Favorite Things Party

Since graduating from college, my best friend Ansley and I have hosted some form of a Christmas party for our girlfriends. We started with a cookie exchange in our first apartment and then we took 2013 off (for good reason. Ansley got married December 21st!) and then last year we started a Favorite Things Party. She and I rotate years as to who hosts and this year is Ansley's turn. 

The way it works: Everyone brings an appetizer or dessert to share and 3 of the same item ($10-15 range) unwrapped. Everyone puts their name in a hat 3 times and each person tells a little something about their gift. They then pick three names out of the hat to go home with their item. At the end of the night you get to take home three of other's favorite things. We really enjoyed it last year so I think this theme is here to stay! Everyone brought their A game with their gifts this year. I landed up with a starbucks gift card, a le creuset small pan, and some bare minerals eye shadow. Some of the other gifts were the Skinny Taste Crockpot cookbook, exfoliators, volcano candles from Anthro, Mix and Match Mama's Cakes cookbook, gels for under your eyes to help them not look so tired, and a fan that plugs into your phone. Some fun little things that everyone enjoys! 

I posted on my Friday Favorites last week what I was making for the party but here are some pictures from the event itself!

We had a great night! Too much fun with my girlfriends. Looking forward to next year already!

Oh December!

I've always loved the month of December but being a momma during the month of December is oh so sweet. Starting new traditions with Emma and also exposing her to things I've cherished over the years as well. Checking things off left and right from our To Do List. Here is our list again: (full disclosure...lots of pictures on this post so it's kinda long)

Make Santa Cookies and Reindeer Food plates:

So they aren't perfect but they are pretty cute! Pinterest is so disceiving. I don't know how people get perfect hand and foot prints. Anyway here they are!

 (all her little foot prints. The plate wasn't totally flat so the middle of her foot wouldn't lay flat)

Order Christmas Cards: Done. Once we get them in and I've mailed them I will upload a picture. We ordered them from Minted with some photos we got taken over the Thanksgiving break at the beach. 

Tree Shopping

We bought our tree on Friday night from Home Depot. We got a 7-8ft tree and we put it in a new place this year (in our dining room) and I LOVE the new spot! It was in the now playroom the past two years. 

Tree Decorating:

After Emma went to bed on Friday night we decorated the tree. Since Friday we have had our tree fall twice (ahhhh). So now it is tied to the wall. Yes you read that correctly. No more falling trees. We have only had one major casualty of ornaments and one that can be fixed. Not bad for falling twice. It fell Friday night and then today I went to plug it in and it toppled right onto the dining room table. NOT good! But it looks so pretty :)

Visit Santa:

Today was GREAT! Making memories with my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew during this time in our lives is such a joy. Nana gifted us their outfits so we had to do the matching thing for the pictures and it turned out SO cute! We made an appointment at the Lenox Santa for Collier and Emma. We started with Emma (because Collier freaked at the Santa yesterday at the zoo so we knew he probably would react that way again) and she did fine by herself but NO SMILES. Then comes Collier and boy just watch the progression. You can't help but laugh. #poorbabies #babytorture

 (look at them looking at each other. So sweet)

(that tear in her eye...oh my!)

 After Santa we figured we should just see what the wait at the Pink Pig was and there wasn't a wait really so we did that too! Collier loved it and Emma was amazed. After the Pink Pig we went to California Pizza Kitchen for dinner. Great little Sunday with the cousins! 

That was just about our whole weekend! Saturday I spent the day at home cleaning and getting caught up on house stuff with being away the past two weekends while Tommy golfed with some buddies. Saturday night we had the Stelling's annual Friendzmas white elephant party. We had a great time and appreciated a night out (Thanks mom and dad!). 

We had a wonderful weekend filled with family, friends and holiday cheer. Couldn't have asked for anything better. Lots more to come this month! 

Christmas Time!

Christmas time is my favorite part of the year! I look forward to decorating every year and this year was no exception. We got back from the beach Sunday and I started decorating immediately. We bought our tree from Costco (I know not glamorous. Last year as just us so we made it simple. Next year I will insist on pictures of picking out and all the fun things tree shopping can bring) 

Here are some pictures from around the house. 

(I made this last year with a sign from hobby lobby and glues ribbons for Christmas cards. I love checking the mail each day to see what cards have arrived!)

I needed to decorate early because Ansley and I had our annual Christmas gathering with our friends on Friday at my house this year. We made it a favorite things party rather than a cookie exchange this year and it was a huge hit! Everyone brought three of the same gift that cost less than $10. You go home with three gifts. Everyone writes their name on three sheets of paper and you present your gift then pick three names of people to go home with it. I took ZERO pictures that night. I'm the worst! 

I ended up these three gifts! 

Christy took a video of all the gifts. 

Then Saturday I did a bunch of Christmas shopping, wrapped the presents, and then we spent an hour or so hanging out with Collier and Brett. My sister was away for the weekend and Brett wanted to get out so he boys came and watched the first half of the SEC championship with us (and he helped Tommy move the couch out of baby's room so we can finally start the nursery!) 

At halftime, we headed to the Stellings house for the game and their annual Friendzmas party. Everyone brings a gift under $20 and we do a white elephant exchange. This was the first year I could actually make it. I'm not the most silly gift giver so I bought Copper Mugs. There were some hilarious gifts (chambong, banana flask, braves onesie pajamas, wine glass that holds a whole bottle of wine, and so much more). Tommy landed up with Twister and a bottle of Tequila. I got a tequila kit but at the end I got to steal and since mostly everything was alcohol related I stole my mugs. Oops!! 

We had a great time! I'm starting my Sunday with blueberry muffins baking in the oven and drinking my coffee by the Christmas tree before getting ready for church. 

Merry Christmas to all! There's so much more wonderful events coming in the coming weeks. I love December!