KUWK's 25 Days of Christmas!

IT'S DECEMBER!!!!!!!

Okay. I know it's technically the last day of November. BUT - for all intents and purposes, it's basically December. Thanksgiving has come and gone, trees are up, carols are on - it's December. 

Today I'm excited because....well for one it's cyber Monday and I can shop for great stuff from the comfort of my own home, but ALSO because I'm talking about my new attempt at Christmas this year. 

As I told you last month, the past three years I've participated in Prestonwood's Gift of Christmas program. It's an incredible program and I SO loved being a part of it, but this year with the upcoming nephew, I decided to take a sabbatical. So usually my December consists of practice and shows the first two weeks straight (we're talking home to work to the church to home, repeat). Then the third week I'm in recovery the first half of the week and scrambling to decorate and/or shop the second half. And then the week of Christmas I'm back in Beaumont and then it's over. 

Again - I love participating in the show, but I feel like I missed out a lot on all things Christmas.
So this year we're going to remedy that :) 

One thing I have always loved, since as far back as I can remember, is abc Family's 25 Days of Christmas. I mean, new Christmas movie every night. Holla atcha inner elf. I decided to piggy back off them and do my own little 25 Days of Christmas. So today I'm introducing...

Keeping Up With Katy's 25 Days of Christmas!!

(and shout out to my buddy Jack for living and breathing photoshop)

So sure, that's a cute picture and all but what does that mean? NO it does not mean I'll be starring in my own Christmas movie every night. It just means that I am celebrating Christmas on a daily basis; I'm starting tomorrow and ending with Christmas Day.

Each day doesn't have to be a huge blown out shindig either. My goal here is not to be utterly exhausted and dead on arrival Christmas morning. The inherent hustle and bustle already does that. All I'm doing is making the most of my favorite month. I'm celebrating what the season has to offer before I'm a mom. I'm developing traditions I want to keep going as I get older. I'm making sure I don't get wrapped up in work deadlines and shopping lists that I actually stop and see the snowflakes. 

Now. In full disclosure, I've been thinking of ideas since last week September. ...what? I love Christmas. But even though I have thoughts, I don't have every single day planned out. I mean don't get me wrong, I have a list (hello I'm still Katy), but that's mainly in case something doesn't plan itself. I really don't expect people to call me up wanting to go caroling on a Tuesday night. They could, but I'm prepared in case they don't. :)

I plan to update every 5 days or so with a recap on my daily celebrations. And I'm also keeping it real here and admitting that I could get three days into this and think it was a really dumb idea. Or I may get to Christmas morning and want to barf red and green I'm so over celebrating. But I'm hoping not. Because I'm so completely excited about this. I've told a few friends and they've already marked their calendars with dates they're participating. #ihavegoodfriends 

So that's what we're doing here this month. I'll be blogging intermittently between the updates, but big picture? We're counting down to Christmas. And jingling all the way :)

Have a holly jolly Monday everyone! 

Are you over it yet? :)

Until next time,
Katy

Peek at the Week: Thanksgiving!

Ah, the post-vacation morning snuggles. 

I'm back in Dallas, listening to the rain (and my puppy's snores), drinking coffee, and reminiscing about the past week. Oh, and Hallmark is on in the background. #duh

In light of staying a week at home, I thought it was only fitting to take a peek at our Thanksgiving week! Disclaimer: This is a whole bunch of pictures of my really cute niece. It was our last holiday with just one baby (though she's a "big girl" and don't let her catch you saying otherwise), so it was lots of snuggles, play time, and pictures!

I got home Monday around lunch time, and was the first kid home. Dad was still at work, so mom and I ate lunch and just piddled around and I did some work. Because with my job vacation is never quite vacation :)

On Tuesday I went and met my dad for lunch at the Courtyard. I worked in his office during the summer when I was in college, and we would always go to the Courtyard for lunch (chicken salad sandwiches and apple pie, specifically), so whenever I'm home and he's working I'll go meet him. Gotta keep the tradition alive!

Annnnnd note the scarf. This is {almost} embarrassing. 

After we got home, Amy and Miss Brooklyn arrived!

