The holiday season is definitely the thing I’m loving most this week. From festive cookie exchanges to beautiful decorations and twinkling lights, it really does feel like such a magical time of year. I can’t wait to hop in the car next weekend and head to my parents’ place in Jacksonville for the week!
But I’m getting a little ahead of myself… Let’s jump into our usual Friday fun and chat about what we’re loving this week. As always, feel free to share something that is making you smile in the comments section of this post… It just might count as an entry into today’s Happy Holidays Giveaway Week giveaway!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- A New Gym Job (…but I’m still keeping my other gym job, too!)
About a week ago, one of my favorite Pure Barre teachers passed my name along to the manager of a small corporate gym at a local business park. Then, earlier this week, I went in for an interview and am happy to report I’ll be picking up some more classes and working a few days a week at another small local gym! Both gyms where I’ll be working (the one I’ve been working at since November 1 and this new one) are very small and quite different from what I was used to when I taught at the YMCA in Ocala. I am enjoying the change and really like the intimate atmosphere!
These cookies are just the best. I made them for my cookie exchange party earlier this week and baked another batch yesterday before our last Girls On The Run practice of the season. The girls absolutely gobbled them up and raved about them which naturally made my heart happy. My grandma’s oversized, fluffy sugar cookies were my all-time favorite when I was a little girl and I always knew I could expect to see her big glass cookie jar overflowing with them whenever we’d go to Gettysburg to visit. (And yes, that’s Mimi’s handwriting on the recipe card above. Love!)
- Pandora Rockin’ Holidays Station
If you’re looking for an upbeat holiday Pandora station, check out the Rockin’ Holidays station! It’s full of energizing Christmas songs and I’ve been playing it non-stop since the day after Thanksgiving!
- Beautycounter Glow Sugar Scrub
Ryan and I had such a nice time with our friends Amii and Walt over dinner last weekend. As we ate Amii’s amazing baked ziti and sipped on fabulous wine, Amii told me a little bit about some of the beauty and skincare products she’s been loving lately since she’s heard me complain about my skin a time or two. She let me take home a few of her favorite samples to try from Beautycounter (she’s a consultant – and not pushy at all), and I quickly fell in love with the Glow Sugar Scrub and Peppermint Lip Conditioner. The sugar scrub is unreal (it smells like refreshing lemongrass) and only uses real sugar and pure essential oils to exfoliate skin for a healthy glow. The mineral-rich evening primrose, sweet almond, apricot kernel, and sunflower oils leaves my skin feeling soft and so, so hydrated which is much-needed since my skin cannot soak up enough moisturizer in the colder months. I’ve been using it when I shave in the shower and adore it!!
Our realtor is absolutely the best! Earlier this week, I arrived home to find the sweetest package of holiday chocolates sitting on our doorstep from Diane which made me smile. She’s so incredibly thoughtful and clearly has the best taste in chocolate because every single piece of Davidson Chocolate included in the giant solid-chocolate star box I’ve tried so far has been fabulous!
- Happy Holidays Giveaway Week Winners
Congratulations to Bre (grand prize) and Molly and Arianne (runner up), the winners of the Lorna Jane giveaway! And congratulations to Karen G. ($250 gift card) and Rachel W. (Skyscapes), the winners of the Reebok giveaway! All winners were emailed first thing this morning.
- Birchbox Giveaway
I first started subscribing to Birchbox, a monthly subscription beauty box, last year. Each box includes five beauty samples from high-end brands and my ongoing subscription has led to some of my all-time favorite beauty product discoveries, including theBalm Stainiac lip stain, Klorane dry shampoo, Dr. Brandt skincare and more.
It’s so much fun to receive a pretty little box filled with fun beauty samples each month and I think it would make a great gift for the beauty-lover in your life! Thankfully, Birchbox was kind enough to agree to host an awesome giveaway on the blog today in honor of Happy Holidays Giveaway Week!
One grand prize winner will receive a 6-month Birchbox subscription and a Cynthia Rowley Beauty Palette! And a runner-up winner will receive a 3-month Birchbox subscription!
To enter this giveaway, please answer one (or both!) of the following questions:
- What is one beauty product you’d love to see in your first Birchbox? Maybe you’re dying to try a new kind of eyeliner. Or perhaps you could use a better cleanser or lip gloss? Let me know!
- What is one thing you’re loving this week?
I will randomly select a winner next Friday. Good luck!!
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I would love to try a new dry shampoo! 🙂
I’d love to try a new gentle cleanser that still removes makeup really well!
I’d love to try out a new volumizing hair product!
I love lip gloss or lipsticks!!
I’m loving working with kids right now in med school. I’m also loving having only one week left until my 2 week break and various Christmas parties!!!
I love beauty box products, anything new is fun to give a try!
I’d love to try a new lip color!
