Merry Christmas!

A very Merry Christmas 

from Sara & Hamilton (my house plant)

I hope your Christmas is filled with hugs, love, and all-around goodness.

Christmas Tunes

I love listening to Christmas music! Here's a peek at my playlist:

"White Christmas" - The Drifters

I played this for my niece a week or so ago. We danced and bounced around. The little darling giggled and giggled like she was having the time of her life.

"We Need a Little Christmas" - Glee Cast

I love how upbeat this song is. I need a little Christmas, right this very minute!

"One More Sleep 'Til Christmas" - Kermit the Frog

This is from "The Muppet Christmas Carol." Such a sweet song.
There's magic in the air this evening, magic in the air.

"Snoopy's Christmas" - The Royal Guardsmen

This song is just fun. If you want to hear part 1 of the story, look up "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron."

"Christmas Day" - She & Him

I'll never outgrow the thrill of Christmas day, either.

"All I Want for Christmas is You" - Michael Bublé

I just discovered this song this year. How long have I been living without Michael Bublé singing that he wants me for Christmas?

I hope these jams make your holidays a little brighter :-)

Costuming

Halloween is right around the corner! If you are doing the last minute scramble, don't fret. As long as you are willing to get creative, a great costume is at your fingertips.

First, consider what you already have. Quite a few of my costumes have been comprised of stuff I found in my apartment.

Example 1: I was a Greek Goddess three years running. (I move a lot: new place/new people...it's like it was a whole new costume.) I found a bed sheet in my room and paired it with a bit of leaf garland that was adorning my apartment.

Rad every time. 

Example 2: Some time ago, I got a hand-me-down green organza skirt. I knew I wanted to wear it in some capacity for Halloween. So I brainstormed. I came up with a few ideas, but I ended up going with Mother Nature. I wore the green floor-length skirt and wrapped myself in some leaf garland (leaf garland sure comes in handy). I topped off my look with green glamour eyes.

Not a flattering pic, but you get the idea.

Second, think about what you can borrow and who you can borrow from. My costume two years ago was made up of clothes I borrowed from someone else. Was it a bit awkward asking a boy if I could wear his pants? Yes. But sooo worth it. Didn't cost me a cent, and it turns out he was more than willing to loan me his clothes.

The result:

What you don't see is our awesome gum-wrapper grills. Can't touch this.

Here is another borrowed costume from years' past:

I know what you are thinking: Best. Costume. Ever.

Borrowing is boss.

Third, take a look at thrift stores. Thrift stores tend to have awesome finds for cheap. Don't be afraid to venture into sections you normally wouldn't. A male friend of mine found a purple blazer in the women's section that perfectly completed his rocker outfit. I also found a great 80s-style dress at a thrift store for the low low price of $8. I might even wear it to one of the Halloween shindigs I attend this year. What an investment.

We. Are. Hot. 

Fourth, make an impact with make-up and accessories. Last year I didn't really dress up, but I had fun make-up-ing. The right make-up can really enhance any look.

Happy Owl-o-ween!

Or sometimes it's just a matter of finding the right accessory. 

Found this lurking in my closet.

Add an eyepatch, and you've got a costume, matey. Honestly, you don't need an elaborate get-up to get your point across. A few key pieces (like a hat and eyepatch), and no one will ask the dreaded question: "What are you supposed to be?" 

If you are still coming up empty, get punny. Clever costumes are memorable. In high school, I dressed as a cereal (serial) killer for the annual Boo Ball. I glued plastic knives to mini boxes of cereal, then attached the boxes to myself. A little corny, but it was definitely unique.

My personal favorite:

The point is to have fun. Don't be too hard on yourself.  If all else fails, I suppose you can go buy a costume. But where's the fun in that?

Music I'm Listening To

For your listening pleasure:

"Arms" - Christina Perri

This one hits me just right every time.

"I Could've Been Your Girl" - She & Him

Zooey Deschanel gets me. Also, I love those outfits.

"Wide Awake" - Katy Perry
Probably my favorite song from the ever-popular Katy Perry.

"Stereo Hearts" - Gym Class Heros ft. Adam Levine
Turn it up when you feel low.

"Everything Has Changed" - Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran

"'Cause all I know is we said, 'Hello.' And your eyes look like coming home."

"Somebody Loves You" - Betty Who

Somebody loves Betty Who. She's so spunky!

