My 2021 Christmas List

It's that time of year again? Already?! I've contemplated doing gift guides this year after taking last year off from them. I think I'll refrain from doing them again, but I've already seen so many wonderful ones on other blogs. Gift guide posts do really well with traffic, but it just doesn't feel right this year. If it is something you want, I could gather a master list of ideas instead of themed posts/guides or link you to some of my favorite guides I've seen.

I thought I would keep up with the tradition of sharing a few things on my Christmas list and maybe that will also serve as some ideas for you. That's what I love about posts like these! I always find at least one thing that makes me go, "Wow! How did I not know about that?" or something in that nature. 😄 I find the older I get, the harder it is to come up with a Christmas list. I feel like they were novels written in seconds in my childhood. Now, of course I have a running wishlist of sorts, but it always feels different when putting it into gift terms. If that makes any sense...

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What I Got for Christmas 2020

This is the latest I've probably ever put this post up and I'm not sure if there is any interest in it this time, but I always enjoy seeing them. Just bringing it to you in a fashionably late way, let's go with that! I still have a few "What I Got for Christmas" videos on my YouTube playlist to get to. I'll watch videos or read any post I come across like this. I love seeing what people get for holidays, birthdays, etc. I feel like it's the curious side of me- the same side that loves seeing what is in your refrigerator, car, purse..I love finding out about new things that were not on my radar, as well.

I understand that these posts aren't for everyone. It's absolutely okay if you don't want to read this post! In this post, I'm going to share highlights and some gifts from this past Christmas. It's insane that it is already February, honestly. As I type this post, it just doesn't seem like Christmas was already over a month ago. I'd love to know some gifts that you got over the holidays, whether from others or gifting yourself!

Our 2020 ornament. We get a new ornament every year. My fave tradition!

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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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What I Got For Christmas 2018

I love these posts. Probably because I am such a curious person. Show me what's in your handbag, your fridge, what's on your wishlist, what you got for your birthday...I love it all. Not only does it tell me more about you, but it almost always gives me future ideas or shows me something I didn't even know existed. I've gotten a handful of things, read books, or listened to music that I now love in recent years because you originally shared and talked about them. And I get a lot of messages showing me things that you think I will love based on what I have shared in the past. I love that!

With that said, if these types of posts are not your thing, I totally get it. I won't take it personally if you exit out of this post, but I hope you'll stick around for other topics I post about. :) So here are a few things I got for Christmas. I'm dubbing it the "Christmas of Beverages" and you'll find out why below!

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DAVIDsTEA Valentine's Day 2018 Collection

DAVIDsTEA put out such a pretty collection for Valentine's Day this year! A collection full of pinks, florals, and rose gold will always win me over. If they had put marble in there, I might have fallen over from swooning so much. My husband knows these things and y'all...the man got me some winners from the collection for Valentine's Day. And don't worry, they still have some of it available online and you might can get lucky in stores before they run out of stock.

The Rose Gold Perfect Tumbler really is perfect. They often offer different colors and designs, but I love the rose gold. It fits into cup holders easily and keeps drinks hot or cold for around 9 hours. And the clear top slides open to perfectly fit a straw for your cold drinks. Now I can use my S'well bottle that I love so much for my water and carry this for my other drinks. I'm a bit of a hydration-holic.

The Peony Pink So Rosy Tea Tin is so cute. I'm torn between using it for my tea storage or using it on my vanity. Definitely the prettiest tea tin I have seen yet! As far as the teas go, he got me a pouch of the Sweet Tart tea that is limited edition. Apparently, it's a big hit and has been flying off the shelves. They seem to only have it in the travel pouch online now. And to celebrate Chinese New Year, they gave him a pouch of Goji Green.

Also in the collection, is the Rose Gold Perfect Spoon. My husband got me the gold one when it first came out one Christmas, so I guess he's keeping with a theme. He grabbed me four other spoons just because- lilac, cornflower, silver, and dewdrop. There's a lot of colors available and limited ones that come out here and there, so I think he might be on a "buy all the spoons!!" mission now. Oh boy! I guess now I need to find the best way to display these, as it feels wrong to shove them in a kitchen drawer. They are great spoons though, perfect for scooping out tea and coffee!

