Favorite Four

Hope it has been a great week for you. This is my favorite time of year with all of the Christmas decorations going up, Christmas music on and our tree in the house....it smells so good! This is also the time when Ben and I got married, 8 years ago, so that is an added plus. My favorite four this week are (clockwise from top left) 1-Ben and I went on a lunch date Friday after hearing our baby girl's heart beat at my doctors appointment...good day! 2-Love it when the Philadelphia Center City Macy's has all of it's holiday decor up in the grand court...so festive! 3-Love getting fun snail mail...the last few months have been great with all of the 'congrats on your pregnancy cards':). 4-Dinner and games with friends...trying to enjoy the nights of going out before the baby comes.

Have a great weekend! xoxo

My Photo Albums

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend. Ben and I enjoyed having a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with friends, getting our Christmas tree and wrapping lots of gifts.

On another note I got all of my photo albums up to date this weekend....yeah! I was behind 2 years so this was a big feat. Since I left my parents house for college in 2000 I have been doing photo albums. This is what works for me...I know there are so many ways of going about it but this is what I have found that I can stick with.

I keep my photos on an external hard drive in hopes of keeping my computer from slowing down too much. Then I put them on Snapfish after I have played with them a bit to make them perfect:) I usually wait to order a batch of photos until there is a sale or free shipping...they have these kind of deals all of the time. You can see more of my process below. Happy Monday...xoxo!

I love getting these blue envelopes in the mail.

These leather albums are my go-to...

...I always get black or brown with 6 photos per page.

Once I have everything I lay out the photos by event.

After all of the photos are in their place I write a little ditty and the date next to each photo. These albums have basically been my diary for the last 12 years. 

Favorite Four

Hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving and are enjoying a long weekend. My favorite four this week are (clockwise from top left) 1-Love having fresh pineapple in the house! 2-I got the invite for my 2nd shower...such a fun color and beautiful rhinestone snowflake! 3-Enjoyed a low key Thanksgiving with friends here in Philly. It was such a beautiful fall day. 4-Had hot cocoa and s'mores by the fire with friends Wednesday night...a nice start to the long weekend.

See you Monday! xoxo

26 Weeks

Hope you have a fabulous Thanksgiving! xoxo

Pepparkakor Cookies

This weekend we hosted a Sip & See for friends who just had a baby. Lots of friend came and brought so much good food...below is what I made for the party. These Scandinavian cookies remind me of the holidays and since Ben and I got married really close to Christmas my aunt made 750 of these for our wedding...thanks Carol! xoxo

Ingredients:
2 Sticks Butter
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
3 Tbsp molasses
2 tsp Soda
1 Egg
1 Tbsp Milk
1 1/2 tsp Ginger
1 1/2 tsp Cloves
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Water
3 1/4 Cup Flour

Mix all of the ingredients together in the order given. Roll out on a breadboard and cut with favorite cookie cutter. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes...depending on thickness of dough and oven.

All of the ingredients.

After adding the butter and sugar add the molasses. 

Above is what the batter looks like right before you add the last ingredient...flour.

I had to use lots of flour on my rolling pin and dough so it would roll out nicely.

Then cut out your shapes.

Ready to eat!

Favorite Four

Happy Friday! It has been a short work week here since I was in Minnesota for part of it...but I'm still just as excited for Friday. My favorite four this week are (clockwise from top left) 1-It was so good being home in Minnesota for a long weekend. On my last day there it snowed...the snow is so beautiful at my parent's house with all of the evergreen trees. 2-Loved having a long overdue game night with friends. 3-Ben and I spent some down time at a coffee shop and went to a movie this week...some things we are trying to do more of before the baby comes. 4-I started the belly panel at Destination Maternity this week. Yeah for free maternity clothes!

Have a great weekend...xoxo!

25 Weeks

I got back late Monday night from a wonderful time visiting family in Minnesota and Iowa. It was a great break but always nice to be back in the swing of things at home today. My craving this week happens to be oranges...a nice and healthy alternative to most of the pregnancy cravings I have had. See you tomorrow...xoxo!

Photo taken at the Des Moines Art Center.

Favorite Four

Happy Friday! I'm posting from my parents house in Minnesota today. I'm home for a family girl's weekend. It will be a fun weekend hanging out with my sister, mom, grandma and aunt. My favorite four this week (clockwise from top left) 1- Going out with the ladies last weekend in Philly and then getting my latest craving...milkshakes! 2-I got the swatches for the baby room this week...I'm so glad I love it in person as much as I did online. 3-Home-made blueberry muffins...yum! 4-Some fun decor at my parent's house...love it here:)

Have a great weekend! xoxo

24 Weeks

Wow this pregnancy is going by so fast. My latest cravings are Cheetos and milkshakes. Ha! Have a great Wednesday xoxo!

Fall Camping

Here are a few fall forest/foliage photos from our camping trip last weekend. We lucked out to get this trip in before the hurricane and cold came. xoxo

Reading Terminal Market

This weekend Ben and I had friends over for a dinner party...but not any ordinary dinner. I was inspired by this month's Philadelphia Magazine article on the Reading Terminal Market and thought we could incorporate it. I had been here tons of times but never to actually grocery shop. So I made up a menu for the night and a shopping list in advance.  When our friends got to our place we took them to the market with us and got all of the ingredients for the night. It was fun to pick from all of the fresh meats, cheeses, breads and desserts together.

Our menu for the night was classic spaghetti and meatballs with bread and a ceasar salad. We had cheese for an appetizer and cannolis for dessert. It was a fun night. Have a great Monday! xoxo

The Philadelphia Magazine article...my inspiration.

At the Market.

So many delicious cheese options and meat cuts.

Ready to eat after we made the meal. 

Cannolis for dessert!

Favorite Four

Hey readers! Hope you made it through the week ok...we had a hurricane out here and so many are still recovering. We (as in Philadelphia) were fortunate to be in the eye of the storm which means we didn't get hit as hard as the rest of the area. It was definitely a little scary though.

My favorite four this week (clockwise from top left) 1-Had a fun weekend camping with friends. 2-Loved how our loft building came together and shared food etc during the hurricane. 3- My favorite is that my house smells like an Anthropologie store...thanks to this candle! 4-On Wednesday Ben and I helped with a Halloween outreach our church put on the for community. This was the fun backdrop we used for the photo booth...a big hit!

Have a great weekend! xoxo