friday favorites: the staycation edition

Happy Friday, Friends! I'm actually a little sad to see Friday come. It reminds me that my staycation is quickly coming to an end. I realized yesterday that I really have nothing productive to show for it. So, to foster some motivation within, I made a list (because I can't function without one) and am now slowly starting to mark a few things off. I have through Monday to conquer it all. Tuesday will be a reality check - for the entire family. Nevertheless, I am so thankful for the time off and the time home with my boys. God is good.

Since my week has been filled with a ton of laziness and a few mundane chores, I really have very little to share with you - that wouldn't bore you to tears, of course. So, instead of chatting about how many loads of laundry I folded, or how my children were constantly asking for a drink and a snack, I thought I'd share some random thoughts.

2016: a year to remember

For the past few days, I have taken some time to reflect upon the past year. It amazes me how every year goes so much faster than the one before. My parents always warned me that as you get older, the years go faster, but I was too naive to understand or appreciate their wisdom. I've decided to try and slow 2017 down to the best of my ability, but I suppose those efforts will prove fruitless as well.

I didn't rejoin the blogosphere until November, so most of the year is not documented in any way. That means I have a lot to cover in this post. Do bear with me as I reminisce over the memories of 2016. They are in no particular order of importance, merely a download of what I recall.

twas the Friday before Christmas

Merry Christmas, Friends! Is anyone else a little surprised that it's the day before Christmas Eve already? Christmas always sneaks up on me, but I feel like it did even more so this year. I have today off from work, so my focus will be wrapping presents and baking goodies. I haven't wrapped the first gift, and I have a couple of pans of peanut butter fudge to make and a sausage cheese dip that's oh so yummy. (I plan to share these recipes with you soon, promise.) Before I delve into "get things done" mode, I wanted to share a few things with you from the week.

Jack the Elf has been quite creative. The boys' favorites were the days when he borrowed the play cell phone and when he vaccinated cattle.

7 must read children's books, 2016 edition

I'm finally finished. I have every single Christmas gift on our list purchased. Of course, there are no guarantees everything will arrive prior to Christmas, but that's the risk you take with waiting until less than a week before the big day and refusing to shop from somewhere other than the comfort of your own home. I vow to do better next year, I do.

Despite the fact that I procrastinate like a boss, I am actually pretty excited about the awesome things I snagged for the family and friends on our list. I would love to share them with you here, but lots of those family and friends read my blog and I'd hate to spoil the surprise.

So, let's take a completely different path and chat about what I can share instead... children's books. If you're looking for some last minute gifts for the little ones in your life, here are 7 books with which you cannot go wrong.

my favorite books of 2016

It is with great relief that I welcome the arrival of Friday. Our family has been battling the stomach bug, and it has made for a long week. The nasty little thing arrived on Monday afternoon and began picking off one family member right after the other. It wasn't until Thursday that we were all back in our proper places at school and work. God is good.

As a result of the stomach bug's visit, I really have very little that's worth sharing with you this week. So instead of boring you with the details of how we fought the bug and how I didn't earn the Mom of the Week award, I thought I'd chat about my favorite books of 2016.

a little something new, 5 reasons to change your blog design

I decided it was time for a change. I know some bloggers keep the same blog design for years, but I'm just not one of them. I grew tired of the one I had and craved something new, something fresh. I wanted a template that was simpler, less cluttered - one with a little more class. Plus, I wanted a template that was mobile friendly without having to use one of the default Blogger mobile views.

My previous template was designed by Emily at Blogaholic Designs, and it was perfect. Until it wasn't. I remember that I was incredibly happy with how easy it was to upload that premade template, so I ventured over to peruse her new designs since my last visit.

i've got everything under control, i do...

Friends, I'm so happy to see Friday. I have been in one of those funks this week in which I cannot even stand myself... And as such, I'm sure the folks I've been around haven't exactly been enjoying my company either. If you fit into that category, I promise to do better! (And yes, that applies to husbands - ha!)

I usually have a pretty good list of things from the week to share with you on Fridays, but today my thoughts are scattered and my brain is jumbled. So, keeping with that theme, I'm simply going to share some of the random crazy going through my head and let you be on your way.

say hello to junebug & bean

Friends, I need to introduce you to a little shop called Junebug & Bean and the fabulous lady behind its creativity. 

Junebug & Bean creates personalized and monogrammed gifts for all occasions. Pillows, scarves, tumblers, planters, garden flags, purses, shirts, etc. Use your imagination! For Christmas, she's put together some of the cutest ornaments, pillow designs, flags, lanterns, and other really neat stocking stuffers. I love how she can personalize just about anything. Take a look at what she recently put together for me. 

weekending: date night plus a gilmore girls revelation

Friday night was date night! We rarely get all dressed up and spend the evening out on the town, so this was a treat. I received so many compliments on my dress. Believe it or not, it was the most comfortable dress I've ever worn. No zippers, total pullover. I picked it up at Belk, so if you still have some holiday events to attend, this is perfect. I meant to get more pictures and ones of better quality, but it just didn't happen...

Aside from date night on Friday, this weekend was pretty quiet. Those kind of weekends are my absolute favorite. 

pull up a seat, let's chat

 Tennessee Smoky Mountains - October 2016

#prayforthesmokies

I am so very happy to see Friday come! It has been one of those crazy busy weeks where I'm pretty sure I forgot to even pee a couple of times. Ever have those weeks? I so hope I'm not the only one.

First and foremost, I need to talk about Gilmore Girls... in detail. So, I'll save that for last so you can read what else has been going on without the spoiler. I'll let you know when I circle back to Gilmore Girls so you can stop reading if you have yet to finish A Year in the Life.