We played and I got to do bathtime duty. A toddler snuggled up in a towel after bathtime is one of my favorites :)

And can we look at those lashes? I mean gracious. 

That night, my dad and I got adventurous and made pumpkin scones. If you missed the recipe on Friday you can find it here. Absolutely insanely delicious. Dad and I had a "scosche of scone" with almost every meal throughout the week...

Okay, I take it back - bathtime is a favorite, but my absolute favorite is the morning snuggles. Wednesday morning I woke up, got coffee, went to the couch, and then shortly after, this little turkey came in and cuddled. All while watching Doc McStuffins and playing with lego monkeys of course. 

#dontmindmymorninglook

But, do not be fooled. After snuggle time it's go go go. And more go. 

There were bike rides...

...followed by popsicles....

PS it was 75 degrees outside - just in case you were wondering why we were letting a toddler do outdoor activities and eat popsicles.

And then once Uncle Allen got to town - it was all about play doh!

They're pretty cute together :)

I caught this picture mid-action shot, and I laugh every time. She's trying to blow the play-doh out of the tube!

Then, Brooklyn decided to change activities (naturally), so Allen and I did some serious animal building. I mean toothpicks and dinosaurs were involved. ....we're pretty talented. 

Thanksgiving morning I woke up early to prep breakfast. For the past few years now I've been prepping a big breakfast for the family to watch during the parade! It's tradition :) This year breakfast didn't need to be as big since Brent wasn't there (he likes to eat), but that's okay. I still had fun :)

bacon tot casserole // monkey bread // pumpkin scones

And then after carb loading - this was our parade/nap position...

Including Easton, there are four people snuggled on this couch :)

Then after breakfast digested....it was time to eat again! 

Me and the cutest little pumpkin there ever was.

Post lunch, we took Brooklyn to the park (and she fell asleep on the way there) and then after she went to bed, the family settled in for the newest Hallmark movie and hot cocoa. We're big Hallmark people. In case you haven't noticed. 

Also - I bought those jammie pants I told you about at my last Sip and Shop Saturday, and I'm in love! They are so incredibly soft - and festive! In fact I'm wearing them right now, too :) $15, people. Oh so worth it.

Friday we went to breakfast at Cracker Barrel, and then the girls did a little black Friday shopping! First stop was Target - where someone decided the cart was her personal throne :)

PS note her new shoes - she's pretty proud of them. And she'll tell you so. 

And, of course, there was a stop at Dunkin Donuts. My parents keep this place in business. I wish I was kidding, but my mother knows the life story of the guy who works the drive thru. I can only wonder how many people she angered behind her in line to learn such story :)

I so love my mom in this picture. 

And then it was more play time with this cutie :)

Friday night Amy and I stayed up waaay too late watching the Baylor-TCU rivalry. Why? I'm not sure, because thanks to some ridiculously disgusting weather, the score was 14-14 for THREE HOURS. And unfortunately, after double overtime, the Bears didn't get a win this week. Wamp wamp. #lifeasabear

_____

And that was our week! I love spending time with my family. Normally I get all teary when I leave, but this year, I'll see them the next few weekends in a row! So no tears this year, just looking forward to next weekend!

And just like that, pumpkin Thanksgiving season is over.  Tomorrow - we begin CHRISTMAS SEASON!!!!!! See you soon :)

Until next time,
Katy

Pumpkin Scones

Goooood morning!

Well, I am up like a crazy fool doing some online Black Friday shopping. We thought about full-on embracing the crazy and going shopping with the masses, but with my mom still sick and my sister on the brink of birth...we decided online was the way to go. 

SO, I'm sitting in my new jammies, drinking a large cup of coffee, online sale-ing (shopping makes it sound like it's full price), and sharing with you my last pumpkin recipe of the season. 

Did you just cry a little? Thought so. 

But alas, the pumpkin season is coming to an end. For the future it's all things red (velvet) and green. I wanted to do something "big" as my last recipe, so I give you....

Pumpkin Scones

And holy pumpkin spice are these babies delicious.

