In the kitchen..
1 | My new tea kettle...
My mom got us this new electric tea kettle from Costco after I burned my hand with the steam from one of those traditional tea kettles when the top popped off. (Gracias Mom!) I wasn't sure we'd use it often, but its become one of my absolute favorite kitchen applicances. Especially now with the cold, its been great for a quick tea and its safe for the boys to use for their cup of noodles. I can also turn it on and its turns off automatically if I forget, and it keeps the water hot for a long time if I'm not ready for tea right away. Oh and it looks pretty on the counter too.
2 | My coffee warmer and mini electric whisk
My favorite purchase at Starbucks is a simple Misto coffee (1/2 coffee, 1/2 milk). But I limit my visits to Starbucks to coffee dates, special occasions, and when I have gift cards (although I do have my Gold card now...yay!) So when I found this cute little coffee warmer at our local meditteranean grocery store (Jons) to use with my IKEA electric mini whisk...I got super excited. I can now practice my barista skills and make my own yummy Mistos in between visits at home by frothing hot milk myself. I can tell you it makes a world a difference in the taste, it keeps my coffee warmer a lot longer and its a lot of fun to do.
In my make up drawer..
3 | A Sephora make up kit
I am not someone who spends a ton of money on expensive makeup. I'd love to but I can't, so one of my favorites things to ask for now as a gift are Sephora gift cards. I got my first one a few years back and I have to say that I have discovered what a difference spending a few extra dollars on good quality makeup makes. One of my favorite things at Sephora are all the great sample size kits they have lined up (very strategically may I add) all along the line to the register. I have been able to to try out some amazing products this way and still get the most bank for my gift card. I've been wanting to go back to pencil eyeliners so my latest purchase with a Christmas gift from my SIL was this Boxom Dare to Stare kit complete with 3 color smooth eyeliners (black, blue and charcoal) with 2 different mascaras for about $30. And I was only hoping to get out of there with one eyeliner or so for that much so I think I did pretty good. (Thank you Adriana!)
In our room...
4 | My TV Armoire turned Dresser project
We recently transitioned from those big box tv's to a flat screen in our bed room. This meant that our TV armoire (which I love) was now empty. I've always envisioned converting its space/shelves into a non-conventional yet stylish dresser for myself and be able to get rid of some unneeded furniture in our room. So I did. I began by always remembering a redecorating tip from Nate Berkus- Shop your own home first. So sure enough I shopped around my own house looking for different baskets and stuff to use as storage. I was lucky to find baskets that actually worked well together in shapes and sizes for the room I had and yet made everything look kept and organized. In the middle of the second shelf is a re-purposed chess set drawer turned pull out jewelry box (more on that next week), and I bought the 3 little wire baskets at Target $ section to finish off the look. The best part is I can close up the doors and hide it all away. I love the way it looks and that I now have a new sense of purpose for this piece of furniture.
With the family...
5 | Sunday morning family walks
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| New Years Day 2015 |
I've been taking a traditional New Years Day walk on my own for a few years now, but this New Year's day the whole family including LuLu went with me on a 2 mile walk. We have actually been making it a regular thing to do on Sunday mornings together before breakfast and church. Its a great way to get Sundays started, get a work out in, and even more special to be able to enjoy some peaceful time together. I really enjoy these walks with my boys. They not are not always thrilled to get going as they'd rather sleep in, but like anything else, once they get out there they're happy they got out there too.
What are your 5 favorites this month?
From my corner to yours...Have a great weekend.
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