"Wrecking Ball" - Eli Lieb

Song redeemed.

Enjoy!

Pinspiration

I needed a little inspiration today. Where did I turn? Pinterest, of course.

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Aahh, yes.

Where do you turn for inspiration?

Would you fall to pieces if I never came back?

I'm lovin' on Matt Nathanson right now.

This song isn't recent, but it's one of my faves.

Here's a peppy one that really makes me happy:

What are you lovin' on today?

Pinteresting Reviews

I love me some Pinterest. Here are a few pins that I've tried recently:

Homemade Foot Soak

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If you are on Pinterest, I am sure you have seen this pin floating around. It sounded pretty legit to me, so I decided to test it out. I need summer-worthy feet, after all. My sister and I gave each other pedicures last weekend, starting with this foot soak. Result: blue feet. For realsies. I kind of think that someone added "any kind but I like the blue" to have a little fun at others' expense. Now, I could have handled blue feet if my dead skin "practically wipe[d] off," but that didn't happen either. Fail.


Fudgy Vanilla Brownie

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I pinned this one mostly out of curiosity. "Fudgy Vanilla Brownie" seems like a contradiction in terms. I do love me a good blondie, though, so I thought I'd give this a try. At the top of the recipe, it says "This fudgy vanilla brownie is also called White Texas Sheet Cake, but I didn’t think 'cake' did it justice. It’s amazing!" I had high expectations for this cake/brownie. Maybe I'm just a tough critic, but I really thought this was just a vanilla sheet cake. It wasn't chewy like a brownie or blondie. This is a good recipe for cake, but not quite as amazing as described. Not a winner for me. 


Oven-Fried Orange Chicken

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The caption for this one is right on the money: "this recipe is completely delicious." I totally agree. I made this for my whole family, and everyone loved it. That's a lot of people to please, just sayin'. If you are a fan of the Orange Chicken at Panda Express, you won't be disappointed with this copy cat recipe. Yum. 

That's all I've got for today. (Get the skinny on other pins here and here).

Don't forget to pick up a copy of Mrs. Mike now that it is officially June. I started reading it myself. Here is a tidbit to keep you interested: “And what I say is, men are unpredictable creatures, all of them.”

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

I have been entering online giveaways for years. Nowadays I only enter the ones that require minimal effort - a comment, a like, etc. Finally my efforts have paid off: I won something!

I won a JJ Cole Caprice Diaper Bag. This one (below), to be exact.

hello, lovely

What is kind of funny about the whole thing is that I almost didn't bother entering because I don't have kids. 

A minor detail, to be sure.

Of course, I plan on having kids one day, and I fully intend on saving this bag until that time.

Anyways, I was super stoked to find out that I won. I also wanted to give some love to the blog that hosted this giveaway: Babes and Kids Review. I've been reading Babes and Kids since it started out on blogger (like my blog here :-)), and I am a big fan.

Tiffany is the mom behind the madness over at Babes and Kids. She is a rockstar reviewer. Tiff reviews pregnancy, baby, child, family, and fitness products (among others). Her opinions are candid and honest. Even though I don't have my own kiddos yet, her reviews have been helpful when buying for my baby niece. I have found that Tiffany's reviews are always true-to-life. In addition to great reviews, Tiffany hosts plenty of giveaways, so head on over!

Please enjoy this picture of my niece
because she is completely adorable.

Four on the Couch

I am one of the youth leaders for my church congregation. The youth love playing games, and I've got more than a few up my sleeve. Here is one of my favorites to play if you've got a fair-sized group (10-30). This is also great for young adults.

Four on the Couch (alternately known as The Couch Game)

1. Start by writing the names of everyone in the room on separate slips of paper.
2. Form a circle of chairs that includes one seat for each person playing, plus one empty seat.
3. Designate 4 seats in a row as “the couch.” This will be important later in the game.
4. Divide into teams. Girls vs. Boys works well, but any arrangement you choose will be fine. Make sure teammates are sitting every other chair, which means that each team will start with 2 people on “the couch.”
5. Have each person draw a slip of paper—the name you draw is your name for that round.
6. Whoever is to the left of the empty seat gets to call out a name. The person who drew that name gets up and sits in the empty seat, leaving an empty seat somewhere else in the circle. Whoever is to the left of the new empty seat calls out a new name, another person moves, etc.
7. The objective of the game is to get all four of your teammates on “the couch.” Once that happens, the game is over.

