The Magic of Christmas

When I was young, Christmas was such a magical time of year. I got lost in twinkle lights, candy canes, and ornaments. My brothers and I couldn't wait for Christmas morning. Did Santa like the cookies we made? What was in our stockings? What's in that box with the blue paper and the silver bow? As I grew up, the wonder of Christmas waned. 

I mentioned in my post last Monday that one of our advent activities this year was to purchase toys to donate. What I didn't mention was the other half of the activity; to reminisce about favorite gifts and memories of Christmas when we were little. We took turns sharing special moments, but when Hubs asked me what my favorite toy I ever received was I couldn't remember one. 

The only thing I could remember was spending time with my family. You see, this is the only time of year that my WHOLE family would get together in one place. And what I enjoyed most was seeing them all together, listening to them tell stories about their lives. This is the time of year that I really felt apart of something amazing, full of warm smiles, cozy hugs, and genuine laughter. 

At first I felt bad that I couldn't remember specific gifts because my mom worked very hard to give them to us. So I texted my mom to ask her, and she couldn't remember either. You know what she remembered? Our excitement and curiosity leading up to Christmas and the look of pure joy on our faces when we saw the tree and our stockings filled with goodies on Christmas morning. Funny what really sticks with us over the years. 

What is your favorite childhood Christmas memory?

Christmas in July - The Reveal

Today is the day!! I can't wait to see what everyone got from their partners. I was glad when Faith paired me with her bestie Bex from Butcher's Niche. She's a super sweet chick and it turns out we have the same favorite color, the best color ever, purple. She totally nailed my gift. Purple, Yoobi pens, nail polish, and a candle all tucked away in the cutest sparkly purple bag.

Who was your partner? What did you get?

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Christmas in July Blogger Swap

I'm excited about this little gem of an idea that Faith came to me and Melissa with last week. As all of you know we are HUGE fans of Christmas! I am never patient enough to wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate or start listening to the music (hubs is "thrilled" at this). I get this love of the holiday from my mother and grandmother, and I go ALL. OUT.

Unfortunately ... it only comes around once a year which kinda sucks, SO we decided to have a Christmas in July swap! Faith, Melissa, and I are really excited about this and hope you will join us! So below is all the info and if you are interested in signing up please go and fill out the form HERE.

Let's celebrate CHRISTMAS IN JULY!

Here are the Details

Sign-Ups Start: Monday, June 29th at 6AM

Sign-Ups End: Wednesday, July 8th at 6AM

Partners assigned: Wednesday, July 11th

Packages Shipped: Monday, July 20th

Linkup Opens: Thursday, July 30th

Linkup Closes: Thursday, August 6th

The Rules

// When you are assigned your partner, get to know them, and send items in your package that fit your partner’s wants and likes.

// All packages should cost approximately $15-$20 before shipping, so that each swap package is fairly close in pricing and no one feels cheated.

// Please reply to emails from us about the swap in a timely manner.

// Your packages MUST be mailed on or before July 20th.

// We suggest you send a tracking number for your package via email to your partner when you mail it out.

// Please post and link up to your swap reveal, which will be posted on July 30th. Everyone would like to see your goodies after all!

// Please do not sign up for this swap if you cannot follow the rules above.

// If anything comes up, where you can no longer participate PLEASE contact either Faith, Melissa, or myself immediately so we can work out something for your swap partner.

** Please note: Non-US-based participants can only be accepted if we have enough bloggers willing to ship internationally (not everyone can afford the higher shipping prices). Thank you for understanding, we want everyone to be able to be able to participate! **

I hope to see you all participate! This is going to be so much fun :) Don't forget to grab the button when you put up your reveal post on the 30th!

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Conversations AND Blogger Men Tell All: December

I simply love this linkup with Becca each month for two reasons. First because the questions are always great and never fail to inspire some interesting conversation between Hubs and I. Second because it usually falls around the second Conversations Link-up date (the 15th and 30th of each month). So that means you guys get a two-fer!

Here are this month's questions.