For some reason, the thought of making a scone terrified me. Maybe because it's English? Cakes, muffins, breads - I'm all over it. But scones? Woah there. That gets complicated. So naturally I waited until I got to my parents' house and made my dad help me :)

Come to find out - scones ain't no big deal. They're basically like a homemade biscuit with glaze on top. We can do that, people. That we can do. 

PS don't let the amount of ingredients fool you. It's really not hard at all.

What You'll Need

for the biscuit 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

 1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter (cold)

1/2 cup pumpkin

3 tablespoons milk 

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

for the base glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp milk 

for the spiced glaze

I cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tbsp milk 

What You'll  Do

  Mix the first nine ingredients (from the flour to the salt) in a large bowl

Cut up the butter into small cubes, and using your hand, mix the butter into the flour mixture until it's a crumbly mix

In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin, milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour over flour mixture until it creates a batter.

Put a little flour on a cutting board, and knead the dough until usable. Roll the dough into a rectangle that is about 1-inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 triangles. 

Place the triangles onto a cookie sheet lines with parchment paper, and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes

Allow the scones to cool (at least ten minutes) before glazing. Mix the base glaze and pour over the scone, then mix the spiced glaze and drizzle on top.

_____

The worst part? Waiting for those dang scones to cool. 

My dad and I were actually pacing around the kitchen. It happened. 

Seriously, y'all. These are so good. My dad and I took a bite and just looked at each other. No words needed. We knew this was a keeper. 

Enjoy!

Until next time,
Katy

What's Up Wednesday

It's the day before Thanksgiving! 

Tomorrow we'll all be lounging around, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, completely stuffing our faces, sitting in a food coma, and scoping out the black Friday sales. 

...or at least that's what's on my agenda. 

Since today is the last Wednesday of the month I'm linking up for a little What's Up Wednesday action!

What I've been eating this month...

All things pumpkin. October and November mean all things pumpkin before I switch to all things red (velvet) and green in December. We've been eating:

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cookies // Butter Pumpkin Cookies

 

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

And on FRIDAY I'll be sharing my last pumpkin recipe of the season...and let me tell you. I'm going out with a bang. Stay tuned :)

What I'm Loving

My life this week. I'm home at my parents' house all week and I am just really enjoying the heck out of it. I sleep in. I eat every hour. I read for hours on end. I watch movies (both Hallmark and cinema) until I'm sore from sitting. I bake/cook with my mom and dad. AND I just get to hang out with the best family ever. Amy and Brooklyn came in yesterday and Allen comes in tomorrow - so the original five will all be back together again. Holidays are just pure blessings.

What I've Been Up To

 Let's see...this has been a busy month! We celebrated my nephew Easton...

Blue Bell and Red Cups are back...

I bought my first pair of jeans in over a decade....

I was a really bad girlfriend when Baylor lost to OU....

And Lisa and I went and saw Sound of Music and laid down in the middle of the balcony floor just to get a good picture. 

So it's been a good month :)

What I'm Dreading...

Well this is easy. Busy season. When you're in public accounting (the audit field), the holidays are bittersweet. They're sweet for obvious reasons, and they're bitter for the fact that we will have absolutely no life for approximately the first 3-4 months of the year. Busy season starts in a little over a month. Cue dread. 

Can you hear that? It's the symphony of moans from all my colleagues. 

What I'm Excited About...

DECEMBER. 

Take your average level of excitement when it comes to Christmas - and multiply it by like eight. I'm completely and utterly obsessed and overjoyed about Christmas. And I may or may not turn into a giddy child in December. I currently have the biggest smile on my face. 

I'm doing something a little different this December and I'm pretty dang excited about it. Check back on Monday and I'll tell you alllll about it. Again with the smiles. So much joy. 

What I'm Watching/Reading

If you've been around here at all the past month, you know I'm watching a ridiculous amount of Hallmark movies. The Hallmark Channel has been airing all of their new holiday movies each Saturday and Sunday nights in November...and.I.have.watched.them.all. That's also probably why I've been a little more sleep deprived than usual this month...

