Holy Moly, it’s December. And just like that 2016 is almost out the door! Lately I’ve been posting lists and reviews but it’s been two months since I’ve done a “currently” post. Since this lines up so nicely with Kristen & Gretch‘s What New With You link-up I figured why not!
Eating… pizza & leftovers. After botching two of the last HelloFresh dinners we received I decided that I could just as easily meal plan and make my own foods. But… I haven’t done the meal planning part yet so we ordered pizza on Monday and went out to dinner on Tuesday. Whoops.
Drinking… tea and coffee and hot chocolate! As the temperature drops I begin to crave warm beverages. My brother gave me a coffee maker (he had an extra, I guess? ) so once I buy some coffee I’ll be brewing it at home! (Right now I wait until I get to work or swing through a drive thru.)
Reading… The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. A friend recommended it & it’s one of the books I chose for the #SCWBC16. I just started it on Tuesday so I don’t have much to say about it yet…
Watching… as a couple we’ve been sitting down and watching The Voice. We also saw Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them last Saturday. On my own I binge on American Housewife, Superstore, Speechless, The Good Place, and, of course, Miss Fisher’s!
Listening to… allllll the Christmas music. My favorite Christmas music genres (that’s a thing, right? ) are choruses, orchestras, and anything pre-1950. Also, acapella groups like Pentatonix and Straight No Chaser.
Feeling… patient. I don’t want to rush the Christmas season. I don’t want to lose my temper with holiday traffic. I don’t want to waste lazy nights or squeeze my eyes shut on hectic days. When I’m not feeling patient I’m trying to will myself to feel it 😉
Giving… to some of my favorites this past Tuesday. I’d live in a cardboard box if I gave to every single animal organization that I follow so I have to take turns. On Tuesday I opted to give back to the rescue that raised Enzo (Paws & Prayers). I also “sent” honeybees through the ELCA to a family in need across the globe. (I’m not sharing this for a pat on the back- I just wanted to share some worthwhile charities.)
Loving… all the packages on my front porch!! I love coming home from work & seeing that so-and-so’s gift has arrived! I love planning and buying and wrapping gifts for people! This week I got/am expecting packages from Amazon, Shutterfly, Wild Cedar Co., Carter’s, & Uncommon Goods.
Hating… the weird limbo that I find my life hoovering in. I try to be grateful for all moments and all seasons of life, but right now I feel like I’m sitting in an intersection and there’s something new and exciting down every street…. but I can’t quite pick a direction yet. (It’s as vague in my head as I just made it sound right here. Sorry.)
Looking forward to… Christmas! It’s my favorite time in the church calendar and I’m so excited to give gifts and nom on holiday foods and bask in the glow of trees and fireplaces.
Dreading… bills, early mornings, dirty rooms, mounds of laundry… all the things that accompany my fortunate life. Really I should be thankful for luxuries & utilities to pay for, a job to set an alarm clock for, and a warm house and comfy clothes to clean. #perspective
Praying for… the violence and hate to stop. The OSU stabbings were heartbreaking. I’m also praying for all the people & animals avoiding fires in the south. That’s so, so terrifying. And I’m praying for the folks in ND that are freezing to death because they believe so strongly in their cause. I don’t want to see this country become (more) cold and hateful. This country needs empathy.
Planning… a baby shower sprinkle for my best friend! She’s due in February with a boy (last time it was a girl) and I wanted her to have the opportunity to get some little boy clothes and toys. Plus, I love any excuse to spoil a mother-to-be (round #2)!
So what’s new with you?
*Thanks for hosting, Kristen & Gretch!
Life as Louise 
BRING ON THE CHRISTMAS MUSIC! Ahem, yeah… 😀
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Yes yes yes!!!
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Aww! So sweet of you to throw your friend a mini baby shower! I’ve been listening to Christmas music too but haven’t tried those genres out–I’ll have to look them up on Spotify!
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I love planning parties…. I don’t know if I was more excited to plan the party or she was more excited to be the guest of honor! Haha! Let me know what you think of those Christmas tunes!
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Finally catching up on some blog reading and this was a perfect post to catch up with you! I don’t want to rush this season either… just one of the reasons I decorated early 🙂 You are so sweet to throw your friend another shower – love that! Hope you have a great weekend!!
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I’m so glad you stumbled upon this post in your catch up! I decorated early, too. 25 days of holiday cheer is just not long enough. I love planning parties! And her family is so wonderful- they jumped on the party train, too!
