Goodbye Christmas

Christmas is officially over. Most people are back to work and daily life craziness..I don't know about everyone else but I was ready to start 2013 and get organized for the new year. Anyone else feel that way?

Saturday morning I took everything down with some help from my husband. He took lots of "breaks" and I would find him on the computer, so I tried not to nag. :) Luckily it only took about 2 or 3 hours and the house was clean.

Bad news is we discovered our vacuum is not doing so well. Seems like we buy a new vacuum every year and I wish we would splurge on my dream vacuum. Who knows.

In other bad news our house is super bare. But clean.

Told you it was bare. Like my $4 banner? It's from Target. I snuck that bad boy in the cart when my husband was ooohing and ahhhing over some candy. 

Now almost every fiber of me wants to run out and get stuff from Pier 1 or Etsy (Like I did for fall) to fill the gigantic-ly large space where our peace lily is and our mantel, but I'm not. I'm holding back, and I'm okay with it. 

I need to constantly remind myself, but I'm content with what I have. I don't need anything and if I find something I absolutely love, I'll think about getting it. But for now? It's not necessary. I'm definitely not going to buy something just to buy it. 

And while taking the Christmas stuff off our mantel I noticed that the plant I had up there (picture of the plant at the bottom of this post) must have leaked, things have scratched the mantel, etc. We already were told we'd have to pay for a ding in our door..fabulous. Hopefully they will just let us paint over it. 

Maybe this means I should buy more crap for our mantel?

I couldn't part with the cards just yet. . it's on my weekly goals to take them down. We'll see about that. :)

Love those coffee cups. 

Umm, so I'm a little embarrassed about the dining room table. I'm not one of those people who can dress up a dining room table very well, as you can see. I would like to get some candy hearts and fill the jar, but that's the extent of this area. 

Oh! We did put the pink candles from our wedding shower gift in the candlesticks for our 1st married Valentine's Day. Kind of excited! 

But even bigger news? All the Christmas decorations fit perfectly in our office closet. 

How, you ask?

Timberrrrrr

Ahem. Not even sure who's idea this was, but we moved a few things around and I'm very pleased with it!

My husband has turned the closet into his locker room..awesome.

My favorite spot. 

So it's by no means perfect but it is 100% better than what it was (in my opinion). 

Just thankful it's done! 

Christmas 2012 Recap

Merry Christmas! I'm still allowed to say that until the New Year, right?

Guess I should start from the very beginning..

About 2 weeks ago when my dad was here (more on his visit here), he helped me ship all our gifts out. Thankfully, we only had to ship gifts to 4 different locations-- my grandparents, my husband's parents, a friend in Philly, and my aunt. 

I thought I had it all under control and could do it by myself, but clearly I was wrong. There were so many post it notes and gift tags were being ripped off and I only had my wallet (not a purse) so I had to carry that under my arm. 

..Not a pleasant experience. Thankfully, Papi was there to be my wing man and he helped so much. 

Oh and for the record? Next year I will not be shipping gifts to me so I can hand wrap them. I'll just order them online and have them shipped. It's not ideal (I love wrapping), but it is what it is. 

Okay, rant over. 

A few days before Christmas we went to our grocery store and guess who was there? Carolers! It was so sweet and beautiful. It made my night. Yes, I was the only crazy lady sitting there soaking it all in and taking pictures. 

Love using our fake fire and having the house lit up. See Cindy perched up there?

Oh PS-- My husband thinks Cindy should get a brother elf! They make boys ones and he wants to name him Rob. Yeah, he won't be named Rob. Maybe Clark. 

My friend Elizabeth got me the DC ornament. I love it! You can't see the tiny straw but it's cute.

Would it really be Christmas if we didn't get out the hammer & nails? Story of my life. My poor husband had to hang this up with me shouting behind him "LOWER!", "LEFT!". He's a keeper!

It says Boese. Can you tell? My very talented aunt made it for me! I'm so in love with it! She also made us this one (below) from 1 Corinthians. 

More on the "B" here

Rain boots

And I got my boots! I'm so in love with them. They came just in time because we had rain/sleet/slush/snow/somethingorother yesterday and I wore them when I walked the dogs. Perfect! Definitely recommend them-- they're so comfortable! 

PS-- I think it's the shirt but I look as wide as a whale. I gained 4 pounds over Christmas and I can see where it went..

We had a view of the airport..awesome.

For Christmas dinner we went out to a steak place. It was fun to get dressed up and have someone serve us. (Especially after my sister being here + cooking for neighbors + cooking Thanksgiving). Judge me. It was fun. Plus, we walked there & back so we got lots of exercise! 

But we did stop at Coldstone on our way home which was so much fun (and super cold)! 

Now? We are back to work and in the swing of things with a crazy bizarre schedule. Be sure to stop by tomorrow for Five Question Friday. You can check out last week's here. xO

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Sending you love and big hugs from our family to yours! I hope your Christmas is just magical and you remember what really counts-- love, friends, family, and my favorite..giving!

