Tag Archives: celebrate

Happy Birthday, Sister!!

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Happy Birthday, Sister!!

Hello everyone!! Today is a fantastic, wonderful day because it is my big sister, Kristen’s, birthday! Kristen is my bestie pal and I am still overjoyed at the fact that we got to have so much quality time together in New Orleans this past month. Our mini vacation turned us into teenagers again and it was, honestly, magical. We had slumber parties, sipped on drinks, shared delicious meals, and got to explore a brand new city side by side. Our trip was nonstop laughter and fun and I think it brought us even closer together. It has warmed my heart so much that we have been texting way more often since our return home! Maybe next year we could do another getaway for both of our birthdays but it will be so great to celebrate her here on her big day and every day. ❤

Kristen inspires me to no end and I genuinely don’t understand how she is still standing at the end of each day. She is a proud mom of three precious girls, two cats, and two dogs – I’m exhausted after a few hours at her place and she makes it look so easy. It is anything but and I couldn’t be more proud of her and all she has accomplished. Kristen is one of the strongest people I have ever met and I do not say that lightly. She has endured countless hardships and emerged victorious on the other side to create a beautiful life for herself. She is so steadfast and determined but greets any and all situations with kindness – a further testament to her fortitude.

It is so special to have a big sister as incredible as mine and it’s even better that we’re best friends too. We might not have always acted like it lol but we really are thick as thieves! From childhood to teenage years, I remember wishing that I could be just like her and I’m sure it was easy to get fed up with her constant shadow. Even when we had our tiffs, however, we both knew that I would never be far from under her wings five minutes later. It was so fun to return back to that sisterly bickering but loving every minute of it during our travels and I can’t wait to make more memories together. We have plans for a sister slumber party soon and I can’t wait! ❤

Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

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Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

Hello! Today is a fantastic, wonderful day because it is my dad’s birthday!! As my dad refuses to celebrate birthdays, I gave him his prezzies last week on his unbirthday so he could still enjoy them lol. However, that will never stop me from sending him an extra special birthday shout out on the ol’ blog! My dad is my bestie pal and we have so much fun together. Whether we are doing puzzles, gardening, or playing along to The Price Is Right, there is nothing better than spending time with my dad. He is freaking hilarious and always keeps me in stitches. My dad also keeps himself in stitches as he is prone to laugh attacks which make the matters at hand even funnier. Not to mention how charming and handsome he is to boot! ❤

One of the things that I love about my dad is his spirit of adventure. He is constantly planning experiences for my family like vacations and nights at the theater and is always up for trying something new. For the past year, my dad has been taking guitar lessons from Johnny and he practices every day. I so enjoy being a fly on the wall during their lessons and hearing my dad practice because it’s just cool. Learning the guitar is no easy feat but he is dedicated to it and Johnny and I are both amazed at how much he has improved. No matter what, you should never stop learning and my dad really is a testament to that. It inspires me deeply!

Spending time with my dad is a lesson in good things taking time. It could be nurturing his beautiful garden, working on a difficult puzzle, or hearing him piece together a song. These are all reminders to just keep working at it and plugging away because something great is right around the corner. As a child and, honestly, sometimes as an adult, my MO has been to quit out of frustration. My dad has always been the one to encourage me to give it another try. One more lesson, one more practice, one more go and it worked every time. It worked because my dad was in my corner and that was the most important thing. Everything is better when he’s by my side because he is the best and I will forever be a daddy’s girl. ❤

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

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Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

Hello!!! Today is a fantastic, wonderful day because we have a birthday girl in the house – my fantastic, wonderful mom!! My sweet mom is my little cutiepie lol she is a tiny ball of energy and spending time with her is one of my favorite things in the world. Whether we are shopping, walking our beloved Archie dog, or just sitting at the kitchen table chatting it is literally food for the soul. There’s a saying that as you age you turn more and more into your parents and I am a-okay with that. It is a gift to be anything like my mom!! ❤

My mom is my best friend and when we’re apart, we are sure to be texting or talking on the phone. Every Monday after work I give her a call on my way home and I look forward to that chat every week! I am lucky enough to see my parents several days of the week and live right down the street from them. Honestly, it’s not close enough lol. Whenever we are together, it promises to be a good time and we are always laughing about something. It could be my dad jogging through the house or my mom losing her glasses for the five hundredth time but the laugh attacks are always on the verge of striking!