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YIPEE for supporting animals causes. That’s a soft spot for me too.
I want to try & get in Fantastic Beasts this weekend. DYING to see it!!!!
I need to step up my Christmas music game. Love all the songs.
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We paid a pretty penny for Enzo from that rescue but they tried so hard to save his brothers and sisters from parvo so I know a lot of their money goes toward animal welfare. They deserve it 🙂
(Go see it!!)
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Paws and Prayers is a great name for an animal rescue organization! Animals rescue and feeding the homeless are my two big pet causes. I love Christmas music too … before I used to enjoy it in the sense of it being a part of Christmas but didn’t necessarily listen to Christmas music on my own. Now I do, although I prefer more post-1950s holiday music. 🙂 And a big YES to wanting the hate and violence to stop. Enough is enough. And I hear you on the weird limbo place. I feel as though I’ve been stuck there for some time, waiting for something big and right for me but unsure what exactly that is.
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We found the rescue by chance. We were browsing petfinder (as I often do) and fell in love with Enz 🙂 I hope to open a dog shelter someday!
I have a Pandora playlist with Christmas music. I typically press ‘play’ mid-November!
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I feel you on the life-being-in-limbo thing. Mine is more of a negative limbo though. I just feel kind of stuck and blah because of how this year has gone for me.
I am also hoping for an end to the violence and hate. The state of this country is so sad right now, which doesn’t help my blah/limbo feeling!
Your order pizza Monday, go out Tuesday is what we had fallen into recently, but we managed to eat “boring” (aka healthy, easy meals made at home) all four days this week and are SO excited to go out to eat tonight finally! I feel like an addict having withdrawals. Hahaha!
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I really hope your 2017 is a happier, brighter year, Mattie. This was a tough year for you 😦
Last week was rough… We did pizza Monday, out to eat Tuesday, finally cooked on Wednesday, dinner at my parents’ on Thursday (which was pizza…), and out again on Friday. This week I have it all planned out! I’m excited!
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We must be at the same intersection.
I see everything around me on fire, but I also see a lot of people working together to put the fire out…people like you and me. It can be done but it requires work. From all of us. MFD is heading to Standing Rock Monday to deliver supplies and it makes me sad to think how cold it is there and how people have to choose between warmth and water supply right now.
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I saw that he was headed out there to help. I really like that. I think it’s important to take care of one another- especially the good guys. I also read that all their hard work and sacrifices are making a difference. I think that’s so incredible.
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I loved fantastic beasts which I already told you.. I think superstore looks really funny but I haven’t watched it yet.I am also trying to give back, listen to xmas music, and enjoying getting lots of packages. 🙂 It’s so much fun! I feel you on the state of the country/world. I’m hoping that it gets better too. Good luck with your baby sprinkle! I hope it’s really fun. 😉 I’m feeling VERY aimless right now. Like I could have a ton of directions to go in… but no idea what I want to do. I may or may not have had a meltdown post-Thanksgiving. 😦 XO – Alexandra
Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
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Superstore cracks me up. Plus I really like America Ferrera 🙂
Even though I know the packages aren’t for me it makes me so happy to get one or two a day!
I had a few months where I was having a serious meltdown each month. I know it was driving K nuts but he was trying to be patient. Right now I’m less in meltdown-mode and more in frozen while the world flies by-mode.
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Hot chocolate has been my jam lately too! American Housewife and The Good Place are certainly good new shows this year. They make me happy. So does Christmas music! And giving to animals 🙂
I have been so sad this week watching all the fires. Gatlinburg is one of my absolute favorite vacation spots, we hit it up every year after Christmas with Chris’s family. And I noticed today that some parents in Utah stopped their son from shooting up his school. It’s scary! I think there were some stabbings in Utah last week too.
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Gah. Every time I turn on the news or open my email something else is going down the tubes. It’s crazy….
American Housewife cracks me up. Her voice annoys K so I watch it on my own, but I laugh out loud every episode!
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Yay for Christmas music! I love the Penatonix Christmas album! I actually really get the life in limbo thing. I’ve been feeling that way a lot recently.
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I think the end of the year puts a lot of people in that place. I feel like I need a good cry, an uplifting moment, and a kick in the pants to move forward into 2017. Here’s to hoping all that happens in the next 25 days 😉
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Great perspective. I get really frustrated and stressed by the same – bills, a messy house, work, etc but it’s all blessings in disguise. I’m lucky we can pay our bills, fortunate to own our house and have jobs. I have to stop and remind myself of that when I’m feeling overwhelmed.
