Happy Thursday!

I can’t believe it’s almost Friday and yet again it’s another week of one blog post! I promise I’m trying to get myself together and I do have a lot of fun Holiday posts coming (no gift guides, don’t worry!) so just bear with me a little 🙂

One of the sweet bloggers I follow, shared this fun question/answer game and one of the biggest things you guys constantly reach out to me about is getting to know me better (as if we’re that fun around here ;)) so I thought I’d join in! I’d love to hear your answers as well!

1. Real or Fake Tree? Real! We just got our Christmas tree and it’s my favorite thing to do all year! No joke! Give me all the fresh tree smells and colored lights!

2. Favorite Christmas Cookie? Frostbite cookies! They have the perfect amount of crunch with a good amount of white chocolate! I just realized I haven’t shared the recipe here.. stay tuned!

3. Home on Christmas Morning or Travel?  Home. We travel before Christmas so that we’re where we need to be on Christmas morning 🙂 we switch off every year between my family and my in laws.

4. Clear or Colored Lights?  Clear lights! Logan is more of a colored lights person (imagine that! #givehimallthecolor) and our first Christmas together – we got our real tree and…. colored lights! We’ve since switched to clear the last few years 🙂

5. Send Christmas Cards? Oh yes! We’ve sent them since our first Christmas! It’s so funny to see how we’ve changed over the years.. I’ve definitely gotten better with age (and 20 pounds lighter!) 😂

6. Favorite Christmas Present Received? All the gifts I receive, I love! It’s hard to pick just one. I’m hoping for the best present ever this year – isn’t everyone?! 😉

7. Favorite Christmas Present Given?  Gift giving is my love language – I don’t care if I receive one gift but i love making sure others have plenty 😍 One year my siblings and I surprised my Mama with a plane ticket to visit her bestie in Seattle – who she hadn’t seen in years! Her face, when she figured it out, was priceless!

8. Stockings or no stockings?  Yes ma’am! Logan and I exchange stockings – more so when St Nick comes early!

9. Christmas PJ’s? Oh yes – I mean, I’m all about the Christmas! We usually get Christmas pajamas with my Mama every year and I’m hoping we get some matching ones from my in laws too! Just so fun to match for the holidays.

10. Favorite Christmas carol?  Carol of the Bells.

11. Favorite Holiday Tradition?  The last 5+ years, Logan and I do a holiday show – usually the Grinch or a Christmas Carol! I just love getting dinner and enjoying the festivities! This year, Ashton and Ryan joined us and it was fun to share that!

12. Early Shopper or Last Minute?  Very early! I try to start shopping in July (yes I know it’s crazy!). I have 1 more gift to buy and I’m set to enjoy Christmas time!

13. Favorite Christmas Movie or Show?  Four Christmases or the Family Stone, although I cry all the time in that one.

14. Favorite Holiday Beverage?  Grasshoppers! My gf and I get them annually downtown and do a Christmas activity after!

15.Cookies and Milk for Santa?  We used to do this growing up and carrots for the reindeer. It was so fun to see a note from Santa and hear what we thought was him on the roof!

Thanks for reading along! Share a few of your answers in the comments below if you have a chance – I love learning more about you guys too!

Also – don’t forget, you have until December 10 to send me your picture (happilyevergriedls@gmail.com) for the front porch contest! Hopefully more of you have decorated by now and I can’t wait to see them all!

Have a great night!Kristi

I can’t believe we’re literally a day away from December! And also… it’s been 50-60 degrees! Winter is nowhere in sight and while I would usually be thankful for that.. I’m ready for snow! At least until January 1… then I’ll take all the 50-60 degree weather I can get! #neverhappens

This weekend was busy and slow at the same time but I realized i didn’t snap too many pictures! #busyenjoyingfamilytime

We ventured to my in laws for Thanksgiving and part of the weekend! It’s about a 5 hour drive so we don’t get down there very often! The last time we were there was June for the US Open!

We celebrated Thanksgiving by eating lots of food, watching football and going through the ads to see what we need!

Then us girls headed out for a little shopping later that night!

We headed to Shopko, Best Buy, Walmart (which wasn’t crazy – I mean, no lines!!), the outlets and Target!

… where we clearly found a bit of stuff! 😂

We headed home early – around 10 I think and relaxed for the night!

