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I’ll admit it: I’m a creeper, and I love seeing how others decorate for the holidays. I thought this year I would actually document our decor since our home is beginning to come together after some renovations. I’ll admit: It’s not as done as I would have liked (hi, bare walls. I see you.) but it is progress, so that’s something.
Sponsored Post: Thanks to Acorn Influence for partnering on this post on behalf of Crest and Walmart. #HolidaySmile #Crest
Between family, friends, and work, our holiday schedule keeps us busy. I feel like it’s almost one holiday party after another after another. While they all tend to be quite different, one thing is the same at all of them: cameras, cameras everywhere. If it’s not someone snapping a photo on their phone, it’s a photo booth, a professional photographer, or somebody’s awkward uncle trying to coordinate a photo. For those who aren’t used to having their photo taken often, it can be incredibly overwhelming.
A few years ago, I was the one shying away from photos… mostly because half the time, my eyes would be closed, I’d have what looked like a double chin, or choose an unflattering angle. How many times have you untagged a photo (or felt like you’d like to) of yourself on Facebook? I definitely have! But once I learned a few photo posing tips (from a lot of trial and error, and from some amazing photographers who I’ve shot with!) I have not felt the need to run at the sight of a flash bulb. I wanted to share some of my not-so-secret secrets with you today in hopes of helping you shine in every.single.one of your holiday photos.
I may be the minority in saying this, but I love figuring out that books are waiting for me under the tree. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to receive just any old book. When I was younger, my favorite books to receive were those that taught me something. One of my favorite book presents was from a close friend in high school who knew my affinity for makeup and picked out an extensive beauty manual. I honestly couldn’t even find the book that she gifted me all those years ago, and while it wasn’t exactly the most in-depth or best beauty book ever, it was a thoughtful gift based on my interests.
With Christmas coming, what’s better to give a fellow beauty or fashion lover than the gift of knowledge? I picked out a few books that I’ve personally read in the hopes that you’ll find something on this list that’s perfect for your giftee!
Have you ever ate your dog’s treats? No? Just me? What can I say, if they’re labeled human grade, I’ll try them. I never expected to enjoy eating any dog treats… but all that has changed.
I recently popped into one of my favorite pet shops only to notice a staggering increase in the price of dog treats. (And it’s not just this shop, I noticed the same thing at the big box stores too!) I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to dog treats, so a small-ish bag of dog cookies will set me back anywhere from $6-8. Let’s be real – I can’t leave without more than one, so $20 later… you get my drift. It’s pretty spendy.
With the holidays upon us, what could make a more perfect gift to a pet owner than some easy homemade dog treats? And wouldn’t it be even cuter if they were packaged in a treat jar or dog bowl? When Waggo offered to send me a couple to try (as well as an amazing dog bed, which you can win in my holiday gift guide giveaway!), I knew these would make a fabulous gift.
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Happy Holidays! I’m officially kicking off the holiday season here on the blog now that we’ve passed Thanksgiving. I’m not about jumping the gun on things. Now that Thanksgiving and the mayhem of shopping that follows on Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us, it’s time to get into shopping for those we love (and maybe ourselves).
My family has always been very into Christmas. Tree farms, lights, indoor and outdoor decorations, Christmas music… you name it, we did it. Now that I’m a little bit older, I don’t go so crazy over Christmas, but it’s still my favorite time of year. The thing I don’t like? The crowds at the mall. Venturing out to the malls and stores has already been terrible this year… which is why I almost always do the majority of my shopping online. I prefer to give unique gifts, so often I avoid the Target and Amazons of the world (for the most part, they’re still helpful for some things!).
Today I want to share with you my first holiday gift guide of 2015 featuring a ton of things for various people on your list. I’ll have some more specific gift ideas (and giveaways!) in the coming weeks, but this is a general one-stop holiday shopping guide for everyone on your list. And, in the spirit of full disclosure, some of the great brands below reached out to me and offered items for both myself and for you. As always, if I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t include it.
