Our Second Christmas

This year James and I weren't able to celebrate Christmas with our parents and siblings due to James having to work. But that's okay, I won't lie it was kind of nice to have a laid back Christmas and boy did we get spoiled this year!

On Christmas eve James and I went up to his Aunt Andrea's house to have fondue. It was a lot of fun, except that poor Max didn't feel good and had been throwing up. So unfortunately we ate and ran. The food was delicious though. We had steak, shrimp and salad. Yum! I didn't take any pictures at this little get together sorry about that.

Once we got home we took some pictures by our Christmas Tree in our new Pajamas that Santa Clause brought us. PS. The slippers I;m wearing my mommy gave to all the girls for Christmas. Also, before we took the pictures we Skyped with James family and my family to say hello and Merry Christmas also so that we could still be apart of my families Christmas Eve traditions. It was great to be able to see everyone!

Like I said.. we got spoiled this year! Santa really loved us. Ha ha! Okay true story, I have a shopping problem, but hey at least I know how to do it and save money. I start Christmas shopping the day after Christmas for the next years Christmas. I know, I have a problem. Oh well.

James parents and siblings gave us an amazing present I wanted to cry! They gave us a gift card to Texas Roadhouse and a gift card to a fancy hotel! I cannot wait to use it. (We're saving it for our anniversary!) 

My parents gave James and I each our own Tablet! Once again I wanted to cry.. ha ha. 

We were so spoiled.. we are so blessed to have the things we got.

On top of all the greatness.. I got the white Christmas I wanted! Yippee! 

Also on Christmas we up to Lava to James' other Aunt and Uncle's house to have a very delicious Christmas dinner! We also were able to Skype with James brother Brandon who is on a mission for the LDS church in the Philippians. It was great to see his cute smiling face. 

All in all we had a very wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas. I just love this time of year.. if you haven't noticed. Ha ha. 

Creamy Punch

What you need:

1 bottle Cranberry Sprite 

3 cups Blastin' Berry Cherry Kool-Aid 

4 scoops French Vanilla ice cream

12 ice cubes

Servings 10-13

In a large punch bowl or bowl pour in 3 cups of pre-made Blastin' Berry Cherry Kool-Aid

Slowly add in the bottle of Cranberry Sprite

Once added stir Kool-Aid and Sprite together for 1 minute

Add 4 scoops of French Vanilla ice cream and stir

Add 12 ice cubes to help keep cool and reduce foam from ice cream

Stir drink for 1 minute, refrigerate or serve

Crunchy Chicken Cabbage Salad

What you need:

1 bag of shredded cabbage

1 bottle of Italian dressing

1 can of shredded chicken ( oz)

1 package of beef roman noodles

3/4 cups slivered almonds

Prep time: 5 minutes

In a large bowl empty bag of shredded cabbage

Mix in can of chicken, slivered almonds and package of roman noodles

Next add half the bottle of Italian dressing along with beef flavoring from roman noodles 

Mix well making sure everything is covered evenly with the dressing

Serve and refrigerate any leftovers

The Best Kind Of Presents

On Monday James and I ventured on down to Utah once again. This time it was to celebrate Christmas with our families. Unfortunately James most likely has to work on Christmas. So we went down a week early. (That's also the only time he could get off..) I'm just glad that we were able to make a trip down and celebrate with our families even if it was early! I didn't take a ton of pictures.. I've really been slacking at that ha. But, I did get a few.

On Thursday my mom and I went down to my sisters place of living to watch my niece Chloe sing. It was so much fun. She did very well. Especially at the dancing part. It was also good to be able to hang out with Nico and Seth for a little bit since I won't see them again for a little while.

Later that evening we went on a double date with my parents to see the lights at Temple Square. They were so beautiful like always. This is a fun tradition that James hope to keep. It actually wasn't too cold but it was cold enough that we got some hot chocolate to warm us up. It was very yummy. James and I both burnt our tongues though ha ha.

One of James mission buddies found a drink from their mission and shared it on Facebook so Wednesday James called up to the store  (it was in Salt Lake) and had the very lovely lady put the last few on hold. We picked them up on Thursday before we went to the Temple. Needless to say, James was one happy dude to have his Alvaro. I tried it and it was actually pretty good. Now if the lady would just order some more.

