currently || december

listening || All things Christmas!! The radio station doesn't change from the 24 hour Christmas music station. I have been loving the Brett Eldredge Christmas album along with the new Pentatonix Christmas album. Both have been on repeat in our house these last few weeks and will be playing throughout the month.

decorating || I feel like this is an obvious thing, but our house is starting to feel like Christmas more and more each day. We got the outside lights hung up right after Thanksgiving, and we got our tree up and decorated this past weekend. All that's left to do is wrap the presents and wait for Santa!

reading || I honestly haven't been reading much this holiday season because I have been watching Christmas movies pretty much every night, but I have gotten back in to my "adult" coloring books by Johanna Basford. I find that while they are supposed to be relaxing, I get anxious about the colors matching correctly and looking good in the final design. Sometimes it's hard to think outside the box and make a owl purple.

ordering || All things wedding! Just last week I ordered our save the dates from Basic Invite and a return address stamp from Etsy. Hopefully everything arrives in the next few days so I can send out save the dates before the end of the year. It might start looking like Santa's workshop towards the end of the month.

wearing || This month I go or my first wedding dress "try on" appointment. I am kind of excited to try on dresses because I'm not sure what style looks the best or fits the best and this appointment will help make some decisions. I don't think I will buy at this appointment-because that's just not me, but I am excited to hang out, eat some food, and try on pretty dresses.

currently || november

planning || We are planning to have our friends over for Thanksgiving this month. This will be the first time we have hosted a lot of people in our house since we finally have furniture in the dining room. I am excited to cook and host people in our new home! Now I need to learn how to cook a Thanksgiving turkey-thanks Youtube!

enjoying || All the feelings that come with the holiday season. The next few months are my absolute favorite time of the year. Hockey is in full swing, the holidays are right around the corner, family and friends are getting together, and everything feels so cozy. My goal is to savor every little bit of the holiday season this year and not let it go by too fast without enjoying it.

reading || I just finished two books over the last month and they were excellent. The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close tells the story of a young couple who moves to Washington D.C. to work for the Obama administration. One of them gets a but power hungry and wants to move up in the political world no matter the cost. It's a great read that covers the ins and outs of politics, lies, and marriage. The second book I finished was called In Twenty Years: A Novel by Allison Winn Scotch. It tells a story of six friends from college-but 20 years down the road. A tragedy brings them all together, but secrets are spilled and lives are changed forever. After twenty years the remaining five of them get together again at their old college house for the weekend and the drama unfolds. Both are excellent reads!

watching || Technically it's almost over...but I have been watching the World Series games-duh. I honestly want both teams to win so I have been enjoying all the games. Once baseball is over I can devote all of my time watching hockey! Since the Capitals had a week long road trip out west, the games have been starting past my bed time and it's hard to stay up and watch the whole thing. Hopefully daylight savings next week will  help that.

designing || I have been checking out and designing some save the dates and wedding invitations. I know that the invitations won't go out for a while, but I need to get save the dates out the door somewhat soon. I find that most of the stationary websites don't have exactly what I'm looking for. Gold foiled invitations are "in" and I'm not a huge fan of them so it's getting hard to find ones that aren't foiled in some way. I am still on the hunt for ones that I am in love with.

currently || october

cooking || Everything in the crock-pot recently. I have been loving the ease of using the crock-pot, and that you can throw all the ingredients in and have dinner ready when I come home from work. I have already made a chicken and sausage gumbo-type dish, and I ma trying a baked ziti in the crock-pot this week. If both turn out okay I will put up the recipes somewhere on the page.

smelling || ALL THINGS CINNAMON! I am in love with the Fall for this exact reason. I currently have a cinnamon and clove melting in the Scentsy and burning Crisp Morning Air by Yankee Candle. On the weekend I love to wake up and immediately light the candle and let the house fill with the lovely scent of Fall.

traveling || We are headed of for our annual Griswald family vacation later this month to Nashville. We got an AirBnB on the river and plan on seeing the city for a few days. Hopefully the weather is nice and we can make a stop in the Great Smoky Mountains and check out the awesome Fall foliage on the way there. Stay tuned-I'm sure there will be a post and photos to follow.

watching || I am in LOVE with some new shows on both ABC and NBC in the prime-time hours. I don't usually get to watch them live, so I catch up the following day or on the weekend. If you are looking for a few good shows check out This is Us on Tuesday nights, Designated Survivor on Wednesday nights, and Speechless on Wednesday nights. Each show is completely and totally different from the other so it creates a nice balance in my TV watching, which is usually just Bones, CSI, and Grey's Anatomy. 

