My Latest Obsessions

CMC and MMC (photo by Alma Veliky Photography)

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Happy Friday! The countdown is OFFICIALLY on = 12 days until Christmas! And we leave the Saturday after next for AZ. Super excited. We haven't spent Christmas w/ my mom in a long time so we are very excited to spend some time w/ my mom JuJu and Grandpa T! And GMC is excited to go flying through the sky!!!

This weekend will be filled w/ more holiday parties. Tomorrow morning we are having breakfast w/ Santa. GMC is very excited to wear his new holiday bowtie that PFC splurged on yesterday. So cute. GMC loved that it had trucks all over it! GMC is following in PFC's footsteps = rocking the bowtie! I love it and the girls squeal w/ delight when they see GMC dressed up (especially when he is wearing a bowtie).

And Sunday I'm taking the girls to see The Nutcracker. I told them last evening that we were going. They are beyond excited. They have been talking about seeing The Nutcracker since last Christmas. AND Sunday pm = the season finale of Homeland. OMG, it has been a great season. Super intense. I also need to catch up on Thursday evening's Parenthood. So curious what happens w/ Ryan and Amber.

Have a fabulous weekend! Stay warm. XO - D2

• This two bean soup with kale is super tasty (and great for chilly winter nights). I added 4 links of Trader Joe's Andouille Sausage (totally gave it a little kick). I also doubled the carrots, celery and onions to make it a heartier soup. I brought it over to a girl gathering Wednesday evening. It received a thumbs up! 
• I adore my group of girlfriends from college. We have done a great job of staying in touch through the years. I cannot wait for our trip together in the spring! Wahoo! Here is a cute article about friends that have traveled together for 20 years. 
• I'm sure a lot of you have seen the WestJet Christmas Surprise. I LOVED it. I even teared up a bit. Brilliant marketing! 
• Wouldn't this soft serve ice cream maker be a great gift for a family? Or what about a popcorn maker? 
• That thing called juggling. Great post on juggling work, kids, husband, life. Everyone has different things they are juggling and we all do it differently. 
• What a cute flippy little skirt. Very versatile. 
• Holiday parties call for a little sparkle or plaid. I saw a friend wearing these tartan wool pants at holiday party last weekend. Love them! PFC is excited to bust out his holiday blazer this weekend! I've gotta say that my green flannel shirt from Target has definitely gotten its cost per wear the last couple of weeks! 
• I think I'll always be a coffee drinker. I start every morning w/ a cup of coffee. However, I would consider starting my morning w/ some lemon water too. 
• I appreciate things that are personalized and monogrammed. Here are 35 personalized and monogrammed gifts for folks on your list. You can never go wrong w/ a golden monogrammed mug. 
• We taught the girls early on that they needed to stay in their rooms until 7 am. They could wake up earlier than 7 but they need to hang in their rooms as to not wake the rest of the house. They have had a digital clock in their room forever (for that reason). Here is a great digital clock for a kids room. 
• These are the most adorable owl mugs. Perfect for your hot chocolate! 
• GMC had curriculum evening at his school last night. At one of the stations they had the kids stringing cheerios and fruit loops. So simple and easy yet GMC loved making his strand. What an easy activity to do at home. 
• This Vanilla and Smoke Mast Brothers chocolate bar is the perfect little hostess gift. I love Mast Brothers for their beautiful wrapping alone (and the the chocolate itself is fabulous).  Love this Cocoa Nibs bar. Read about the brothers behind the chocolate bars. 
• These peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies look AWESOME! We'll definitely be making these over winter break in AZ! And they are only made w/ 6 ingredients (no flour and butter)! 
• I cannot wait to head over to West Elm after the holidays. I'm hoping to snag some of their holiday decor on sale! And I love their collaboration w/ Baggu on these great dipped totes.
• A pretty throw to curl up under. Give me the throw, a book, and some hot chocolate and I'll call it a night! That totally plays in to my introverted side! 
• This Claire Vivier clutch would definitely add a little punch to an outfit.