Five Loves on Friday // Favorite Traditions, Family Fun, and Sweets with my Sweets!

Happy Friday, friends!  I hope you're having a wonderful week!  I'm really looking forward to capturing mine here today and sharing the sweet deets with you!  Let's get right to the good stuff, shall we?

*Loves listed in chronological order. ;)

One  //  Christmas Light Night with my Loves

One of my favorite annual family traditions happens each December when we devote an evening to driving around looking at Christmas lights, listening to Christmas music, and savoring spoonfuls of sweet treats (my favorite is DQ's candy cane chill blizzard - yum)!  It always makes for such a fun and festive family night out!  I especially appreciate the time and thoughtfulness my husband puts into making this a special night as he knows it's one of my favorites of the year.  He spent the afternoon finding new songs and customizing a fantastic playlist for our evening, searched out the homes in the area that put on the best displays syncing up music to their own radio frequency so you can tune in and watch the lights dance to the beat, and even took our Explorer through the car wash so we'd all have the best possible view!  I am so thankful that Jason always goes out of his way to make this beloved tradition a spectacular one!  We soaked up every beautiful bit of the evening and returned home with light hearts and new memories!

Two  //  Dinner and Extended Anniversary Celebration with my Parents

My parents have been wanting to have us over for dinner to hear more about our 20th wedding anniversary trip.  Illness and schedules prevented it from working out on one end or the other, until this week.  The time together was worth the wait!  My parents prepared a yummy chili cheese dog bar with all the fixings followed by desserts galore.  We shared stories, laughed to the point of happy tears, and were given the thoughtful gift of money to go out and celebrate some more!  My parents also found a vintage Disney World 25th anniversary tin a while back and saved it to fill with goodies for a special occasion such as this.  We thoroughly enjoyed this special evening together! 

Three  //  Hallmark Girls Day with my Sweet Sister

It's no secret that I love heartwarming Hallmark movies!  My oldest daughter and my sister also share a mutual adoration for them which sparked a new tradition - Girls Hallmark Movie Day!  We spent a full day cozied up side by side wrapped in soft Christmas blankets, laughing, getting misty eyed, cheering, and snacking while we marathoned our way through three fantastic new flicks.  It was easily one of my favorite days, not just of December, but the entire year!  Good eats, great entertainment, and the best company makes for an unforgettable day!

I invite you to pop back by my blog tomorrow for a special Saturday post dedicated to a super simple, yet oh-so-yummy breakfast I prepped for our time together.  If you're a fan of Christmas themed sweets that are as cute as they are easy to prep, you're not going to want to miss it!

Four  //  Christmas Package + Early Christmas Gift Goodness

Since I don't share the girls' real names on the blog I covered them on the adorable ornament on the top left, but it does indeed list all our names.  We couldn't love it more! :)

My incredibly thoughtful and equally talented friend Chrissy sent my family an amazing Christmas package this week!  She had us open four gifts now to enjoy during the Christmas season, and included more to tuck under our tree for Christmas morning.  Check out these magical gifts!  She ordered the darling personalized ornament on Etsy.  The Maleficent ornament is from the awesome Disney Sketchbook ornament line.  The pom pom Mickey ornament and Mickey snowman she both handmade herself!  Aren't they super cute?!  Until Christmas morning the packages wrapped up in Christmas donut paper sure are looking "sweet" under under our tree!  Thanks again, Chrissy!  You never cease to amaze me with your awesomeness, attention to detail, and care!

She also made the Mickey snowman faux snow globe seen in the bottom left and gifted it to us for Christmas 2016.  You can find her full tutorial for it here.

Five  //  Mini Dessert Date Night

Wednesday evening Jason had music practice for the Christmas Eve service at our church.  His practice began at 7:45pm, but our girls needed to be there at 7:00 for youth group.  What was he to do with those 45 minutes to spare?  He spent it sweetly, inviting me out on a "mini date".  I so enjoyed chatting with him between sips of another seasonal favorite, Chick-Fil-A's peppermint chocolate chip shake.  A date doesn't need to be extravagant or even a full evening to be special.  Taking time out of any day to give and receive the undivided attention of your love is a priceless gift.  I know this time of year can be extra busy, but I'd encourage you to take a "mini date" with someone you love soon too!  Your day and theirs will be richer for it!