On Monday before we left to go down to Utah we got a package from James grandparents who are on their mission in Nauvoo. The sent us a very fun and cute ornament. I think we got it because I'm obsessed with their dog.. ha ha. They also were very cute and sent Max his very own Christmas present and signed it from Grandpa and Grandma. I thought it was adorable. Max really wanted to open it up once I showed him that it was his. He's so cute.

Nico and Seth (Niece & Nephew) were so cute and kept giving James and I things that they had made. Nico made us the cute stocking that now hangs on our back door along with the cute poinsettia that Seth made us. It makes our home look so much more festive!

They also made us these awesome ornaments. They look fabulous on our tree. I'm excited to be able to put them up each year. I sure do love my nieces and nephew. 

It was a short trip down to Utah but it was so much fun! Everyday was filled with a fun adventure. I was even able to snap a few pictures of the Timpanogos and Provo Temple for my photography! Which totally made my entire life ha ha. I'm so blessed to be able to take pictures of such a beautiful and sacred place. I really am enjoying my talent of photography.

Old McDonald Had A Farm

Thursday morning I woke up and went to let Max outside to go potty. I thought that James and I had left our front porch light on. Boy was I wrong, I'm so grateful that my camera was near the front door. It was the most gorgeous sunrise that I have seen in awhile. It looked like the sky was on fire. There were many different colors. It was fantastic and a great way to start my day. 

On Wednesday while James and I were finishing putting Christmas lights outside we had a couple visitors come for a visit. They were so cute! At first when James told me I had no idea what he was talking about and I didn't believe him until I looked over. It made my entire day! 

Mr. Max got himself a new look. And boy does he love it. He looks so fresh and he smells so yummy! He looks a lot better not so scruffy anymore. He sure does like to strut his stuff now. He has developed a little bit of an attitude. He thinks he's hot stuff now ha ha. I love his personality. 

Cheesy Broccoli Pasta

What you need:

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup chopped cooked broccoli (frozen or fresh)

1 box of pasta shells (12 oz)

1 tablespoon or onion flakes 

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon or Montreal Steak Pepper

2 cans of chicken (5 oz)

1 jar of Alfredo pasta sauce (16 oz)

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4-6

 Preheat oven to 350

Cook pasta according to directions on box (I always add a little salt to my pasta while it's cooking)

Steam or cook broccoli until it is a darker green, so about 5 minutes

In bottom of a 9x13 dish pour less than half of the Alfredo sauce (enough to cover bottom)

In a large bowl pour the rest of the pasta sauce

Drain cans of chicken and add to pasta sauce and stir

add onion flakes, garlic powder and steak pepper to pasta sauce and stir

Once pasta and broccoli is cooked add to sauce mixture stir making sure everything is covered evenly

Pour pasta and sauce mixture into 9x13 pan

Put 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top of pasta evenly

Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes

Take out of oven and put remainder of cheese spread evenly on top

Place in oven again and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted

Let cool about 2 minutes, serve and enjoy

Christmas House Tour Part Three

Yippee! It's day three and the final day of my house tour. Today I will be showing you my kitchen and our bathroom. Hope you enjoy!

Welcome To Our Kitchen:

This is how I decided to decorate the light above our kitchen table. I got everything at the dollar store except the red beads, I got them at Wal-Mart. So this decoration cost a total of $5.00. It looks very pretty!

These pictures my grandma sent me this year. I decided not to frame them because they already look kind of framed. I really like them! They are also by Mary Engelbriet. This is on a smaller wall in our kitchen.

This is my favorite banner that I made for Christmas. It says, "Let It Snow." It hangs below the wonder Santa pictures. It makes our dining area look so much more lovely!

Obviously this is our fridge ha! My grandma also gave me this nativity. My mom gave me the notepad and the rest is just Christmas cards from other people and ours.

My mom gave me this angel last year. It hangs on our back door. It's so fun and looks very cute.

This is the counter above our dishwasher. The two snowmen that are hanging on the fridge I got at my old job and I put them together. The Mary Engelbriet Holiday Cookbook I got at a yardsale last year for $1.00! The Santa holds our chocolate candies, I'm not sure where I got it. The tree that is hanging I got from my mom last year. The tin next to our candy jar I got this year at Tuesday Mornings. It's a Mary Engelbriet collect also. It says, "Less egg more nog!" It's super cute! I paid $2.99 for it.

