Mental Health During the Holidays

Hi everyone! I’ve been pretty busy these last three weeks prepping for Christmas, which is what sparked the need for this blog! This time of the year is filled with all sorts of emotions. Some are happy, some are sad. However, I really wanted to highlight how important it is to recognize and take care of our mental health during the holiday season. It can take a real beating! Here are a few of my personal tips on managing mental health this time of the year!

Acknowledge Your Feelings

When I was a kid, Christmas was so magical and full of joy and excitement! But as an adult, its a bag of mixed emotions for me and many others. This year will be hard for David and I due to the passing of his mom over the summer. I’m finally acknowledging that the joy we normally have each year will be a little duller this time around. I’ve been running around like crazy trying to make it fantastic for him and his family, but as he pointed out to me, I can’t fill a void that isn’t my place to fill. Feeling sad this year is ok.

Take Time to Do for Yourself

Now that I’m married and have my own home to run, I can totally see how my mom would get burnt out on Christmas! It’s exhausting! Women (and sometimes men) are expected to keep the house clean, do all the cookie baking, host guests, decorate, buy gifts, wrap said gifts, and cook up a delicious meal for Christmas dinner. My mom did all this and more and I don’t know how she did it! I’m tired just doing a quarter of these things.

Taking time out for yourself and doing what you want to do to make yourself happy is great for your mental well-being! For me, it’s sitting down with a glass of red wine, a bit of cheese (or a lot), and watching a good Christmas movie. That’s my jam! And mom, because I know you’re reading this- take a break today!!

Have an Action Plan for Toxic People

Toxic people. We all have them in our lives and they usually show up around Christmas. If you know you’ll end up interacting with them around Christmas, have a plan on how you’ll deal with them. For me, there’s certain people that can make me feel bad about myself. My action plan is to simply keep interactions to a surface level so I can minimize the likelihood of finding myself depressed after seeing them.

There ya go! Those are my big 3 tips on mental health during the holiday season! Please comment with your own tips and reach out if you ever just need someone to talk to!

What to Give the Hostess With the Mostess

It’s Friyay! This week went by so quickly and thank the good Lord because I’m exhausted! Hopefully this weekend I’ll be able to do a little Christmas shopping because we all know that’s going to sneak up on us like Thanksgiving has. I could have sworn Halloween was last week. Surprise! It wasn’t. Anyway, last week’s gift guide I focused on the traditional preppy girl in your life (link here) so this week I’d love to suggest a few gifts for the Christmas parties you’ll be going to!

Traditionally, it’s polite to bring a small hostess gift for the lady who is hosting the party. I’m a big fan of gifts that are not only fun but actually useful. My favorite gift on this list are the serving trays. How perfect are they for a party? A great gift is easy to find when the gift relates so well to the event in which it’s for!

!function(doc,s,id){ var e, p, cb; if(!doc.getElementById(id)) { e = doc.createElement(s); e.id = id; cb = new Date().getTime().toString(); p = ‘//shopsensewidget.shopstyle.com/widget-script.js?cb=1479430492754?cb=’ + cb; e.src = p; doc.body.appendChild(e); } if(typeof window.ss_shopsense === ‘object’){ if(doc.readyState === ‘complete’){ window.ss_shopsense.init(); } } }(document, ‘script’, ‘shopsensewidget-script’); //shopsensewidget.shopstyle.com/#/?options=%7B%22widgetId%22%3A%22582e6d434df128378def3f34%22%2C%22version%22%3A1%2C%22pid%22%3A%22uid3025-28872695-82%22%2C%22size%22%3A200%2C%22columns%22%3A3%2C%22rows%22%3A1%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fapi.shopstyle.com%2Fapi%2Fv2%22%2C%22iframeHeight%22%3A275%2C%22iframeWidth%22%3A705%7D

What are some of your favorite hostess gifts? Leave me a comment!

8 Fun Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Good morning gorgeous! I looked at my calendar and realized that Father’s Day was this coming Sunday! Talk about a mad dash for every department store in my area. Usually, I plan way ahead for events like this but June has already been a very busy month for me. The photo above is of me and my dad at my graduation! He likes to remind my sister and I that he didn’t have gray/white hair until we were born.

My dad has very specific tastes in what he likes in terms of gifts. His birthday is in December and by July he’s already made a list of suggested birthday gifts, you know just to give us plenty of time to purchase! For Father’s Day, he’s a little less specific. However, he did send me a link to a Baltimore Orioles plush blanket he’s been eyeing for awhile. Anyway, here are a few ideas for your Father’s Day gift-giving!