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Oh man- that’s the only way I lift myself up sometimes! When I’m fight with ins. companies or sobbing over the credit card bill I just try to remind myself that we’re very fortunate to have access to health care (even if it IS expensive) and that I’m able to make payments and afford the things we need. (I’m making myself sound like a very positive person and that’s not usually the case, haha.)
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“Really I should be thankful for luxuries & utilities to pay for, a job to set an alarm clock for, and a warm house and comfy clothes to clean” — if more of us thought like this, would we really have much to complain about? I love this perspective. One of the many reasons why love your blog is right in that sentence.
I also love spoiling moms and moms-to-be! One thing I try to do at showers and sprinkles is to give them a small luxury just for them like a bubble bath or fuzzy socks.
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Thanks, Carolann 🙂 I’m not always that positive, though… haha. Sometimes I can’t get my mind right and I’m a ball of pity. It all depends…
That’s a WONDERFUL mom-to-be gift idea! This is baby number 2 so I think my friend is definitely going to be in need of some self care 🙂
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I love that your throwing a baby shower for your friend! And I love that you give to organizations in December. I do something similar where we give our “fun money” to a charity of our choice. Usually, I go with whatever has affected me that year. This year we are giving our money to the Vancouver Eastside Women’s Centre.
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Last year I skipped #GivingTuesday because I had no idea it was a thing. (It falls in with Black Friday, Shop Small Saturday, Cyber Monday, etc.) K typically gives throughout the year from the business to local 5Ks/runs or animal shelters but we’ve never given back to the rescue that rescued Enzo 🙂
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Whyyyy is actually planning the meals the hardest part of the whole process?? It really just is. Also, you are officially the sweetest for throwing your friend a sprinkle, I would have loved that.
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AH! I’d have TOTALLY thrown you a baby sprinkle if we weren’t a billion states away, Erin! I’m planning on a truck theme- especially since “dad” is a firefighter 🙂 I’ve been collecting toy trucks from family members all week for decorations!
I planned meals for this week. But I’m 100% sure I’ll forget to do it again for next week. Haha.
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I understand wanting to share worthy causes without feeling like you’re saying “look at me! I made a donation!”
I can feel your Christmas-y spirit shining through this post 🙂
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I’m glad you can feel the Christmas-ness. I actually had some anxiety about Christmas Day that I ALMOST blogged about but then I decided to go straight to the source and resolve the issue. So I feel like that made my post even MORE pro-Christmas 🙂
(Family/schedule drama. Haha.)
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You definitely can’t go wrong with leftover pizza. I think I’ll have to make a pizza this week, just for the leftovers haha!
It’s all about the tea these days. I think I had about 10 cups yesterday trying to keep warm. Good job it’s just a herbal tea otherwise I’d never sleep with all the caffeine! I think I’m going to make myself a large one in my thermos so it stays warm all day 🙂
I’m feeling a little bit of limbo myself. I hate to wish the time away, but I kind of want this year to be over, because I love the fresh start of a new year, plus I just have good feelings about next year, not that I have anything planned, I just feel like it’s going to be a good one 🙂
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I JUST got a coffee maker and I am obsessed. I’ve been doing a travel mug in the mornings for work and then decaf at night. Haha!
I’m excited for 2017 to start but I feel like I have loose ends to tie up in 2016 still. Lol. I don’t know what, though… ha.
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I’m currently listening to all the Christmas music too!
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How can you not be?? 😉 My husband isn’t a fan of Xmas music but he left it on the radio last night while we were driving home and it made me so happy!
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i’ll be interested to see what you think of The Joy Luck Club! I read it last year I think.
MISS FISHERS FOR LIFE ❤ ❤ YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
i want to watch it again. 4th time's a charm, right? lol
limbo is the worst. especially when it is as vague in your head as well as i real life.. you know what i mean.. because then it feels even more limbo-y.
i'm gonna stop now. haha.
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Sometimes I read while K watches TV but The Joy Luck Club is one of those books I need to give all my attention to…. so it’s taking some time to get through.
It’s all your fault how obsessed with Miss FIsher’s I am…. hahaha!
I get what you mean about limbo, ha. This week I’ve just decided not to think about it. Jury’s out on how that’s going……
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