We are so excited to spend the day together celebrating Jesus' birth! We plan on having our neighbor over for pancakes for breakfast, opening presents, a nice long walk, and church and dinner in the evening.

Can't wait to recap and of course share 10 million photos! xO

Five Question Friday-- December 21st

Merry Christmas! (Well, almost). I hope everyone is finished shopping so you can just sit back and enjoy the holiday come Tuesday. Thankfully, I am completely done shopping so anything I get between now and then will be stuff for next year. I just have to walk over to Fedex (It's just a block away!) and mail 2 packages that don't have to get to their destination at any particular time.

This weekend we will be checking out the Newseum with our neighbors so my husband is pretty pumped. Besides that I'll probably just be getting organized for Monday/Tuesday.

1. How did you meet your husband? How long did you date? Tell your story, please. 

This is BY FAR the most common question I get asked. I debated on answering it but I figured many years from now I may forget and want to look back on this. I doubt it, but enjoy:

There isn't really a story..Ha! We met when I was in 7th grade. He says he didn't like me when we first met but I think I did. We had some mutual friends so we would hang out or do whatever 7th graders did. We were friends until I went into 11th grade, but I dated other people because (again) he wasn't interested.

Anyway, we met up at Homecoming (when I was in 11th grade) and that's where it all started. It definitely wasn't love at first sight because we were friends. It was very odd for me at first. Hello, this boy you like is your friend. That is going to suck when you dump him.

He knew from the very beginning that I didn't want to get married. I didn't want to get married OR have babies. I'm not sure what changed but I guess I wound up married to this pretty awesome guy.

2. How are you celebrating Christmas? What do you usually do?

This is our first married Christmas and we're so excited! My husband has to work Christmas Eve so I'll just spend the day cleaning and cooking. You know, wife stuff. We are having some people over for dinner on Monday, then after they leave we are going to drive around and look for Christmas lights. Tuesday we'll go to church, open our presents, have cinnamon rolls for breakfast, talk to our parents/my NY family, then we're going to a steak house that night.

There is never a typical Christmas but we are very glad to not have to drive to 234123534 different places this year. In the past we've had to do that and it's not an easy thing to do. We are so excited to just be together and have a quiet day.

3. What is your weakness?

Oh I have too many weaknesses. Sugar cookies, people pleasing, not listening to my voicemail, any show that has the word "housewives" in it, Jake Gyllenhaal, homeless animals, my animals, and PDA (as in, I hate any and all PDA).

4. Do you have any New Years Resolutions for 2013?

I'm working on a post for this but I usually do "goals" not resolutions. I read a book every month in 2012 and while that was my goal, I'd like to try for a bit more in 2013. (Or maybe books that are a bit more thought provoking?)

Another big goal for us is taking more time for each other in 2013. For the past month or so we'll go to bed and realize we never really asked how the other one is doing! We need to start pausing life for a moment and checking in every once in a while.

And definitely cutting down on the technology during dinner, in our room, etc. We'll see how that one goes. :)

5. How do you stay so lean? Secrets? Do you eat? 

LOL! No, no secrets and yes, I love food. :-) I try to eat as healthy as possible but it's not always easy. I drag myself to run outside so I'll do about 20 miles a week. If I can't run I'll try to walk to the grocery store instead of drive, walk to the post office, dog park, etc. I'm constantly moving and rarely sit still.

BUT, I do indulge in foods that are special to me. The holidays are here and I will not deprive myself. We are going out to dinner on Christmas and I will get steak and dessert. That does mean, though, that on the 26th my fat butt will be outside walking to Target to get those 75% off sales. :)

xO

These are a Few of My Favorite Things-- December Edition

Back in July I posted some of my favorite things (you can see that post here) that we (I) use on a (mostly) daily basis. It was a huge hit!

I figured I should add to my list because my items have changed as the year goes on. Plus, it's cold now so that changes things up a bit!

Elizabeth's Favorite Things (You know, like Oprah)

:: Camelbak water bottle. Seriously, amaze-balls. My husband insisted on splurging on the bottle with the filter, but it was not necessary (In the area we live in, we can drink from the tap. Judge me). We got ours from Target and I wish we got two.

Click here for more of our Christmas decorations.

:: Sweater tree & NOEL letters from Target. Guess I shouldn't say "letters", because they are all connected. The sweater tree is sold out at Target, sorry. :(

:: Hot Thing! This little guy was sent to me by a dear friend and I LOVE it. I microwave it for a few minutes and throw it on the top of my head while I work. Someone once said if your head is warm, the rest of your body is warm. They may or may not have been lying but it works.

Hmmm, guess I should lint roll this thing! 

Guess I'm not the only one who loves it!

