Blogmas Day 11 | FriYAY!

So I tried my hand at blogging for a week and it's A LOT harder than I realized! Being a full-time teacher and graduate school student is more taxing than I anticipated, but nevertheless I'm going to try and keep up with new content for the rest of Blogmas 2015! Here's my 5 for Friday linkup with Doodle Bugs Teaching for the 11th day of Blogmas!

I'm a huge mac&cheese lover, but my body does not appreciate all of the fat and cheesy goodness that goes into a bowl of that magical comfort food. This week I took a healthy spin on the classic with this awesome recipe and made creamy butternut squash mac&cheese! It was really yummy and I think it'll become a staple healthy alternative in my recipe box.

This week, I went to my first ever Paint Nite with one of my best friends from high school. Since we're both avid Star Wars fans, and in light of the new movie coming out, it only seemed fitting for us to choose a painting of the greatest Jedi master of all time. It actually came out a lot better than I thought!

To have a little fun with my favorite nuggets, I made a Winter Reading Packet for them to complete this week in order to earn their Christmas presents and class party reward today! Thanks to my favorite TPT ladies, I printed out some reading comprehension passages and put it together with a few "just print" fluency games to compile this activity set!

I also got started with an Instagram book club of sorts that is reading The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. It's the first book in his Chaos Walking series, and I'm absolutely IN LOVE with it so far! If you want, head over to Instagram and search #tmrdecemberbook15 to see what all the hype is about!

Last but certainly not least, the countdown is on! Less than a week until Christmas Break, and some much-needed relaxation time at my favorite beach. I can't wait!

Happy Friday!

Blogmas Day 9 | Pantone's 2016 Hues

Here in Peepsland, we consider the Pantone color announcement to be the official start of the new year. For 2016, Pantone has selected Serenity, a light blue, and Rose Quartz, a pale dusty pink hue as the colors of the year. Two colors? Seriously, Pantone?! However, after much hemming and hawing, I've decided that I really like Pantone's decision to choose two colors, especially these two. Maybe it was The New York Times' article on Pantone's "political color choices" that won me over, but this girl is all for social equality, whether that be in the form of equal rights for men and women, or starting on a smaller scale and choosing the two most stereotypical gender-specific colors to be the dominating color influencers of an entire calendar year.

To help you all get in the mood to take on these color choices, I've pulled together some of my favorite inspirations from fashion, home interior, and style websites around the web. Although I'm definitely pulling more towards Rose Quartz for my favorite of the two, I really like how seamlessly these two colors can be paired together to make a peaceful color combination. Let me know what y'all think!

xoxo,

Blogmas Day 8 | Under $30 Gifts!

Happy Blogmas Day 8! Budget shopping is definitely a strength of mine, and around the holidays this skill kicks into overdrive. Today I decided to share some of my favorite gift picks for under $30! Here are some suggestions for those *special someones* in your life who you still need to shop for:

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1) Lush Rosy Christmas Gift Box - Lush's line of rose-scented bath products is my all-time fave, perfect for that glamour girl (or guy) in your life!

2) Dot Monogram Flameless Candle - I remember being so upset in college when I couldn't have a small candle in the dorm. I'm a sucker for how beautiful candles look, so this would be great for anyone in an anti-candle/open flame situation!

3) Herschel Supply Co. Duffle Bag - Herschel's bags are of such good quality, and this duffel bag is the perfect weekender size. I may have to snatch one of these up for myself! It's perfect for any guy or girl on your list, especially because most of Herschel's prints are gender neutral.

4) Gimme Gimme Makeup Bag - I'm a firm believer in the idea that you can never have too many makeup bags. Plus since this baby is under $10, why not grab one for yourself! It's the perfect size to hold your on-the-go necessities in your everyday purse.

5) Creativity Fuel Mug - I have a small arsenal of coffee mugs, but this little one is so cute! On some days you need a little more than plain old coffee, so grab a mug of "creativity fuel" and get down with your bad self.

*SURPRISE BONUS*
6) Valentia Glow Eye Cream - Being a full-time teacher makes me exhausted and I cannot go to work with puffiness and under-eye circles! The Valentia Glow Eye Cream keeps those dark circles away and smells amazingly fresh, like valencia oranges! LOVE IT!

