It's December

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Words cannot describe how happy I am to see December again! I love the holiday season so much. Thanksgiving was wonderful; it was great to see family and some friends over the break and of course the dinner wasn't half bad either! Then I went out for Black Friday at midnight WITHOUT a pre-shopping nap and didn't physically harm someone like I thought I would. Instead I did a majority of my Christmas shopping. I got gifts for my brother, one of my good friends and the person on my floor that I picked for Secret Santa (and that gift's a good one!)

Now I'm back to school and ready to buckle down for finals week before I get to go home again in two weeks. Of course with the long break comes work. I cannot say I'm looking forward to that little bit, but you gotta do what you gotta do. But before I even start thinking about the highs and lows of Christmas...I need to get through finals!

<3 Ashley

How was your Thanksgiving? What are you looking forward to in December?

Happy Thanksgiving!!

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Happy Thanksgiving everybody! Can we talk about the fact that I am finally up early enough to catch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?! Had it not been for the determination to do my own little "Turkey Trot" run I would probably just be getting up right now. I'm sorry that this is probably the only blog post you will be getting from me this week. The past few days have been filled up with last minute essay writing, packing for break and shopping for my pumpkin pie. Tomorrow I will be exhausted from Black Friday shopping (Anyone else going out at midnight?! See you there!) but I get to spend the day with one of my good friends that I don't get to see as much because of school so that should alleviate some of the fatigue. Saturday is our house decorating day before I leave on a bus back to Pittsburgh on Sunday. I'll give you a full update on Monday, I'm sure. Until then have a great holiday and relaxing weekend!

<3 Ashley

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Little Holiday Spirit

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It's November 19 and I am officially in the holiday mood. Next week is Thanksgiving and I am so excited to go home and see all my friends and family. I'm pretty sure I've been booked everyday of the week! Usually I don't get too celebratory until Thanksgiving is actually upon us, but I think the excitement I am feeling this year about just going home has sparked an early enthusiasm in me. I mean...I'm listening the Pandora Christmas station as I type this. All I need is the week to move just a little bit faster so that I can get to the holiday festivities on the other side!

<3 Ashley

Are you excited for the holidays? Have you gotten in the spirit yet?

Break Me Off A Piece of Sanity

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I'm taking a break. No! Not from blogging! Why would I stop doing something that I consider so therapeutic for me? I mean from school (and people.) Thanksgiving break is in a week and I am anticipating it more than I think I ever will. Last year, I don't think I was too desperate to go home for break; this is probably due to the fact that I was getting acclimated to college life and living alone and actually enjoying it. This year is different. The semester has definitely been the most stressful and difficult academically that I have experienced so far. It has also been rather heavy in the social realm as well.

My roommate and I have been discussing this a lot lately...living in a co-ed dorm is certainly different. We've gotten close with these guys. We've seen ladies come and go over these past three months. We've had to listen to more problems and feelings than we though we'd ever hear from guys. We need a break from these people. Not that I don't appreciate how comfortable they are with me to come to me with their problems, but let me tell you...they make me feel a little masculine sometimes! There's also plenty of actual females that I need to take some time off from as well.

8 days and counting!

<3 Ashley

What do you need a break from?

Post-Thanksgiving

Well hello there!

Just a small post to start off the day; there will be another today since I do have some catching up to do. ;) My Thanksgiving was all I could ever ask for and more. It was my first time home since move-in day and I was so glad to see everyone. Both my pumpkin pie (which I will post the recipe for later to close out the November recipe series) and that homemade cranberry sauce that I posted earlier in the month were huge hits! Let me tell you, that cranberry sauce was sooooo  much better than the canned stuff and it was so easy to make! I would definitely suggest it for next year. :)

Then of course there was the Black Friday shopping. I got an amazing coat from New York & Company which was priced at $39.99! That was definitely a difference from the regular $109. I will share a picture of it in my next blog later today. I suppose it is time at last to discuss winter coats.

<3 Ashley

How was your Thanksgiving weekend?

Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to wish all of my friends here in the U.S. a very happy Thanksgiving. I probably won't be able to write anything tomorrow due to the fact  I will be filling my plate without any guilt. :) My family is the one doing the hosting this year, and we are all pretty flustered with all the work that we still have to do. We will be working on the stuffing and cranberry sauce tonight. The pies have been baked and look mouthwatering! I am not too thrilled about waking up at 5 AM tomorrow to put the turkey in, but I figure I can get a good run in after I do that. Then of course we can make our way to mashed potatoes and veggies! Dinner starts at noon over here. Then we will be relaxing with some football and a classic parade. :)

My message to you tonight is this: Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy the company of your amazing family. Eat all the delicious food that has, without exaggeration, been slaved over. Give thanks for what you have.

<3 Ashley

What are your Thanksgiving plans?

Holiday Recipe: Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is not exactly my favorite part of the dinner. Could it be the fact that I know that it is extremely processed? Maybe the fact that I can practically taste the metal of the can it came in? Either way, since I am helping my mother with the dinner this year, I have been scouring the internet for easy, homemade recipes for everything. Here I stumbled upon a quick (20 minutes!) and easy recipe for homemade cranberry sauce, and the result looks absolutely delicious!

Here's what you need:

- 1 (12 oz) bag of cranberries

- 1 cup of cranberry juice

- 1 cup pure maple syrup (no pancake syrup!!)

- 3 tbsp orange juice

Here's what to do:

1. Wash cranberries in cool water, then put them in a medium saucepan

2. Add the rest of the ingredients into the pan

3. Stir together then put the mixture on high until boiling

4. Once it is boiling, bring it back down to medium low, and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until juice is thick.

