Tag Archives: decor

Valentine’s Day and Holiday Coping – Lexie Wohler

Leave a reply

When holidays such as Valentines Day come about, do you find yourself getting down in the dumps? Does the thought of being around a large crowd for Valentine’s Day or any holiday frighten you, or make you anxious?  Does decorating for the holidays stress you out? How about preparing for a family reunion with a dinner? There are some things you can do to make yourself feel better.

You don’t have to always host the holidays at your house. Try to limit having people over for any holiday get together, if having a party makes you anxious.

You don’t have to decorate extravagantly for each holiday either. Only put out the decorations that you have the energy and time to put out. Be sure to pick out some of your favorites so you get to enjoy them.

You can limit the number of people that you invite if you decide to host a holiday dinner party. The less people you invite, the less stress you put on yourself.

Make the dinner menu simple instead of extravagant. If you keep it simple, and make something that you enjoy cooking, it makes it more enjoyable to prepare. If people don’t like what you’re cooking, they will just have to live with it for one day, or they can leave if they don’t like what you’ve prepared. Leave the choice up to them.

If you’re down in the dumps about any holiday, specifically Valentine’s Day, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a meal that you really enjoy.  Or make your favorite meal. Eat the meal in front of the TV or watch your favorite movie. Have a cup of your favorite wine or whatever drink that you enjoy, whether it’s non-alcoholic or alcoholic. Enjoy yourself instead of dreading the holidays. The holidays don’t have to bring you down. Remember that you are in control of the way you feel.

If you find yourself down in the dumps about not having anyone to spend Valentines Day with, don’t give yourself too hard of a time. Rather enjoy the time that you get to spend by yourself. Think of time alone as precious time with yourself. Enjoy the quiet moments that you get to have. If you learn to enjoy being alone and appreciate the time that you have, then you will learn to cherish the time that you could eventually have in a relationship. Finding love takes time, so don’t rush into anything that you’re not sure of. If it doesn’t feel right, then don’t rush it. Whenever the right person comes along, you’ll know.  

Take each day as it comes. Try to enjoy the holidays. Not everything about the holidays are bad. Just adjust your thinking. Instead of thinking negatively, try thinking positively. It will help you relax more. Take time away from the stress of the holidays to find yourself. Focus on yourself instead of focusing on how stressed you are. Make sure to find things that you enjoy doing that coincide with the holidays, so they can be more enjoyable for you. Don’t put pressure on yourself, just let things happen as they happen.

Remember, it is ok to feel down in the dumps during the holidays, just don’t stay in that place for too long. Don’t let it ruin your day, or your outlook on the holidays. It is ok to feel stressed, but don’t let it take over your thinking. Try your best to enjoy your life, no matter what holiday might be coming up.

Lexie Wohler is a repeat guest blogger with The Unsanity and you can find a few of her pieces scattered throughout my website. ❤

Blogmas – Unique Gift Ideas for Anyone

Leave a reply

BLOGMAS 2019

7

With Christmas being less than 2 week away now, there’s still time to get unique gifts for everyone on your list from Amazon with two or one day delivery to most states. I’ve curated a list of a few, erm, strange yet useful gadgets and items that anyone on your list would appreciate this year. (This is in no way an ad and I do not get any compensation for featuring these item’s on my blog whatsoever. These are items I have selected from personal interest.)

910aPPf8uXL._AC_SL1500_Of course we need to start off with this shower/bathroom/anywhere wine holder for while you’re getting ready or relaxing. Made for those wine-os who just need a place to store their glass so they don’t spill it and lose their precious wine. “Finally… a little “you” time. Pull out that silky robe. Crack open a great book. Light a few candles to set the mood for the pièce de ré·sis·tance: a truly luxurious soak.” I’m just going to come out and say it: everyone on your list can use this even if they don’t put wine in it.

 

81ZP5qBBb-L._AC_SL1500_Even if you don’t like nature (which, I don’t know why you wouldn’t) this bird feeder can entertain you and anyone else in your household for hours including pets. Are you a photographer? This is the perfect gift to get some wildlife/bird portraits you normally wouldn’t be able to get. And guess what! It includes the suction cups that they guarantee are weather resistant and will not slide down on the window. Enjoy seeing wild birds up-close like never before.