Thanks so much for stopping by my nook of the web today!  Hope you'll be back tomorrow for a sweet "recipe" for a Christmasy breakfast that will bring smiles and holiday cheer to those you hold "deer"! ;)

Join me in the adventures to come!

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I appreciate each comment, & "like"! They let me know that you enjoyed what you read, which makes it worth sharing! ;)  

Five Loves on Friday // Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas ALL in One Week!

Happy first Friday of November!  This has been such a full week filled with festive fun!  We celebrated an early Thanksgiving, a Halloween of firsts, and kicked off the Christmas season!  Needless to say this is a Five Loves post I'm giddy about writing!  Thanks so much for stopping by to read it!  Holiday cheer straight ahead...

One  //  Thanksgiving 2018

We celebrated Thanksgiving a month early with Jason's side of the family as several travel plans made it too tricky to work out gathering together next month.  It was such a lovely day together in my in-laws beautiful home.  We enjoyed a delicious turkey that Jason smoked overnight, along with several sensational sides my mother-in-law prepared, and a delicious pumpkin pie freshly baked by my sister-in-law.  The only thing that rivaled the scrumptiousness was the time together, and the fabulous fall view (more on that soon).

Two  //  Walking in a Fall Wonderland

My in-laws' home in the country is like a fall dream!  I think I went for a walk around their place at least three times while there just to take in the beauty.  I've always been partial to bright red and orange foliage and they had plenty of prettiness in those swoon-worthy shades.

My sweet girls took a stroll with me and posed for a cute picture (or ten) too.  This mom's heart was so full it could burst!

Three  //  Halloween 2018

Little One created her own Halloween costume this year!  We got her a new sewing machine over the summer and she's been putting it to good use and making her mama proud at the same time.  She sewed her dress and neck accessory and added a few extra touches to complete the look she fashioned after one of her favorite characters, seen on the pillow she's posed with in the photo below.

She didn't stop there with the Halloween creations, she also carved these two cat pumpkins too...

Halloween evening was gorgeous here!  It was in the upper 50s and the sky was lit beautifully for the occasion.  We enjoyed sitting outside on our front porch, passing out treats and visiting with neighbors, friends, and family who all stopped by to say, "Hello" and added to their sugar stash at the same time.

This was the first year that we didn't go out trick-or-treating ourselves and it couldn't have been a better evening at home  celebrating and creating spooktacular new memories!  I hope yours was every bit as sweet!

Four  //  New Phone

{via}

My awesome hubby hooked me up with a new phone this week!  My old iPhone 6 had two huge cracks, was running extremely slow, and the list could go on and on about how it'd seen better days.  We both got new iPhone XRs and are loving them!  I went with coral which was a special order color (at the location we purchased our phones from).  It was well worth the wait as it's oh so lovely!  I got a Kate Spade case for it that's half glittery, half clear, and entirely perfect for allowing me to admire the prettiness of the color along with a dose of sparkle.  I'm loving the phone's camera!  All the photos in this blog post were taken with it.  Pretty good for a phone, right?  The speakers are excellent too.  Want to know what I've been listening to on it?....

Five  //  Christmastime is Here!

I couldn't be any more excited that it's November, friends!  As Jason said when we were setting our wedding date, "November is a good month."  Indeed it is!  This month Jason and I will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary!  It's also the month we celebrate the anniversary of becoming parents, aka: our oldest daughter's birthday month.  Add in holiday cheer and it's absolutely the best time of year!  

