Gift Ideas for Gal Pals

My little sister's birthday was this past weekend... well kind of, as she was born on Leap Year Day, so we just kind of celebrate her birthday through February 28th and March 1st on non-leap years.  The Mister and I got her a Bruegger's Bagels gift card because I have passed down my love of Bruegger's breakfast sandwiches (particularly the Better Bacon Cheddar!) to her, and I know she frequents their location near her dorm often before class.

Although I'm sure she'll put the gift to good use, it got me thinking about how much I give gift cards as presents and how strange the concept of gift cards really is.  When giving a gift card, you kind of say to the recipient, "here is some money for you... but you can only spend it at this one store/restaurant." Wouldn't most people rather just have the money outright so they could spend it on what they wanted?  But I think I'm drawn to gift cards because I can show some degree of thoughtfulness by purchasing the card from a place that I know the recipient likes and frequents often, which makes the gift more personal than just plain cash.

I try to remember my friends on their birthdays with at least a greeting card and usually a gift, and I often find myself leaning toward gift cards because they are so easy to mail; most of my friends don't really live close enough for hand delivery to be an option.  But I would really like to start trying to find something handpicked for each person on her birthday.  Most online stores allow you to bill one address and deliver to another, so my "gift cards are easier" argument doesn't really hold up in that respect.

All of this led me to start brainstorming about items that are more personal and far more lovely than a plastic gift card.  Leading up to Christmas, gift guides are everywhere online, but I feel like there's always a birthday for someone I love on my calendar no matter what time of the year it is.  Not to mention that sometimes little gifts are appropriate for graduations, new jobs, or a little pick-me-up when a girlfriend is going through a tough time.  Even though it's always the things we say and our presence that matters the most to our friends, sometimes a thoughtful, personal gift can truly make someone's day.  So, I thought I'd share some of my ideas for birthday (or anytime!) gifts for gal pals!

Minimalist Jewelery

I'm really digging the minimalism trend right now, especially when it comes to jewelry.  I can't speak for all ladies, but I know I would rather receive simple, everyday pieces of jewelry over big statement pieces.  The ear cuff trend is especially exciting for me because I've had to remove my fun ear piercings due to infections, so I'm thrilled for the chance to wear edgier earrings again.  Most of these photos are from Etsy, but you can also find items on this trend in local boutiques in a variety of price ranges.

(necklace, ear cuff, ear pin, stacking rings) 

Succulent Terrariums and Planters

A planter or terrarium may be the perfect way to liven up a friend's home or work space.  I think the greatest thing about indoor plants is that they breathe life into a room.  You can give your friend something that's bright and alive yet fairly low maintenance, which may be the perfect gift for someone who's going through a tough or busy time.  Even better, if you arrange and plant the planter or terrarium for her, she'll know how much love and thought you put into the gift.

(airplant terrarium, hanging plant holder, hanging terrarium, terrarium)

[terrarium planting video]

Subscription Services

Subscriptions are a great gift because they keep on giving for as long as you choose!  And when it comes to subscription services these days, there really is something for everyone.  For the makeup and hair fanatic in your life, there's Birchbox, which sends a monthly box of a variety of beauty samples.  Or for the exercise and gym enthusiasts who, like me, seem to always find themselves in yoga pants, Fabletics is a company founded by Kate Hudson that sends the recipient a complete active wear outfit (based on her personal style) each month.  If you have a friend who loves to snack at her desk or who is always looking for healthy treats for her kids, Naturebox will send a box full of wholesome snacks to her doorstep.  And I don't know anyone who wouldn't appreciate a subscription to Blue Apron, a service that delivers all of the pre-portioned ingredients and recipes for meals in a refrigerated box.  Although a subscription can be a "big ticket" gift, there are quite a few options based on how much you want to spend and how many months you want to gift.

(Birchbox is the most affordable I've seen at $30 for three months.)

Comfy Clothes

No matter what we spend our days doing, there is no better feeling than finally arriving home and changing into our favorite lounge wear.  However, comfortable clothes can sometimes mean that faded t-shirt from Latin Club in high school and the most worn out pair of leggings that are no longer acceptable in public.  I think every woman would adore a clothing piece she can wear around the house or out running errands that makes her feel cute and put together.  And it's easy to guess sizes in loose, relaxed clothes, which makes them great for gift giving!

(Hamlet graphic "To be or not to be" sweatshirt, funnel-neck fleece pullover, embellished crew neck pullover, fur our conversation sweatshirt)

Fresh Flowers

 

In my opinion, no gift beats fresh flowers.  Although they don't last forever, a bouquet in a pretty vase makes such a beautiful, thoughtful gift.  Online florists make delivery easy and offer something for every person's taste.

