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’d love a new mascara!
Also- thank you so much for the Pandora recommendation- needed a new holiday station!
I’m dying for some new blush/bronzer. I just found out my favorite kind is discontinued! I hate when they do that to me! This week I am absolutely loving Cameron’s Peppermint Mocha Coffee! Delish!
I’m loving that you posted your grandmother’s sugar cookie recipe! I’m prepping for a (too ambitious) holiday baking weekend and needed a good sugar cookie to make. Loved re-reading that post too, a sweet tribute to her!
I’m still searching for the perfect mascara!
I’m going to San Francisco for the first time this weekend and have loved researching things to do and places to eat all week!
I would love to find a new mascara! Right now I’m loving the rain pouring outside as I drink my coffee in southern California (we needed it!)
I would love to find a new face cleanser or mascara right now. And this week, I’m loving holiday parties! We’ve got a lot going on in the entertainment industry in LA. Free food! =)
I am going through such a lipstick/lip gloss phase! Any kind of lip product would be awesome!
I would love to try a new hand cream. My hands are so dry now with this cold weather.
I am loving the Pandora Kids Christmas Favorites. Not so much for myself, but my son has been singing along to it in the car. I love that he is old enough to enjoy holiday traditions this year.
This week I am loving my step daughter’s visit with Santa Claus. She’s 8, so she probably won’t believe for much longer.
Things I’m loving: My almost 7 month old daughter has started waving “hi” and “bye” and just randomly and sort of swirls her hand around her wrist to do it. It is THE sweetest.
Beauty: Anything moisturizing. My skin also is so dry in the winter. So so dry.
Dare I say I have been loving the snow!
I would love to see a new primer!
I am LOVING the fact that I am going home for break tomorrow!
i would love to try out another face wash, I am also breaking out recently with no real reason and would just love something new.
I am loving the recent snowy weather up here outside of Philadelphia, makes getting in the holiday spirit very easy!!
I would love a new facial cleanser that exfoliates and refreshes skin, or a new body scrub! Gotta love exfoliation! 🙂
New eye shadow! I’m loving the fresh coat of snow we received today!
I’m loving that my parents finally booked their flights and are officially coming to AZ for Christmas!
Hmm.. I always struggle to find a good mascara. That would be AWESOME in my birch box!
I’m loving baking today!! I can’t wait to break out my mixer this weekend and whip up a bunch of delicious Christmas cookies!!
I would love some sugar scrub in the birch box!
I would love to find a great face wash. This week I am loving the Sugar Cookie Sleighride tea!
I’m in desperate need of a new facial cleanser!
I would really like to try out a new mascara or new lip gloss.
I have never used lip stain before and would love to try it!
One thing I’m loving this week is 3 ingredient pumpkin pancakes with raspberries and pecans. Yum!!
I would love to see a good lip/cheek stain in my first birchbox! I’m always looking for a good one!
I would love to try a new foundation!
I’m always on the hunt for a good BB/CC cream. Foundation is too heavy for me, and BB creams seem to do the trick!
I would love if Birchbox would send me some anti-aging creams/oils. Finding one I love is pricey and takes a long time. A bunch of small samples would really help me find the perfect one for me.
I would love to try a new facial mask.
This week I am absolutely loving getting in the holiday spirit!
If I won, I would love to see new skin care products. I always get so nervous investing in big bottles of new stuff!
I would love to see a really good mascara in my first birch box. Also I’m loving cooking lots of dinners this week as opposed to eating out.
I am always on the hunt for a fantastic mascara! I’d also like to find a good dry shampoo.
I would love to try some non-toxic, environmentally safe products. I’m always afraid to commitment to the full size before trying a product out!
I would love any form of moisturizer. My skin gets very dry in the winter!
I love trying new lip glosses. Especially any color that’s outside my comfort zone.
I am loving my 3 year Olds school Christmas program this morning! It always brings a smile to me face seeing little ones sin Christmas songs!
I would like to try some different concealers and foundations. I have tried a bunch but never really found one that I am totally happy with !
And what I’m loving lately is Christmas movies, especially Elf!
I’d love to try out new conditioners. I usually don’t splurge on shampoo/conditioner, but absolutely love when I get my hands on some good stuff! This week, I’m loving Christmas festivities, barre classes and a few work-related triumphs 🙂
I would love a new hair product or lotion (hello dry winter skin!)… I’ve always wanted to subscribe to a beauty box, usually I end up doing food, haha.
Things I am loving Friday
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1. That video of Sadie and the ball
2. Sadie
3. Julie
4. Ryan
5. Volunteering 15 hrs a day for the Salvation Army Kettle Drive.
I would love either a new eyeliner or a new bb cream/ coverup !
This Friday, I’m loving dark espresso roast coffee… mmm perfect beverage when it’s snowing here in MD!
I’d love to find a simple and better cleanser, plus would love to find a foundation-type make-up that works for me. I don’t like using anything liquid, but find that I’m not that satisfied with the powder ones I’ve tried in the past.
This week, I’m loving on all the Starbucks I’ve been able to have…lots of weeknight dates with friends…and getting a kitty this weekend (!!!)
I would love to try a new lip gloss.
This week I’m loving the rain!! I live in LA and we needed it so badly!
A good skin moisturizer! Loving all the holiday celebrations, lights and food! Happy Holidays all!
I’d love to try a new mascara, and new lip gloss is always fun too:)
I’m always excited by hair products – my hair can be hard to handle!
I would love to try a good BB cream!