Friday Favorites

I have a couple of goals for 2014 with this little blog space of mine. One is to blog more consistently.  I am hoping to blog at least twice a week.  And the second is to share a little more about me :) Some of my favorite photographers and bloggers are ones that not only share pretty pictures, but also make me feel like I know a little bit more about them than that they are photographers.  So, I hope my readers (Hi mom!!) will feel like they know ME too. 

Friday Favs:
1.  Plan to Eat: I was gifted a subscription to this website for Christmas by one of my lovely coworkers.  This site is rad because it allows me to save my favorite recipes, and then I can drag & drop those recipes onto a monthly calendar.  From those planned meals, it will also generate a shopping list for you, based on the recipes' ingredients.  I try every month to meal plan, and am usually only successful for one week, and then I get busy and overwhelmed.  If you are a working mom, and like to be organized, this is for you! You can also sign up for a free 30 day trial to see if you like it. Let me know if you sign up! We can be friends and share recipes through the site.  I just went through and added 50 recipes this week.. here's to more home-cooked meals (and saving $$ by not eating out because I wasn't prepared!).

2. I haven't shared too much about this, but my husband and I recently bought a home. We saved for a LONG time, and now have the opportunity to renovate the inside.  We are beyond thankful and grateful to make a home how we like it. Originally, we were only planning on doing just a few rooms, but, you know how renovations go... things change quickly and constantly! I am in the process of trying to decide design styles for the bathroom, and I love these tiles:

 

from here

And for a pretty penny more, these!!!





from here

You can follow my pinterest board here to see what I am currently loving for the house.



3. This post on goals for the new year.  I love how Ann Voskamp writes... its like she takes it right out of my heart. I've printed two copies of her manifesto, one to keep at work, and one at home. 

What are your goals for the new year?? 

And, because I feel the need to post pictures, here are a few from our Christmas eve with my parents :)

 Growing up, we always had Christmas Eve at my grandma Connie's house.  She made tacos and enchiladas.  My grandma and my uncle came up to my parents house this year, and she didn't make all of the food, but the menu stayed the same.  It's one of my most favorite traditions.

A little blurry, but these are my favorite Christmas decorations.  My mom hand made all of our Christmas stockings, and they are all so intricate.  I have made stockings for Rich and me, and am working on one for Will. I hope my kids will love them as much as I do.

My niece, Presley, loves to wear my shoes.  Whenever I take my shoes off, she'll go try them on and walk around the house in them.  She so coordinated! She's been doing this since she was about a year and half.

And of course, we made her pose for some pictures in front of the tree in her fancy shoes.. hand on the hip! Kills me!

Notice a little shadow on the stairs?

Hey Bubs :)

Playing with a new toy.

My parents got Will this little push train.  He loves it!

Have a great weekend everyone!


 

Disclaimer: I did sign up for the Plan to Eat affiliate program which means that if anyone signs up for a subscription from the link I posted, I receive a very small percentage for the referral. I found the website online and loved it so much that I wanted a subscription.  Basically, the opinions are my own :)