Anyone else feel like December is always the shortest month of the year? Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE the holiday season but there always seems to be so much to do and so little time to do it!
+ I kicked off the month with a much overdue “Girl’s Day” that consisted of Starbucks, the Bath & Body Works Candle sale, and brunch at First Watch!
First Watch is my favorite breakfast restaurant, and I literally never stray from my favorite dish. This is the Market Hash with egg whites. That was also my first experience at the Bath & Body Works Candle Sale… Holy Moly! I was not prepared for how crowded it would be. We did manage to snag a bunch of good scents between the three of us! (Brittany & Ashley – we need to find excuses to do this more often!)
+ I went to two Ugly Sweater parties! One was a Girl’s Gift Exchange with friends, and the next day was a FriendsMas/White Elephant exchange party. Both were a lot of fun!
+ We had a Maternity/Christmas Card photoshoot! Justin’s sister took some adorable photos of us at Glenwood Gardens. View all the photos in this post.
+ I visited Santa at the McMackin Lodge Christmas Party. We can’t wait to bring baby girl next year!
+ We met USWNT star and Cincinnati native, Rose Lavelle!!
+ We celebrated Christmas with Justin’s family a couple of days early. We made a onesie for his parents to reveal baby girl’s name.
How cute are these matching family sweatshirts from Justin’s sister?!
+ I always devote an entire day (or two) to baking during Christmastime. My mom, my aunties and I all do a cookie exchange, so that we have various types of cookies to share with family and friends at the holidays. The past few years I have taken over the chocolate chip and chocolate chip with M&Ms. I didn’t count how many dozen I made, but my kitchen was completely overrun with cookies!
The next day, Justin made the “Christmas Crack”, a crowd fave, which we exchanged as well.
+ On Christmas eve, we celebrate with my Mom’s side of the family. Even Santa (my grandpa 😉 ) paid a visit!
+ On Christmas Day we went to my parents’ house for brunch and opened gifts. I had a severe allergy attack to the three dogs (which is why there are no photos!) – it was miserable! I went through half a box of tissues, my face puffed up and I could hardly open my eyes. I took a couple Benadryl and went home to take a nap before we continued the festivities.
That evening, we went to Justin’s cousin’s house. We always do a “sock exchange” which is so much fun!
+ The day after Christmas, Justin & I had a date night! We took our first trip to Buy Buy Baby to start our baby registry and then had dinner at Carrabbas. We both took the week off between Christmas and New Year’s, and it was so nice! We did manage to get a ton done around the house, and relaxed in between.
+ This year for New Year’s Eve, we decided to forego our party plans and ring in the new year at home.
Justin’s sister and her boyfriend joined us at our home. We played games and ate snacks until the ball dropped, and just as I had anticipated, I went to bed not long after. 😉
A few random products I’ve loved this month…
+ This Bluetooth Shower Speaker is something both I’ve fallen in love with, and never knew I needed! I received it in my FabFitFun Winter box. It pairs effortlessly with my phone, so every morning I’ve been jamming to Christmas tunes while I shower. It’s such a pleasant way to wake up in the morning, and I’m kicking myself for not getting one sooner! New to FabFitFun? Click here to get $10 off your first box.
+ When we first told everyone we were pregnant, our awesome friends Scott & Jenna sent me the cutest pregnancy care package. One of my favorite components were these Immunity Shots. I looked high and low for more of them, before finally resulting to Amazon. Unlike most other wellness shots, these actually taste GOOD! These little 1.7oz shots contain a super mushroom blend and elderberry. Mushrooms contain master antioxidants and infection-fighting beta-glucans, and are renowned for their immune boosting benefits. Elderberry is a powerful immunity strengthening herb that’s long been used to battle colds, cough and cell-damaging free radicals. (benefits provided by Amazon)
This month, I finally broke down and bought a pregnancy pillow. My belly keeps getting heavier and heavier, and my body pillow is too tall to slide under my belly. This Boppy Pregnancy Wedge is a lifesaver! Be sure to also check out my Maternity Essentials post too if you missed it!
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