What is one thing you really wanted for Christmas this year?
Hubs: a PS4
Me: *giggles* Sorry you couldn't get it though.
Hubs: It's alright.
Me: You did you to get some new games for your PS3 this year though.
Hubs: Yeah.
Me: Is that not good enough?
Hubs: Yeah. It was. We didn't have a bad Christmas at all.

Does your family generally do Christmas Eve or Christmas Day celebrations?
Hubs: Christmas Day.
Me: What did you guys normally do before I was in the picture?
Hubs: Cook some food. Open presents. Eat. Relax.
Me: So like, the same thing we did this year.
Hubs: Pretty Much

What is your favorite part about the holidays?
Hubs: Getting together with people and eating all the food.
Me: Anything else?
Hubs: Nah, that's about it.

What’s your New Year’s Resolution?
Hubs: I don't really have one.
Me: Really?
Hubs: Yeah. I've never made one.
Me: Well, do you have any goals you want to accomplish this year.
Hubs: Get a new refrigerator and get a shed for the backyard. Maybe get a few bills paid off.
Me: Those are pretty good.

Where will you be at the start of 2015?
Hubs: Probably asleep. It's pretty hard for me to get past 8 PM
Me: Laughing because it's so true.
Hubs: I need my beauty sleep!

Me: Anything else you want to add?
Hubs: I get a lot of days off, and that's pretty awesome.
Me: It's been nice to have you home this much.
Hubs: Yep, it's really nice.


We did have a really good holiday and I'm sure the coming weekend will be just as great! We are supposed to be getting the base gravel for our shed brought over on New Year's. Once that is in place and settled, we'll be able to buy and build our shed. That means I can clean out all the storage stuff in our second bedroom, and finish putting it together. I'll have a real guest room/office and I'm so freaking excited! The shed will also be a much better place to store our paint cans, car stuff, and our lawnmower. I guess this makes me a little bit more of an adult, huh? Being so excited about a shed.

Also, I want to leave you with this little gem. Let me set the scene for you though. We're laying in bed facing away from each other, about to try and fall asleep. Misty and Pumpkin jump on the bed to settle in with us. Pumpkin chooses a spot balancing on my side, and Misty chooses her signature spot between our butts.

Me: She just loves sitting near our butts.

Hubs: Mmm Hmm

Me: Maybe she does that cause our sleeping farts keep her warm.

Hubs: That's a plausible explanation.

Me: *giggles hard enough to wiggle Pumpkin off*


You can also find me over at Love The Here and Now today! I'm taking over for Anne to share some inside information about Amanda Wood Designs! Pssst! There's a discount code over there for you too! >>> CLICK HERE <<<

Linking up with

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Grateful Heart for the Holidays

Welcome back to bogland! I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday and that Santa brought you at least one thing you really really wanted this year. I kinda took a little blog vacay this Christmas #SorryNotSorry, so I will be extending my sponsors' time on my sidebar for a week. If you'd like to see your face on my sidebar too use the code CHRISTMAS to get 30% off the Mahogany Ad spot until December 31st. #ShamelessPlug (You can also get 50% off all Blog Designs using the code HOLIDAYS here --> Amanda Wood Designs)

I have so much to be grateful for today. Hubs was able to be home A LOT over the past week and I was relishing that time to spend with him. Yesterday, we literally just lounged on the couch all day watching TV or playing our new video game. It. Was. Awesome. He took me to Jefferson City to go shopping TWICE, and I got to eat Chipolte and Chick-fil-a while we were up there.

Teaching my parents how to Skype has really been fun. Now they want to do it all the time, which is so great! I don't feel quite as homesick when I can see their faces.

Hubs found out he's getting a raise at the start of the year.
I'm going to have several school friends in my classes next session.
I have an eye appointment today, so I won't be all squinty anymore.

TOMORROW is the next day to link up and share your Conversations! I know you guys had some good ones over the Holiday!

We had a wonderful time and got many things on our wish lists. Including a possible shed for our back yard, which means I'll be able to finish the guest bedroom!

What are you grateful for today?

Linking up with

Christmas Wishes

Tomorrow is Christmas and we have a busy day planned. Skyping with my parents in the morning because they want to see us open our gifts, followed by lunch and presents with the in-laws, then FaceTiming with my brothers and sisters later in the evening.