All joking aside (Which is more often than not!), being around my mom is a masterclass in kindness. Ever since I was little, I can always remember her greeting every person we encountered with a smile and her deep passion for animal rescue. From childhood on, I wanted to be just like my mom and I still do. Her compassionate manner hasn’t faltered once in her life and if that isn’t an amazing role model then I truly don’t know what is. My mom is always who I want to talk to first whether I have good news or bad. She celebrates the good with the utmost pride and helps handle the bad even if we don’t say anything at all. Just being around her is enough because she radiates love and that is the best medicine of all. ❤

To my mom and A1 bestie – I love you more than words can say!

Best Weekend Ever!

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Best Weekend Ever!

Hello!! After a rough few weeks, Johnny and I had the best Valentine’s Day weekend ever and it was so very needed. This year we went a more interactive approach for our presents – I helped Johnny pay for the PS5 his friend sold him and he got us tickets to a Cupid’s Revenge haunted house. As a bonus prezzie for us, he also purchased a new game called Reanimal and it is freaking AWESOME. We are avid fans of the Little Nightmares series but were both thoroughly disappointed with the third installment. Reanimal is exactly what the third one should have been and we spent all Friday night playing it! We also just had to play it a bit more before heading out on our big date on Saturday. We had an amazing dinner at Boss ChickNBeer and a wacky time at the haunted house. Check it out:

Earlier last week, Johnny texted me on his break at work with the most beautiful sentiment. He asked if I wanted to get dinner at Boss ChickNBeer before the haunted house and my answer was a resounding YES! Boss ChickNBeer is a fantastic women owned business in the greater Akron/Cleveland area. They have a few other restaurants and we are lucky enough to have one ten minutes away from us. This restaurant offers a normal menu as well as a fully vegan version of it meaning that both Johnny and I can eat like kings. We were starving by the time we got to Boss Chick as we wanted to save our appetite and our eyes were, admittedly, a bit bigger than our stomachs. We did have leftovers for days, though!

Johnny ordered the chicken tenders and fries while I opted for a side of their queso mac, cauliflower wings, and an order of onion rings to share. The food is made right in front of you at Boss Chick and those onion rings looked way too good to pass up! As always, our meals were absolutely incredible and their cauliflower wings are easily the best I have ever had. They use full on florets, the most delicious breading that is so good that you don’t even need sauce, but obvi you’re going to get their homemade sauces too! They are so very filling that I barely made a dent in mine but I got to enjoy our meal again and again with everything we took home. 😀

After dinner, we made a quick stop back at our apartment to put our takeaway containers in the fridge as it was close to fifty degrees that evening. It was like a bonus Valentine’s Day gift to put on a skimpy little something and not freeze my nads off! Then, off to the Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory we went for their Cupid’s Revenge event. The festivities began with a cocktail hour at six o’clock with the haunt opening at seven. The setup was so unbelievably cute with a light up dance floor, flower wall, photo stations, and the haunt actors lurking around for photo ops. Honestly though, it was kind of a sad affair to start with as it wasn’t a raging crowd and everyone remained glued to their own tables. That was no problem for Johnny and I because we immediately made friends to booze and schmooze with and chattered the cocktail hour away until the gates opened for the haunt.

The Cupid’s Revenge haunted house was great fun and my only regret was that it wasn’t longer as it only used one of the two spaces available for the attraction. However, it was just a hoot to have Halloween vibes on Valentine’s Day that it didn’t even matter. Of course, they couldn’t change the bones of the Haunted Schoolhouse too much but the rooms were decked out in V-Day style with bleeding hearts, red streamers, classic Valentine’s Day decor, and their cast of wonderful actors handing out tricks and treats. One gave me a mushroom which we discovered when we got home and the other gave me a bag of candy! You just never know what you’re going to get!

