How I Spent My End-Of-Year Break

Glad New 12 months, associates! Very long time, no “see”! I had such an awesome end-of-year break, and even took an extended break than normal. It wasn’t actually deliberate, however I felt myself winding down and shedding concentrate on house-related tasks about midway by December, after which after I wrote my How Did I Do On My 2023 Dwelling Targets? put up, it simply felt like a pure near my running a blog yr.

My longer break was unbelievable! I didn’t do even one single home-related challenge. I didn’t even give my home-related tasks a thought. I used to be targeted on different issues, and decided to carry off on consuming my thoughts with ideas of home-related issues till after the start of the brand new yr.

Right here’s how I spent my time over these final two weeks.

As soon as once more, identical to at Thanksgiving once we do a really non-traditional brunch, we didn’t have a conventional Christmas meal. This yr, we selected Mexican (or most likely extra Tex-Mex) meals. My mother made an exquisite Tex-Mex-inspired casserole, together with refried beans, Mexican rice, tortillas. However my absolute favourite was a hominy casserole that she made.

Right here is the recipe. I believe a lot of it would be best to save this because it’s fast and straightforward to make, and an awesome facet dish for a crowd.

Oleo. 😀 That cracks me up. I all the time know that any recipe that my mother has that requires oleo virtually assuredly got here from my grandmother. 😀 Clearly, I’d swap that out for some actual butter. Nevertheless it’s tremendous easy and so scrumptious!

One other favourite recipe from this yr is one which I made referred to as Saltine Cracker Toffee. Have y’all had this wonderful marvel? I went to a Christmas social gathering and this was one of many many desserts, and I used to be amazed at how scrumptious the toffee was. Once I requested the hostess if she made it and the way it was made, she began out with, “Effectively, first you line a pan with saltine crackers…” She’s 92 years outdated, and I instantly thought, “Oh, poor factor didn’t perceive my query.” 😀

Effectively, she understood simply wonderful! This toffee is made with saltine crackers! I got here residence and googled the recipe in order that I may make it for our Christmas meal. And it’s additionally tremendous easy to make and tastes wonderful. However whereas that recipe says to carry the brown sugar to a boil for 3 minutes, I didn’t try this as a result of my pal, the hostess of the social gathering I went to, mentioned that she solely heats it sufficient to soften the butter and blend the sugar and butter collectively rather well. In order that’s what I did. No boiling. And it turned out wonderful!

I bought into my train routine

I made it some extent to get into an train routine throughout my break, and I bought a lot use out of our residence fitness center! I really feel higher popping out of this vacation season than I ever have up to now. I bought a lot use out of my rebounder, my rower, and my kettle bell.

I’ll progressively work in the entire different stuff, however for now, not less than I’ve a fundamental each day routine that I can persist with. I’ve been fairly in step with it during the last couple of weeks, so simply moving into that each day behavior is a large step.

Not solely did I do these issues within the fitness center, however I additionally began strolling day by day. Keep in mind how I instructed y’all final yr that I’d like to have a strolling monitor in our again yard? A couple of folks questioned if that’s really one thing I’d use, and I’m right here to let you know that I’d undoubtedly use it! I did laps usually round our again yard, and each time, I assumed how a lot simpler it could be on my ft and shins if I had a stage, easy floor to stroll on.

So now that I’ve established this strolling routine, I’m rather more critical about this imaginative and prescient for our again yard that features a strolling path!

I made a ton of jewellery!

My obsession with making necklaces is unquestionably slowing down. I’ve gotten most of it out of my system, however solely as a result of I’ve actually bought the entire beads that I like from JoAnn Materials, Michael’s, and Pastime Foyer, and there’s nowhere else to go on this metropolis. I’ve bought a couple of issues from Fireplace Mountain Gems on-line, and I even have an order on the way in which proper now. However I believe it’s far more enjoyable to buy domestically and be capable of see the entire beads proper there in entrance of me, and contact them, and maintain them. Shopping for on-line isn’t almost as enjoyable for me.

So by the point I began winding down, I had virtually 90 necklaces. 😀

Once I solely had about 20 or 30, I used to be storing the necklaces on this drawer in our lavatory, and it labored out simply wonderful.

However now that I’ve so many, there’s no approach I can match all of those in a drawer. So I’ve been attempting to provide you with a storage resolution that makes them straightforward to see. I believe I’ll make one thing utilizing a dowel rod that sits on high of the counter like this. That approach, as soon as we’ve got our bed room with our wall of IKEA wardrobes, I can simply switch the necklaces onto a shelf in a type of wardrobes in order that they’re handy, however hidden behind doorways.

However I additionally moved on from doing solely necklaces to creating earrings. I began off making tremendous easy earrings like this. These had been offered as birthstone pendants, and I believe that that is the one for October. It’s not my birthstone, however I can’t go up one thing that pink and tremendous sparkly…

However I rapidly moved on to more difficult designs, and realized that this cluster design is my absolute favourite to make. I like how they appear on as effectively, however they’re simply so enjoyable to make. I benefit from the course of a lot!

So I ended up making a couple of pairs of this type. I made these with these iridescent stones. I can’t keep in mind what they’re referred to as.

These gold nugget cluster earrings had been the primary cluster earrings that I made.

In all I made six pairs of cluster earrings. Listed below are 5 of them.