Happy shopping!

Blogmas Day 7 | Rose Gold Life

Guys. When Pantone announced their 2016 colors of the year, I nearly had a heart attack. Why? Because Rose Quartz is like the pastel cousin of Rose Gold which means I get to celebrate my favorite color even more! For Day 7 of Blogmas, I'm bringing to you all of my current makeup favorites that help me achieve that beautiful gilded rose look on my face.

Urban Decay Naked 3 and individual shadows in Sin and Half Baked keep my lids gilded for the gods on a daily basis. Half Baked is my main squeeze with just enough shimmer to make me look awake during the day.
NARS Rikugien Satin Lip Pencil is the perfect everyday "nude" color, plus it makes my lips feel so soft!
MAC Springsheen Blush has been a favorite of mine for years. It isn't too shimmery, and I like to think of it as a highlighter and blush combined. All you need is a little bit to get that rose gold hue!
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow is included because of the beautiful sleek packaging with that little rose gold insignia. Plus brows are a MUST and I'm absolutely in love with how much control the dipbrow and brow brush gives me.
Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb is what I imagine "rose gold" would smell like. I've loved this perfume for years and I'm dying to get my hands on their limited edition holiday bottle.

Happy Blogmas! Have a great week!

Blogmas Day 6 | Peeps vs Fitness

Back in this post, I briefly discussed how I was testing out 5 different wearable fitness trackers from the amazing Lumoid folks to see which one would best fit my lifestyle. I had done my research beforehand and narrowed down my choices to these guys.

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After 2 weeks with the trackers here are my final thoughts...

1) Fitbit Charge HR - Very user-friendly, most accurately counted my steps (logged 100 counted steps as 102 steps). I loved the watch-like band and never felt that it was going to fall off at all. Water resistant, but not waterproof, this tracker is probably one you shouldn't shower with.

2) Jawbone UP3 - I love that this tracker basically looks like a bracelet. The only downsides are that there isn't any screen to tell you how many steps you've taken or what your heartrate is (here's to checking your phone even MORE than you already do) and current Jawbone technology only allows you to record your resting heartrate, when you're not doing any physical activity.

3-5) Moto 360 Gen 1, Striiv Fusion, Garmin Vivosmart - As soon as I opened the box from Lumoid, I instantly knew that I would not be choosing any of these 3 contenders. The Moto 360 is a lot larger than I anticipated, and it felt very cumbersome to wear. The Striiv Fusion and Garmin Vivosmart were thin enough to wear, but I was always worried that they would get snagged on something and ripped off of my wrist during the day due to their lack of secure closure.

Top 2: Jawbone UP3 and Fitbit Charge HR. I'm deciding to go with the UP3 because I'm a diva and like to wear my own watch instead of having one built-in to my tracker. I know that means more things on my wrist, but I'm a big #armcandy supporter. Here's to closing 2015 with health on my mind, and starting off 2016 on the path to a better me!

Blogmas Day 5 | Winter Wardrobe

After a much-needed baecation (see what I did there?) I'm BACK and better than ever to participate in this year's Blogmas extravaganza! For those who have never heard of Blog/Vlogmas, it's a time for bloggers (and vloggers) to post about their favorite holiday items, whether it be traditions, clothing, makeup routines, activities, etc. Today I wanted to share 5 of my favorite wintery treats from the new ASOS and Loft collections!
1) From ASOS, this dress is so sexy and ethereal, and would look perfect with a polished bun and a bold lip or loose flowy curls and gladiators for a more lowkey look.
2) Also from ASOS, this halter/racerback hybrid is such a cute color that would flow perfectly into 2016 considering Pantone's Color of the Year announcement! (squeal!!!)
3) Shoutout to my onesie-wearing adults! This unicorn onesie would be absolutely perfect for keeping me warm next year in New Mexico (hint hint).
4) Loft always has my back when it comes to cute sweaters, and this diamond pointelle pattern on a cream sweater is the perfect addition to my winter wardrobe.
5) Last but not least, this moto jacket from Loft's Lou & Grey collection is my idea of the ultimate cross between edgy and sophisticated.

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Happy Friday!