buying || Trying to buy NOTHING. I am trying to save as much money as possible for the holiday season and the wedding fund. I am keeping a running list of Christmas gifts I need to buy and who I need to buy them for.

currently || september

wearing || A brand new shiny accessory.....an engagement ring!!! Cam proposed at the end of August so I have only been "rock"ing the ring for about a week, but it goes with everything. He picked out such a great ring and I couldn't be happier to be spending my life with him.

planning || If you read the first thing on the list you can probably guess what I am planning.....a wedding. I ordered an Erin Condren planner the weekend after I got engaged and I can't wait to get planning in that thing. We have a venue visit this coming weekend so fingers crossed that we enjoy the place and can get the ball rolling.

traveling || Cam and I are planning a trip to Pittsburgh to visit a friend and go to a Pirates baseball game. I am always excited to go to a new stadium and that will help me check off things on my 30X30 list. I 'm not sure what else we will do while we are there, but I'm sure it will involve being touristy and eating lots of good food.

watching || Even though I am not the biggest football fan-I prefer to wait for hockey season-our house will constantly have the TV tuned to something football from hereon out. College football starts this weekend, and the NFL season starts next week. I am looking forward to college football more than professional football,but since we only have one TV with cable in our house I will be forced to watch football. Here's to a great season!!

tracking || I have recently started using My Fitness Pal to track food intake. I have only bee doing it about a week, but my goal is to try and do it for a few months and see if there is any progress on the scale. We will see how it goes. I have been trying so hard t=not to snack on sweets and candy, but it is so difficult when you work in an office where people bring in donuts and other baked treats.

currently || august

watching || Baseball season is in full swing-no pun intended-so I have been watching the Nationals play just about every night. They are away on a West Coast road trip right now so I can't watch the entire game, but they are coming home in a few days so I will be able to watch the entire game. I have tickets for the Nationals vs. Orioles game at the end of the month, so I am pumped about that!

crafting || On my recent trip to Wisconsin I realized that I hadn't touched my cross stitch supplies in over a year. I finally dug out a pattern I had been working on for a few months, and have been stitching when I get home from work for an hour or so. I forgot how relaxing it is and I am able to drown out the TV and leave my phone on the counter to focus on the pattern.

traveling || NOWHERE. I finally have a month that I have no travel obligations. Hallelujah!! I plan on using this time to relax and get some much needed housework and home projects done. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and let me work outside for more than 30 minutes at a time.

reading || I am almost finished reading Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close. It is an interesting read so far, and I am interested to see how it ends. It takes place in NYC and is about a group of young professionals trying to work their way through weddings, engagement parties, and baby showers of other friends. The book can jump around a bit with different characters and different time frames, but so far I have found it to be quite entertaining. 

snacking || I have been loving cheese and crackers as an after work snack in the evening. My favorite are the Cracker Barrel "Cracker Cuts" style cheese in the Colby Jack flavor, paired with the Roasted Red Pepper and Red Bean Triscuit Crackers. It is seriously the most delicious snack because it combines something cold, but also something savory and crunchy. When it comes to snacks I like a good balance of flavor and texture and this hits the nail on the head. YUM!

currently || july

drinking || I love the Strawberry Acai Refreshers from Starbucks, but sometimes going to Starbucks is out of the way. When I can get my hands on one from Starbucks I like to add lemonade instead of water. It makes it taste like a strawberry lemonade with less sugar and calories. If I can't get to Starbucks I will pick up the canned strawberry refreshers from the grocery store. I pour those over ice and it gives me the bubbliness of a soda-without the soda.

watching || Netflix has recently added Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting and I am LOVING it! It amazes me how such simple techniques can produce such a beautiful masterpiece. His soft voice is incredibly soothing and can put me to sleep within one 30 minute episode. Cam and I enjoy watching that after a long day of work and softball. Kudos Netflix. Great choice!!

traveling || I just booked my flight for my trip to Wisconsin. I realized while I was booking it, that this is the first flight I have taken truly by myself. No friends, no family, no co-workers. Let's hope I can navigate the airports smoothly and seamlessly.

reading || I am still in the middle of a book called Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner. So far it it really good and I can't seem to put it down. It reminds me a bit of When Harry met Sally, but younger kids from totally different backgrounds. Not sure how it ends, but I'll let you know. 

snacking || Costco has what's called "cowboy caviar" and the simplest way to put it is that it is a some what spicy bean dip. I've had it before, but didn't know Costco carried it until this week. We had some for the Fourth of July cookout we attended and went home with a container that I can snack on throughout the week. This stuff is delicious!