(20 white tulips, full of love bouquet, pink petal roses. Victorian teacup bouquet) 

A Good Book

It may be the sentimental English major in me, but a book with a handwritten note in the front cover from someone who means a lot is a gift to be treasured.  Next time you can't think of a good gift, keep it simple and buy a new copy of a book you loved that you know the recipient hasn't read.  Some of my recent favorites include Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh, The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, and Walk to Beautiful by Jimmy Wayne.

Hope this little list comes in handy next time you're in search of something other than a gift card for a good friend!  Talk to you again soon!

An Office for the Christopher

Our house has three bedrooms.  One is our bedroom, one is a guest bedroom, and the third sat empty for the first year we owned our home.  We affectionately referred to it as "the office," even though we primarily used it for storage and it was a just plain empty room with a little futon. 

We entertained the idea of actually making the room a real office (with furniture!) from the time we moved in, but it wasn't until the Mister was away that I decided to put the space together before he got home.

Since the rest of the house is pretty much my domain when it comes to decorating choices, I decided to make this room specifically for him, a space in the house that I knew he would enjoy.  My mother-in-law and I painted the walls his favorite color (luckily, it's my favorite color, too), and I picked out every item with his taste in mind.

Our families and I didn't wrap this project up until the day he arrived home, but it was finished in time, and he loves it.

- Desk & lamp - consignment from Bella's House in Burlington, NC

- Desk chair & shelf - consignment form A Junkin' Ginger in Burlington, NC

- Knick-knacks & "liquor cannon" decanter - consignment from Consignment Connection in Burlington, NC

- Curtain rod & throw pillows (the orange striped pillow was on clearance when I purchased it, so it is no longer available online) - Target

- Curtains (I couldn't find these online, but the brand is Park B. Smith) - Bed, Bath, & Beyond

- Window seat/storage chest - Ross

- Futon - from my college dorm room : )

- I can't take credit for the flag.  It's a prized possession of the Mister's that he added after he arrived home.

Our Most-Loved Smoothie Recipes

We've been hooked on smoothies for breakfast for quite a while at our house.  Other than when we have breakfast out on the weekends, smoothies are a staple in our morning routine.  They're such a quick, easy way to get a ton of nutrients at once, and they help us feel like we start our mornings off on the right foot.  Not to mention they can be delicious if you find or create some good recipes!

On that note, I'm always looking for a new smoothie recipe to try.  Having the same thing every morning can get boring!  So I thought I'd share some of the recipes we've come to love in case any of you are in a smoothie slump or are looking to jump on the drinkable breakfast bandwagon.

A few notes:

I'm a weirdo who doesn't like strawberries in my smoothies, so all of my recipes are banana based.  I've found that the riper the bananas, the better flavor your smoothies will have.  Green bananas can result in a bitter aftertaste.  I slice my bananas to avoid "chunky" pieces in the finished product.

We prefer baby spinach or baby kale for our juicing greens.  Fresh Express now makes a "Juicing Greens" mix of both spinach and kale that I can even find at our local Food Lion!

We split one serving of whey protein in the mornings because we both take protein after we work out in the evenings.  Feel free to add as much or as little as you like.  Our favorite brand is BSN Syntha-6 in the Vanilla Ice Cream flavor.  Just follow the instructions on the package to find out how much a suggested serving is - some brands it's one scoop, others it's two.

The Mister drinks his smoothies later in the morning, so I add lemon juice to keep them from turning brown and looking unappetizing.  If you're going to drink your smoothie right away, you can skip the lemon juice.

For good smoothies, invest in a good blender!  We registered for a nice Hamilton Beach model from Target when we got married, and it's not "top of the line," but it gets the job done.  Speaking from experience, you don't want to fight with your blender every morning. Even though we didn't pay for ours, I can still say that the price tag would definitely be worth skipping the headache.

All of these recipes make two big servings. I make one batch each morning that the Mister and I share.  You can half everything for one serving, or follow the recipes as they are and save the leftovers for a healthy afternoon snack!

These measurements are more suggestions than exact instructions.  I "eyeball" how much I add of each ingredient instead of measuring everything out each time.  For a thicker smoothie, add less orange juice or milk, and more ice.  And for a thinner smoothie, add more orange juice or milk, and less ice.

Peach Mango - Chris's favorite!

2 bananas
1 cup frozen mango
4 scoops nonfat frozen peach yogurt

2 big handfuls of juicing greens
1 cup ice
1 serving vanilla whey protein
1 1/2 cups orange juice
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sweet Cherry - My favorite!