Have fun!

To Pin or Not to Pin

That is the question.

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I am a Pinterest lover. I loooooove Pinterest. Before joining Pinterest, I was known to bookmark a lot of webpages. I wanted to save every good idea or neat project. So I would bookmark each and every one. And then I found Pinterest. GAME. CHANGER. I can still gather all my ideas, and I can satisfy my OCD-like need for order by organizing my pins on individual boards. Win!

The only problem with my Pinteresting addiction is that some ideas that circulate Pinterest aren't worth my time. Sure, the look really cool. Or they sound good in theory. But in practice? Not so much. Enter in: To Pin or Not to Pin. My guide to what has worked for me and what hasn't. I will share with you, litte by little, my Pinterest discoveries: the good, the bad, and the ugly.


First up, homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies.

(original source)

You know you've seen this pin. With 291 likes and 1509 repins, who hasn't? I tried this recipe about a week ago. I'll start off by saying that I am a bit of a food snob. But who doesn't love an Oatmeal Cream Pie? They are one processed, pre-packaged food I will admit I enjoy on occasion. These, however, didn't fit the bill for this tough critic. The cookies were not as dark as the picture, and while tasty, lacked the signature flavor of my Little Debbies. The cookies were also more cakey than chewy. The marshmallow cream filling was pretty good, though. Don't get me wrong, I think this is a good cookie recipe, but not a good oatmeal cream pie recipe. Since I was hoping to make knock-off Oatmeal Cream Pies, this wasn't a winner for me. (Note: this review is regarding the above recipe only. There are several other Oatmeal Cream Pie recipes on Pinterest, but I haven't tried them yet.)

To Pin or Not to Pin? Not. 

Next on the line up: Yoga Routine for Better Sleep

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There are only a million-and-one yoga pins out there. Which ones are worthy? Well, let me tell you this one is. It is also the easiest yoga routine I have ever done, so it is totally do-able for you novices out there (like myself). It doesn't require any special equipment or mats, which is also a win for those of us who occasionally dabble in the yoga scene. This yoga sequence had me ready to roll over and start snoozing. It was relaxing, and I felt like I was doing my body a solid by "exercising" before sleep.

To Pin or Not to Pin? Pin!



Up to bat, that crazy Mountain Dew glow stick thing

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I went camping this last weekend (yes, in March. Yes, it was freezing). My brother was with me, and he decided that it would be a good time to put the Mountain Dew Glow Stick to the test. Result: undrinkable, uninteresting Mountain Dew. No glow. Not even a dim light. After consulting with several friends who were equally disappointed with their own attempts, I label this a fail. Snopes confirms that this is just a silly hoax. Completely sad, since it would have been awesome to have a glowing bottle of Mountain Dew.

To Pin or Not to Pin? Not. 



Last one for today: let's talk Brownies.

(original source)

As mentioned previously, I am a bit of a food snob. When it comes to brownies, I am really finicky. I like a moist, chewy, rich, fudgy brownie. Emphasis on fudgy. Yum. No cake-like brownies for me. And none of those light-brown impostors. I am a fan of America's Test Kitchen, so when ATK was mentioned in the pin description, I knew I had to try this recipe. These take a little more work than your average brownie recipe, but they are soooo worth the effort. This recipe embodies everything I love in a brownie: decadent, but not overpoweringly sweet; great texture; rich chocolate flavor. I have made these brownies twice already, and you can bet I won't stop there. This is a recipe worth savoring.

To Pin or Not to Pin? Pin!



I hope this post was helpful to you! If there are pins you want me to review, leave me a comment.

Follow me on Pinterest: pinterest.com/sararachels

lemonade

I made this one today:

so true.

10 Things I Hate About You

One of my sister's favorite movies is "10 Things I Hate About You." I saw a poster online featuring the movie's title poem, and I decided to make one for my sister. Enjoy.

Halloweening

This year for Halloween, I totally copped out on my costume. I wore an owl t-shirt sporting the phrase "Happy Owl O' Ween." I did spent some time doing owl-ish makeup, however, so maybe that makes up for my lack of costumage?

(Makeup somewhat inspired by this tutorial)


I also had some fun making Halloween lanterns for my li'l sis.

So cute, right? I found the idea on Our Best Bites.


I hope you have as much fun in your Halloweening!