DAVIDsTEA brought out a heck of a Valentines Collection this year. I can't even pick favorites from it. There are more items online and again they are still available right now! And if you go to DAVIDsTEA, please tell me your favorite tea(s) that you get. When I go, I find I often focus on the LE and holiday teas and not so much their everyday options!

What I Got for Christmas 2017

Here it is in pure delayed fashion, my "What I Got For Christmas" post! We had to postpone one of our Christmas dinners in December due to snow and just got around to having it last weekend. So it was a mixture of that and dealing with a death in the family that this post was so delayed. But now I'm back to the grind! If you hate these types of posts, please just skip it. I have loads of other posts to read, if you'd like. Just scroll through the archives! I post this not to brag, but a lot of these items are still available and might give you some future gift ideas for others or for yourself.

If you're like me and you're a nosy type of person, keep on reading. I mean, show me your gifts, what's in your bag or refrigerator, the inside of your planners, closets...Nosy and curious until I die! Where's all my nosy people at?! :)

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Sephora's 2017 Birthday Gift: Tarte

This year, Sephora offers three different birthday sets for its Beauty Insiders program. They have the Tarte set that I am showing in this post, a Caudalie set, and a Jack Black set (online only). I almost chose the Caudalie set, but I already have a tube of Vinosource.

I'm aware that it is August, but I'm sure there are quite a few of you out there who still have an upcoming birthday to celebrate! I would have had this earlier to review, but my local Sephora did not want to give me the set. I contacted Sephora's customer service and they put it in the mail for me right away. Not too happy with my local Sephora for that, but Sephora's main customer service was great. So I'll take that as a win!

 Come see what I think of this little Tarte set!

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My Birthday

I wanted to get this post up yesterday, but it has been a rough month. There's been three family deaths, two on my side and one on my husband's side. Yesterday, his 102 year old great aunt passed away so I stepped away from everything for the most part and spent time with him.

My birthday was last Wednesday and I want to thank everyone who wished me a happy birthday. I thought I'd type up a quick post just to show a few things I got and tell you how I spent the day. It was nothing extravagant, which was perfect for me! The day marked ten years since my grandmother's funeral (Yes, my dad planned her funeral to be on my birthday. And no, I've never been okay with it. Long story.) and I just wanted to do something to lift my spirits. She had the largest hand in raising me and it's a time where I really spend missing her and thanking her at the same time. It's an emotional rollercoaster, if I'm being completely honest.

My main birthday celebration was a nice dinner out at our local Chinese buffet restaurant. I gleefully stuffed my face with sushi, sesame chicken, and noodles. And afterward, we headed to my MIL's where my husband had a cake waiting. No complaints about any of it! I got some really thoughtful gifts and I thought I would share a few of them below. My friend Daniel thought of me while down south in Nashville and brought me back a country ham and Dolly Parton CD from the Cracker Barrel, so I even felt like I got a dose of home!

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What I Got For Christmas 2016

I'm not going to show everything. A lot of it will pop up in my Instagram feed over time, I'm certain. And I got a lot of the typical stocking stuffers of candy and little knickknacks that I am happy about, but I don't want to photograph or share every little thing. So instead, I'm sharing a few of the items that were deemed as my "special" gifts. That's what my husband and I call the gifts that are under our tree and the family tree at my MIL's.

Insert typical disclaimer here about the not bragging or rubbing things in anyone's face. I happen to enjoy these types of posts immensely and I often get ideas (and new additions to my wishlist) from seeing what others get for various occasions. If you don't like this type of post, I understand if you choose to skip it and read my other material. But do know it's not about the material things at all. As I noted in a previous post, my best Christmas gift came in way of a long lost wedding card from my grandmother. So many emotions! Feelings of love, happiness, faith, and peace. That's my Christmas.

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From My Valentine

So here are the things that my Valentine got for me, the best being this heart-shaped purse. My husband is pretty good at picking out gifts. He is also the type that listens when we are out and remembers what I point to and like...even when I forget. There's been many times I've opened something and went "I completely forgot that I saw this when we..."! I still make a list of things I'd like, but often he just wings it. And nails it.

This purse is amazing. He got it from Chapters Indigo. This is the salmon color, but it also comes in black and light pink. I love the gold hardware and double zip, both zip smoothly. The inside has a floral lining and the straps can be lengthened or shortened. It looks small, but it holds all of my current purse essentials that I have been carrying lately with a little room for more. I completely recommend it, especially if you've had your eye on the Kate Spade version.

