Reuben is Back!

12.01.2015

You know how some parents get crazy with this whole Elf on the Shelf fiasco? I mean, come on, moving the elf from one location to the next, every night, while trying to keep up some level of creativity, all after the kids have gone to bed, but before they can succumb to their own pillows? It sounds miserable to me. Mainly because of the children part. It definitely has nothing to do with the Elf part. Because that part is definitely right up my alley.

I start planning for Reuben’s (our elf) trip to our house months in advance. Somehow I’ve upped the expectations to almost an impossible level. The first year Reuben visited my husband, he couldn’t get enough. Since then, each year has brought even more interesting antics. If you’d like to see Reuben’s previous year highlights, check out this post from last year.

So before we gear up into a new season of Reuben, let’s take a look through Reuben’s trip last year, starting with my favorite:

Elf on the Shelf - Paper Magazine Kim Kardashian — Reuben on the cover of Paper magazine. Looking a little Kardashian-like.

Elf on the Shelf - Geico Commercial, Hump Day Mike Mike Mike Mike — Geico Hump Day Commercial: “Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike”

Elf on the Shelf - Breaking Bad — Breaking Bad

Elf on the Shelf - Ghostbusters — Ghostbusters

Elf on the Shelf - Girls Gone Wild — Girls Gone Wild

Elf on the Shelf - Orange is the New Black — Orange is the New Black

Elf on the Shelf - Poltergeist — Poltergeist

Elf on the Shelf - Reuben the Packer Fan — Reuben is definitely a Packer Fan!

Elf on the Shelf - The Bachelor, Chris Harrison 2 — The Bachelor, “Ladies, it’s the final rose of the night.”

Elf on the Shelf - Titanic, Jack and Rose — Titanic, “I’m the King of the World”

We went to Mexico for Christmas last year, and there was no way we were leaving Reuben behind. He had a lot of fun on all of his Mexican adventures:

Holidays!

Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake

11.24.2015

There’s nothing like having to remind yourself to be thankful repetively, like traveling through some of the busiest airports during a holiday season. As I write, I am in between destinations, trying to find some inner peace at the Dallas airport. Screaming children, obnoxious adults, and grumpy staff will not bring me down! With a Venti Nonfat Chestnut Praline Latte, no whip, no foam, in hand, I am going to smile at every single person I make eye contact with, until the muscles in my face give out and I need a nap. Thank God that my in-laws drink too, because something tells me I’m going to need a stiff one when I arrive in Georgia tonight.

There is one undeniable bonus to spending a full day (6am-6pm) in an airport: a free, home-cooked (not by you) Thanksgiving dinner with your family. Obviously the emphasis is more on the family, and less on the food (did I mention the turkey, potatoes, stuffing, pie…shall I go on?). The only thing I’ve ever contributed to my in-laws Thanksgiving table is green bean casserole (cue the Hallelujah music). It’s not Thanksgiving without it if you ask me. I’m pretty sure it was invented by the Pilgrims, who clearly brought the Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup with them from the mainland.

In addition to the cream of mushroom, I’m also guessing they brought some pumpkin cheesecake too. It’s obviously not Thanksgiving without that either. But if you’re like me, you’ll always look for an easy way out when it comes to baking. So with the exclusion of buying a pie (erroneous!), here’s the next best, easiest option!

You’ll need the following: Two packages of cream cheese, one tub of Cool Whip, one cup of powdered sugar, and one package of Nestle Tollhouse Pumpkin Spice cookie dough. If you’d like to remain somewhat healthy, the low-fat options of the cream cheese and Cool Whip are the way to go.

Spread the cookie dough on the bottom of greased ramekins or a pie pan, and bake according to package directions. While that’s baking, mix the remaining ingredients together. When your cookies are done, pour the mix on top, and refrigerate for at least an hour. And you’re done!

Told you. Easy right? Now on to the green bean casserole!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Try to remember that you are blessed and be thankful for everything and everyone you have around your table on Thursday!

Lifestyle

Introducing My Blogging BFF

11.19.2015

Well well well…look who it is. It’s me! I’m back after quite a hiatus, if I do say so myself. I wish I could tell you that I spent the last two weeks wandering around an island somewhere, in a bikini, with a cocktail in my hand. In reality, I was sitting on my couch, in my pajamas, with a bottle of wine in the recycling bin. Okay, okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. We don’t have a recycling bin.

It must be something about fall. The weather, the darkness, the pumpkin spiced lattes. Who knows. But it seems to have put me in a bit of a rut. When I get home from work I don’t feel motivated to even start making dinner, much less get started on creative projects. Which is just perfect too, because I’d really like to get started on a few Christmas project craft ideas. Not to mention, that Reuben (our Elf on the Shelf) is right around the corner. He better start getting some ideas on paper, because this girl doesn’t have a whole lot of spare time for him.

In the meantime, I figured I should stop neglecting you guys, and start sharing instead. So without further ado, I present to you: my blogging bff, Kristine from Breakfast with Bentley. We both started blogging around the same time, and quickly realized we are pretty much sisters from another mister. Well, with the exception that she’s a dog girl and I’m clearly an old cat lady. Other than that, we are basically twins.

Since she’s my fake-twin and all, she’s clearly amazing. We have that in common. What we don’t have in common is that she’s following her entrepreneurship ideas and is getting right on the track to making herself some serious cash. She started with these invitation ornaments, and quickly expanded into selling these elastic hair ties as well. They’re so cute, and the perfect birthday gift for that friend that has everything else. You can buy your own in her Etsy shop, since I was lucky enough to be gifted my own set! I mean, we are blogging besties after all.

Now, if I could only follow in her footsteps and get myself going on my own Etsy shop. I’ll just add that to the list of everything else I need to get done.

DIY, Holidays!

Count Your Many Blessings

11.04.2015

I was all on board with welcoming in Thanksgiving season with open arms. And then Daylight Savings happened and my holiday happiness came to a sudden halt. Can you tell me what is worse than sitting in traffic for an hour and a half (each way) every day? I can. Sitting in traffic for an hour and a half in pitch black darkness. I didn’t think my commute could have gotten any worse. It’s a good thing my car has hidden snacks in every small compartment, because my boredom overtakes my diet every night.

Not only is my commute a lot less bearable, but since it’s a blackout by the time I get home at night, I can’t photograph any of my projects. This becomes an issue because I am a huge procrastinator, and don’t typically have 3 projects ready to photograph over the weekend. Hopefully I can get into the swing of things soon, otherwise you won’t be hearing much from me for the next few months. I know how devastating that may be for you, so I’ll try my hardest to keep it up.

I might not have a handle on my projects, but The Dating Divas sure do. They created this Count Your Many Blessings banner, and it couldn’t be more perfect for our household. I love to get into holiday spirit (for every holiday), and this banner is perfect for that. Each day has it’s own little act of kindness on it, so you can really appreciate Thanksgiving by the time it rolls around at the end of the month.

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