Once the haunt was over, we were deposited back into the dance floor area and were about to make our way home. Then, we ran into the people we mingled with during cocktail hour and figured it couldn’t hurt to stay for one more drink because the party was jumping at that point. Pop hits were playing, the dance floor was packed, and the guests and character actors alike were all having a blast! While Johnny and I had an awesome time, there was one person we know for certain that had the best time of all. There was this one actor who was literally getting paid to spank people with a paddle for the evening. And the answer is YES, we did partake. And, yes, my fanny was on fire the following day. Hey, you have to go a little crazy on Valentine’s Day lolol!

Our V-Day outing was, hands down, one of my favorite dates we have ever been on. We cannot wait to go back to the Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory for their St. Patrick’s Day haunt and party!

How was your Valentine’s Day weekend? What is your favorite V-Day candy? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Last Minute Valentine’s Day Gifts

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Last Minute Valentine’s Day Gifts

Hi! Love Day is right around the corner! Are you and your significant other ready for it? Johnny and I sure are! For his gift, Johnny requested help paying for a PS5 that his friend sold to him on the way cheap. It was such a great deal and we are having so much fun playing on it! As for my gift, I really didn’t need anything although I had a couple of video games in mind that I would like to try. Then, I saw an ad on Facebook for a Cupid’s Revenge haunted house and decided that I would love that as my gift. It’s a great date that pairs our love of all things horror and haunted attractions with a sentimental twist. I can’t wait to go and tell you all about it! If you are lacking on ideas to spoil your SO with, fear not. Today, we are going to take a look at some last minute gifts that are sure to please. Let’s get to it!

How about gifting a little bit of everything with a Boo Box? Step 1) Find a pretty gift basket or box. Step 2) Fill it with sweet little somethings. It’s as simple as that! You could go the decadent route with boxes of chocolate, hot cocoa mix, and their favorite candies. Perhaps you will go with cozy gifts like new pajamas, a soft blanket, and a pair of slippers. Or, you could go sentimental with framed photos, love notes, and a handmade piece of art of jewelry. No matter what you choose, you cannot lose with a Boo Box and it’s as easy as a trip to TJMaxx!

Now, reservations for your first date night choices might not be doable as we’re getting down to the wire. However, it doesn’t hurt to try or come up with something more unique than a dinner out. A local theater might be doing romance movie screenings. There are sure to be plenty of couples wine and paint nights. You could create your own dinner at a cooking class. Or maybe you will try an activity that’s totally out there like visiting a rage room, going to a glassblowing studio, or taking a road trip to visit different boutiques and cafes that you haven’t been to before. Look for special events at museums, planetariums, restaurants that offer mixology courses, or scentology stores. Even if your date doesn’t fall exactly on Valentine’s Day, you will have a fun plan to look forward to.

Sometimes the best gift of all is letting your SO pick out their gift. Johnny and I very much agree to this! Set a shopping budget, fuel up at Starbucks, and visit your partner’s favorite stores. If your selection is a bit picked over from the holiday, improvise. Hit up vintage and antique boutiques, go thrifting, create your own bouquet at a flower shop, or pop into specialty stores for amazing jewelry or bath and body care. If all else fails – online shop till you drop! That is an especially good option if you can’t find the size or color of what you like the best. It will be like a bonus gift when it arrives in the mail. 😀

Spa related gifts are always going to go over well for those who love to pamper! Treat your SO to a new full set at their favorite nail salon. How about some hair treatments and a blowout at their go to hair salon? You could also book massages and facials at your local spa. Remember that even if this isn’t your thing, your partner will love doing it together. A couples massage, pedicures, masks, and wraps are something you can both enjoy and benefit from. Throw caution to the wind and book for two so you can both be primped and pampered for the big day!

If it’s in your budget, why not score some concert tickets if your SO’s favorite is playing nearby? You could also opt for tickets to a play, musical, or orchestra. If not, no biggie! You could purchase some new vinyl records, merch from their favorite musical, or bring the music right to your living room. While their favorite tunes are playing you can cook a delicious meal, make cocktails or chocolate together, or play a new board or video game. Music is definitely one of mine and Johnny’s love languages and there is nothing sweeter than putting on your partner’s favorite song and watching their face light up!

No matter the gift, Valentine’s Day is special because you’re both together. These ideas will only add to the ambiance!

