Video: December Five Faves

Since it's Christmas, I thought it would be fun to change up the format this month for my Five Faves.  Instead of a chatty video, here's a short glimpse of what makes Christmas my favorite.  I hope you enjoy, and I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe

→→→ SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE ←←←

I have made this exact recipe over and over.  It's the best!  Here's what I did wrong this time around, though-- I used margarine.  Always use butter!  I only had a little butter left and needed to save it for cooking dinner.  I had just the right amount of margarine, so I thought it would be an even swap.  Nope.  These cookies are still good, but they're not the same.  They're not as dense or chewy and didn't hold their shape quite as well.

You definitely need to make these cookies-- just please use butter!

I used Wilton sprinkles and Betty Crocker cookie icing.  Easy!  If you're looking for intricate frosting designs like all those Facebook videos, you'll have to look elsewhere.  I wish I had the talent.  All that matters is taste, right? 😉

 

The dark brown cookies on the top rack are a Paleo experiment.

I'm still working on perfecting the recipe/ingredient swaps. 😄

Sugar cookies are a fun holiday tradition.  Harlow decorated some later that night...when she wasn't busy eating the icing off the spoon.

I hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas!

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Video: Autumn in Arkansas

Monogrammed Toddler Pajamas

What's cuter than these pjs?  Harlow prancing around proudly in these pjs.  It's the cutest.  My mom got Harlow these pjs for her birthday, and I embroidered them with a font from Boutique Fonts.

This pajama set is from the brand Absorba.  My mom found them at Ross or TJMaxx.  I couldn't find this exact pair online, but I typed Absorba into the search bar and found quite a few places online that sell this brand.  Maybe you can track down these adorable pjs!

Day Date at Mount Magazine: Video + Photos + Details

Earlier this month Colin and I took a day date to Mount Magazine.  It's the highest point in Arkansas, and neither of us had ever been.  We went on a Monday in November, and though there were other people there, we almost had the place to ourselves as we drove around.  We also learned when we got there that November may not be the best month to go, because that's when the fog is the thickest.  As we were driving up the mountain, the fog set in and became so thick that we had to drive below the speed limit.  We could barely see the huge lodge on the side of the road to even pull into the parking lot.  It was the thickest fog I've been in.

[There is a video recap of our trip at the bottom of this post!]

When we got to the top, we first stopped at the visitor center to look around and grab some maps.  Then we drove to The Lodge and The Skycrest Restaurant for a late lunch.  All through lunch and checking out the lobby and gift shop, we could see zilch.  Nothing but fog.  We got back in the Jeep to drive around and as soon as we left the lodge, we saw the fog lift, so we parked and walked back into the lodge to check out the view.  From the back of the lodge, we could see down to the lake and surrounding towns.  It was as though we were hanging out in the clouds.

Once we left the lodge, we drove to Overlook Drive and looked down into the valley.  It was the best view we saw.  It was intimidating to think of how high we were.  The pictures don't come anywhere close to capturing the views.

We went with intentions of hiking, but the fog only lifted for a short time.  We thankfully were able to see quite a view at Overlook Drive, but many of the trails were too foggy and some of the other overlooks were too covered in fog to see anything.

Our plan is to go back in the spring when the weather is still cool but the fog (hopefully!) is less intense.

I'm so glad we went, and we had a nice time, but we didn't see the fall colors we thought we would.  The drought kept the trees from changing colors like we were hoping we'd see (according to the park ranger), and the fog and clouds made everything grey.  That's why all of the pictures look grey and flat.  It's still worth the drive, though, even in foggy November.

Overlook Drive selfie

                    

 selfies at the lodge

 lots of selfies :)

On the way to Mount Magazine, we stopped at Subiaco Abbey, which looks like a castle from the highway!  Colin's grandfather has a room dedicated in his honor somewhere at Subiaco, but we weren't able to find it.  We picked up some of the famous Monk Sauce at the gift shop.  The Abbey is an impressive structure for sure!

Paris, the town just outside of Mount Magazine, had a cute town square, but everything was closing as we were leaving town.  Checking out the town is on our list for our next visit.

If you've spent time at Mount Magazine, send me your tips!

13 Lipstick Swatches

Remember my 54 lip swatch post with video from this summer?  If you haven't seen it, you can find it HERE.

Today I have 13 shades for you to check out in time for you to find a new shade for your holiday parties!

Lip Products (Above, Left to Right):

• CoverGirl Smoochies Lip Balm in 255 #tweet me
• Sephora Lip Gloss in Rosy Glow
• Sephora Rouge Matte in M11
• NYX Lip Liner in Prune
• NYX Suede Matte Lip Liner in Milan
• Ulta Contour Lip Liner in Berry
• NYX Suede Matte Lip Liner in Soft-Spoken

Lip Products (Above, Left to Right):

• Stila Pomegranate Crush Lip & Cheek Stain
• Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Red Dahlia
• Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in 058 Drop of Sherry
• CoverGirl Almost Nude
• L'Oreal Infallible Plumping 6HR Plumping Lipgloss in 806 Plumped Tawny
• Maybelline The Elixir in 065 Caramel Infused

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Video: November Five Faves | Gift Giving Ideas

Click the Youtube button in the bottom corner of the video to open it in Youtube to get links to items.

Retro Phone & Camera Appliqued Toddler Shirts

Both of these designs are from Planet Appliqué (click HERE to get 20% off).  My mom got these shirts for Harlow for her birthday and asked me to embroider something on them.  Harlow loves phones and cameras (even if she doesn't know what a rotary phone is-- ha!).

The purple shirt is from Children's Place (use ebates.com for 2% cash back), and the pink shirt is Burt's Bees Baby.

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