My wish for you this holiday season is that you have a wonderful Christmas with your families, but to always remember what Christmas is really about: Love.

Merry Christmas!

Linking up with

Grateful Heart, Wed Wishes, & Monthly Musings: Dec

I know I'm late for all of these link-ups (Grateful Heart, Wednesday Wishes, and Monthly Musings), but I'm not really sorry about it. I had my finals yesterday and if you follow me on Twitter, you'll know I was boobs deep in books and notes for the past few days.

I love this time of year. It's full of joy, giving, and wonderful sights, tastes, and sounds. It's always been my favorite because my whole family gathers in one place at the same time. That almost never happens for anything else. This year, however, Philip and I will not be able to join them in person. I did make my mom download Skype on her tablet so we can video chat on Christmas morning while we open gifts.

There is so much to be thankful and grateful for in my life. If you've been around these parts for a while, especially on Mondays, you'll know that I like to focus on the good stuff rather than the bad. It helps me to stay positive and not get pulled down into a depressive state... my fluffy furkids help in that department too.

I am glad to have a break from school for a few weeks over this Holiday Season. I am glad that Hubs gets Christmas and New Year's Day off from work. I am glad that he took a half day off today to take me to see The Hobbit *insert happy dance here* I am so so so so glad to know that I made an A in my speech class and I am confident that I made an A in my Psychology class as well. I am glad that my mom is excited for us to receive the gifts she has sent us. I am glad that I found a tripod and remote capture for taking photos with my phone! I am glad that Hubs likes the gifts I found for him. I am glad Bear has done so well in our home. I am glad for you, my lovely readers. Without you I might have given up on this space a few months ago. Without you, I would not have met so many wonderful people.

I hope everyone has as much to be thankful and grateful for as me this year. #IWinThisThursday

Also linking up with

The Golden Vlog: Christmas Edition

No that is not my mantle, but oh how I wish that it was. I saw this at the resort I was at on Friday night. My friend Kaity invited me to crash her mom's Christmas party, it sounded fun, so I went. We had a great time! Anywho. Let's get to the reason you came here today.

This is my first time linking up with Faith for The Golden Vlog Series. After seeing everyone's videos last month, I gave in and decided to join. I hope you guys like it!

If you are having trouble viewing the video click  >>> here <<<

Have a super wonderful day and an even better weekend!

Linking up with

Conversations With...

... My Hubs

Ok. So I decided that I'm putting up my Christmas decorations a little early this year (aka: today! #dontjudgeme) and I dug the boxes and totes out last night. Hubs decided he wanted nothing to do with the putting away of fall decor and the searching through of Christmas decor to see what I've got to work with, so he went to soak in the bath. I crank up my Holiday tunes and put away the pumpkins and leaf garland. Once that was done, I opened up the totes and boxes that I haven't been able to sort through in about two years. I had forgotten about some of the neat things I have! And as I discovered more little treasures, I grew more and more excited.

This is what my kitchen looked like last night...

Me: *scampers into the bathroom and thrusts an item at Hubs* LOOK!! It's my kitchen Santa!! He's gonna look sooooo good in there!

Hubs: *trying to relax in his bath* That's awesome, babe.

Me: *bobs the Santa at him* Ho Ho Ho! *giggles and scurries back to the kitchen*

a few mins later...

Me: *scampers back into the bathroom* I even have cute little things for the bathroom too!!

Hubs: Really? Where are you even gonna put them? *looks around*

Me: *looks around* I don't know, but I WILL find a place! *scurries back out*

another few mins later...

Me: *scampers into the bathroom* OH YEAH!

Hubs: What are those??

Me: Snowflake lights for outside!! Our porch is gonna look so good this year. I've got so many lights and more garland and, and, and, it's just gonna be awesome. *scurries back out*


I love how he humors me. I get so excited about little things like this and he just smiles and nods and encourages me because it makes me happy. I can't freaking wait to have it all done. I'll definitely post pics once I'm finished.

Have you started putting up Holiday decor? If not, when do you plan to?

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