I’m loving Mountain Zevia soda! So much better and healthier than pepsi or coke. And I’d love to try a new lipgloss! Lipgloss is a necessity especially when the air is cold and dry!
I’d love new eye makeup! I love to try out new things!
Lip moisturizer would be perfect. The cold weather takes a toll on my lips.
I’m always looking forward to my favorite sat class, bodystep! And then a manicure date with a girlfriend
I’d like to see some undereye concealer. I’ve been trying a few drug store brands but would like to see what else is out there.
I’d love some kind of pore minimizer.
I would love a new eyeliner in my first Birchbox, I have yet to find one that I like. This week I’m loving that I received my new workout program, Insanity Max:30, I can’t wait to get started on Monday!
I’m looking for a new perfume!
I would love some sort of lip scrub or treatment that I could use semi-regular for smoother, softer lips.
I’d like some body lotion that actually keeps my legs from feeling dry in the winter!
I really want to try a new under eye treatment or pore minimizer
I would love to try a new shiny lip gloss!
I am loving watching the Hallmark channel- Christmas movies all the time!!!
I love my monthly BirchBox! I love getting the sample to try out new items that I wouldn’t purchase regularly on my own. My favorite full sized purchase so far is the Catherine Malandrino perfume. I LOVE IT! And since it’s only sold at BirchBox I feel like I am wearing a unique scent! (And I always get great compliments on it, too!
Would love some mascara….
My aunt and uncle are with me here for the holidays and I am loving the time with them 🙂
I’d love to see a great bb cream. My current one is OK, but I’d love to try something new.
love a new face lotion for dry winter months!
La mer cream……I would love to see what all the hype is about! I’m loving that it’s finally getting “cold” here in central Florida!
I”d love to see good eyeshadow and/or mascara. I’m always on the lookout for some that I really love!
I’d love to see facial moisturizer. My face gets so dry in the winter!
I’d like to see a lip stain or dry shampoo!
Would love to try a new cleanser. What I’m loving this Friday is that in less than a week I get to see my grandson who is in the Air Force stationed in Japan. It has been a year since he has been home.
I’m loving all things citrus! Oranges, grapefruit, even lemonade in December!
I’m on the hunt for a new favorite cleanser so I’d love to try out a new one in a birchbox. New liquid eyeliners would be a more fun item I’d look forward to!
What I’m loving this week: It’s the weekend finally! Its been a crazy busy week for me but I survived to Friday and am glad for all of the stuff that kept me busy all week.
I would love to try a higher end BB cream- the drugstore one I use now feels a bit greasy!
I’m loving that we’re one week away from winter break! The anticipation is definitely in the air amongst the students and staff at the high school I teach at!
One makeup product I’d like to try if I got birchbox would be a new longwear lipstick! I’m addicted to one made by Chanel but am always curious if there are other (ahem *cheaper*) longwear lipsticks that work as good as Chanel’s.
I am loving good French cheese this week. One thing I would love in my birch box is a good lipstick
I would love to try some new to me mascara!
Hi,
1) I would love to receive a tinted moisturizing lipgloss. I live in Colorado and this time of year my lips get so dry. Lipsticks don’t seem to hydrate enough an d most of the lip moisturizers I have tried don’t give that pop of color I like.
2) I am loving the new hug my daughter has been giving me this week. Somehow she just wraps both of her arms around my upper arm and it just makes me smile. 🙂
I love these posts every Friday!! Our Christmas party is next week and we’ve been looking for a good Xmas station! Plus those chocolates look amazing!!! I’m always looking for good skin care products – something that would brighten my face would be awesome – that and mascara always 🙂
Lipgloss!!
I am loving OrangeTheory Fitness!
I would love to magically stumble upon a great lip color–something I find so had don my own!
*hard on my own!
I would love to find a new BB cream. My face can be pretty dry in the winter so I’d love a new cream.
And this week I’m loving binging on The Big Bang Theory. I was slow to discover this little gem and it’s been great to take a break from my busy life and just watch Sheldon be hilarious.
Beauty counter products would be great for Birch Box!! I’m loving their cleansing balm for cold MN winters!
I would love to try a new cleanser and eyeliner. Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
I would love to try a new perfume or lipstick!
Im definitely loving the Christmas lights everywhere and holiday parties
I would really love a new tinted pink lip gloss and an organic face moisturizer. My skin gets so dry in the winter.
I would LOVE a good quality lip balm to battle this cold weather! And today I’m loving Santa Swaps! I got a bottle of Pinot and a gingerbread house kit today at work 🙂
waterproof mascara! and i’m loving all the tv christmas specials 🙂
I’m loving these giveaways!! So fun!!
I ‘m looking for a new cleanser, I’d love to try Birchbox!
Would love a primer or something to help keep lipstick on longer!