currently || june

crafting || We have an old metal patio table in our basement and I think it just needs a good coat of paint to spruce it up. That is the next house project on my list this month. I have a can of navy blue spray paint and I think that will be a nice touch to our front porch and will give us somewhere to eat in the summer months-instead of our laps on the outdoor couch.

watching || I have been loving Family Feud lately. It all started when we were on vacation watching it late at night in the hotel, but now that we are home I find myself flipping to the Game Show Channel at home. We will see hoe long that lasts before I get annoyed and tired of it!

traveling || To Hershey Park!! I am excited about this quick trip to the amusement park before all the kids are out of school. We are also going to a Hershey Bears game, as they play for the Calder Cup. So excited!

reading || I just finished Miss Peregrine Home for Peculiar Children and The Nest while on vacation last month. Both were a good read, but Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was a bit slow at times for me, and I felt like there needed to be more action in that story. The Nest was an excellent read about a some-what dysfunctional family from New York City and I would recommend that book to those who enjoy reading. 

planning || The Erin Condren 2017 planners are launched today!!! I am probably going to hold off on purchases for now, just to see the reviews on YouTube, but I will be looking and adding things to my cart today. I am loving the new Luxe planner, but I am skeptical about wear and tear on that cover, so I will be sure to check out the reviews as much as possible.

currently || may

eating || ALL THE FRUIT. I love that all the fruit is starting to come in season now. I have strawberries in the refrigerator and I will probably be buying more at the grocery store this week. Another favorite are peaches this time of year, even though they are some of the messiest things on the planet. Our farmer's market should be opening soon, so Saturday morning trips there will be a must this month!

watching || More playoff hockey!!! The Capitals have made it to round two where they will face the Penguins. They have already won game one, so it won't be a complete shut out. This rivalry is intense and I imagine through this month that will show. Hope to be typing about this in the next currently series!

traveling || to St. Thomas!! A friend is getting married later this month and I am making the trip down to St. Thomas to celebrate with them. I am excited to spend a week on a tropical island without any worries of work or home, but I am terrified to come back and see what the house looks like after a week of me being gone. I'm sure there will be a post with lots of pictures in the next coming weeks.

reading || I just finished two books and you can check out that review. I have quite a few books on hold at the library, so I'm not sure which one will come available first. I want to keep reading but I don't want to actual buy the book-first world problems. If I haven't gotten a book off my holds list in the next week or so I will have to pull the trigger and buy a book from Amazon. The current holds I have are The Nightingale, All the Light we Cannot See, The Swans of Fifth Avenue, and What Alice Forgot.

planning || I need to start making plans for a weekend trip to Hershey Amusement Park in the next few weeks. We want to go in early June before school is out for the summer, and it's also not as hot. I need to get my butt in gear and get to calling hotels to get a room for a few nights. To be continued...

currently || april

eating || I am loving the Fruit-are fruit popsicles right now. I have a bad habit of wanting ice cream as a midnight snack-which is so unhealthy. These are nice because they are all less than 100 calories and have real pieces of fruit inside the popsicles. It is a nice cold snack that won't make me feel super guilty about eating it. My favorites right now are the pineapple and the strawberry. I want to try the lime and lemon-perfect summer flavors!

watching || Some playoff hockey! The Capitals ave already clenched a playoff spot which guarantees them playing time through April.....and maybe May and June....if I'm lucky. I can't wait to see what playoff hockey has is store for the team, and I will be watching all along the way.

anticipating || Apple Blossom Festival is right around the corner and I am pretty excited. If you don't know anything about the festival check it out here. Some special guests this year include comedian Wayne Brady and the legendary Cal Ripken Jr. → cue jumping up and down like a kid at an ice cream truck in the summer! I am so pumped to see both of them in the parade this year!

reading || I had been in a bit of a "book hangover" since finishing Harry Potter so it's been a bit tough to start a new book. After checking out some reviews I finally settled on The Secret Life of Bees....and as I am typing this post realized it was made into a movie! Say what?!? I guess I will have to watch the movie after I finish the book.

crafting || I have been coloring more and more in my "adult" coloring book from Johanna Basford. I have both the Enchanted Forest and the Lost Ocean. It's hard to get back into coloring after reading so many books back to back, but I find that the coloring is more interactive and a bit more relaxing than reading. When I read a book I get immersed in the characters and plot line so much that I can't put it down to sleep or eat. The coloring book is a nice afternoon activity that won't keep my mind racing after I put it down.