With the purse, he also put together a few other goodies. I dig the pretty coral theme. Is that Starbucks card not the prettiest?! I am so happy to finally have Go Set a Watchman, as To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my absolute favorite books (and film). And a half pound Reese's peanut butter cup? I'll just have to put in some extra time at physio. #worthit

I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day weekend! Sorry to post this a little late, but Monday was a holiday here and we pushed it into Tuesday to have a nice long holiday weekend. Now, it's back to the regular routine!

Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Palette

I did a gift swap with a friend back home. The funny story about Kells is that we also swapped locations. She's actually from Ontario and moved to South Carolina and I'm from South Carolina and moved to Ontario. I'm pretty sure that's part of what first connected us on LiveJournal many moons ago and from that, a real-life friendship grew.

Along with some nice makeup samples, European chocolate (from her recent travels that I lived vicariously through!), and an adorable cupcake frame that I am going to put my favorite picture of us in, I got this thing of beauty. The Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette has become my newest love. This isn't my first Too Faced palette, but it is my first of their Chocolate Bar series. I didn't bite the bullet on the other two, because I figured my Urban Decay Naked palettes covered my bases. But this one sticks out from the rest. Here are my thoughts and swatches!

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What I Got For Christmas 2015

Hi, guys! So obviously my post is going up a little later than others, but it took me a bit to get around to taking the pictures and deciding what to include and how to organize the post. I have some Boxing Day hauls going up in the next while, as well. It's just a matter of fitting everything in with my other regular posts and reviews. Lots coming up!

If you hate these types of posts, that's fine. Just skip over it! I'll be back with other posts this week. I personally love seeing what people receive, but to each their own!

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What I Got for Christmas 2014

Here's my opinion- I don't feel like we should have to put a disclaimer on these types of posts. Some people love them, some hate them. Personally, they are one of my favorite posts to read and videos to watch. I often get future gift ideas from them and I think that what people got for Christmas/Hanukkah says a lot about where they are in life, their tastes, their character...I enjoy that! I'm no different with wanting to see what's in your fridge, your purse, your car, etc. #beennosyallmylife #whystopnow

So if you take these kinds of posts in a negative light (and maybe some people are bragging, but not all), then don't read them. I absolutely love that you have stopped by my blog to read and you can find many other topics to read about if this one has no interest to you. I won't be offended! :) Here is some of what I got for Christmas and I am grateful for and love everything. We had a wonderful Christmas in our new place!

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#tbt- My Birthday and Lady Gaga

My birthday was July 12th. I originally wanted to do something big, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I am just not that kind of person. Birthdays are not that major to me and I really don't like being the center of attention in big crowds. I got caught up in the idea that it was a big birthday and that I should go crazy, but that just isn't me. I still had a great time with my husband and family! Here's a little bit of the celebrations!

I got my tickets to Lady Gaga for Christmas and even better, the concert was just days before my birthday. So it kickstarted my birthday weekend! It was my third time seeing her and she never disappoints. Well, not when she hits the stage anyway. The only truly disappointing thing is that she never starts on time and you're stuck waiting ages for her to take the stage. Every. Single. Time. Once she's on, it's full throttle!

I got some great gifts from family and friends. A pet store gift card to spend on Indy, an Old Navy gift card, and Tim Hortons because coffee might as well be my middle name. And my friend Daniel is absolutely amazing! He recently had his meet and greet with The Band Perry and he got me their new CD and autographs. Ahhhh, love it! And Kimberly Perry and I are birthday twins, so there is that awesome tidbit of information. ;) I also got a really nice portable music stand from my MIL. I left mine back home years ago and had to prop my music sheets up to practice. Now I don't have to!

But my best gift was someone that I have already introduced you to, Indy. Friday will mark three weeks that we have had him and he's such a good dog. In this picture, he's on our balcony where he loves to people watch before we go on his walks!

We had a nice family dinner here where we ordered in Greek food and feasted on birthday cake. And that's how I toasted in my 30s! Low key, family oriented, good music, good food, and an amazing new addition to our family. If that is what my new decade is going to be about, then I have no complaints!

Finger Lickin' Lacquer

Jennifer and I go way back. I'm talking about one of my best friends and this is about her new business venture. To say that I am excited for her is a major understatement. I want to see her do well and I think this is going to be a real humdinger of an adventure! Pretty sure that is the first time I have ever used the word "humdinger" on this blog.