This window is above our kitchen sink. I got the snowflakes last year at the dollar store. They are also above our back door to the backyard I just didn't think I needed to take a picture of them too. They are very sparkly and look very pretty especially at night with the lights shining on them.

This is the little area next to our kitchen sink. The Santa picture I got from my mom along with the candle holder and the candy-cane tin. The Believe I got at a yardsale this year for .50 cents. I also got the cowboy Santa at another yard sale for .25 cents. The candle is another one I got at Target for $1.00 last year.

This cute mitt I got last year from my mom I love it so much!

This is my "coupon" desk. I got the reindeer bear when I was a child from one of my friends. The Santa card my grandma painted. The box and snowman snow globe I got from my mom. The Ho, Ho, Ho book I got two years ago at Seagull Book for $1.99. It is also one of Mary Engelbriets.

Lastly, this is on our island in our kitchen. The bears I got from my mom and I just placed them in our fruit basket. The coasters I made a few years ago. The book is by Mary Engelbriet and it is The Nutcracker. I got it at Gardner Village a few years ago for $17.99. And last year at Gardner Village, James won the snowman napkin holder and salt and pepper shakers.

Welcome To The Bathroom:

This rug is normally at our back door but since I have a Christmas one there that says, "SNOW" I moved this one into our bathroom and took our purple one out for now. This was a wedding present so it works super well!

These are our decorative bath towels! I got them last year from my mom.

This sign hangs above a shelf in our bathroom. I got it last year from my mom.

And at last, this candle I got this year at Bath & Body Works when they had their semi-annual sale for $1.75. It smells just like Christmas should! Yum!

Well, that's my house at Christmas time! Hope you enjoyed my little tour. Thanks for going on this adventure with me. 

Christmas House Tour Part Two

Hello and welcome back to part two of the tour! Today I will be showing off my living room. I will do it in sections like yesterday to make it more interesting. Ha ha. Enjoy!

Living Room Pictures:

This sign is new this year. I got it on Black Friday for $3.99 at Deseret Book. I love it. It is hanging on a small wall near the front door. (PS. We have Christmas lights hanging around all the doors and windows.. I just didn't take pictures of it.)

The first Santa picture with the Elf is a picture cut out of Mary Engelbriets calendar a few years ago. It used to hang in my bathroom at my mom's house. She gave it to me last year. The little sign up top that say's, "Merry Days and Silent Nights" I got this year at Seagull Book for $1.99. The frame with the three pictures are from James and I's first Christmas together and of course one at the Salt Lake City, Utah temple at the Christmas lights. The other Santa picture I got from my grandma and I just bought a cheap frame at the dollar store to frame it. It is also a Mary Engelbriet. 

These three pictures hang above our fireplace aka our stove. I got them this year at yardsales. The top picture with the three snowmen I got brand new for only $1.00! I also got the bottom two at a different yardsale brand new for .50 cents a piece. So awesome! Makes me very happy. I LOVE deals. Ha ha. If you haven't noticed.

I found this lovely gem on Pinterest. I don't remember from where I tried to find the link but can't. I feel bad. It's so pretty and I love the story it has. I already had this frame so it made for a cheap decoration. This sits front and center on our fireplace mantle.

This I also found off of Pinterest. I really love it. James had a frame that he got from his old job so wahoo! I also had, had this print for a few years and just never used it. So it's awesome to finally be able to use it. It hangs up above James BYU tree. Looks very good.

This is the last printable. It also came from Pinterest. I have an addiction. James chose this one. It hangs above his nativity that he got in Africa on his mission. I love the meaning behind this saying and it helps us keep the real meaning of Christmas.

Lastly these two lovely items hang in the corner by our coat closet and behind our "main" tree. My mom got me the North Pole sign last year after Christmas at Gordmans. An AWESOME store. The Christmas countdown I got last year at Target in the dollar section. We haven't started our countdown yet because I keep forgetting to buy chalk ha ha. One day we will start it.

The Rest Of The Living Room:

This end table it located by our front door. I got the book at Seagull Book for $1.99. I got the nativity a long time ago, I'm not sure where it is from. The red vase with the ornaments in it and the snowman I got from my mom. The coasters, I made this year. 

The picture that is hanging is a Mary Engelbriet I think I got it from my mom. The dish with the pinecones James and I got as a wedding gift and I got the pinecones at K-Mart when they went out of business for super cheap. The frame we got last year from our dear friend Shauna. It holds a picture of James and I at the Salt Lake City, Utah Temple Christmas lights.