<<<<<<
, I headed out to shop a little at the outlets by myself before grabbing Logan and my SIL to join!

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hopping, my MIL met up with us (she worked!) and we enjoyed a quick margarita (I mean, I kind of enjoy these I think 😂) and my all time favorite queso!! Logan was with as well but didn’t want to be in the picture #shocker

Friday night, my MIL and myself held a Black Friday live sale for Lipsense (she was so obsessed with the products, she signed up too!) and it was so much fun! My recent favorite color is this Razzberry pink..

I mean, for real… obsessed!

We hung out a bit on Saturday (I did a little shopping with my SIL) and watched the Badgers kick some butt before giving an impromptu mini makeover on my SIL to share the Senegence makeup!

Don’t they look great?!?

We headed home and ended our weekend finding our Christmas tree!!

And it was so weird to pick it out in 50 degree weather with no snow! Reminded me of Christmases in Florida growing up 😊

We usually go to the Rum River Tree Farm and grab our tree – we even did engagement pictures there 3 years ago!

And I apparently wore the same flannel from Old Navy! 😂

But this year, we opted for the easy route! A tree lot from Rum River Tree Farm!

It was much easier and the trees were all so pretty!

After getting home and putting the tree up, Logan made a yummy pasta dish….

And homemade garlic cheese bread! 😍

Anyone who knows Logan, knows he isn’t a fan of pasta (I can’t believe it either!) so this was a nice surprise to enjoy!

There’s just something about seeing a Christmas tree when I wake up in the morning… and the smell helps as well!

It’s a shame he doesn’t like the tree at all 😂😉

That’s a wrap! How did you enjoy your holiday weekend?!

Y’all.. it’s less than a month until Christmas and I don’t know how that happened! I’m so sad when it’s over! I need to get all the Christmas in I can! 😍

Kristi

Happy Monday!

I feel like the only thing I post lately are these things! I promise I’ll be blogging more consistently and sharing some fun holiday tours/outfits/his and hers in the coming weeks!

But for now, let’s chat about my weekend!

My aunts came into town Friday to do some shopping at the outlets (and to our house, Friday night!).  This was special to me because they had never visited us since we’ve lived in the Minneapolis area (we’ve been here about 7.5 years!) and I don’t get chances to see them much throughout the year!

Friday night, we didn’t do a whole heck of a lot!  We caught up, ordered pizza and watched Daddy’s Home.  My cousin came as well – which was so great! She’s a bit younger than me at 18 years old and I hadn’t gotten to know her really well since they live in Michigan but the last few months I’ve chatted more with her and she’s just so sweet!

And pretty cute, right?! It must run in the family 😉

Saturday morning, we got up and got ready to go meet Ms. Nora!  My brother is about 40 minutes from us so it worked out well for them to see her!

After visiting for a bit (poor girl was a little bit cranky!) we headed to the other outlet mall before finishing up at Mall of America!

We stopped for a quick bite to eat and drink before hitting the mall!

After the mall, we headed home for some smoked chicken, pork chops and loaded baked potato casserole!  Thankfully the hubby did the cooking – ha!

We ended the night with a little Moana (my husbands favorite movie, no joke!!) before heading to bed!

My aunts’ flights were early Sunday morning – I mean, like leave the house at 5:45 am early – so I saw them off before heading back to bed!

We I spent the rest of the day decking the halls and resting a bit.

It really was such a fun weekend – too short as usual but I’m hoping we’ll be planning many more in the near future!

How was your weekend?!  I don’t know about you but I’m ready for a short week and lots of turkey!

Kristi

Hello and happy Monday!

I swear that is an oxymoron every time I say it.. but alas Monday is here and we’re ready to rock this week!

On another note – how cute is this #basic tee?!It’s from Prep Obsessed and I’m obsessed 🙂 it’s a perfect accessory to my usual PSL! 😉 but giiirl do I need to clean that mirror or what?!

This weekend was just so good that I need to share it so I can remember it in years to come!

Honestly… it wasn’t a crazy weekend – we didn’t leave town or do an insane amount of activities but that’s what made it the best!

Friday night, I headed out to the new Viking Stadium for a huge holiday boutique event!

I’m not kidding when I say huge! And out of all the boutiques, guess what I bought?! Homemade caramel corn and mix for wine slushes 🙂 clearly, you can see where my head was at!