 

81+gDVjidxLNeed a solid yet funny and comical planner/to do list to keep yourself organized during the day… Look no further. There’s a lot to be said for sloth philosophy, and this notepad says it all. And honestly, I added this little guy to my cart as I was writing this because maybe it will help me get my sh*t together a little… after my little naps. “Get your to-do list out of the way so you can focus on what’s really important: relaxing. Take it slow and have fun without worrying that you’ve forgotten some obligation. Maybe indulge in a nap full of slothlike, stress-free dreams.”

 

 

61iz-7+DEUL._AC_SL1000_Now, you might not be into camping, but if you love the outdoors and have 2 poles or trees in your back yard, this portable hammock is definitely for someone on your list. With that price of only $25 or under, and a complete 5-star review of over 2,000 people, something tells me you can’t go wrong with this. This is a double hammock, and can hold up to (get this) 1,000 pounds! Something tells me I’m going to be adding this to my wish list today…

 

 

8130lg1zKQL._AC_SL1500_Trying to drink that water your doctor keeps telling you to drink daily to stay hydrated? Do you hate the taste of plain water though? Check out this leak-proof water bottle infuser to add your favorite fruits to. It is 100% BPA Free, comes with a carrying handle and it’s easy to clean for when you need a refill. “Water is plain, water is boring, and water is tasteless – and since we live in a sea of flavor packed alternatives (usually swimming in sugar and potential dangerous chemical additives), it’s easy to see why we skip the healthy option altogether.”

 

61r1l3Mg+WL._AC_SL1001_Picture it: you come in to your office in the morning and it’s warm because they had the heat on all night. This little fan will give you just the right amount of comfort at your desk to help cool you off for a bit. Did I mention that it plugs into your computer or laptop in order to work? How cool is that? It’s got 3 speeds, it rotates to fit your needs and is available in a few colors.

 

81LTiTxKdUL._AC_SL1500_Give the gift of cold to that beer lover in your family or friends list. “The HOPSULATOR TRíO keeps your drinks 20x colder than a standard neoprene can-cooler, so that your last sip has the same refreshing kick as the first.” Don’t have a beer lover in the family – fear not. This can also be used to keep your coffee and tea warm wherever you are with the lid attachment.

 

 

910ZdSN33oL._AC_SL1500_This cutting board is the perfect gift for the chef in your life. My husband and I actually have a cut out of Pennsylvania and we LOVE it, even if it’s just for decor half of the time. Just selcet the drop down menu and pick your state or your friends state and ta-dah! This fun, whimsical laser-engraved artwork calls out all the wonderful sights and places in the state of your choice. I mean, of course I had to choose NJ to feature, because I will always be a #JerseyGirl. Did I mention that this is bamboo? Bamboo is much gentler on knives than most cutting boards and won’t ruin them when you cut on this.

 

Blogmas – Frugal Winter Date Night Ideas

Leave a reply

MERRY BLOGMAS

21

Winter is usually full of snow (depending where you live, if you’re in PA like us, it’s FULL of snow and staying in most times) and cold temperatures. With the holidays around the corner, and buying gifts for the family and others in your life, sometimes there’s less money in the budget for enjoying the things you and your significant other like to do to wind down.

Remember, not every thing needs to cost money to enjoy each other’s company, but you also want to be mindful that you need to keep your mental health in check during the stressful holiday season. Winding down with some cheap, easy and fun things to do with your S.O. when you can, will definitely help. What I’ve done is curated a list of 10 cheap and fun date ideas you can do during the cold winter nights.