2 bananas
1 cup frozen pitted dark sweet cherries
4 scoops nonfat frozen vanilla yogurt
2 big handfuls of juicing greens
1 cup ice
1 serving vanilla whey protein
1 1/2 cups orange juice
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pina Colada

2 bananas
6 oz. pineapple juice - (Dole make cans in this size that are super convenient!)
4 scoops nonfat frozen vanilla yogurt
2 big handfuls of juicing greens
1 1/2 cups ice
1 serving vanilla whey protein
1 cup orange juice
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract OR 1 teaspoon imitation coconut extract (I loved the coconut extract, but Chris was not a fan)

Banana Butterscotch

2 bananas
4 scoops nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt
2 big handfuls of juicing greens
1 1/2 cups ice
1 package Jello-O instant sugar free fat free butterscotch pudding
1 serving vanilla whey protein
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
*This one was a little too sweet and thick for breakfast in Chris's opinion.  I really liked it, but I like sweets more than he does.  If you do like the more "milkshakey" consistency, you can try this recipe with any flavor of Jell-O instant sugar free fat free puddings.  They have a wide variety, including cheesecake, banana creme, and white chocolate.

Our Backyard Makeover

Hello, hello!  As always, sorry I haven't been checking in here lately.  Between enjoying my time with the Mister and the holidays (when I wanted to hang out with him even more because he was on leave), I've been very distracted and scatterbrained.  But now that he has gone back to working regular hours, we're settling back into our daily schedule and feeling really normal again.

I can't believe how quickly time seems to be moving right now.  It feels like the Mister just got home a month or two ago, but he's been here since early October.  And it's almost been a month since Christmas!  My parents have always told me that once you're a "grown up," times flies by, but I'm just beginning to appreciate what they mean.  I wish I could press a "pause" button right about now.  But on the same note, the good news is that spring is truly right around the corner.  We only have one more month of real winter around here, then comes March when spring starts to make an appearance.  Lent will be here in less than a month, and Easter will be in sight.  A sure sign of this is that it is after 5:30 pm as I am typing this, and it is still LIGHT outside.

Since warmer temperatures and longer days are fast approaching, I thought it was about time I share the photos I've been promising of the backyard renovation I worked on while Chris was gone.  ALL of our family members helped with this in one way or another, but we owe a big thank you to both of our dads and my grandfather.  With my lack of knowledge and skill in the fields of masonry, carpentry, and yard work in general, it is very obvious I couldn't have pulled any of this off on my own.  Now we're just counting down the days till the season of grilling, outside beer drinking, and late nights by the fire (says the girl who was just wishing she could slow down time).

Before:

I have tons of "in progress" photos, but I'll spare you those... except for these of my dad and grandfather working on the patio together because they're my favorite.

After:

Of course, there is always more to be done, but we are so happy with how it all came together!  We're no longer embarrassed to have guests out back (because the ground doesn't look like the surface of the moon anymore).  As I said before, we are so thankful for our family members who gave up their time to make this happen for Chris before he got home (and we're also grateful we're related to brick masons!).  We had the best welcome home party for Chris the weekend after he arrived and, even though the evening started out with rain, we were able to wrap up the night on our new patio.  It was a great inaugural backyard party, and we are chomping at the bit to have 100 more this coming spring, summer, and fall... not to mention the countless dinners just the two of us will have together out there.  Until then, I'm going to be torn between trying to enjoy winter and longing for the days the highs are above 70 degrees again.  We're still waiting on a good snow, though!

Patio pavers, deck/fence stain (Olympic Tobacco Semi-Transparent), and pergola (could no longer find online) - Lowes

Chairs and lights - Walmart (for real!)

Hammock - Wayfair

Table - Handmade by my dad for our wedding : )

He's home! He's home!

Wow! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to share this with you.

We had the best surprise!  The Mister arrived home to Fort Bragg, NC, very late at night on October 5th!

Notice how he was stepping on my toe.  I had no idea. : )

The weekend after, we had a really great get together at our house with our families and some of our Raleigh friends. (Sorry, I forgot to take photos that night!)

Since then, we've been settling back into "normal" life.  And normal feels AWESOME.

Normal life of course included a trip to the NC State Fair in October.  That roasted corn (dipped in melted butter, oops) was tooooo good.

We were lucky to have an "easy" deployment as far as our ability to stay in touch with one another.  Even when we couldn't Skype, we could usually Facebook message.  And now he is home in good health and grateful for his experiences.  He loves what he does, and I'm unbelievably proud of him.

On this day following Veterans Day, I have a new perspective on thankfulness for all veterans of all wars in our nation's history.  We are indebted to every single one of them in ways most of us will never completely understand (Chris hates this corny stuff, but it's true).

I'm planning to check in here soon with some details on the backyard and office renovations I did while Chris was gone.  And I have a few more ideas for future posts, too.  Here's hoping I can improve my time management skills now that Chris is here, and I can start making Hart & McKee a priority again!  We're really enjoying just "being" right now: watching too many Redbox movies, sleeping in late on the weekends, and going to the gym most nights. But I'll do my best to make time for this space as well!  Talk to you soon!