Don't worry I don't skip Thanksgiving altogether.  Yesterday morning I swapped out all of my jack-o-lanterns and spooky sweet Halloween decor for turkeys and more fall touches throughout our home that speak of the thankfulness that fills our hearts during this month and all throughout the year.  Make no mistake about it though, every waking hour spent in my cozy home this month there will be either a Christmas movie or Christmas record playing despite the terrific turkey decor surrounding it.  Christmastime is definitely here and I embrace it wholeheartedly!  

Yes, Yes, Yes!

Attention fellow Hallmark loving friends!  Have you seen this app?  It not only tells you when each of the new 2018 Christmas movies premiere, it also helps you keep track of which ones you've watched.  It makes my list loving, Hallmark movie adoring heart skip a beat!

They also launched a new Hallmark Channel radio station on SiriusXM yesterday too!  I haven't had the opportunity to tune in yet, but look forward to listening soon.  If you've got a SiriusXM subscription you can find it on channel 70.

So, how about you?  Are you Team Christmastime or do you hold off on holiday cheer until later in the year?  I'd love to hear in the comment section below.  Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead!

Join me in the adventures to come!

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I appreciate each comment, & "like"! They let me know that you enjoyed what you read, which makes it worth sharing! ;)  

Five Loves on Friday

Happy Friday, friends!  So glad you could pop by for a visit!  I hope you've had a wonderful week!  If not, hang in there the weekend is just around the corner!  Before it arrives it's Five Loves time!

One  //  A Year of Botanical Beauty

For years now I've considered getting a family membership at a nearby botanical garden.  When we visit each July I always marvel at the loveliness and daydream of taking sweet strolls there more regularly.  Last weekend we attended a festival there and rather than purchasing single day tickets we bought an annual family membership.  I'm looking forward to filling the year ahead with much more botanical beauty!

Two  //  Japanese Ambience Festival

Now for what brought us to the gardens, the Japanese Ambiance Festival!  As a hobby my oldest has been learning Japanese and is very interested in their culture as well.  Over the summer we heard about a Japanese festival in the area and have been anticipating a fun family day at this event ever since!  This festival featured Japanese music, dance, archery, martial arts demonstrations, floral and bonsai displays, games, crafts, and more!

Disney friends, do you agree with my youngest daughter's observation that this bonsai looks like the Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom?  I definitely see the resemblance! 

Three  //  Takeout Tastiness

After the festival we picked up takeout from our favorite Chinese restaurant.  Jason and I have been following the ketogenic (low carb) diet since May (with the exception of vacation and a fun family splurge like this now and then) which made this deliciousness especially delightful!  

Four  //  Hallmark Channel's Fall Harvest Movie Countdown

Sunday and Monday the Hallmark Channel ran a countdown of their best fall flicks.  I loved tuning in when time allowed.  I especially enjoyed #2, the new this fall, Falling for You.  I'm still not sure how my all-time fall favorite, October Kiss, only scored the #6 slot.  Did anyone else get cozy with their favorite blanket and catch a movie or two?  If so I'd love to hear your favorite(s) in the comment section below!

Five  //  Handy Hubby to the Rescue

This little story will serve as both a cautionary tale and an excuse for me to gush over the goodness of my handy hubby (which I'm always tickled pink to do).  Earlier this week while removing the lint filter from our dryer I accidentally bumped something down the lint trap!  Whoops!  My husband took the entire back off of the dryer and was able to get it out, but what an avoidable mistake.  I'm so thankful Jason and his tool bag came to my aid.  Not only did he take care of the problem, he went above and beyond deciding to replace the dryer vent while he was at it!  My, what a guy, Jason! (Gaston has nothing on my man! ;))

Learn from my lesson, friends.  When you're removing lint from the filter be careful with any objects that you may have nearby.  It's always ideal if the back of your dryer can stay put allowing you to run that load of laundry without a tool bag getting involved. :)

Thanks so much for visiting today!  Happiest of weekend wishes to you!

Earlier this week at Chatting Over Chocolate:

Direct Link to Blog Post:  

Trip Report Tuesday - WDW Day 15

Join me in the adventures to come!

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I appreciate each comment, & "like"! They let me know that you enjoyed what you read, which makes it worth sharing! ;)