This shelf is next to our fireplace it usually holds our shoes but for Christmas it needed to hold decorations ha ha. The top shelf: The three snowmen say welcome underneath and I got them for .25 cents at a yard sale this year. The book I got a Seagull Book last year for $1.99. The snowman candle and the snowman decoration I got from my mom last year. The second shelf: The book is Mary Engelbriet and I got it at Seagull book a few years ago for $3.99. The rocking horse and the NOEL blocks I got from my mom. The third shelf & bottom shelf: The nativity my grandma gave me along with the Santa's on the bottom shelf. She also gave me the larger Santa that is sitting next to the shelf.

This is our fireplace mantel. The stocking holders are new this year. I got them at Kohl's for $22.00 they came in a set of four. The Santa & Santa stocking are James' the Ho, Ho, Ho stocking and reindeer with scarf is mine and lastly the fun plaid stocking and the reindeer with the scarf and sweater is Max's. I got James stocking last year at Ti-Pan, Mine came from my mom, and Max's my grandma gave me! All three pictures are printables from Pinterest. The tall Santa's I got a few years ago from my grandma. The vase with the poinsettia's I got them from the dollar store and the vase from my bestie at her yardsale a few years ago. The Jesus picture my brother gave me a long time ago and the Santa and baby Jesus nativity I bought two years ago at a craft store in Lehi, Utah for $19.99. 

Here is a close up of the nativity and Jesus picture. This is probably my favorite part of our house. Because I love Jesus so much and I especially love these two items.

This is one of the many banners that I made this year this one says, "Frosty." The cards my grandma painted a few years ago for me and the pine-cones smell like cinnamon.

This end table sits next to our T.V. and holds our DVD player and such. I made the banner, of course ha! The sentsy has a cranberry cinnamon scent in it. The mouse, snowman and boxes came from my mom. The snowman with the goose I got this year at a yardsale for .25 cents. The snowman nativity I got a few years ago at Seagull Book for $14.99.

This end table sits between two of our chairs. The Night Before Christmas book is illustrated by Mary Engelbriet. I got it at Gardner Village two years ago for $17.99. The poinsettia came from the dollar store and the vase usually holds other flowers so I just switched them out. The candle I got last year at Target for $1.00 and it smells like cinnamon. The precious moments nativity I got a long time ago from my grandma. The coasters I made this year.

The Happy Holidays star I got last year at sprinkler world for $1.99. The bear that read The Night Before Christmas, and the other three decorations I got from my mom. The books I've collected from over the years and most have came from Seagull Book. The top one is from James' mommy. It's a story a day until Christmas. It's pretty cool.

The tin cans I got from my mom and they sit next to James BYU tree. And once again the pine-cones smell like cinnamon. 

This is James' Africa nativity. It's all hand carved out of wood. Very cool! It sits on top of a bookshelf next to our piano.

This is James' nativity from last year. He loves Charlie Brown so it only seems fitting to own the nativity. The nativity I got from Christian Living online on black Friday for $17.99. The book we got last year at Kohl's for $2.50. These lovely gems sit under our "main" tree.

This is our couch! (Obviously.. ha ha!) The pillows have tree's all over them. James made them for me this year, it is just pillow covers that way I can switch them up all year round. We got the fabric 75% off at JoAnns so for a yard and a half it cost us $2.79! What a steal. The blanket I got from Kohl's last year. It cost $8.99 but I ended up getting it for free because I had a $10.00 off. The pillow in the middle I also got from Kohl's last year for $1.75 after Christmas. The pillow is Santa Clause in a truck. The banner above the couch I made this year and it says Merry Christmas.

This is our Christmas Village that sits atop the piano. I got it last year at a yardsale for only $10.00! It's such a fun feature to have in our home during Christmas. The tree banner I got last year at Target in the dollar section. The vintage piano music is printables once again that I got off of Pinterest. I thought it would make a nice touch.

I got this rug at Kohl's for free because I once again had a free $10.00 off coupon. I love it, it's way cute. I'm also not the only one who loves it. Mr. Max does too, but that's probably because it's right in front of our fireplace ha ha.

Well, this is part two of three! Hope you enjoyed getting a peek into my living room! Stay tuned for tomorrow's post of the kitchen & bathroom!