How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day? What was the best date you have ever been on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

V-Day Date Ideas

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V-Day Date Ideas

Howdy! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Are you and your SO ready for it? As per mine and Johnny’s tradition of never giving each other gifts on the day of, we have already gotten that part out of the way. In my defense, this actually wasn’t my idea or consistent pestering this time! Johnny’s friend sold him a PS5 on the cheap and he requested some help on that front for his gift. For my prezzie, I think we are going to go to a Valentine’s Day haunted house and I am really looking forward to that! Of course, we also will be including the first option on this list of V-Day Date Ideas as it is our all time favorite. Let’s discuss:

Middle Class Fancy dates are mine and Johnny’s bread and butter and it goes a little something like this: Step 1) Pick out your favorite chain restaurant. An Applebees, Chili’s, Red Lobster, or Olive Garden is top tier. Step 2) Put on your Sunday best. Step 3) Eat and drink like kings. Step 4) Go to a movie afterwards. For our Middle Class Fancy event we will be visiting one of our go to chain restaurants and seeing the new Scream movie. If you are from the Midwest, I am sure you know a thing or two about a Middle Class Fancy night on the town and I can’t wait for our upcoming MCF festivities!

If Middle Class Fancy isn’t your thing, perhaps you will go the Upper Class Fancy route instead. Upper Class Fancy is all about the finer things in life. How about starting your date at a chic little cocktail bar followed by a meal at a not chain restaurant. Countless fine dining restaurants will be offering special Valentine’s Day dishes or couples experiences so be sure to investigate your local options. Rather than a movie, you could opt for a night at the theater, a spot of shopping, or an appointment for a couples massage or spa day. Upper Class Fancy dates are the opportunity to spoil each other so don’t be afraid to splurge on your big day out.

If you are stumped for ideas, look local! Maybe your partner is a romance movie connoisseur? There is sure to be a bar or restaurant offering trivia around that theme. Is your boo crafty? Find a workshop for candle making, scentology, or creating beautiful bouquets. A fantastic cook? Learn how to make a brand new dish at a cooking class! Hobby based gifts and dates are always sure to please and also ranks highly in the brownie points department. It shows that you are listening to your main squeeze, care about their interests, and are invested in helping expand them. How sweet is that? ❤

Some people think that a V-Day out is a racket and, honestly, they’re not wrong. Where you go is sure to be crowded, a restaurant might be fully booked, and stores will be completely picked over. To avoid that, bring the date night in. DoorDash your favorite meal and rent a movie that’s in theaters to bypass the hubbub. Make your own wine and paint night with a YouTube tutorial video. Bake and decorate a cake or make chocolates. Craft your own cocktails or do at home spa treatments. No matter where you go, Valentine’s Day is all about enjoying each other’s company and there is no place like home to do so.

Tired of the same old? Try something new! If you have exhausted your V-Day date ideas, step outside of your comfort zone. Shake things up with a ballroom dancing class. Go to an escape room or a rage room. Take a note from mine and Johnny’s book and go to a love themed haunted house! Hit up an arcade bar, fly high at a trampoline park, book a hotel for the night and soak in the hot tub or make a splash in the pool. A new experience together offers the element of surprise which makes for a particularly exciting date. Think about the events or activities that your partner has always wanted to try and go for it!

No matter how you spend Valentine’s Day, it will be special because you’re with someone you love. Have so much fun!

What are your Valentine’s Day plans? What’s a perfect date night like for you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Christmas OOTD Pt. 3

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Christmas OOTD Pt. 3

Hello everyone and welcome to my last Christmas OOTD! Better late than never, amiright?! This holiday season was magical, to say the least. However, this weird January limbo leaves a lot to be desired! Every day feels like a month long Monday and I never know what time it is because it always looks like five in the afternoon. Winter has been cool and all but I am so ready for spring now! Before the ol’ blog shifts to warmer days ahead, let’s take a look at this blast from the past half a month ago lol:

Step Brothers T-Shirt: Spirit Christmas

Christmas Tree Skirt: Spirit Christmas

Bedazzled Fishnets: Urban Outfitters

Heels: Bamboo, TJMaxx

The earrings were a gift from my mother-in-law!