However these are my absolute favourite. I attempted to carry them up, however Felicity was very curious.

So you possibly can see them right here. They’re like clusters of enjoyable and happiness on my ears! 😀 And there are such a lot of colours in there that they’ll go along with so many summer time outfits!

Y’all, I took some critical benefit of on-line gross sales this yr. I imply, I grew to become a buying fanatic. I purchased a lot of footwear, pants, sweaters. I couldn’t cease! These gross sales had been calling me! 😀

Since I’m not a style blogger, y’all could not now this about me. However I like footwear a lot!!! If I lacked all self-control, I’d be shopping for new footwear each single day. I LOVE SHOES! So listed here are the brand new footwear I purchased whereas profiting from wonderful gross sales.

First, I purchased three new pairs of Franco Sarto footwear. Franco Sarto is certainly one of my high two favourite manufacturers of footwear. I want I may purchase all of them, however I caught to those pink (fake) patent leather-based Mary Jane flats, these tri-color lug sole loafers with tassels, and these black (fake) patent leather-based lug sole loafers.

Have I ever instructed y’all how a lot I like lug sole loafers?

And I like fairly particulars as effectively, like this silver detailing on the backs of those tri-color loafers.

My second favourite model of footwear is Keds. Sure, Keds. And I purchased two pairs of Chelsea boots (that are so comfy!), and a few pairs of footwear for spring and summer time.

I like Keds as a result of they’re consistently doing collaborations with Rifle Paper Firm, which produces such enjoyable, colourful patterns. The footwear within the image under are my all-time favourite Keds I’ve ever bought. These colourful embroidered floral footwear are from about two seasons in the past, and I nonetheless like to put on them. I have to get these cleaned up and prepared for spring!

After which lastly, I bought myself a brand new pair of brown boots with chunky heels.

I virtually by no means purchase footwear at full value. I await wonderful gross sales, I search and search to see who has the bottom value, after which I pounce. 😀 For instance, these cute little Franco Sarto Mary Janes had been $115 on the Franco Sarto web site.

I don’t like paying over $100 for a pair of footwear if I don’t should, so I searched and searched, and located that Belk was having an AMAZING vacation sale on footwear. So I bought them for round $50. That’s simply how I store, y’all! 😀 You’ll not often discover me paying full value for something like that. I’m too low cost for that!

I additionally found a model of denims that truly suits me!! I don’t know if any of you might have the identical downside I’ve, however all of my life, I’d had hassle discovering denims that match me correctly.

Effectively, for some purpose, the Fb algorithm began feeding me advert after advert for a model referred to as Judy Blue. It’s a model that isn’t offered in massive shops, evidently. So I began getting advertisements with movies of girls from varied boutique clothes shops raving about their Judy Blue jeans, and these had been ladies of all sizes, which gave me hope. They’re all speaking about how wonderful they match, how stretchy and comfy they’re, and on and on. So I lastly gave in and acquired some.

Effectively, I can attest that they’re AMAZING!!! I like them a lot that I’m fairly certain I ended up shopping for about 10 pairs from varied on-line shops. I imply, Fb has me dialed in now, they usually feed me ALLLLL of the Judy Blue advertisements. And I like them a lot that I’m tempted to purchase all of them! This retailer, Moco Boutique, is the primary place I’ve bought them (on sale, in fact!), and their descriptions are very correct so far as sizing. So for those who’re like me, and you’ve got hassle discovering denims that match correctly, you would possibly strive Judy Blue! I nonetheless should hem each pair I get as a result of I’m solely 5 ft tall, however I’m used to that. 😀

And yet one more factor. I found one other new-to-me on-line retailer that I can’t get sufficient of. It’s referred to as Quince, and I stored getting advertisements for this retailer on Instagram. They lastly wore me down, and I ordered certainly one of their $50 cashmere sweaters. This black V-neck Mongolian cashmere sweater was the primary one I ordered.

I beloved it SO MUCH, that I ended up shopping for three extra! I now have this sweater in black, navy blue, cream, and crimson. I want they might make it in patterns! I’d purchase all of them! They’re so smooth and comfy to put on. They’re heat with out being too heavy, particularly for the kind of “winter” we get right here in central Texas. However since they’re not tremendous thick, they’re additionally nice for layering. You may put a shirt beneath it, and a blazer over it for those who dwell in colder areas. I must be clear that I’ve by no means seen something at this on-line retailer go on sale, however their costs are already very affordable for the standard you get. Try their buyer evaluations. On virtually each merchandise I’ve checked out, there are various evaluations and a 4.8 or greater ranking.

I used to be so impressed with these sweaters that I branched out and bought this one as effectively. I completely LOVE it! This a a lot thicker and heavier sweater than their cashmere sweaters.

So anyway, that about wraps up my end-of-year break — time with household, nice meals, hours and hours making necklaces and earrings, approach an excessive amount of on-line buying, discovering my new favourite model for jeans, and discovering a brand new favourite on-line clothes retailer.

Do you discover what’s lacking? Films. I solely watched one Christmas rom-com, thought it was silly, and determined I’d slightly spend my time on different issues. 😀 However sufficient of all of that. Now it’s time to show my consideration again to deal with tasks and get stuff performed! I’m so enthusiastic about what this yr has in retailer.

Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I transform and beautify the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do nearly all of the work on the home on my own. You’ll be able to study extra about me right here.