currently || march

drinking || Tons of water! My eventual goal is to eliminate soda completely, but that is quite difficult. I have managed to bring my soda drinking habit down to about two sodas a week (usually Friday and Saturday). I couldn't tell you the last time I had something other than water to drink during the week. Here's hoping to stay on track and cut out the soda even more.

watching || Technically I watched this in February, but it was too good not to talk about it! I loved season one of Fuller House and could not get enough. I binged watched the entire season the day it came out-so many memories! I will say that I am looking forward to House of Cards season four coming out in a few days. I need to catch up on season three first, but I will be watching season four some this month as well.

celebrating || My brother and I both have March birthdays so there is usually a lot of family dinners and celebrations to look forward to this month. It also means I need to get on my horse about buying a birthday gift!

reading || I am on halfway through the LAST Harry Potter book. I don't know what I'm going to do when I finish it. I have loved all six of the previous books and I am feeling like I never want the story to end. I will have to start reading another book once I finish Harry Potter, but not sure that anything else will compare at this point.

decorating || We are still on the hunt for perfect dining room chairs that don't break the bank. We currently have just two wooden chairs that came with our table, but are looking to upgrade so we can host parties and have people over.

currently || february

cooking || I tried a new recipe recently called chicken poppy-seed casserole. I will have more information about the recipe and photos up soon!

watching || I have recently been binge watching season 10 and 11 of Bones on Netflix and iTunes. I haven't quite finished season 11, so this month that's what I'll be watching.

tracking || I pulled my Fitbit out of a moving box late last month and have been tracking my exercise, steps and water intake. My goal is to rink enough water and get enough steps. the calorie count will come later, but for now I am starting with a smaller goal so I don't get overwhelmed.

reading || I just finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, so I have started on the next book in the series- Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. The books are outstanding and I can't wait to see how the series ends.

planning || restaurant week in our town is at the end of this month and I am excited to try some new places. I need to take a look at the menus of participating restaurants soon and make reservations!

currently || january

baking || well technically they are No-Bake Grasshopper Pies, but I'm still taking the time to make them for a party later this month. What a cute idea of putting them in small mason jars so each person gets their own individual dessert.

watching || nothing to terribly exciting....unless you count THE BEST TEAM IN THE NHL! The Caps have been on a roll lately and they are sitting at the top of the league right now. I am hoping this momentum will carry them through all-star weekend and into the Spring. Here's hoping I can cross of an item on my 30x30 list.

organizing || the kitchen. I got some new gadgets for the kitchen this Christmas, which means it's time to clear out the old stuff. I am going through my tupper-ware cabinet and getting rid of the old/stained ones and replacing them with my new Snap Ware set I got for the holidays!

reading || I am about half way through Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Once I finish this current
book I may either start Go Set a Watchman, or continue reading in the Harry Potter series. Either way I will be starting a new book sometime in January. My goal for the year is to read 15 books

decorating || more like un-decorating...if that's even a word. Christmas decorations are coming down slowly but surely. They will be replaced with a little bit of Valentine's decorations next month.

currently || december

craving || Some candy from my advent calendar. The advent calendar has been a tradition in our house for as long as I can remember. We used to get the cardboard ones-with the crappy candy, but it was still fun getting to open each day and have a piece of candy. Now that I'm older I have a wooden calendar in the shape of a house that I can fill with whatever little treat I want. I am dying to dig into day number one when I get home from work!

ordering || I just recently signed up for Kindle Unlimited because the local library I use doesn't always have the books I want for my Kindle. I either have to place a hold-which may last weeks, or they just don't carry the book at all. Not sure if Kindle Unlimited is worth the monthly fee or not, but it is nice to know that I can cancel at anytime. You can also give this as a gift to the avid reader in your life!

listening || Christmas music is in full force right now. I keep the radio on the Christmas station and when I get home from work I turn on the Christmas music on the TV. I will be so sad when January comes and it is no longer socially acceptable to listen to holiday music non stop.

reading || I started the Harry Potter series a couple weeks ago...and I CANNOT put it down! I realize that I am late to the HP party train, but that's okay. Since I got my Kindle I have been reading up a storm. I am currently reading Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkaban-which is the third book in the series.

decorating || We put up the inside Christmas decorations this weekend, minus the tree. I am hoping to get the tree this weekend so that I can get to decorating it this weekend. The outside lights are almost complete-the rain this week somewhat dampened our plans


Follow my blog with Bloglovin

currently || november

craving || I am ready for all the comforts of Thanksgiving. As much as I love Christmas, I don't want to rush past Thanksgiving, because that holiday has the best food. Ready to try some new recipes this month and sit down at the end and enjoy a nice home cooked meal.

