I can now call myself a Christmas Tree EXPERT!

TWO
I added this new Maybelline ColorSensational Lipcolor to my make-up collection and I have been getting so many comments on the color and friends asking where they can get it that I thought I would share. Lately it has been a go-to in my makeup routine.

THREE
I linked up with Elise, April, Katie, & Zelle as they hosted one of the best link ups during the Holiday Season-- These are a few of my favorite things. If you missed out you can find my list here. Next week I will be sharing some stocking stuffer ideas! 

FOUR
Last night {Thursday} I went to the Do It Herself workshop with Home Depot. The project turned out to be very challenging.... but in the end we 85% completed the Holiday Marquee. My group selected that since I was the best with the Jig Saw at cutting the rounded edges that I should take our project home. I think after a little more TLC & coats of paint it will be something fun to hang in the house for the Holidays.

FIVE
Today marks 33 days until Christmas! YAY for taking time off work and spending time with family and friends. On Monday my friends and I put together our Operation Christmas Child boxes and are going to deliver them this weekend to the drop-off. I am filled with JOY knowing that I am touching a child in need with a special Christmas gift!

Thanks to Darci, April, Christina, and Natasha!

Relax.

Think about it... 1440 minuets in a day & trying to find just a few to sit and be still sometimes seems like it is a task within itself. I found this on Pinterest and it really put into perspective that I need to take some time and just sit & relax. My week has been so crazy. From "Fire-drills" at work to just plain overloading myself with plans/ activities and trying to fit my workouts into my schedule I have been down right BUSY! I am looking forward to being able to spend relaxation me time this weekend and enjoy just being.

xoxo

Smart Spending | Workout Gear

I would not call working out one of my favorite activities, but it is something necessary to help me keep in shape and stay healthy. I have been going to LifeTime Fitness consistently for almost a year. Yippie!!

One thing that encourages me to go to the gym is that I have cute workout gear. Now that I am a "regular" I see typically two types of women in the gym: the throw on the old t-shirt and shorts probably with holes, and the perfect make-up/ hair duo rocking the matching break the bank outfit. 

My look: something between.

For me when it comes to fitness gear, I like to have a balance: Splurge & Save items. This helps me spend my money wisely and focus on the items that offer a reason for the expensive price tag.

Splurge: Leggings/ Yoga Pants
I think that most gals would agree that extremely expensive pants are almost always worth it. Think Lululemon Wunder Under Pant ($82- $92). Think of these as an investment, you are and should wash these pups a ton, and nobody wants to have them lose their shape or compromise the materials. I have a few pairs of these babies & I do not think that I will ever go back. I have never had an issue with them stretching out or rolling down even during a workout!




Save: Shorts
I hardly ever wear shorts when working out, but when I do I am not running a marathon or cycling. For this reason there is really not a reason to pay a bunch for shorts. I have a few Nike pairs ($20). Sometimes you can even find great shorts at TJMaxx or Marshall's.








Splurge: Sports Bra
Unsupportive, ill-fitting, and uncomfortable bra is also pretty bad for you (enter premature sagging). Please do yourself a favor and spend some mulah. I have a few items from Nordstroms Zella brand which are stylish, supportive, and come in a variety of colors.







Save: Top
Stop by any store and what are you likely to find an Athletic Gear section. Workout clothes have become ultra popular not only for working out, but also as leisure wear. Forever 21 has a great selection that is surprisingly stylish and inexpensive. This workout top ($12) has unique faux leather side panels & we all know leather makes everything better.




Splurge: Tennis Shoes
If you only can splurge on one item of your workout outfit please make it your tennis shoes. Your feet, knee, and hips will be thanking you for doing a little extra for them. Remember you only have a pair of each and they can make you out of commission if not properly taken care of. Zappos.com has a great selection of shoes for any type of workout + they have wonderful customer experience. Lately I have had my eye on these Asics (normally i'm a Nike girl though).

Save: Workout Bag
The workout bag itself offers only something to carry all of the above mentioned items. It does not need to be something fancy or expensive. Shamelessly I use my reusable Lululemon bag to carry all of my stuff in + the nice thing is when its wearing out I can toss it out and not feel like I have wasted any money. If you don't want to be such a scrooge, American Apparel offers this bag in a multitude of colors, its only $24, and I could get if monogrammed!



Save: Socks
Hopefully you are like me and rotate in and out socks on a regular basis and are NOT hanging on to them for years. Socks wear out easily, get holes, dirty, stinky, and all the above. Use, Reuse, and Replace is the motto. I am lucky enough to visit the Renfro Sock Outlet in Mt Airy, NC but if you are not in NC, you can pick up good quality inexpensive socks at Target.




xoxo