Hello, friends! Where has the year gone?! I wanted to check in with a few snippets of life lately, and share what we’ve been up to. We’ve been a family of ear infections and sinus infections the past week or so, and I’m the last man down. Why does it always hit moms the last and then linger?! 😉 So as I sit in my robe and sip hot tea, I thought now was the perfect time to share a few photos.

One thing filling our days? Baking Through the Bible! This might be my favorite Amazon purchase of Q4. I love baking with my kids and it breaks up advent into lessons for your little ones. Think baking meets Sunday School for preschoolers. You can also modify the recipes to fit what your kids prefer. It starts with scripture, a lesson, a prayer, and then a baking activity to help drive the lesson home. For example, the ornaments above were showing you Jesus is light in the darkness. So you place the ornaments on the tree, and the light shines through the lifesaver part. The gingerbread was for gingerbread families to explain Jesus was from Kind David and Abraham’s lineage. This is something I’ve been making notes in for how to include Harry and will treasure this book for years to come. Harry loved rolling out the dough and eating the gingerbread men and Maxi was quite detailed in icing them. If you are looking for a precious activity to do with your kids during advent, I can’t recommend this one enough.

Two weeks ago I got whispy curtain bangs! I’m not one for change- especially with hair! My mom always preached “consistency is confidence” ha. So I never deviate from my usual! But I was getting a trim and itching for some layers and so far, I’ve loved the added volume they bring. Me? Like volume?! SHOCKER.

Speaking of time in the kitchen, when the holidays roll around I reach for family recipes more and more. I made my Nana’s Shrimp and Grits and my kids loved it. I always host Christmas Eve for our family and I’m tempted to make it for Christmas Eve. It’s easy to make and easy to clean, so why not?!

Nana’s Shrimp & Grits

•I cup Grits- not instant!
•2 Cups Milk
•2 Cups Water
•1 tsp. Salt
•2 Cups Sharp Grated Cheddar Cheese {don’t do pre-shredded, grated melts best}
•1 Stick Butter
•Dash or two of Tabasco
•1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

Bring water & milk to a boil and stir in grits. Bring back to boil, stirring frequently so they don’t burn. Basically, don’t stop stirring. ? Reduce heat and cook on low for 20 minutes. Add in cheddar, butter, salt, Tabasco, and garlic. Leave on low and continue to stir as you make the shrimp.

Shrimp:
•1 Pound Peeled and Deveined Shrimp
•6 Pieces of Bacon- chopped in small pieces
•1 Package of Sliced Andouille Sausage- my kids prefer Andouille Chicken Sausage so that’s what we do!
•Juice of 1 Lemon
•3 Tbsp. Chopped Green Onion
•1 Large Garlic Clove Minced
•Dash of Heavy Whipping Cream
•1/2 tsp Tomato Paste

Rinse the shrimp & pat dry. Fry bacon in a large skillet until crisp then drain on a paper towel. Add in sausage and cook for a few minutes. Remove and add to plate with bacon. Remove most of bacon grease. Add shrimp in skillet and cook until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. Immediately add the lemon juice, green onion, cream, and tomato paste. Add the sausage and bacon mixture and stir together.

Serve grits and top with mixture and some green onion for garnish. Enjoy! ?

I have been wearing this Amazon dress on repeat {it was shared in my latest blog post, too!} because it’s deceivingly chic. I took an XS.

On Friday, we went on a home tour in Dallas. The tickets purchased supported local schools and you got to tour 4 festive homes for the holidays. This is now my favorite hobby. Tell me everything. How do I sign up to tour all the homes all the time?

We had an outdoor Christmas party this weekend and I wore this look. It’s quite edgy, but comfortable for an event. I loved it!

Top {small} | Jeans {tts} | Booties {tts}

When my sinus infection came on, I let H open a Christmas gift early. Anything for him to let me stay on the sofa a bit longer. It was a hit and kept him quite entertained so if you need a great option for an 18-month-old check it out here.

I set up our table for Christmas Eve to see if all the colors worked together. I was inspired by the reindeer from this MacKenzie-Childs set I ordered, and I love how it came together. We have a pink tree in the dining room, so why not continue the theme?! The place settings are Mrs. Alice Shop.

Last but not least, I asked you all about your favorite meals when you are not in the mood to cook! Here were some of the top answers:

1. Chicken meatballs from Costco, macaroni and cheese, steam-in-a-bag broccoli
2. Trader Joe’s ravioli with Rao’s sauce
3. Do a grazing board with fruits, veggies, cheese, hummus
4. Costco Chicken Fried Rice {I can attest this is our favorite!!}
5. Meatball subs- do meatballs in the instant pot or crockpot
6. When making chili, do a double batch and freeze for occasions like this
7. Taco Salad- my friend does Italian dressing on her’s and it hooked me on that. So good that way!
8. Rotisserie chicken with roasted veggies {get the pre-chopped from Whole Foods} and Amy’s Mac and Cheese on the side for kids
9. Costco lasagna with salad
10. Grilled cheese with this soup from Whole Foods

How has your December been going?!