1. Travel Caddy- For the dad always on business
2. Hawaiian Print Shirt- For the dad that’s looking forward to retirement and the floral shirts that come with it
3. Beer Caddy- For the dad who enjoys a cold one while watching the game
4. Baseball Tie- For the dad who loves the American classic
5. Gourmet BBQ Sauces- For the dad who lives to grill
6. Shaving Kit- For the dad who takes pride in his appearance
7. Old-Fashioned Stove Top Popper- For the dad who enjoys a bit of nostalgia and tasty, fresh popcorn
8. Sperrys- For the dad who adores his boat and the accessories that come with it

Thanksgiving Day Outfit

Happy Thursday lovelies! It’s been a really crazy week of going back and forth to Washington, D.C. interviewing for jobs and other fun stuff like that. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m so thankful to even get job interviews! But preparing for all of them and remembering times, places, and people’s names can be really exhausting. 

In other exciting news, Thanksgiving is almost here and for many people it’s an occasion they dress up for (and then regret it when their trousers split or a button pops off after dinner.) I love dressing up and have put together a great outfit with the help of No Nonsense featuring a pair of their stylish tights!

How to Style Tights

I will be the first to admit that tights scare the heck out of me. My mom would make me wear them to church and I would sit there feeling miserable. They just aren’t comfortable. These ones however, I am more than happy to wear! The material is soft, durable (my inner 5-year old is rejoicing) and stretches to fit over every curve. Suitable for Thanksgiving dinner, it has a tummy control-top! No one likes a muffin top and I didn’t get one wearing these tights, thank goodness.

The idea behind this outfit was to incorporate a traditional Thanksgiving color (and food)- cranberry! These plaid tights created the base color I needed to work with. I paired a navy blue pencil skirt that had a color coordinated vertical stripe down each hip with a striped t-shirt material top. I added a necklace and some color to my lips for a little something extra. Simple and elegant.

Being the girly-girl that I am, I love to dress up and look nice for every occasion. Thanksgiving is one of those holidays when it’s difficult to know what to wear because you know you’ll eat a lot but you still want to look good. I think this outfit works for your style and comfort goals. Visit No Nonsense to peek at their other tights and leggings! Comment with your Thanksgiving Day outfit suggestions!

 

 

 

 

Tights c/o No Nonsense. All opinions are my own. 

Easter Baskets for the Young at Heart

Hello lovelies! I hope you feel rested and are ready for a new week. The weather is finally starting to improve and I feel comfortable wearing just a hoodie outside. Seriously, is there anything better than hoodie weather? I don’t think so! Since spring is coming and so is the Easter Bunny, I thought now would be the perfect time to give you some adorable ideas for a grown-up Easter basket! My mom still makes one for me and I love it every single year!

Easter Basket Ideas

• Chocolate bunnies– Do I have to explain this one?
• Phone cases– The one above is from Kate Spade but Target sells some really adorable ones for under $5 in their dollar section!
• Nail polish– Essie is my favorite and you can find it cheap at Marshall’s. Get those spring colors!
• Macarons– This little pastry sends a smile to the face of girls everywhere! Find them in your local bakery for about $3 a piece.
• Pastel straws– They’ve been populating Instagram and the aisles of Target and they just so happen to look adorable in a fruity drink. You can buy them for about $3 a pack.
• Stationary– I’m a sucker for cute stationary and you can find so many options for under $5 at Marshall’s and Target!
• Tassel Earrings– Recently populating high end stores, these earrings are becoming a staple for spring! The ones above are from J Crew but I’ve seen similar ones in other stores for much cheaper. Check out Forever21 for more options.
• Ashley Brooke Designs Mug– This glamorous artist in Orlando has me in raptures from her adorable mug collection! They’re not cheap, coming in at $23 per mug, but they’re darling!
• Eos Lip Balm– These lip balms look like little Easter eggs themselves! I haven’t used them before but everyone tells me they’re amazing! You can buy them for about $3 each.

I’m a true believer that we’re never too old for an Easter basket and we should celebrate everyday like we’re kids again. Of course, I also believe that the true meaning of this very important holiday is sometimes overshadowed by a cute, little bunny.

As a Christian, remembering that He is risen and I’m saved from my own sins is much more important than an Easter basket. Being a born-again Christ-follower is the reason I celebrate this beautiful holiday. I love to make it cute and festive though, which is why I incorporate these other little traditions in my celebration of such an important holiday.