  1. Play the board games you have! You can make it a fun competition with some sort of prize or where the loser needs to do the laundry for the week or clean the bathroom for a month.
  2. Go sledding. Sledding was the highlight of winter during our childhood, so hit the hills to go sledding again this winter. Sometimes all you need is a little rush to make you feel like a kid again or take away the stress for just a bit.
  3. Decorate your tree together. Either pick out a real tree or set up your fake tree together. Turn on the holiday music and get cozy as you prepare for Christmas the right way! Even putting up for decor outside can help decrease stress.
  4. Make/test cocktails for holiday parties. Google some recipes and put all those bottles that are sitting on your mini bar cart to good use. Test out the recipes and pick the best ones for the upcoming holiday party you’re hosting!
  5. Build a snowman. Get all bundled up and hit the yard to make a snowman or snow angels! Even if it’s only for a half an hour after work one day when you have a bit of time together, it will still bring back some nostalgia to your day.
  6. Go to trivia night. Test out your knowledge while drinking beer and cocktails. It’s a great way to have a competition with your partner and see who can come up as the winner of all!
  7. Make an indoor picnic. Some of you may like the cold and want to picnic outside, but if the temperature is -5 below zero, you may want to think of an alternative! Put a blanket in your living room or on your bed even and make some picnic food and enjoy an afternoon in!
  8. Cook food together. Cooking together can be fun, so long as you can agree on the meal. Once you pick a meal, grab a drink and enjoy each other’s time and learning a new recipe that will hopefully turn out great.
  9. Have a boozy snowball fight. Grab your flask or a bottle of wine to split and conjure up a snowball fight with forts and fight to the death (no, not really!) The more the merrier, see if any local friends want to come over and enjoy the snowball fight too.
  10. Go bowling. This one came to mind because my husband and I love bowling and we usually turn it into a friendly competition. Some alleys have drinks, apps and pizza that you can enjoy or even bowling packages for the winter months. Get out and have fun!

Christmas Traditions – Lexie Wohler

2 Replies

Christmas Traditions

image

Christmas time is a time of celebration. It is a time to get together with family and friends. It’s a time to remember how blessed you are to have had another year of life. It is also the time to start buying gifts for your family and friends. Christmas light will be starting to pop up on your street and all around your neighborhood. There will be hordes of people trying to buy just the right gifts for their loved ones.

You’ll start hearing Christmas music. Do you start listening to Christmas songs in early November or do you wait until December? I normally wait until after December first to start listening to Christmas music. What’s your favorite Christmas song? One of my favorites is “On This Very Christmas Night” by the Tran Siberian Orchestra.

What are some of the traditions that you and your family celebrate during the holiday season? Do you go caroling with a group of friends or people from your church? Do you go help care for the homeless, or bring clothes to those who are less fortunate?  My family and I often go see Christmas lights around our city and then go see Christmas lights and decorations downtown. My dad often puts up our Christmas tree and the Christmas lights over the few warmer days that we get in late November, or early December.

My mom starts decorating the house in early December. Our praise team starts singing Christmas songs at church in late November, when we start preparing for Advent.  We lead worship at the 5p.m. service on Christmas Eve. Normally, the church is filled with over 200 people on Christmas Eve.

Some of my other Christmas traditions include listening to “The Time, Life and Treasury of Christmas” and “The Child of The Promise” CDs.

We also go to my grandmas on Christmas morning to open presents. Going over to her house was and is one of my all-time favorite traditions. We normally rotate who hosts Christmas every year. Sometimes we end up hosting it at our house two to three years in a row. Who hosts Christmas every year in your family?

The most important part of Christmas is celebrating Jesus’ birth. We get so busy with the rush of the holiday that we forget to focus on Him. We get so caught up in buying gifts and getting our house ready for Christmas that Jesus is often overlooked as the reason for the season.

Jesus’ birth paved the way for everyone who believes in Him to be saved and eventually go to Heaven. Unfortunately, the world thinks it’s all about the gifts and the decorations, when it’s all about focusing on how important Jesus is in all of our lives.  As much fun as it is decorating our homes and spending time with our loved ones, let us never forget the true reason for every Christmas season.

image (1)

Lexie Wohler is a repeat guest blogger with The Unsanity and you can find some of her previous posts here, along with her author bio and social media links.

40 Blogmas Ideas for This Holiday Season

Leave a reply

10

It’s that time of year again! Most would say it’s the most wonderful time of the year… Personally, I love the holiday season (minus the snow.) making people smile, festive recipes to test on the family and learning how to deal with new holiday stress.

I’ve never participated in Blogmas before, and I thought I would give it a try this year and do my own 12 days of Blogmas. I can’t really commit to 25 or 31 days of December at the moment, but I know I can at least do 12 of them and spread them out throughout the month of December!