What I'm reading? Okay okay I totally missed the November book review this past month (I blame the Hallmark movies) but I plan to do one in December! A few months ago, my friend Lauren sent me a screen shot of this book and I've been making myself wait until this week to read it. See? I have a little holiday discipline...

This is the first of a three book series, and book two is already out! I've read two Elin Hilderbrand books in the past and loved them, so I'm sure this will be a back to back situation :)

What I'm Listening To...

OKAY FINE I'M ALREADY LISTENING TO CHRISTMAS MUSIC. 

Below is my Christmas playlist I posted last year. So naturally these are my initial go-tos at the beginning of every Christmas-singing-season!

 What I'm Wearing...

Oversized sweaters. Puffer Vests. Blanket Scarfs. Boots. 

Rinse and Repeat. 

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month...

EEEEEEEEEEEEEKS!!!!!!!

I'm looking forward to (finally) meeting my future nephew Easton!! He makes his debut in approximately 2.5 weeks and I'm so stinking excited!! Nine months is a long time to anticipate a baby... says the aunt who has had zero bodily changes since the announcement that the child was coming - you got this sis!

And I'm just looking forward December. The new thing I'm trying (that I'll tell you about Monday). The hustle and bustle. The ridiculous amount of Christmas movies (shout out to abc Family). Red velvet everything. Twinkling, glittery everything. I'm just pumped. You would think I'm an elf. And by December 25th I might just be one. Someone be on the lookout for pointy ears. 

And that's what's up!! I will not be blogging tomorrow (I really don't think y'all want my two cents on the Macy's parade after seven helpings of monkey bread) - so I will see you back here on Friday! 

HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

You are beautiful and you are blessed, so be thankful. Focus on it tomorrow and try to remember it for the next 12 months until we focus on it again :)

Until next time,

Katy  

Sip and Shop Saturday

...it is 43 degrees outside. 

You know how I've been constantly griping about how it was hot until like...yesterday? Well it's not anymore. Now it's quite chilly. And I'm already a hermit. One day in and I'm a hermit. 

SO - what better to do on a freezing cold Saturday morning than another rendition of...

Sip and Shop Saturday!

If you didn't join us last time, here are your instructions:

1) Grab a large cup of warm coffee, cocoa, tea....whatever

2) Dress in all things warm and cozy and sit on all things soft and fluffy

3) Check out some of my recent fashion finds... and purchase if you so please!

Got it? Good. Let's begin. 

 

Sherpa-Lined Vest -- J Crew Factory

I absolutely adore this vest. I've been eyeing it for quite sometime, and guess what? SALE ALERT! This cozy little nugget was originally $128 - and it's now on sale for $49. That's over 60% off! I have a rule that if something is over 50% off, and you really really want it, it's a must buy :) Makes total sense right? I mean pair this puppy with some skinnies, a scarf and some boots and you're all kinds of set for this newfound cold weather. I mean it's wool. Hello warm. Shop it here.

Plaid Jammie Pants -- Target

I love pajama pants. This could go back to the hermit thing and possibly be simply for the fact that I don't like to leave the house when it's cold, because I never actually sleep in them. BUT - nevertheless I love them. And how cute are these!? And so Christmassy! And....wait for it.... $15. That's the equivalent of three Starbucks holiday drinks. Use your keuring - these pants are worth it.

And what better to wear with festive pants other than a festive shirt!

Baby It's Cold Outside Tee -- Oliver and Otis

"I really can't staaaaay..." "I've gotta go awaaaaaay...."

That song is totally in your head right now, isn't it? I mean let me just set this up for you. On Christmas morning I fully intend to be wearing the jammie pants above and this shirt. And I'm so stinking excited. How many days til Christmas again? Shop it here.

OH - and when I went to grab this link I came across this shirt that literally made me laugh out loud. I love Oliver and Otis :)

Pssssst....you should be halfway through your sipping by now!

BP Fringe Scarf - Nordstrom

So, I've shared this scarf with you on my Friday Favorites, but this is your friendly reminder because I'm just that obsessed with it. And I get compliments on it each and every time I wear it. And it's $20. And it's so soft and cozy. And it comes in 7 different colors. And you really need to buy it because you just really should. I mean I just want what's best for you :)

"Effortless Sweatpants" -- Calia

I.Am.Dying.For.These.Sweatpants. 