ordering || Now that I have my Erin Condren planner, and have figured out the best way to plan for me, I have been browsing/buying on Etsy. There are a lot of shops with some cute designs. If you are interested in planning with stickers check out a few of my favorite shops like Sweet Kawaii Design, The Little Sticker Shop, and Plan In Color

planning || Hopefully a "Friendsgiving" for our new house. We don't even have a dining room table yet, so not sure if a housewarming/Thanksgiving party will happen, but I will be planning for one just in case.

reading || #TheSkimm...EVERY SINGLE DAY. I am loving the Skimm since I started reading it a few weeks ago. It is the best way to catch up on what's happening in politics, sports, technology, and other topics around the world. Check out The Skimm to be in the know in your office!

decorating || We have decorated with some fall decor on the inside of our house, but we are still in search of the perfect dining room table. It is hard to decorate and unpack without a table to plan around. Fingers crossed that we can find one sometime his month, before Christmas rolls around.

currently || october

craving || my grandpa made a homemade pumpkin pie for me last week and I am savoring every slice. It is literally my favorite time of the year because I can cut a slice of pie with Cool-whip and snuggle up on the couch.

ordering || an Erin Condren Life Planner-FINALLY. I have seen so many YouTube videos and blog posts and I am practically drooling over my keyboard. I can't wait to get my hands on one.

planning || to head to the beach this weekend/week. Stay tuned for some updates from the beach vacation.

reading || I haven't made a final decision on a beach book yet, but I am leaning towards The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. It was loaned to me by a friend and I just haven't been motivated to pick it up yet.

decorating || the entire house. We are living in boxes right now, but I am getting read to leave for vacation. My goal is to get most things done before I go because I DO NOT want to unpack a house after a week long beach vacation.

currently || september

craving || it's almost football season so I am looking forward to tailgate food- which includes wings, taco dip, chips, BBQ, and everything else unhealthy, yet delicious!

listening || mostly, just my Spotify playlist for work, but also loving Top of the World by Tim McGraw. It's his new single on his latest album.

planning || to make the move across town. I haven't started packing anything yet, so I need to get on that immediately.

reading || Yes Please by Amy Poehler. If you love Amy Poehler in any fashion this book is for you. Review will be coming shortly to the blog-along with a review of The Cuckoo's Calling.

decorating || the upstairs of the new house is completely finished so I am focusing on downstairs. We are T-minus a month from moving day and there is still quite a bit of painting to do on the main level of the house.

currently || august

craving || I have been wanting a Diet Dr. Pepper from the soda machine (fountain) every day this week. Luckily there is an Arby's near by that has Pepsi on tap, not Coke.

listening || technically watching/listening to some amazing Youtuber's recently. Daily Bumps, Cullen & Katie, and Ellie & Jared. Love watching their daily vlogs in the afternoon.

planning || house decorating. We are starting clean with the new house and want it to feel put together, unlike our current place that just has stuff from college.

reading || trying to finish the Cuckoos Calling. The renovation has cut my reading time down on the weekends.

decorating || we have picked out paint for the upstairs bedrooms! Painting the walls will begin this week

currently || july

craving || all of your typical summer treats like popsicles, lemonade, and sweet tea. I'v also had a weird craving for chips and dip recently or chips and salsa

listening || queen station on Pandora. This is usually not my style, but recently I have been digging the music that comes on that station.

planning || some sort of 4th of July weekend/celebration I'm sure. The other half's sister is coming in from California so I am certain there will be plans. We are also visiting my parents this month for a baseball game.

reading || The Cuckoo's Calling

decorating || the kitchen and upstairs. The cabinets are finally here we are just waiting on installation. We have started to paint the trim/molding upstairs in the hallway and bedrooms, but really need to get moving on that this month!

currently || june

craving || anything grilled outside. June is the official start of summer which means GRILL ALL THE THINGS!

listening || summer country on Spotify.

planning || cruising, again. As the day gets ever closer we are starting to buy last minute items and pack up our stuff.

reading || The Astronaut Wives Club

decorating || the kitchen. We just picked out appliances and will start real demo soon, now that all the wallpaper is gone. 

currently || may

craving || all the fresh fruit possible! I love the start of the summer because lots of fruit comes into season and is so easily accessible.

listening || the Bobby Bones Show....of course.

planning || cruising! Next month is cruise month which means it's time to get all the paperwork in order before we leave.

reading || The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House.

decorating || just finalized materials for the new kitchen. Wooo! Can't wait to see the finished product.