These are few of my favorite things…
Christmas and New Years are part of the season to savor time with friends, family, and kiddos and reflect on "favorite things," just like the old song. So here are some of my latest loves:
"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..."
Sunny Days
Sometimes, God puts people in your lives at the right time for the proper purpose. And sometimes God does the same with animals. I would like y'all to meet the newest addition to our household, Sunny.
She walked up to our porch one afternoon as we were finally finishing decorating for Christmas. Nothing like coming in at the 11th hour, but we did it. Sunny was a bit skittish but gravitated toward any human she could lay eyes on. She reminds me of a black-and-white version of Chance from Homeward Bound for any of my 90's people. It didn't take long before she was curled up and napping in the kids' laps. We double-checked she wasn't chipped, filled out the found report on the Wayne County Government website, and posted her for our Fremont friends to see. No one claimed her, so we lovingly adopted her. The kids love her, and Jolene is nicely stepping into the big sister role.
“Sunny, yesterday was my life was filled with rain…”
Latest loves: Sunny and Jolene modeling Barbie brand attire from PetSmart.
"Brown paper packages tied up with strings..."
Gifts (and other items) that keep giving.
I'm currently obsessed with my new read, "Klara and the Sun." In this AI-generated world, this novel by Kazuo Ishiguro is full of grace for humanity. This delicate masterpiece explores emotions and connections in what feels like a world wide web that overtook the earth. Machines that understand. Robots that layer what it means to be human in a technologically advanced society. This book will hold the attention of any avid reader.
My friend Calandra Edmond wrote a collection of poems, “Words from the Heart,” that string together not just words but also feelings. Calandra has a natural talent for weaving emotions into words. The first poem, "A Dancer's Heart," makes me want to lace up my tap shoes and dance the day away. The complexities in the poems cover joy, pain, love, and self-discovery and align with the Holy Spirit. You can feel her faith growing stronger in a lot of her writing. That's beautiful. Her faith grows by writing, and our faith grows by reading her picturesque words. I love the inspiration she's put out there and encourage you all to take a look.
Latest Loves: Books curled up in my new matching pjs!
"Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels..."
Soups, and Manicottis, and Sticky Buns, OH MY
Starting around October, I dream of menus and dishes for my family to experience and indulge in. I've posted a lot on my social feed for your eyes to feast on, but here are a few I snuck in before 2023 ended: Cream of (All kinds of) Mushroom Soup, Spinach Man'not'y Lasagna, and Sticky Buns Casserole.
The creaminess and richness of this soup are impressive. Waaay past can status. I thought, "Why am I going to make something I can simply purchase?" I did this with some other recipes like the Everything Bagels. I couldn't bring myself to spend 3+ hours, not knowing if they would turn out even decent. But I loooove mushrooms. I consider them a food group all on their own. This recipe was a perfect soup to pair with a hearty turkey sandwich.
I love entertaining my sweet friend, Morgan, every Christmas. Cooking is and always will be a love language of mine, so I love preparing dishes for my people. But here's what happened: Unfortunately, my local grocery store didn't have manicotti shells in stock. No worries, jumbo stuffed shells instead. Search, searching, still looking... nope didn't have those either. My brain starts hurting. I don't like it when things don't go according to plan. So I purchased lasagna noodles, and I planned to fill them, roll the lasagna noodles seam side down, and go from there. But manipulating slimey noodles in a time crunch is way more complicated than it looks. So I said forget it and made lasagna, hoping for the best! It came out great! Peppery and rich with ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. It was a winner for sure, but because it wasn't manicotti, we called it Spinach Mani"not"ti Lasagna.
Then, I spent several hours making Sticky Bun Casserole from scratch. I went back for seconds of this sweet, cinnamony, doughy treat. We have picky eaters at our house. One didn't like the pecans and wasn't a vanilla fan. But for anyone who appreciates a solid cinnamon roll, this is a must for them.
Latest Loves: Warm soups for the winter, improvising meals, and homemade bakes.
"Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes..."
Merry Makeup Moments
Everyone has a splurge. It could be luxurious vacations. It could be extensive meals and restaurants for foodies. It could be name-brand clothing, designer purses, or whatever floats your boat of happiness. For me, it's beauty products and cosmetics! I blame dance for my makeup obsession. Or maybe its because I grew up in the age of popular magazines like Seventeen, TeenVogue, and YM. Anywhooo, here are some of my current crushes:
Fresh Rose Facial Toner
I was searching for a new toner because I was fresh out. I am okay going with an old faithful when the time comes, but I'm always down to try something new, and with the opening of Ulta in Goldsboro, of course, it's the first place I went! I grabbed the bottle because 1, the brand is excellent, and 2, it was so pretty!
SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Probio-Cica Enrich Cream
This cream has quickly become a staple in my current routine. This luxury cream has an earthy scent and melts into my skin. The plastic applicator it comes with helps me feel like my skincare routine is a spa treatment, even on bad days. The star ingredient is Madagascar Centella Asiatica. It has healing, soothing, and calming properties that help even my skin is having a sensitive moment. I use it day and night. Don't let the stringy feel of it fool you. This cream is an excellent protectant for your skin all day.
Chanel Les 4 Ombres Tweed in Pourpre
When you think of Chanel, you think of sophistication and quality. And this quad palette doesn't disappoint—some of my favorite colors are mauve, burgundy, and smoky purple. I've worn this almost daily, and the pigment stays put. I love using one color for a subtle day look or doing my favorite dramatic dark eye. A makeup junkie's dream truly.
Chanel Rouge Coco Flash Hydrating Vibrant Lip Colour in Immediant
This color is one of those shades that makes a difference without being overpowering. And this formula... I don't know what's in it, but it feels like a hydrating lip balm but acts like a lipstick. It totally adds to a polished look.
Lisa Eldridge Velvet Lipstick in Myth
Velvet feel with a full-bodied color. It is a definite need if you are into matte lipsticks. It's dark enough for a vampy look while also looking natural. It almost runs close to a ruby, gem-colored lip stain.
Latest Loves: Stocking full of beauty products
A couple things that I found out I'm not too fond of:
Mouth Off Cereal:
Ok, if you know me, you know I am all about a plant-based product. A once-upon-a-time vegan, I still always gravitate towards my veggies and healthier options for my diet. I was sent these cereals to try in fruity and chocolate. And I didn't like neither of them. The taste wasn't bad but Lord, have mercy, the texture was like eating styrofoam. I convinced Chris to try it also. He usually doesn't complain about a lot (except when I put a load of onions in a dish) and even he couldn't finish a bowl.
Alicia Keys Soulcare Truly Becoming Multi-Benefit Peptide Serum:
It isn't all bad. The positive is that it is light-weight and there's no greasy residue. I didn't see an overall difference in anti-aging or skin texture. I felt a slight boost in hydration but this serum was just not a stand out for me personally.
I hardly ever buy beauty products at full price so here’s some helpful hints:
Use the coupons and rewards at Ulta and Sephora
Take advantage of samples
I get free products through programs like Influenster and PinchMe as long as I post real, honest, genuine reviews for y’all to read
Check out sites like Poshmark, Mercari, and Ebay
Also subscriptions like Ipsy are great. You can try full-sized beauty products sometimes for the price you’d pay for one premier product.
I’d love to know some of your favorite things or gifts you cherish and indulge in during the Holidays. Comment below to shout out any products you just have to let people know about!
K Bye
Megan
doing life… the best I know how…