If you don’t know what Blogmas is, it is a blogging challenge which consists in publishing a blog post either 12, 25 or all of the month of December. As its name suggests, Blogmas is the conjunction of the words ‘blog’ and ‘Christmas’ and anyone who has a blog can take part in the activity. This can give you consistent content, and help with daily views and publishing; not to mention to help you become a better writer than you already are. It’s good to have challanges in life, and a simple one like this can make the whole world of difference in your online presence.

Remember to have fun with this! It’s not meant to be stressful and if you find yourself not being able to keep up, you can always change the way you go about it like I am, and only committing to 12 days vs more than I know I can handle. Afterall, it’s YOUR blog and you can do what you want!

So on that note, I’ve decided to make a list of 40 Blogmas ideas that you may want to write about this holiday season. I’ve done a bit of research, and have curated this list based on what I personally would write about. 12 of these listed will be featured on my blog this season, you’ll just have to wait and see which ones! (These are in no particular order, I just wrote down whatever came to mind at the time.)

  1. Holiday Sales
  2. Home Decor
  3. New Years Resolutions
  4. Winter Self Care
  5. Gifts for Husbands
  6. Gifts for Wives
  7. Your Holiday Wish List
  8. Favorite Holiday Drinks
  9. Favorite Holiday Treats
  10. Favorite Holiday Dinner Components
  11. Winter Date Night Ideas
  12. 12 Days of _________ (gifts, giving, cookies etc.)
  13. Journal Prompts for Winter
  14. Gratitude Journal Prompts for Winter
  15. Gift Guide for Gifts Under $20
  16. Gift Guide for Gifts Under $40
  17. Winter Bucket List
  18. Christmas Day Routine
  19. Best Holiday Memory
  20. DIY Christmas Gifts
  21. New Years Blogging Goals
  22. Favorite Holiday Scents
  23. Gift Tag Printables
  24. Christmas Journal Printables
  25. Christmas Recipe Cards
  26. Stocking Stuffer Ideas
  27. How to Handle Holiday Stress
  28. Write Your Own Letter to Santa!
  29. A Guide to Christmas Events in Your City
  30. Top 10 Christmas Songs
  31. Holiday/Christmas Quotes
  32. Christmas Giveaway
  33. New Years Giveaway
  34. Unique Gift Ideas for Anyone
  35. December Goals/Blogging Goals
  36. Color Scheme Ideas for the Holidays
  37. Books to Read This Winter
  38. Top 5 Things You Love About Christmas
  39. Christmas Finances (with printable!)
  40. Top Unique Cookie Recipes for Christmas

#FreebieFriday

4 Replies

So today is Friday, and I know I already posted a guest blogger BUT I wanted to hand out a freebie that I made for ya’ll to print and hang up as you wish. I love chicken and waffles, and SO many other people have their own interpretation of what chicken and waffles is to them so I decided to make something for all you lovers of chicken and waffles out there!

Here’s a smaller preview of the image, but you can download it here from my Google Drive for the larger version to print and frame for your home. I’ve made multiple images for you with different colors so you can express yourself.

Have fun and if you download it and hang it up, send me a photo in the comments so I can showcase them!

Chicken and WafflesChicken and Waffles-2Chicken and Waffles-3

Chicken and Waffles-4Chicken and Waffles-5Chicken and Waffles-6

 

Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies – Gabriela

2 Replies

Good Morning friends!

Monday means guest blogger time! Thankful to have this chicka on here to share this awesome recipe with us on vegan pumpkin cookies! You can find her personal Instagram here and her Toki Box Instagram here. 

🍪 🎃

Hi everyone! Nice to meet you!

I’m Gabriela – vegan + baker + proud owner of a new subscription box – TokiBox (which I created back in May this year.)

My box is all about healthy vegan goodies like superfoods, healthy snacks and eco-friendly accessories.

I became vegan a few years ago after watching a documentary about animal cruelty and I’ve been vegan since then. I don’t think I could ever eat animal products again, that’s why I created my box. A place where you can get healthy snacks and superfoods that nourish your body and gives you energy and happiness. Because it is true that you are what you eat.

I have started cooking and baking around the same time of becoming vegan – because I was discovering a new world filled with foods I never tried. I grew up a small village in Romania – so there were some of the fruits, vegetables and pantry items I’ve never seen.