When I visited Spirit Christmas for the first time, I couldn’t believe my good fortune. I walked away with the fabulous tree skirt and a silly sweater vest. Most importantly, though, I purchased the festive Step Brothers holiday t-shirt. For those of you who don’t know, Step Brothers is one of my all time favorite movies. I could not even put a number on how many times I have watched it but at this point I think it’s safe to say I have the flick fully memorized. I just love Dale and Brennan and nothing says “season’s greetings” more than a shirt with them on it. My family shares in my passion for comedy gold and I know they appreciated this top during our Christmas celebration too!

I couldn’t let Christmas pass by without wearing my tree skirt one more time so that was the move for this outfit. And, although the skirt was paired with the gemstone tights already, I just couldn’t help myself but wear them again. They just add to the sparkly brightness of Christmas Day and both pieces were a huge hit with my nieces and nephew. The littles couldn’t get over the disco ball ornaments, pops of bling bling, and shiny tinsel. In fact, my nephew told me I looked like a “very fancy woman” and it was the best compliment ever. 🙂

To wrap up this look, I went for a darling pair of red heeled boots by Bamboo. These boot babies are great for any season but that gorgeous red just screams Christmas! I think Mrs. Claus should get a pair so we can twin but I am assuming she would prefer something more sensible at Santa’s Workshop. The last order of business was popping on a pair of pretty silver earrings from my mother-in-law and I was ready to enjoy the holiday with my nearest and dearest. ❤

Sayonara, Christmas and see you soon, spring. Here’s to dethawing, glorious sunshine, and spring flowers!

How has your 2026 been going? Has January felt like it has been dragging for you too? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Little Christmas Haul

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Little Christmas Haul

Hi! We celebrated with Johnny’s family on Christmas Day and had the most wonderful time. Unfortunately, his aunt couldn’t attend and it just wasn’t the same without her. We were so happy that she was in town this past week and finally got to have our “Little Christmas” get together. It’s basically the same thing as Christmas but we ordered Chinese food lol. It was amazing to be all together again for our bonus celebration and it certainly felt Christmas-y despite it being January eighth! Check out my very last holiday haul:

Johnny and I were so generously gifted with lots of goodies and he received something really cool! My husband is a history buff and his aunt gave him her freshman year of high school American History text book. It was complete with her notes and highlighted sections and he has already enjoyed flipping through the pages of yesteryear. As a gift for both of us, we got the absolutely adorable Rudolph hot cocoa set. Seriously, how cute is that? We just love those mugs and although we are not big hot chocolate drinkers, our nieces can’t get enough of it. We are so excited to have them over for one of their favorite treats but in different mugs lol. I would be so sad if one of them broke because did I mention holy cuteness?! 😀

One gift we all had to laugh at was the Wicked slippers. I have never seen Wicked and I have zero desire to do so. When I opened the box, however, I genuinely thought the Ws were cacti and I could definitely get down with that! It wasn’t until further inspection that I realized what they were but I’m still going with cacti and they look comfy as can be. I am also delighted to have some more cozy pairs of boot socks because ankle socks during the winter is for the birds. I am SO sick of them sliding off so I have a double dose of treats for my feet. 🙂

Last but not least is the pretty as a picture picture frame, candle, and picture keeper. How sweet is that frame? I think it will be the perfect one to house a snapshot of me and my three nieces! ❤ I also adore being gifted with candles because I never buy them for myself. I have been loving burning the one my bestie got me for Christmas so this will be great to have on standby. And, finally, I have no idea what the picture keeper is or how to use it. BUT, if it gives us a space to free up the rapidly dwindling storage on our phones from OOTD shoots then we needed it like yesterday!!

We have been looking forward to Little Christmas since Christmas and now it’s officially a wrap on our holiday season. What a fantastic one it was!

