Christmas 2014

Happy day after the day after Christmas!

I can't believe Christmas is already over. It comes and goes so quickly - but luckily we're still feeling pretty festive here at the Mitchell home.

So I kind of failed at the whole "documenting Christmas" thing this year, but I did get a few scenes from what we did - I was just having too much fun celebrating the holiday!

Christmas Eve was super laid back - we spent most of the day cleaning for the guests that we'd have on Christmas Day. We also packed up the treats we made into boxes and distributed them to our friends. Reibs and I felt like Santa's elves delivering all of them!

Obviously, I can't figure out simple technology, because I still don't know how to rotate my pictures. Best blogger award goes to me!

Per tradition, we ate Chinese takeout for dinner! YUMMEH.

 The rest of the evening was spent wrapping gifts and watching Elf. It wasn't exactly the most festive night, but it was still pretty much our traditional Christmas Eve. I guess we just aren't party-ers?

Christmas morning began with stockings, opening a couple of presents, and starting breakfast!

Santa came! I guess i was good this year!

Breakfast menu: Yogurt + fruit + granola, Belgian waffles, hashbrown casserole, bacon, and eggs!

 After that, we opened presents!! Photographer fail. I got a snap of this adorable necklace my sister got me!

Bae came over too.

He's so sweet!!!

Then the family came over for Christmas dinner, gift exchange, and playing games.

 (Not pictured: my uncle, aunt, cousin, and Dad, who were all present - haha. Sorry guys!).

The next day, my grandparents were still over, and we spent the day hanging around and being lazy. It was lovely!

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It was quite a laid back Christmas this year, but still joyful nonetheless. I hope you all had a woooonnndderful Christmas/holidays as well! 

Christmas Survey!

It's Christmas Eve, people!!!!!

I actually woke up before 1pm today {read: 10am}, and I think going to bed, like, two hours earlier helped with that. And lots of coffee.

I didn't think I'd get anything else posted this week, but I found this survey and it's just too cute not to share. I'm pretty sure I did this one last year, but oh well!

K done babbling....let's talk Christmas. (PS. I copy and pasted which is why the font is different - I can't technology so just bear with me).

Egg Nog or hot chocolate?

Hot chocolate, always. I love it topped with marshmallows, and drinking it snuggled up under a blanket or sitting by the fire. I  also hate eggnog...cannot stand the stuff. Blech. 

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

He usually just sits them under the tree! My siblings and I loooved the surprise of what he brought us, so we never peeked. But as we've gotten older, he now wraps them (but fills our stockings with goodies!:).

Coloured lights on tree/house or white?

White lights on both - if the lights make it up on the house (this year they did not). 

Do you hang mistletoe?

Ummm...no. Do people even do that? 

When do you hang your decorations up?

We're the people who hang them up after Thanksgiving - but this year, we were in Disney the week after, and then we all got super sick!! So this year, we put them up last week - fail.

What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

I'm gonna have to go with Christmas Day breakfast. My Mom always makes the biggest, most amazing breakfast after we open presents - this year is a pretty big menu as well! Can't wait. 

Favourite holiday memory as a child?

Gathering at my aunt's house on Christmas Eve, with my Dad's extended family. My cousins, aunt, grandmother, parents, and siblings would all get together, eat dinner/dessert, and open presents. My grandmother was kind of the "glue" of those gatherings, and when she passed away a couple of years ago, we stopped doing it. It makes my heart kind of hurt just thinking about it! :(

What is on your Christmas wish-list?

I didn't have a wish-list this year!! I just couldn't think of anything!

Do you open a gifts on Christmas Eve?

Only when we're meeting with extended family/friends. But for my family, we always wait until Christmas morning. The suspense kills me!

How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

It's very rustic, and FULL of ornaments. Each one is very sentimental, and there are a lot of ornaments that we've made over the years. I love it. 

Snow? Love it or dread it?

I love it...for a day. I'm from the south, and we do not know what to do when it comes to ice and snow. Last year's Polar Vortex was pretty much a disaster for our area because we weren't equipped to deal with it!

Abandoned cars on a highway in Atlanta - Walking Dead, anyone?

Real tree or fake tree?

We used to do real, but currently, fake.

Do you remember your favorite gift?

One year, I got an easel, canvases, paints, and paintbrushes - it was absolutely one of my favorite gifts ever! I still use that easel!

What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you?

Time with my family, and remembering the gift of Jesus Christ. :) 

What is your favourite holiday dessert?

Christmas cookies, le duh.

What is your favourite tradition?

I looovvee going to the Christmas Eve service my church has! Also, for the past few years, my family has ordered Chinese food and watched Elf on Christmas Eve. Absolutely love it. 

What tops your tree?

There used to be an angel, but she's very delicate and broke last year! So right now, nothing.

Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?

I'm gonna have to go with receiving...sorry!! But I do love giving as well, especially when I know they're gonna LOVE IT. 

What is your favorite Christmas song?

Anything Michael Buble makes a cover of. For realz.

Candy canes, yuck or yum?

I don't enjoy them as a candy, but they are sooo good when incorporated into something (read: peppermint bark).

Favorite Christmas Movie?

I freaking love Elf, mostly from the sentimental value of it (see above tradition). I also love all the Santa Clause movies. 

What do you leave for Santa?

Cookies and milk, of course!

Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?

The first thing we do is look in our stockings, and then my Mom makes a huge Christmas breakfast. After we eat, we open presents!! (By the way, the suspense is horrible having to wait until after breakfast...but rules are rules. :))

Do you prefer to shop online or at the mall?

I usually do a combination of both. If I can't find something in a store, then I resort to online. 

Christmas letter or Christmas card?

Christmas card. Unfortunately, it seems to be a dying tradition! Our family only received three this year.  

That's all, lovelies!!!!!!!! I hope you all have a very, very, merry Christmas! Love ya! 

Weekend Shtuff

Hellllooooo my friends!

Okay, so my time frame is completely messed up, because I definitely thought that today was a Saturday....even though I went to church yesterday? Oops. Sooo my "weekend" post is up later than I intended, but oh well!

Saturday was the absolute last day I wanted to spend on Christmas shopping, so my Mom and I had a "girls night" after work so I could finish up everything. I got stuff for my sister, Dad, and friends, and I'm super pumped for them to open their gifts. :) I also bought myself a treat!

 I discovered this album through Pandora, and love pretty much every song on it. I hope that they come out with another album in the future, because I would totally get it!

Also, I totally misled you guys about Imagine Dragons.....my bad!! Evidently, their new album was only released for PRE-ORDER - the actual album won't be out until February! Boo. Sorry, guys.

I think I'm finally finding what my taste is in music, and while I love the more alternative sounds, I have to admit that Taylor finally won me over....I was definitely shaking it off the other day.

You win, Taylor. You win.

While decorating the Christmas tree, I found this gem:

This was a gag gift from my mother - hula dancing Siamese twin alligators. Quite disturbing.

Sunday, I got up and "worked" at church. I'm a regular volunteer, and I was filling in for someone who couldn't make it. We're a fairly new church, so we don't have a permanent building yet (but we're in the process), and we have to set up every Sunday. I also worked with the preschool kids.

It's the week of Christmas, so of course I had to create a Nativity scene for the kiddos. I was more impressed than they were!

After church, Dad an I hit up the grocery store because my sicky Mom couldn't make it all week. Let's just say I'm happy to have some groceries in the house finally!!

And this morning, my family and I got up to volunteer for a Salvation Army program called Angel Tree. It was a great experience to help provide families with Christmas presents, and it made me think about how fortunate I am.

AAANNNDDD as if this post isn't random enough, here's some eats from the past week or so:

"Just Salt" popcorn while watching Bones. Does anyone else shove as much popcorn as they can in their mouth at once? I do without even realizing what I'm doing!! Or maybe it's just me...

Kisses! Dark chocolate will always be my fave. 

Smoothie made with a "smoothie bag" my sis made and put in the freezer - this one was blueberries, cherries, pomegranate arils, and spinach. With toast+almond butter+honey+cinnamon. 

Chocolate chip cookies (+ a half) and coffee. <3

Kodiak Cakes with pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg turned in+banana slices+almond butter+maple syrup. I take my pancakes very seriously.

No idea why this is sideways, but it's too good not to share! It's green beans, onion slices, and red peppers sauteed in olive oil+salt+pepper+some balsamic vinegar stirred in for flavah! Served with brown rice and sauteed chicken. 

Soooo that was enough food for a WIAW, but whatever. 

Although I'm still trying to stay failry balanced, my food philosophy for this season is polar opposite (see what I did there? Polar? Because it's cold?) from last season - in fact, I'm pretty much going against any healthy living advice for the holidays. 

This is absolutely not to say that I'm going to gorge myself with food - but what I am doing is not stressing. I have hardly been exercising, and I am totally enjoying all holiday treats without guilt. Will I put on a few pounds? I have no idea, and I don't really care. Like at all. I am finally just enjoying the holiday season without over-thinking, or "healthifying," or working out to compensate. 

Anyways, spiel over. I hope you all have a marvelous week, and if I don't see ya'll tomorrow or the next day, have a very blessed and very merry Christmas! Loves youz. 

Thinking Out Loud

Good morning, lovelies!

It's been a long time since I've written one of these posts...I thought I'd give it a go today, as nothing much has gone on the past week. I've just been enjoying the relaxation time! Plus it gives me an excuse to talk about random stuff. :)

Thank you for hosting, Amanda!!

1. My days/nights/mornings/everything in between are SO wonky! Bedtime right now is midnight or later, and my "mornings" begin at 1pm...oops. Remember when I could hardly sleep in past 8? Ha! I'll be waking up early again soon enough, so I'm just embracing it.

2. I'm in the process of growing out my hair (at least attempting it....), and it is totally starting the "awkward" stage. I don't know what to do with it half the time, so this weekend I just let it be curly, as opposed to straightening it like I do every. single. day. It got crazy to say in the least!! I had to fix my bangs with my curling iron to keep them from going all over the place.

Shameless selfie. Shameless.

3. Speaking of hair, have you guys noticed there are three different hairstyles going on on this blog?! My sidebar pic is from sophomore year (bangs+long hair), my Google Plus profile (bangs+short hair), and my current pictures. Oops!! I've gone through a lot of hair changes...

4. Christmas is in the air!! We just got our decorations up this weekend...mainly because it's been so crazy at our house. Luckily all is well at the moment, and hopefully it stays that way!

5. I'm currently obsessed with chapstick. My faves right now are Bert's Bees Pumpkin Spice and Vanilla Bean. They smell sooo good!

6. I still haven't gotten my dad a present yet. And Christmas is in a week!! He is so hard to shop for for gifts... any ideas?!?! What do men even like!??!?!?!

He was the birthday boy on the 12th. <3

7. As you all know, I love Imagine Dragons and I'm obsessed with their new song, I Bet My Life. Also, their new album comes out tomorroorroorooowww!!!

8. I need Christmas cookies, and I need them right now. Hopefully we'll be getting some baking done today, because it's really not Christmas without cookies. :)

9. I am so, so, so, sooooo missing Disney World right now. No other words are needed.

10. It's that time of year again.....

That's all I have for ya this morning. I hope you have a loooovveellyyy day!!! 

Lots of random updates for you!

Hey girl heeeeyyyyyy.

Did ya miss me?! I know I ask that after every long-delayed post (which has been like...a lot over the past few months), but I like the validation of knowing I'm missed. I'm vain.

I know all my fans were probably wondering "Where did Jessica go, did she die? Is she okay? Will the internet/blogosphere ever be the same without her?!" and my simple answer to your existential crisis is.......life happened! 

(Obviously I need blogging back in my life to check all the drama and creative juices I have stored in my brain...yeesh.)

Yes my friends, life over the past few months has been downright cray-cray, with school, getting super sick a couple of times, working, finals, and Disney World haayy. (I CAN'T HANDLE MY OWN DRAMA RIGHT NOW.) 

Dual-enrollment has been the greatest/most stressful decision of my life thus far. YES it's real college and I will never be able to stress this enough to people. I am fully enrolled in my local college and I have a transcript from there! Luckily I passed my first semester with all A's (whoop whoop) and that also means I passed high school, so that's good to know. School is always prioritized above the blog, so sorry about that. But my work paid off. :)

Also, I got accepted into my top college choice!!! I'll be transferring to the University of West Georgia for my Fall 2015 semester. So excited ya'llll.


Thaz about it for right now, I am about to head off to work. I'm off for a month until next semester so you can expect some more blog posts from your favorite person. ;)

Toodles! (The dramatics never eeennnddd....)

Quick Update

Hello my darling friends!!

Ugh, it's been ages since we've talked, hasn't it? Over a month! And I was pretty sporadic about posting anyways, so I apologize for the lack of updates. Also, this post will have a bunch of random selfies that have nothing to do with the content that I'm writing. You're welcome.

So I am already halfway done with my first semester of college. And let me tell you, it has been kicking my butt. In a good way, though! Blogging has just had to take a back-seat because my days are as follows:

Wake up
School
Nap/Exercise
Work
Homework
{Cough Cough Netflix Cough}
Bed

All. Week. Long.

Sad to say, I haven't had much legit "me time," but it's been so good for me to be a busy bee. I've always got plans, and in my free time, I'm hanging out with friends or going to church/youth group events.

So life is good!

Obviously, I didn't do cross country this year, which is a safe bet to say that it's been one of the best decisions for me. i miss it, but my relationship with running has vastly shifted from last year. And on that note....I got my period back!!!!!!!!

HOLY CRAP OMG.

Yeah that's a totally personal thing to place on the internet, but for reals, guys. This is what I have been waiting for for like 3 years. It was really short (like 2 days short), but it means that my hormones are balancing out and metabolism is revving up!

I'm just gonna keep doing what I've been doing (aka little exercise, lotsa food), and I am praying to The Lord that it's here to stay. I am beyond excited!

Ya'll know that I'm probably gonna end up with a more in-depth post on my journey with that, but I'll save that for a later date. I just wanna get myself out of the woods with it. :)

That's pretty much all I have for you. I miss blogging. So much. I didn't fall off the face of the earth. But the pieces in my life are falling in place, and I'm in a better relationship with food, exercise, and my body than I have ever been. I'm hoping to get into more of a blogging routine once the semester dies down. And I am so happyyyyyyy!!!!

Love you guys!