31 Day Challenge: A Thankful Sandwich

Work has been chaotic in the strongest sense of the word lately and it's led to the kind of personal life disorganization that drives me wild - unreturned phone calls, gmail inbox scrolling...

Not.my.jam.

It has also led to me having less of a positive attitude than I'd like, but then on Friday, I stumbled upon this verse:
"Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances..." (1 Thes. 5:16-18)

And I was sure convicted. Remember back when I graduated in a recession and all I wanted was a job? And now I have one I love - and here I was getting down about being busy.

I think sometimes the holiday season is like that, though. There is so much excitement and buzz and busyness, that we call it a burden instead of a blessing. Too many gifts to wrap, dishes to make, parties to attend...

How fortunate we are!

I decided for the month of December, I am going to start and end each day by writing down two things I'm grateful for. I'm so excited to see how it makes me feel after 31 days (or 124 pieces!) of gratitude. After such an amazing 2012, it feels like a great way to wrap up the year. I'm hoping it will help me feel passionate in the morning and peaceful at night - which seems like a pretty great way to sandwich the day.

What are you grateful for? Feel free to join me in the 31 day challenge!

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::southern living::

I've been to a few southern tailgates by now, but each time I'm still shocked and awed at the elaborateness of them. This weekend my friends and I tailgated for Georgia-Alabama and it was no different. RVs upon RVs - oriental rugs under Big Green Eggs - American flags flying high. It was quite the production. 

Although Georgia lost, it was still a great afternoon with good company, good weather and good ole boys. 

Oh how I love the tradition of tailgating! (:



I hope you had the best weekend ever!

get get get it poppin

My relationship with holidays is like this: I have a serious obsession leading up to it, am on cloud nine the day of the holiday, but then following it, I am totally, completely done with it. Once New Year's Eve is over, I'm ready for spring. Out with the pine scented candles, in with the blossoms and beaches.
But the great thing about Thanksgiving > Christmas > NYE, is that they can all blur together in one beautiful season, during which time we can just love holiday living for two full months.
So, although Thanksgiving is long over, I thought I'd share these pie pops my parents and I (sort of not really that much) made.
The vision was my mom's - she saw the recipe on the Today show and immediately bought all of the tools to make them. Check it out below for the steps (full tutorial) - they were a big hit - and you should definitely make them for a party sometime between now and New Year's. But definitely not after - unless you make them spring themed, of course.
L to R: Soak sticks over night (if you use bamboo version), then pat dry.
Roll pie crust thin - 1/8 inch, then cut out small pie crust shapes.
Lay first crust on a wax paper covered pan.
Add dallop of filling to each one - then lay the pop stick in the middle of the pie.
Cover pie with the other crust side.
Use extra lollipop stick to crimp sides.
Dust top of each one with egg so they don't crack while baking.
Bake at 350 until golden brown.
And enjoy :)

PS: Don't let the speed of this tutorial fool you - they're a little time consuming once you get into it. But well worth it!