So lets talk about holiday weight, shall we? Right after (or three days after) a large meal - leggings aren't going to cut it. My legs shoved in spandex is just a no go. I mean I appreciate the containment of the jiggle, but I need room to breathe. BUT wearing large airy sweatpants just makes me feel frumpy. But.look.at.these. The best of both worlds! Slim(mer) fit than frump pants, and cuffed at the bottom for containment - BUT you have room to move. And that is a praise. I'm just so way overly excited about these pants.

Okay fine, plus I feel like I'll look more like Carrie Underwood if I wear them cause they're her brand. There. Fine. I said it. Happy? :)

And there you have it! A little sip and shop Saturday. To see last month's S&SS adventures, click here. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Until next time,
Katy

Got time?

So let me tell you a little story...

On Sunday night, I crawled in bed around 9:30. My plan was to watch Quantico (duh) and then go to bed around 10:15. That way I could wake up early Monday, work out, spend time with Jesus, and really just start my week off right. 

SO, I watch Quantico (such a good show), and then grabbed my phone. You know - that whole 'I'm bored for literally half of a nano second so I'm going to subconsciously grab my phone and mindlessly open up social media apps' grab. You know the grab.

Next thing I know, it's 11:30. ELEVEN.THIRTY. Remember that whole 10:15 bedtime thing? So naturally I snoozed through my early alarms, missed the workout, missed the Jesus time, and barely got to work on time. I hate disheveled Mondays. 

So while I was driving to work, I was thinking about what on EARTH I did until 11:30. I don't remember a single thing I looked at on social media. Not a picture, not an article....nuthin'. Now -this is not the part of the story where I tell you I deleted all my social media apps and am only using my phone as a communication device... let's be real. 

But I really started to think about where my time goes. How do I spend my time? Wisely? Or do I waste a whole lot of valuable time...and then complain about being overloaded and busy later? And I'm not talking about down time - everyone needs down time. I'm just talking about the wasted time. 

I told y'all a long time ago about one of my favorite devotional books called The Best Yes, by Lysa Terkeurst. This is one of my favorite quotes from the book:

That quote done slapped me upside the head. If making every day decisions about how I spend my time ultimately determines how I spend my soul...then I need to make conscious and wise decisions. 

So - I decided to take a look at how my time is spent. Day to day is too cumbersome, but monthly just doesn't paint a real picture. I decided to look at a week's worth of time. And to do that, I naturally busted out an excel spreadsheet. Numbers are my thing. And excel is my bestie. 

Disclaimer: this is realistic - but also in a perfect world. What do I mean by that? I don't work out 4 hours a week. That is exactly what I mean. I would like to, so I'm going to allocate hours to that, but heavens no, I do not do that currently.
firststepisadmission

So I could tell you how I determined/calculated these hours - but then I realized you probably don't really care. SO - I'll skip to what I've learned from this little 5-minute exercise. 

1) I need to find a job/church closer to home. Spending 12 hours each week in a car just doing normal everyday things is a bit ridiculous. 

2) I spend more time watching TV than I do loving on Jesus. And the 6 hours does not include the seasonal Hallmark Christmas movies...

3) I have 11 extra hours a week (approximately an hour and a half each day) that I don't know what I do with. 

And I'm not saying I need to schedule them out. I'm more just amazed that every night I feel rushed, exhausted, and like I got nothing accomplished. So maybe if I paid a little more attention to my daily decisions and how I spend my time, then I would get a little more done and feel a little less guilty about curling up with that Hallmark movie... :)

SEE!? This. So much of this. Wasted time: Exhibit A

Now, you may be chuckling that I'm talking about time management when we're a month out from the holidays. I'm not suggesting to move mountains here. I even appreciate a good 'hustle and bustle.' All I'm saying is I'm going to keep reminding myself of those 11 hours and make an effort not waste them. 

What's your number?

Until next time,
Katy

Weekend Wrap-Up

Heh. What a weekend. 