Are you a Wicked fan? What is your favorite kind of cozy clothing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Christmas OOTD Pt. 2

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Christmas OOTD Pt. 2

Hello!! My Christmas OOTDs are a dollar and several days short but that’s okay. 1) It gives an extra incentive for all of you to follow me on TikTok for immediate OOTD content. *Shameless plug* And 2) I had so many fantastic holiday hauls that definitely took first dibs. The look you are about to see was from when we celebrated with Johnny’s family on Christmas Day. An OOTD that answers the question of “What do you wear when it’s fifty degrees on Christmas?” Check it out:

Feliz Navidad Sweater: Walmart

Skirt: Kyodan, TJMaxx

Heels: Reaction By Kenneth Cole, TJMaxx

Frilly Socks: ModCloth

The headband and chain earrings are both from Target, I think!

A balmy fifty degree day on Christmas was honestly confusing lol. What do you wear on a winter holiday that feels like spring?! Rather than be too warm or too cool, I decided to combine the two seasons for a look that kept me comfortable during the heat wave while serving up a dose of festive fun. To start, I chose my favorite and only Christmas sweater from Walmart. Johnny and I got this years ago when we went to a friend’s Christmas party and I just freaking love it. Those bright colors completely pop and this twenty buck purchase has served me well for many a Christmas Day.

Next on the agenda was what to wear on the bottom. After a cold spell, the weather turned into spring. Like a true Midwestern gal from Akron, Ohio that means it’s time to break out the short shorts. Or a skirt! Trust me, no matter how cold it is here there are always tons of people in shorts so I knew I was in good company with my devil may care comrades. For my skirt I went with an adorable tennis skirt by Kyodan that has a pair of shorts built in. The pleats are oh so sweet, I never had to worry about a wardrobe malfunction thanks to the shorts, and the ventilation was definitely needed. We were all burning up!

The last order of business was shoes and accessories. To keep my leg line long and unbroken, I selected my pair of darling red heels by Kenneth Cole and slipped those on with a pair of frilly ankle socks. I am all about a frilly sock and they add such a touch of girly cuteness to each look. For accessories, I went with a pair of gold chain earrings and popped on a headband too. The burnt amber gems of the headband went perfectly with the rest of the look and I never say no to more bling bling. With that, I was ready to step into the sun and enjoy a beautiful holiday. ❤

Was it Christmas or Easter in this look? Who’s to say? This was a healthy combo of the two but when you’re in the Midwest, you just make it work!

What are the seasons like in your neck of the woods? Do you have a favorite holiday sweater? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

BFF Holiday Haul

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BFF Holiday Haul

Hello! This past Friday I finally got to celebrate Christmas with my BFF and this hang out was a long time coming. Getting Covid at the beginning of December threw a wrench in our plans and we couldn’t have our annual holiday hang until after the New Year. It was certainly worth the wait though because we had the most wonderful time! We ordered Chinese food, opened gifts, and girl talked the evening away. It was just what the doctor ordered to wrap up a beautiful holiday season. My bestie treated me to so many lovely gifts and I can’t wait for all of you to see the piece de resistance! Check it out:

When it comes to gifts, I absolutely love receiving bath and body care. What can I say, I’m a huge fan of smell goods! My bestie knows this and graced me with some goodies from Bath & Body Works. This included a shower gel of my favorite scent, Champagne Toast, or as Johnny would call it “Champagne & Toast”. I also got a Snickerdoodle candle that makes my apartment smell like a bakery and another of my beloved foaming hand soaps too. I had to laugh when I saw the scent was Pomegranate & Blackberry because this was actually a hand soap that I skipped on when I shopped the Semi-Annual Sale. Not because I didn’t want it but I had too many products in my cart. Lol, I got it after all and she knows me so well!

The next gift I unwrapped was a double gift – a travel jewelry case with the sweetest bunny necklace tucked inside. Perfect for everyone’s favorite bunny mom! I literally clutched my pearls when I saw the little bunny atop a gold moon and I have a feeling I will be wearing it every day. I also know that my travel jewelry case will be getting excellent use too. Johnny and I are going on a BIG trip this year (More on that later) and I now have something to safely store all my bits and baubles. It will be like a hug from my bestie when I take it on our travels. ❤

This post Christmas bash was definitely worth the wait! The best gift, though? My best friend (Of over eighteen years), of course!

How did you celebrate the holidays with your friends? Which of your gifts have you put to use? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah