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This post contains affiliate links.
Can y’all believe December has come and gone? The month was filled with so much goodness. We celebrated my husband’s 25th birthday and spent our first Christmas together. We decked out our apartment with all the Christmas cheer we could manage. Best of all, we spent good quality time with family and friends. The kind of time that makes you forget to check your phone. Those moments were the best part of December for me, and I plan on filling up 2017 with a whole lot of more memories like that.
I’ve always loved sharing my favorite recipes, favorite books, and favorite things with y’all. I’ve created this monthly series where I share ALL OF THE THINGS that were my favorites during the month (with real, honest opinions). If a 10 minute dessert actually took 30 minutes, I’m going to be real with y’all.
Here’s what I loved this month:
Recipes
Cookies & Cream Peppermint Bark – this stuff is SO good, y’all. So easy to make. So addicting. We actually devoured it all in about a week. Don’t judge- you’ll see what I mean once you make it! I had seen peppermint bark in stores all month and finally just decided to make my own. It tastes like Hershey’s Cookies & Creme bars with a peppermint twist.
Slow Cooker Chicken Chili – My aunt swears by this recipe, so I finally decided to give it a try! It’s in the crock pot as I’m typing this and I can’t wa
it to try it. I love throw & go recipes. My changes: frozen corn at the end instead of canned, and added some hot diced green chiles. We like our food spic-ay.
Books
The Pioneer Woman Cookbook: A Year of Holidays – Andrew got me this cookbook for Christmas and I’m SO excited. Mostly because it has the recipe we use for the best ever holiday stuffing. I also have her Food From My Frontier Cookbook and use it regularly. Pioneer Woman is queen.
Grace, Not Perfection – Oh my gosh, y’all. I could write an entire post on this book alone. This summary from Amazon says it best:
Have you been told you can have it all, only to end up exhausted and occasionally out of sorts with the people you love? Are you ready for a new way of seeing your time? Learn to live a little more simply. Hold yourself and those you love to a more life-giving standard in Grace Not Perfection,and allow that grace to seep into your days, your family, and your heart.
I’ll be honest with y’all. I read the first few chapters and had this terrifying realization that this was going to be me in 5-10 years if I didn’t make a change. I was going to be this tired, worn out mama and wife who tries to do it all and barely has enough energy to take care of herself. Reading this book has refreshed my mindset and is actually a big part of the direction I want to take this blog- simplifying life and extending yourself grace.
I ordered a second copy to have on hand as a gift for a friend who needs it. I see it on my bookshelf daily, but I’m waiting on God to show me which girlfriend of mine needs it.
Odds & Ends
The end of 2016 means it’s time to pull out my 2017 PLANNER! I’m trying out a horizontal layout instead of the vertical I’ve used the past three years. I’m excited to see how I use it to plan my workouts, meals and blogging. Read more about why I love Erin Condren Life Planners here and find a link for 10% off your first purchase!
Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale
Now that Christmas has passed, sales are popping up everywhere! I scooped up a beautiful tree skirt at Target for 50% off and can’t wait to put it out next year. Nordstrom is having their half yearly sale and there is some GOOD stuff.
In case you missed them, here are y’alls two favorite posts from December!
I’m honored that these two posts where I shared my heart were y’alls favorites! I’m excited for all that’s to come for the blog in 2017. I’d love to hear what kind of posts you’d like to see more of! Whatever your goals are for 2017, I hope they’re big ones, and I hope you go after them with everything you’ve got. For me, 2017 will be about slowing down and savoring the good stuff- time with my husband, walks with my dog, and doing what I love. A little less planning and a lot more living. I’ve always loved this quote-
Here’s to a 2017 that you’ll be happy to look back at.
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