2 0 1 4
IS
GOING
TO
BE
BETTER!
no matter what
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Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Honey We're Home 2013 Year in Review
Happy weekend everyone! It's felt like the weekend all week and I'm ready to get some things accomplished today. I'll be heading to the gym and then starting to clean house, make our food menu (we need to start eating healthy again!) and maybe hit an after Christmas sale or two. I haven't left the house except to work out since Christmas!
Today, I've collected some of my favorite and most popular posts from 2013 to share with you. I was updating my project gallery yesterday and was seeing how far this house has come over the years- not to mention my blog. My photos have improved tremendously and I've learned so much about blogging and how to put better posts together. I just took the Decor8 Blogging with Intention e-course and am excited to incorporate what learned from Holly and her co-teachers in 2014. I have so much appreciation for my readers and especially those that have been there from the beginning- over 3 years! We are connected like family and you've literally seen my son grow up through the years. I love sharing these things with you and I'm wishing you all a wonderful 2014!
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Thank you so much for being a part of this blog, for your support, your comments and your loyal readership.
We have planted 540 550 576 595 618 654 674 807 863 894 trees! We are SO CLOSE to my 1,000 goal. Thank you so much- YOU ROCK! If you want to plant a tree, all you have to do is click the photo below and "LIKE" New Life Energy on FB.
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On Honey We're Healthy: 10 Resolutions for a Healthy New Year!
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Christmas 2013 Recap & Setting the Table
Hi guys! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and that Santa was very good to you! ;) We started the day with a son stirring at 6:30 a.m. and quickly went downstairs to see that Santa had come! James is really into Star Wars right now, so his big gifts from Santa were a 3-foot tall Darth Vader and a giant Darth Maul light saber. He was very impressed that Santa left a thank you note for the milk and cookies. This really is such a fun age!
My family came over and my brother brought his toy (a deep fryer) so we made hot chicken wings as appetizers and had Cajun fried turkey with dinner. The grandparents brought James a giant arcade-style basketball hoop game that was assembled in the driveway. I tried to take a bunch of photos throughout the day, but it was hard to get too many while I was cooking and chatting and drinking.
I did snap a few pictures of the table set-up process that I did the day before. I like to semi- set the table complete with serving platters and serveware so I'm not scrambling at the last minute. I do this with the appetizer area and dessert table too. This year, I set the table to coordinate with the aqua and mint dining room decor.
The table setting wasn't anything elaborate, just a burlap runner, aqua placemats and napkins, with silver chargers and china plates. Two mercury glass candle holders with teal candles and an inexpensive centerpiece finished it off. On the menu was beef tenderloin, cajun fried turkey, scalloped potatoes with bacon, jalepeno creamed corn, sauteed green beans with toasted almonds, cranberry sauce, and Hawaiian rolls.
I used small sticky notes to indicate where everything would go and also for who would sit where.
I found this basket of live greenery at Wal-Mart for $10 and added some ornaments. I hear you can go to hardware stores and collect their tree clippings for free though- next year!
My son is out of school for two weeks, so we'll be relaxing and playing and cleaning and organizing in preparation for the new year soon. I'm really looking forward to 2014 and excited for the fresh start January always brings! See you soon!
On Honey We're Healthy: 10 Resolutions for a Healthy New Year
We have planted
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Monday, December 23, 2013
Christmas Tree Card Display
Just two days until Christmas and I want to slow it all down so I can savor it longer. Do you feel the same? I have completed my gift shopping and most of the wrapping and really have only the grocery shopping left, which I'll do today. We'll be having my family over on Christmas afternoon for an early dinner and everyone will pitch in on the food, which makes it even better. My sister-in-law made the best jalapeño creamed corn for Thanksgiving and I've been craving it ever since, so she'll be making it again. My brother will bring his fryer over and deep-fry a turkey and my Dad is bringing some desserts. I still need to set the table too- I want to do something that coordinates with the decor in the dining room.
In the kitchen, I made a little holiday card holder in the shape of a Christmas tree out of red bungee cord (from the craft store), command hooks, and mini clothespins.
I traced the tree onto a piece of poster board, cut it out to make a stencil, then put it on the wall to mark where the hooks would go.
