What I Got For Christmas 2019

Let's get this out of the way first! If you don't like this type of post, that is okay. I understand if you keep scrolling down your feed! I've been doing these posts for years now, which you can see on my "Christmas" label and I know they are not everyone's cup of tea. I personally enjoy seeing what people get as gifts for any occasion. And a lot of the time, my eyes are opened to books, films, and other things that I didn't even know existed. If the gift has a story behind it, even better! I adore hearing about sentimental items and memories.

Speaking of which, this Christmas was so incredibly special and I know that I will always look back at it with fondness. It was my first time home for the holidays since 2011 and that was my absolute best gift this holiday season. Hands down! Spending Christmas Day playing games with my brother? That is everything I needed! Hugging my uncle that is on hospice care and my 84 year old grandfather, seeing family members I had not seen in years, having my grandmother's Christmas cookies again, dinner with my closest and oldest friends...I could just keep going. And I might in another post, if any of you are interested in hearing about my South Carolina life. My heart is so full right now and I haven't come down from the high yet!

Because I went home, it was a bigger Christmas than usual. We were home in SC (and I have a big family) and then back up here for a belated celebration with my husband's side of the family. And I learned the hardships of trying to shop for a teenaged boy (my brother). I realized that I am officially so removed from the teenage years that I was having to Google teenager trends, though TikTok also helped just by watching videos. The next time I'm down will be Thanksgiving and his birthday is the same week, so I guess I better go ahead and start my research now! Haha!

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Ulta Haul for December 2019

While home for the holidays and in the land of the beautiful place we call Ulta, of course I stopped in my town's location for a little retail therapy! Because I went a bit ham in there last May, I tried to reel it in. Tried. And since this was around Christmas, I guess I'll consider this haul as a gift because why not?! I also had enough points for a discount, so that was a bonus! By the way, Ulta's point system is so much better than Sephora. Sephora needs to remodel a lot of things, as I feel like they are truly falling behind all of the better points programs out there (like Shoppers Drug Mart, if you're in Canada).

Aside from my last Sephora haul, these are the only beauty items I got around Christmas and I am set for a while! I know I just knocked on Sephora, but I did want to take advantage of my $15 off of $75 coupon. Honestly, I'm looking forward to when Ulta comes to Canada and offers up some friendly competition. If you are interested in seeing what I picked up on my latest jaunt to Ulta, just keep scrolling!

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InstaMonth for December 2019

Yes, I still have a bit of posts to do with the "2019" date. I want to get up my Christmas gifts and my top products of the year posts. They are coming! I've been suffering my way through a cold and sinus sickness all week. I'm just happy it waited until after the holidays and my trip to South Carolina! I think that is what brought it on with the change of pressure and weather. It has halted me in my tracks though, so I'm a bit behind on the blog posts that I was hoping to have ready. I'm using a rare burst of "sorta" energy to get this post up. Then, I'll probably be back to being a blanket burrito on the couch.

December was a bit short on Instagram for me, because I enjoyed taking a week off while I was home for the holidays. That was absolutely worth it! I enjoyed our trip so much and I will probably go more in depth in my Christmas post. I might break it into two posts! Here's a few pictures from my Insta this past month. And if you've been sick too, I hope you're feeling better or that you are on the mend. The illnesses going around right now are brutal!

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Blog of the Month: January 2020

In December, Elisabeth from At Home with Elisabeth was my featured blogger. You can read that post and see other past featured blogs under the "blog of the month" label! Being my blog of the month gets you a designated blog post, a sidebar button, and a mention on my Twitter account. The sidebar button stays up all month long. I don't believe in necessarily making bloggers pay for advertising and I'd much rather show you blogs that I really enjoy reading. And I hope you end up enjoying them too!

This month, I'm featuring Chelsea from ChelseaMakeup14. I last featured her in 2014 and she's still blogging! I love when that happens. You'll find a mixture of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle in her posts with a good dose of animal cuteness thrown in. She's also active on Instagram, YouTube, and other social media sites. Chelsea is a doll and a joy to get to know!

Happy Holidays!

I just want to wish you all a wonderful holiday season! I hope that your hectic schedules have allowed you enough time to sit back and enjoy those around you. As this scheduled last post of 2019 goes up, I'm home for the first time in years on Christmas morning. I planned on making a more conscious effort to focus on social media a bit less during our trip and I'm hopefully doing just that. I just want to enjoy this time. If my phone is in my hand, I want it to be more for taking pictures!

I can't wait to read all of the blog posts about Christmas, Hanukkah, and whatever holiday or traditions your family celebrates from everyone well into the new year. I'll get up my own posts about it all in early January when I'll return to posting. Thank you so much for reading my blog this year!

See you in 2020!