::  Fuzzy slippers & good rain boots. The slippers are from Macy's and I love them. I just wear them around the house-- never outside. Don't want to ruin our awesome carpet..ahem. The rain boots were a gift from the best aunt ever so I don't know where she got them. I believe DSW. They are perfect on those cold, wet mornings when I have to take the dogs out at the *&% crack of dawn. Sorry, but 4:30 AM is the *&% crack of dawn. 

Be sure to comment below with some items you can't live without this time of year! xO

Griswold Family Christmas

Like that? It was a free printable from a blogger. You can get it here. 

Lenox Frame

Okay, guess I mean-- Boese Family Christmas.

Christmas is kind of a big deal around here. Probably because my mom was obsessed with Christmas. Or because the first 3 years I was with my husband, we never spent Christmas together. We are still finding little traditions/ways to make Christmas "our" Christmas.

He lets me do my thing when it comes to the tree. To be honest he just likes to enjoy the tree/decorations, not set them up (or take them down). Guess I don't blame him.

Apologies! I have no idea what I'm doing for night photos. 

Yup, we have a fake tree. Judge me. It's actually quite beautiful-- not sure why it looks so scrawny in the photo above. It's a 7.5 Virginia Pine and it's on year 3. Definitely recommend Home Depot for your fake tree purchases. :)

And of course Cindy had to make a special appearance sitting on the "E" of Noel on our mantel. We have been hiding her everyday and it's so much fun! My husband found her in the freezer a few days ago and now it's my turn to find her. 

Much better. So love that the dog toys are making an appearance in this photo. Awesome. 

That angel! Boy, she is stubborn. My dad was here visiting and he helped decorate our house. He left the room for thirty seconds and while he was gone she tumbled down the tree. Such a pain. She's not exactly centered but I decided to pick my battles and not deal with the angel issue. 

My MIL got me into these candles. A-maze. Seriously. They are the only brand that actually spreads the scent all throughout your house. 

Although, if you're an addict like me (Ahem) you have 2 + a plugin in your tiny 2 bedroom apartment. He he. You have to get the Slatkin & Co brand, though, in Fresh Balsam. You will not be disappointed. Promise. You can read more about the candles here. 

Clearly my favorite ornament, duh.

One thing about ornaments-- I am a little weird about them. If I am gifted an ornament, I'll glady put it on my tree, but I cannot just go out and buy ornaments. They have to have a story or mean something to me. 

Please tell me I'm not the only one who's like this? 

I love to say "Oohh, I got that from _____ in (insert cool city here)". 

If we're out of town, I always try to buy an ornament (On our honeymoon, New York, etc). But I can't just go into Target and buy those. Sometimes they are super cute and I'll tell my husband/dad/friend that I loved the black fuzzy poodle ornament that was only $4 HINT HINT, Mr. Boese. ;)

These pictures were taken after I figured out what I was doing. Score!

My dad went to London and brought back the shoe ornament from Harrods. So cute! 

My mom bought my husband the purple Vikings ornament (he likes the Vikings) on her last Christmas she was with us. My husband is not into ornaments (or really anything sentimental) but he packages this one at the end of the season to make sure it's safe. He loves it. I'm glad. 

My mom loved cardinals so they hold a special place in my heart. I pretty much scream with excitement any time I see one. Anywhere. There are at least 10 cardinals on our tree. I think one year we'll have a tree dedicated to all our cardinals. She loved the male cardinals (red) but the females are cute, too! 

And my MIL gets me the White House ornament every year (top left). I'm not sure how she got into them, but because we're in DC I treasure them even more. I believe I have from 2008/2009-2012 and I adore looking at them through the years. Why yes, it does take me 84 years to decorate my tree.

Okay, I believe I have shown you 34534524 too many pictures. Cannot wait to share the latest updates,  Christmas plans, etc with y'all! xO

PS-- Convinced my dad I needed a rosemary tree. Doesn't everyone?

Cindy the Elf

After 33 seconds of thought in Target on Black Friday, we have a new family member! 

Isn't she sa-weet? Seriously, I could eat her up. I knew right away I wanted our elf to be a girl, so my husband decided on the name. Cindy as in Cindy Lou Who. :)

Once we brought her home, there was an instant love connection between Oreo-Jack and Cindy.

Yup, he quickly got to second base within minutes. That's the $5 skirt I insisted she needed. What little girl named Cindy doesn't deserve an adorable polka dot skirt? 

They went to bed together on her first night here..

My husband really frowned upon Oreo playing with her, but she's stayed perfectly safe thus far. Promise. :)

The story is super sweet. I definitely recommend an elf for your family! You can read reviews and see more info on Elf on the Shelf here. 

Oh-- I'm sure this question is coming. YES, we plan on "hiding" Cindy throughout our house. My husband hid her for me and I found her in my desk with a note (pictured above). Now it's my turn! Any suggestions?