Saturday, I headed out for errands after relaxing that morning with Logan! I had a few returns and some Christmas shopping to do but stopped by Kirkland’s for their big sale and y’all.. so good!

After getting ready quickly, we set out for a fun night with one of our favorite couples! First stop… (after the pharmacy!)

…front row for the Grinch at the Children’s Theatre downtown! We’ve been a few other times and it’s just always so fun! Speaking of the couple we went with..

Gosh, we just love them! 🙂

After the show, we stopped for dinner in Maple Grove and enjoyed good conversation and drinks! Perfect night, for sure! Looking forward to our next get together 🙂

Sunday, we meal planned, grocery shopped and cooked all day! Well… one of us cooked that is! We enjoyed a Packer win with plenty of food!

I mean… smoked Mac ‘n cheese, smoked cheese stuffed meatloaf, cheese curd mashed potatoes and some country fried steak!

If you watched my instastories at all (kristilynn531) then you saw a little glimpse into our cooking filled day 🙂 if not – go follow along and you’ll get a look!

I’ve had requests for the recipes above and I’ll definitely share those soon enough!

What did you do all weekend?! Have you started your holiday shopping?

Kristi

I swear the weekends go faster and faster every week!  And you know what else I can’t believe?! That Thanksgiving is in 3 weeks and then Christmas will be here before you know it!

I’m not complaining.. I LOVE Christmas (shocker, I know) but I’m always so sad when the Holiday season is over and it’s 365 days until the next!

So our weekend, you ask?! Mainly, I ask because I want to be able to look back at all this in many years to come and remember the little things 🙂

Friday night, we had a special dinner for friends before their wedding reception the next night!

At around 4:30 that afternoon, the snow starting falling and accumulating!  I love the snow (through Christmas, then it can go away along with the cold!) but when we have to go somewhere in it, I’m not a fan!

Thankfully the Mr drove us to and from because I really dislike driving in the snow!

We were able to relax a little bit on Saturday before heading to the Reception.  I shopped a little bit for some Christmas items…

And then we got some early happy hour drinks with friends before the reception.

The reception was a blast – it was with almost everyone from the wedding in Madeira!  We don’t all get together often with people living out of state, so any reason to celebrate together is a good time!

We danced…

chatted…

and just had so much fun!

I mean – doesn’t this look like a blast?!

And a few more… just because 🙂

I love these people!

Sunday was a day of rest.. thankfully! 

And also for queso.. 😍

How was your weekend?! What’s one thing you did that you loved?!

Kristi

Wow oh wow – y’all it’s been a while since I’ve shared anything in this little space! And honestly… im not beating myself up about it! Which is good, right?!

I thought I’d share a little bit about what we’ve been up to lately! 

This past weekend we had my family visit and it went by in a flash (don’t they all?!). On Friday afternoon, we headed to Mall of America for my nieces to ride on some rides!  We had intentions of letting Trinity go to Valleyscare but with the snow and frigid weather, we thought inside would be better!

We knocked out a little bit of shopping too!

And I’m so glad my nieces still like taking pictures with me! 🙂

We ended our trip with some Dip n Dots because we just love us some treats – especially anything like ice cream!

We headed home for some dinner and a Phase 10 whole we waited for my mom to get to town!

Saturday was so relaxing and nice to be with my whole family! 

We started the morning shopping at At Home for some holiday decor! And look who joined us?! 

I love that they have little areas set up for you to get some ideas! My Mom and Gayle have turquoise set up in their homes so they loved this little area! 

After shopping a little bit, we headed home to see my sweet little niece, Nora! My brother and SIL came up for a few hours with her so my other nieces could meet her!

And of course so I could snuggle her a bit 😉

So sweet to see my brother with her! 🙂

To say we’re all in love is an understatement! 

We ended the night with sinner at Chilis and some girl talk!

My family left the next morning and we headed down to Rochester to visit some friends that we hadn’t seen in forever! 

It was great to catch up with them and see the kids! 🙂

The other things on my agenda this week?! Christmas shopping!! I love getting my shopping done early so I can enjoy the whole month of December! I’m happy to say I only have a few people left 🙂 how about you?! An early shopper or last minute?

I haves really fun contest I’m going to share tomorrow on the blog – and the only way to enter is to send me a picture 😉 just wait and see!

Thanks for sticking around while I’ve been MIA lately! Have a great night!

Kristi