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 trying new lipgloss!
I Would love to try a new mascara! I love the thick lash look!
One thing I’m loving this week is “Santa’s Secret” flavoured tea by David’s Tea! It’s delicious and I can’t get enough of everything festive right now!
I would love a new lip gloss 🙂
I would love some new mascara!
I am looking for the perfect moisturizer for my face. I agree with you my favorite thing right now is the holiday season!
I would love to see a nice red nail polish in the Birchbox. This week I am loving baking Christmas cookies with my daughters.
I am loving Amazon prime! I started and finished my Christmas shopping this week and now all I have to do is wrap! 🙂
I would love some nice lip stain! One that doesn’t make my lips feel dry preferably. As for something I’m loving this week; I love that my first semester of grad school is over!!!
I am always searching for a new lip color that actually stays on my lips longer than an hour.
This week I’m loving my new Emily Ley planner!! I’ve already started to plan out 2015!!!
this week I am loving my collegues – they are awsome!
One thing I’m loving this week is hot chai! Its so relaxing to have a nice big cup when I’m studying for finals! 🙂
I could definitely use some new eye shadows or a great new eye liner!
I love Birchbox eye shadow. And this week I’m loving Trader Joe’s cookie butter ice cream 🙂
Hope in a jar by philosophy!
I’d love to find a great moisturizer.
Happy Friday! I’d love to win. I would LOVE to get a perfume sample. I love trying new perfumes.
I’d love to try new shades of eye shaddow! I’ve been using the same color palate for years now!
My parents are coming into the city this Sunday to see the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. The tree is from my college town of Bloomsburg PA so it’s extra special this year!
I would love an eyeshadow primer — been wanting to try Urban Decay.
I’d love a lip balm or an easy to use dry shampoo and I’m loving my Caramel & Coconut Girl Scout Coffeemate this Friday!
I would love to receive a product from Birchbox to sooth some ongoing inflammation on my cheeks (mainly my right cheek..weird I know). I am LOVING Apple Cider Rooibos tea that me and my boyfriend got the other day from Teavana! Holiday deliciousness!
I would love to find a new dark lip color for the winter!
Smash box primer! I think you’ve blogged about it before? I’ve heard good things and would love a sample.
I’m loving Christmas cookies this week and beautifully lit candles for advent.
In need of a good, everyday eyeliner!
I am loving this awesome onion pork plantain dish from paleomg.com, its delicious 🙂
I would love to try out a new lipstick/gloss/stain! It’s a perfect way to try something that I might not necessarily pick out!
I love mascara! Always looking for a new one to try!
I would love to get a new mascara in a birchbox because I’m a mascara junkie. I don’t have a favorite so it’s fun to try lots of different ones.
As for something I’m loving this week, I just received a FitBit Flex as a gift and so far I like it.
I would love to try one of the DR. JART+ beauty balms that my friends have been raving about!
I would love to see a new lotion, my hands are so dry this time of year.
The thing I am loving most this week is I am done with my first semester of grad school! Yay for winter breaks!
I want to try a deep red lip stain!
I am loving having my first appt for our new baby this week (today!). I could definitely use some new coverup as pregnancy hormones wreak havoc on the face! 🙂
I would love to see a face mask.
This week, I’m loving outdoor concerts with friends!
I love Birchbox!! I am looking forward to seeing Straight No Chaser this weekend!!
i’d love my birchbox to come with a new hair product to keep things smooth and shiny this winter!
I would love a lip stain. I’ve been trying to find a good one for a while and just haven’t been able to yet!
Congratulations on the new job and additional classes you’ll be teaching. You’ll have to let us all know, at some point, the big differences you notice between working in a large gym vs. more intimate gym.
It’s been raining A LOT this week, so I am loving my Hunter Rain Boots. They are getting a lot of use!
I need a good eye cream! Apparently I’m to the point (ahem, age) in my life where at 27 eye wrinkles are a very serious thing 😉
I would love to see a lip gloss, I am considering starting to wear something more than my burts bees chapstik! one thing I am loving this week – I made dark chocolate/salted carmel/bacon bark last night and cannot stop eating it!
I would love to see some great lipstick in my Birchbox. I’m loving baking Christmas cookies to give to my coworkers!
I’m with you – I’m loving Christmas prep and music!
Beauty product I would love to see is anything by Michael Kors, or anything by bobbi brown.
Of course gotta say what I’m loving – just had new flooring done in our bathroom upstairs. I had no idea a change like that would make me so happy!
New mascara!
I would love some eyeshadow and eyeliner to play around with. I am pregnant and could use a beauty boost!
I would LOVE a new lip scrub or lip balm. This time of year, I feel like I always have super chapped lips!
I would love to see a lip scrub! My lips gets so dry this time of year!
It would be great to try some new mascara without having to commit to a full size one!
this week i am loving iced chai tea lattes from panera. and i would always love to try new lip glosses.
I’d love a wintery themed birchbox with some thick moisturizer. This week I’m loving any little sun that escapes through the clouds! It’s been oh so grey outside.