When I was growing up in Cleveland, St. Patrick’s Day had very low school attendance because every Duffy, O’Malley, Costello, and Reilly (unlike us lowly pedestrian last names) got to take the day off to go to the big parade. In case you were wondering, yes, this (along with being one of three first graders in my class who actually went to school when President George H.W. Bush came to…
I love love LOVE Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras in French. Growing up in Cleveland, the start of Lent was something that was felt throughout the whole city, not just for us Catholics. Cleveland is a very cultural city and the Eastern Europeans who are still immigrating there have brought their amazing traditions with them. My college situation was a unique one, to say the least. For as much as…
In the grand scheme of things, “Galentine’s Day” is a very new phenomenon. It was from a 2010 episode of Parks and Recreation and I honestly have never seen it. BUT, I love the idea. During my single years, Valentine’s Day SUCKED. I hated that from high school years on, girls who were in relationships would get all kinds of extra attention and reminders of their sweet, sweet loves and…
I love January. Is that weird? I’ve been told that is it and I don’t care. I love the new beginnings, the freshness of all the new Christmas presents, the closet detoxes, cleaning after the decorations get boxed up and the motivation to start anew. I always make New Year’s Resolutions and almost always stick to them. I’m type-A like that. Here I’ll share my resolutions to perhaps inspire you…
It’s no secret that I love to cook and bake but the workaholic in me sometimes finds it hard to find the time. When I’m on an Arbonne 30 cycle, things get a little easier, but ultimately, I need fast, easy, and healthy things to make that will last me a few days. I’m not one of those people who can’t eat things multiple days in a row. Give me…
It’s no secret that I’m NUTS for all things holiday. I recently bought three hand carved pumpkins at Homegoods, which are patiently awaiting their debut until fall decor is socially acceptable, which I’m thinking is quite soon. OK, OK, I know what you’re thinking… I’ll show you what they look like…. Also, come September 25ish, my 700 square foot condo WILL look like Halloween threw up in it. This is…
Happy Friday, friends! One of my favorite traditions of this time of year is an Advent wreath. I’m not sure if it’s a uniquely Catholic tradition, but the colors represent the darkness before the light (Christ) and the joy that comes with the light. Plus, let’s be real here, I do also love pink and purple. I created this advent wreath last year with some tacky glue, tape for straight…
My cup overfloweth. This past weekend, Anna and I hosted our FIFTH annual cookie exchange. If you’re interested in hosting your own, I wrote a step-by-step guide here. The gathering went as normal. We had gluhwein, we had cheese-filled appetizers, we chatted, we laughed, we ate cookies, we voted.. And it was such a great afternoon. We have this down to a science, that I don’t even stress about it…
I mentioned before that there are plenty of non-material gifts out there if you’re really on a tight budget this year. However, let’s be real here, there are some people in your life whose love language is gifts, and would be disappointed if they did not receive something material from you. Here I’ll go through some great gift ideas that are super budget-friendly and are things that people will genuinely…
Have I mentioned I love Christmas? One thing I don’t love about it, however, is how so many people break the bank with presents and decorating. While I certainly understand the temptation, there is indeed a way to do decor on the cheap from shopping at the Dollar Tree. I’ll note that this post is not sponsored, so I’ll be brutally honest as to what is worth buying and what…