Soooo a little back story if you're new here. I went to Baylor, and my boyfriend (Jeff) went to OU. This past weekend Baylor and OU played each other. It wasn't our first rodeo, we went up to Norman for Baylor vs OU last year, but in my personal opinion, last year's game had a better outcome :)

Let's just start from the beginning...

First stop on Saturday is, was, and will always be - Common Grounds!

Once coffee was in hand, we headed to the Magnolia silos, and saw that hundreds of our friends had the exact same idea we did! I mean I'm talking blocks...and blocks...and blocks of people. SO - we decided to pass on that and headed back to campus to check out the homecoming floats since the HC parade was rained out last month. 

And then of course, though no one asked, we also judged them. 

 Oh and hey look!!! Fountain Mall now actually has a FOUNTAIN. Imagine that :)

After walking around campus (and really hoping for an unlocked door to Waco Hall), we headed to George's because....well because that's what you do. And who did we meet there? 

Loved getting to catch up with this one. And plan our future shenanigans :) Then, after what took way too long!, this one also showed up!

Just in case you wondered, this is exactly what we looked like every night of senior year. 

After a while, Jeff and I left and headed to tailgate to hug the necks of so many people I miss dearly and only ever see on game days. These fools being two of them :)

 OH and Jeff became besties with Allyson (because we randomly see her everywhere), but she didn't want to be besties with him Saturday due to his shirt. But he didn't seem to care either way....

And yes, Jeff's hair is wet. We for sure got rained on starting about 6 pm and lasting until about 11 pm. I'm literally sore from 5 hours of shivering. 

Aaaaaaand then this was probably the last moment the two of us smiled in each other's vicinity for a very long time.

See that smile on the right? It didn't know it had another thing coming....

One of my favorite things about being back at Baylor? Running into old friends. It's like a reunion around every corner - full of squeals and hugs :)

So we went into the game and headed to our seats. Which, wait for it, were in the OU SECTION. I mean, I can't complain too much because they were free, but gracious. That was rough. But it was only rough for about 45 seconds of the game because that's how long I lasted before I abandoned Jeff and went and watched with fellow Baylor fans.
#girlfriendoftheyear #whatdoyouwantfromme

But the good news is I got to sit and spend some quality time with this girl. 

Paige was one of my best friends at Baylor. We got each other through accounting (but really...we did). Then she got all married up and moved to Maryland with her hubs, so it was good to just hang out. Not to mention - thanks to her I now understand the whole first down situation. That was like incomprehensible to me. So many people have tried to explain it, but this girl - this girl speaks Katy. 

Hey, so then Baylor lost. First loss of the season. First loss at McLane. All my boyfriend's fault. And to my boyfriend's school. What a way to go. Most people would probably be like, "oh, but if you have to lose, at least it's to his school." Yeah, no. Not my rationale at the time. 

I told my dad it was like getting your car dinged for the first time. It's both painful and a relief. BUT when you don't know who dinged your car, you have to get over it. When you know who dinged your car, it hurts worse and lasts longer. And this time I know who dinged my car. Jeffrey OU dinged my car. 

:)

I can laugh about this now/make fun of myself but I was such a sore loser and Jeff was such a patient (and silent) winner. You da best, babe.

So now Baylor has won on OU turf, and OU has won on Baylor turf. Jeff said that makes next year's game that much more exciting. To which I told him he will be flying solo.
#notcutoutforrivalry

We originally had plans to go up to Norman this weekend and watch OU play TCU, of which I was going to be the supportive girlfriend and root for OU. Now the thought of wearing dark red and off-white "crimson and cream" makes me want to say profanities. We'll see how much good girlfriend mojo I can muster up before next Saturday :)

All in all it was a great weekend with so many of my favorite people. And the team that played the best won the game. I will most definitely give them that. I honestly just don't think I'm used to caring about a football game. That's what I get for really embracing sports these days. It's like I just have all these new emotions and don't know what to do with them!

So until I figure that out, I'll just make all my pictures with Jeff black and white.
We're pretty cute neutral. :) 

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Until next time,
Katy

Linking up here and here