Friday Favorites: Let's get 2018 Started!

Happy Friday!
It's a Friday Favorites kind of day!


As always, I'm linking up with Erika, Narci and Andrea. 

We're sharing our favorites from the week.

Grab their graphic and linkup with your favorites from the week, too.

Christmas at Easton

I've always wanted to head to the mall and shop a bit and see some lights right before Christmas. 

We headed out the Friday before Christmas. 

I was expecting a huge crowd and a long wait for dinner, but our table was ready in under 5 minutes, the weather was warm (warm compared to the deep freeze that we're currently experiencing!) and there was barely anyone around!

Christmas

Christmas comes and goes so fast. 

I grabbed a pretty picture and enjoyed some quiet time before Alex woke. 

After this it was run, run, run. 

To Alex's parents. Back home. To my parents. Back home. 

Prepare for Christmas dinner!

We hosted Christmas dinner once again, and I thought this year was a bit more relaxed as we didn't have as many items on our menu, but it was still too much. 

I really just think people aren't interested in eating too much on Christmas. 

It's been a busy day, and meal schedules are off already, so my people are good with just a bite of this and that. 

I think next year I will cut back again on the menu. 

Only about a year left to plan it all out! :)

This year we had a Gift Card Exchange that was so fun!

I made 4 homemade lasagnas, and we didn't even use one!!

Our menu consisted of:

Trail bologna, Cheese, Crackers
Jalapeno Chicken Dip
Cinnamon and Ranch Coated Pretzels
Hot Cocoa Dip
Taco Dip
Salad
Rolls
Ham
Macaroni and Cheese
Lima Beans
Lasagna
Raspberry Salad

To top it off the Steelers were playing, and they won!

Poke a Tree

My cousin and I are notorious for making prank/fun gifts for each other. 

I had thought and thought about his gift and wasn't coming up with anything until I saw the Poke a Tree!

A week in advance I started sending my cousin little clue pictures of what his fun gift would be...

The final assembly looked like this...

 I printed off fake play money since I couldn't find my old play money at my parents. 

Each cup got a play bill. 

Then, I covered it with tissue paper and a rubber-band.

In the end I glued them all on a piece of cardboard. 

 I added the title and trunk and was ready for Christmas Day!

My inspiration came from here.

It's based off of Punch a Bunch on The Price is Right.

I don't think this is what my cousin was expecting, and I had a fun time preparing and presenting the game.

I've already planned out a new fun game for next year!

Escape Room

On New Years Eve we headed to Dave and Busters to watch the Steelers vs. Browns game, eat lunch and have some fun. 

Afterwards we grabbed ice cream and then went to an escape room. 

None of us had ever been to an escape room, so we weren't sure what to expect. 

We ended up in the hardest room (17% escape rate) and we didn't make it out!

We had SO much fun!

Interestingly enough, the room ended up having another secret entrance to another room, which we didn't know about until we unlocked one of the locks about half way through. 

They didn't tell us how many steps we had left, but they told us we were super close!
If only we had 15 more minutes!
I'm definitely ready to go to another escape room. 

As much as I'd love to know the final steps to the one we went to, I'm ready to try on a new one!

The Deep Freeze

I'm not sure where you all are living, but this is what the past week has been like here. 

It has been cold!

This is what my car registered at when I got to school on Wednesday. 

This was at 8 am with a 2hr delay. 

It was still -9 degrees not factoring wind chill!!!

It was funny to get in my car after school and my meeting. 

By that time the temperature had taken a huge jump...clear up to 16 degrees. 

My car slowly counted backwards from -9 to 16. 

It was back to 12 and -3 Real Feel on Thursday, so I had to opt for the dreadmill instead of running outside. 

Typically, I can change up my workouts enough that if the weather is so bad that I will do workout videos in the basement for a few days. 

This time around that hasn't worked out so well. 

It literally has been in the negatives with wind chill for the past week. 

I seriously can't remember the last time I ran outside. 

I've done tons of workout videos, but today I needed to run, so I hopped on the treadmill, watched some Fixer Upper and got my run in!

Wherever you are, I hope you are safe and warm!

This weather has been frigid!

We are under a wind chill warning until Saturday afternoon. 

I don't think the high for the next two days will get in the double digits. 

For now, I have school, but everyone else in the surrounding counties are closed. 

Either way I will be grateful. 

Grateful for a job with wild and rambunctious children or grateful for a warm day at home cozied up reading and preparing for the next nine-weeks. 

Enjoy your weekend!

Hope you a had a great start to an awesome new year!