This post is just showing the custom polishes that she sent me. I promise to do a post with proper swatches soon. I had a relapse with my nailbiting (it happens!), so I'm waiting for them to grow back. I've stopped the habit for two years now, but there are bound to be relapses here and there. I don't kick myself over it. I just start over with a clean slate. That is key!

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Some of My Favorite Christmas Gifts

This year, the best gift was our vacation in Niagara Falls. There was our wreck, then the huge ice storm hit, and then some horrible person took it upon themselves to steal our credit card info. To say that I was feeling the need for a getaway was an understatement! And a few nights in a hotel and going over the border for a little retail therapy really hit the spot. We came back to the existing problems, but a little rejuvenated in other aspects.

I am a little late in sharing a few of my Christmas gifts with you this year, as I had other posts to put up first. Like I said previously, I hope you don't mind a few belated 2013 themed posts.

 ^ We only put up our small tree on the years that we won't be in town. The big one stays in storage, but we can't just not decorate at all. I mean, that's part of the fun! So this little cutie goes up with a small dose of our favorite ornaments.

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My Blogger Secret Santa

I signed up for a Secret Santa event that a couple of fellow bloggers were hosting. I got paired up with Vanessa from Citron and Guavaberry. Since we both live in the GTA (General Toronto Area), we decided to meet in person and save on the hassles and costs of postage during the crazy holiday season. We met up last week to exchange our gifts quickly, as I had a sporting event to go to that evening.

She's so sweet! Please check her blog out, if you get the chance. I'd love to meet up with her again at some point and have a proper conversation. It's always great to meet other bloggers, easily one of the best things about blogging!

Look at that gorgeous wrapping job she did. My wrapping skills are that of a toddler, I must confess. So my husband wrapped Vanessa's gift for me. Yeah, I took the easy lazy way out.

I can't believe what she picked out for me! She found the Deborah Lippmann Wicked nail polish set I wanted so badly and was completely bummed when I couldn't find it at any of the Sephora locations I went to. Wicked is one of my absolute favorite Broadway shows and Lippmann makes amazing nail polishes. So excited for this that I jumped up for joy when unwrapping it!

The bareMinerals eyeshadow duo is one I would have picked out for myself and I will be reviewing and showing it soon. And the Essence shimmer powder is so pretty. I don't believe I've tried anything by Essence yet, so I cannot wait to try this. I'll post about it, as well. All of these things are almost too pretty to use!

Really happy with everything! And thanks to this year's Secret Santa, I have a lovely new blogger friend...which is the best gift of all, really. ♥

Sephora VIB and F&F Sales: My Haul

Wendy did a bad, bad thing. Yep, I took part in both 20% off sales. To be fair, all of this is counting towards my Christmas gifts. That makes it justifiable, right? Why not get it now and save 20%?! And I'm not one that cares about surprises, so I have no problem with knowing some of my gifts or even picking them out. At least I know I'll get something I will love and use. 

Thanks to Nikki for giving me a code for the F&F sale! I made that order online and joked on Twitter about the box being as big as my stove. It was huge! So keep reading to see what I got in my two orders.

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Birthday Haul Pt. 2: Home and Misc.

This weekend my husband took me shopping to spend my birthday money and whatnot. Can I just say yay for giftcards?! I know some people are against them, but I love them! It was a fun weekend of shopping. He was going to take me to the zoo to see the new pandas, but it was so hot. I told him that I'd like to wait until the weather gets a little cooler at the end of August or early September. :)

I'm breaking this up into two posts. Today will be stuff I got for the home and other miscellaneous gifts. In my next post, I will share my accessories, beauty, and bath gifts. I think that is the easiest way! And if you hate haul posts, just pass these over. I understand if they are not your cup of tea.

^ My hubster came home on Thursday evening with some beautiful flowers for me. They are so beautiful. Sadly with my lack of a green thumb, I'm not sure these will last long. I just look at a flower and it dies. Gardener, I am not!

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Rimmel London Glam'Eyes HD Quad in True Union Jack

A friend in the UK gave this to me on Christmas along with two other little goodies. It came from the UK, but you can find these in your local Rimmel London aisle with their other products. I thought I would provide my swatches and review on this cute little quad.

To see more pictures, please keep reading.

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