This wall in our kitchen is the perfect spot for displaying Christmas cards because you can see them so often. Our cards went out very late this year. And I'm such a dork because after I ordered them, I realized I forgot to put our name on them. So they just say "JOY" on the front with photos of our son (that he chose). Nice. Also, I ordered a square card, which requires a .66 cent stamp. Live and learn. :)
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Thank you to everyone who entered the Stella & Dot giveaway. The winner of the Stella & Dot Nora Pendant necklace is Rachael Bloomer! Congratulations!
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Saturday, December 21, 2013
Nordstrom Free Shipping Guaranteed Delivery by Christmas Eve!
Hi guys! Just popping in to let you know about Nordstrom's free shipping with guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve. I still have a few last minute gifts to buy and I'm taking advantage of this deal this morning as it is pouring rain here and I'm still in my pj's sipping my morning coffee!
Who doesn't like cashmere? This V-Neck sweater got good reviews and comes in a rainbow of colors.
Initial necklaces are still fun and personalized.
Michael Kors tech accessories make a great gift.
Phone Cases for $38
MK Saffiano Phone Wristlet (on sale $65.66 - 33% off)
I bought this cross body bag for one stylish girlfriend.
Stella Crossbody Bag ($32)
I also bought my most favorite EVER pair of jeans recently at Nordstrom. They are Joe's Straight Leg Ankle Jeans and they are skinny but not skintight and not like jeggings, which is exactly what I was looking for but had a hard time finding. I took a chance and ordered these online and chose my size by reading all the reviews and they fit perfectly! I got a size 25, I'm about 110 pounds and 5'1. I've been living in them lately. They look great with heels, flats, boots, and booties.
This bootie has gotten great reviews and seems like a great, everyday wedge. I like the zipper on the inside so you don't have to retie the laces.
Dolce Vita Pace Boot (on sale $63.16 - 20% off)
This Jessica Simpson bootie is cute too.
Catcher Bootie (on sale $73.66 - 33% off)
And how about a sexy bootie?
Jessica Simpson Aggie Boot (on sale $79.69 - 33% off)
Here's to getting everything you need in time!
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Thursday, December 19, 2013
Washi Tape Gift Tags
Sharing this Christmas season with my 3 1/2 year-old son has brought out the kid in me. Seeing things through his young, innocent eyes makes me appreciate this time so much more. Last weekend, we were at The Container Store checking out and he was watching the video of his school Christmas program on my phone. The cashier overheard the singing, and asked him, "Is it somebody's birthday?" He looked at her matter of factly and said, "It's Jesus' birthday." I seriously melted and am so humbled.
The kid in me loves crafty things like paper, washi tape, ribbon, bows, and gift wrap. I vowed this year not to buy any more wrapping paper because I have more than enough, but when I dumped out my container of bows, I realized I should've also vowed not to buy more of those either.
I snapped a picture with my phone and then used the Rhonna Designs app to create the typeography art below. You just use the photo, add the text, then choose "mask" to cover over the rest of the photo.
So fun all the things you can do with photo apps these days. Another app that was popular on my Instagram is More Noel, which I used to make the light in the photo of our mistletoe sparkle.
I was wrapping the teacher gifts and thought I could make the gift tags more personal by creating them myself.
I used a blank gift tag, wooden stamp and some washi tape to create a gift tag with their name on the back. The wooden stamps were on sale at Michaels for 50% off and came in a pack of several different patterns.
For a couple of girlfriends, I went with red and gold stamp with coordinating washi tape. I've purchased most of my washi tape online at cutetape.com or wishywashy.com.
The gift tags came out so cute and the possibilities are really endless if you just have fun and get creative. Let the kid in you come out to play!
For the next set of gift tags, I cut some colored craft paper and used a circle punch to make the hole where the ribbon goes colorful instead of white. I also cut patterned paper into the shape of a gift tag for the bottom left tag. The "Merry & Bright" words were printed from my labeler, but you could easily hand write them.
Less than a week until Christmas- are you ready? We're hosting dinner this year and I still have to plan the menu. . . .
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We have planted
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