Now I cook because it makes me relax, distress and create amazing stuff! It has become on of my hobbies.

When I don’t work at my box (being an online business is sometimes a 24hr job) I enjoy taking photos in nature, running and doing yoga J. I love photography and the outdoors.

I’m super happy to do write for this blog and I want to thank to Koral for the opportunity to connect with each one of you and share one of my favorite recipes.

If you’d like to check out my box head over to our website: http://tokibox.co

nhj

I’m happy to introduce you to one of my favorite fall recipes, perfect for the holidays and fall season.

These cookies are a healthier version of the traditional chocolate chip cookies that I love to recreate in the fall – winter season, because makes me feel so cozy and happy!

Ah, and I have to mention that it has one of my old time favorite ingredients: PUMPKIN.

gjgh

Because, ‘tis the season of pumpkins.

Cookies are my favorite dessert and I enjoy decorating them with all sorts of stuff and serving them with
“weird” combinations like peanut butter and nut milk or plum jam and almond butter!

I love baking them as well because they are easy and fast to make, plus everyone in the family loves them!

I have tried tons of cookie recipes since going vegan, but I personally fell in love with this one and I hope you do to!

This recipe is healthy, with no dairy or butter and with delicious vegan chocolate chips-it can be optional in case  you’re going for a healthier treat, and it is under 30 minutes.

5

Time: under 30 min

Makes 20 cookies

THE INGREDIENTS:

  • 1, 1 ¾ cups of flour (either regular or gluten free)
  • 1, ½ tsp of baking powder
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • ¾ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • ¾ cup of tahini (or any nut butter of your choice)
  • Vegan chocolate chips (measurement depends on your taste).

vfb

THE PROCESS:

  • Preheat the oven at 350 and oil a baking tray with coconut oil.
  • Mix the flour with baking powder and set aside.
  • Mix in the wet ingredients: pumpkin puree, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup and tahini.
  • Combine them together using a spatula and then mix it with your hand (like a dough).
  • After mixing it well, stir in the chocolate chips (my husband likes a lot of them so I put in ½ cup).
  • Start shaping the dough into small 2 inch balls using your hand.
  • Put all the balls into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
*you can use any kind of flour or even oats 
*chocolate chips are optional – for an even healthier recipe, you don’t have to use them.

These cookies are going to come out super fluffy and not oily. I like serving them with a glass of non-dairy milk. For this photo I used pea milk from Ripple, but you can use any kind of milk you want and toppings! Go crazy with them!

This is a super healthy cookie recipe you can make ahead of time and snack on throughout the week. It is filled with protein and vitamins from the tahini and pumpkin. Eat food that nourishes your body.

Hope you try out the recipe and let us know how it turns out!

mhjk

PS: here’s a coupon code in case you’d like to try out my healthy vegan goodie box: KORAL5 for $5 off on your first box!

NAME

Hump Day Help

Leave a reply

Greetings, folks!

So I wanted some input on these I made for my photography. I asked a couple friends about their ideas and I’m going to be altering them to encompass their opinions as well. But for now, I’m working on business cards and need to know thoughts.
image

image

Now, some things people have said so far to me include: take out location, might be too busy with the bokeh on the back, change the color of one letter on the front to red to stand out, put the K correctly on the front so people understand.

I agree with some of them. I’m going to take out the location off the back. I think I’m also going to change the front “K” to red, but still keep it backwards. It adds a bit of flair in my opinion and I’m not normal so, I’m sticking with thay decision. I think it’s sleek and interesting, but I’m not too sure about the back.

Your opinions are greatly appreciated on this one!

Anyway, it’s hump day and only 2 more days of 8-430 working this week. And I even have some OT in my schedule for this week (only 45 minutes but still.. that’s still some.) I wish we could do unlimited OT.. I’d be working all the time since I need the money.  But then that’d be frowned upon and I wouldn’t be allowed. Hence,I need a new job. 😦 or a part time one on top of this one. Something to save for small car things and Vegas in October.

More later, I need to get some sleep. I’m exhausted and haven’t been sleeping well again for all this week. Go figure right?

You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality. – Walt Disney

Cheers!
xoxox
||Koral♡Dawn||