5. Turn the stove off, let the sauce cool, and dish it out!

This recipe makes 4 servings

I am very excited to try this recipe out instead of watching the slippery, tubular, processed sauce slide out of the can when I plate it. That can be kind of depressing! Anyway, if you try this out let me know what you think of this recipe! You can find this recipe and others here

<3 Ashley

The Thanksgiving Trek

Well Thanksgiving break is just 6 days away from me, I can practically taste the cranberry sauce. If you are like me, having chosen a school 4+ hours away from home, this is probably your first trip home that you have made since move-in day. I have already been thinking about what to pack and realized that this is a good opportunity to take back some of the stuff that I will not be needing through the winter months. Plus, if you have forgotten anything from home, you can make some room for that (plus don't forget those Christmas clothes that you will no doubt be acquiring!) 

I have a list of things that you should pack for the 4-5 day break and some things that you can leave at home or bring back with you.

Things to pack for break:

1. Jeans: 1 or 2 pairs will suffice. It's not even a week long, you do not need a plethora of outfits. If it helps, plan your outfits ahead of time so you only take what you need! 

2. Cardigan: A good way to pull together jeans and t-shirt if you are meeting up with some friends for coffee or lunch. 

3. Dress: Just one nice dress for Thanksgiving dinner is all you need. It does not need to be fancy, but a holiday dinner is the perfect excuse to dress up.

4. Pair of Boots: Pick a pair that will go with almost everything, so that you do not need to lug your entire shoe collection onto the bus, train, or plane. (Also grab a pair of shoes for the dress!) 

5. T-Shirts: Only if truly necessary. I know I left plenty of tops at home so that I did not need to take everything back with me.

Things to leave at home:

1. Shorts: Unless you go to school in an extremely warm climate at this time of year, I can almost guarantee that you will not need any Daisy Dukes.

2. Sundresses: I am keeping some dresses to layer under sweaters, but all florals are being sheltered until the springtime.

3. Sandals: Along with the shorts, these probably will not be seeing daylight too soon. Make more room for boots in your dorm by keeping the sandals at home.

Things to bring back to school:

1. Sweaters: Make sure you grab all of your sweaters, these are going to be a staple in your wardrobe for the next few months.

2. Boots: If your hitting up stores for Black Friday or your parents offer to buy you something before you head back, a good pair of boots is certainly no bad investment.

3. Anything you forgot!: If there is something you need that you forgot when you left, make sure you get it this time!

Happy packing everyone! Just one week! :)

<3 Ashley

What do you have to pack for this break?

Holiday Recipe: Mashed Potatoes

I don't know about your household on Thanksgiving but next to the turkey, mashed potatoes are an integral part of the meal. Fits will be thrown if there is not a heaping dish of it within reach. I consider myself to a bit of a potato connoisseur; I have eaten a lot in my day. Here is a recipe I found for you; it is very different from what I have had, but I am pretty interested in trying it!

Here's what you will need:

- 5 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes (this does make 12 servings! So adjust everything as you will!)

- 1/2 cup butter

- 2 cups Parmesan cheese

- 1 cup chopped chives

- 1 1/2 cups cream cheese

- 1/2 medium head of garlic; peeled & minced

- 1 pinch salt and pepper

Here's what to do:

1. Boil a pot of salted water. Add potatoes; cook until tender but still firm. Drain and return to stove on low heat for 1-2 minutes to dry.

2. Add all of the other ingredients. Mash until potatoes are smooth.

3. Enjoy!

Since my household will be the site of this year's Thanksgiving dinner, my mother has enlisted my help in finding recipes. This one may in fact be a keeper. I do love some cheesy recipes! Check out more recipes here!

<3 Ashley

Just a Note

Why hello there! There isn't a formal entry today, I just wanted to just drop a note and check in on everyone after Halloween night. My night really just consisted of dinner in costume (pictures tomorrow!) and an evening of the Halloween movies (Michael Myers that is!) This is truly the only night you will ever see me watching those kinds of movies. I just feel I have to be a little freaked out on Halloween. 

I also wanted to make sure that I got on to wish all of you a happy and healthy November. Just wanted to let you all know that everyday in November, I will be posting one holiday (mostly Thanksgiving) recipe that will maybe inspire you this year! Welcome to the holiday season! Excited yet?

<3 Ashley

What did you do for Halloween? What are you looking forward to this holiday season?

Holiday Eats!

Here on this lovely Sunday afternoon I find myself sitting up in the lounge waiting for the first load of laundry in the washer to finish. Football is on the television (still mildly bitter about our homecoming loss) and I am scouring Pinterest aimlessly. I really should be studying for my philosophy midterm, shouldn't I?

Anyway, I happened to find myself on the food section of the site (which shockingly isn't a common thing for me!) As I started to scroll through these glorious, appetizing photos I noticed a lot of holiday pins. That got me thinking about all of the delicious things I have waiting for me at home in the coming months, and I thought I would share these with you.

One tradition that I have taken myself to starting (and refuse to let die) is that I make the pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dinner. I absolutely love doing it! I like to keep it traditional though. I tried a Bobby Flay recipe one year that had this strange cranberry cookie topping that everyone ended up scraping off. Lesson learned: when it comes to pumpkin pie, people like it classic, and traditional.

At the same time, my aunt makes her ever yummy apple pie and my grandmother offers her always loved and fought over pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I die for the cookies, honestly. I always love the holidays with family, and I also love the food that we all dine over and share together. I know this year will be just as amazing since I will be back home for the first time since starting school. Holidays are about to get that much more special.

<3 Ashley

What are your favorite holiday desserts? Does your family have something special that you eat?