Fancy Meeting You Here

Well, hello there... Oh yeah - I have a blog!

Just kidding, just kidding, I would never forget you readers, however few you may be. : )  I've had twinges of guilt for not popping in here often enough (or really at all), but I won't make excuses.  Blogging just hasn't been a priority for me lately, and that's okay.  I honestly felt like when I was writing I was mostly just whining about missing the Mister, and I don't think that's much fun for you or me.  So I checked out of here for a bit and mostly focused on getting through the day-to-day.  And daily life has seemed so much busier this summer than it was this winter and spring. - I think that's mostly due to the fact that I'm in the middle of a major overhaul in our yard, and that's taking up most of my spare time (more on that later).

As of August 20th, the Mister had been gone for SIX MONTHS.  So now we're almost to six and a half months... wowza. For a short time earlier in the summer, we thought he may be home sometime in September, and I tried not to let myself get attached to the idea unless it didn't happen.  But I did get attached to the idea.  And it's not going to happen.  Of course when I found out I was super bummed.  September is a big month for us, as it is contains both of our birthdays and our anniversary. However, if I've learned anything about the military it's that plans always change, and it's not ever gonna do you any good to be upset about those changes (this is coming from the girl who moved her wedding up a month only to find out later that her husband could have been home on the original date).  So I put on my big girl panties and wrapped my head around the fact that we were only halfway through.

I am of course thankful that Chris has stayed safe and happy.  And we are so lucky that we've gotten to stay in touch throughout most of this process.  Although Skype isn't working at his base anymore as they have reduced internet availability, we are able to chat over Facebook Messenger pretty much every day.  I know people are hating on Messenger because it apparently invades your privacy, but Mark Zuckerberg can know where I am and turn my phone on and off if it means I get to talk to my Christopher every day.

There were times this summer when days and weeks seemed like forever and, although I hate to admit it, I have been guilty of wishing the days away.  But today is September 2nd.  I wore my favorite white dress for the last time this year two days ago.  The school buses are running in my neighborhood again.  My drink of choice at Starbucks is a Pumpkin Spice Latte instead of a Caramel Frappuccino.  I plugged in this pumpkin air freshener.  (How cute is it?  It's from Bath and Body Works and the Pumpkin Cupcake scent smells like heaven.)

Even if the official first day of fall isn't until September 23rd and the highs for this week are in the 80s and 90s, in my mind fall is here and we have made it through the summer.  And the cool mornings we've had and the first few leaves falling in my yard have given me the push I need to put on a smiling face to make it through the homestretch.  We're rounding third and we're gonna make it it to home base!  A few more months ain't nothin' and Chris will be home before we know it.

Because I have been MIA since May, I thought I'd give you a brief synopsis of my summer.  Although it didn't seem like that many exciting things happened, when I look back on it like this, I realize the past three months have been pretty eventful.

My little sister, Caroline, graduated from high school.  My baby seester is all grown up!

 

My dad celebrated 20 years with the Burlington Fire Department.  Look at him go!

Caroline and I participated in Relay for Life in Burlington to celebrate our cousin Molly kicking cancer's ass.

Lulu did some weird stuff.

My dad built Hank and Luellen this awesome dog pen (we're actually calling it a dog pavilion) with some help from my father-in-law, my brother, and my brother's girlfriend, Brittany.  We needed somewhere to contain my crazy pups before we could lay sod in the yard.  Later this fall when we're not watering the yard all the time, we'll stain the pen to match the fence, which will make it look even better!

I went up to Chesapeake, VA, for a much needed girls' weekend and hung out with my friend Mattie Anne's completely adorable German Shepherd, Moose.

The sunflowers and zinnias my mother-in-law helped me plant did wonderfully, but the sunflowers have come and gone now.  The zinnias are still blooming like crazy, though.  Last year, my zinnias stayed alive until the first frost, so I'm hoping the same will be true this year. With the help of my mom, I also planted some Vincas and Pentas in my front flowerbeds.  The Vincas started out as the littlest, single-stem plants, and now they're HUGE.  We also started a new bed on the side of the house with a hydrangea, butterfly bush, and a Pink Abelia.

The front flowerbeds when they were first planted:

 The flowerbed beside the house when it was first planted:

The sunflowers/zinnias before they flowered:

The front flowerbeds now:

The flowerbed beside the house now:

I didn't get an official "after" shot of the whole sunflower/zinnia bed, but I do have a close up of the biggest sunflower I had (the photo doesn't do it justice - it was the size of my face).  In the photo of Hank, below, you can see how tall they were in the background.

Also, please notice these bushes I trimmed all by myself.  They're not perfect, but pretty good for my first time, especially considering the amount of large wolf spiders I had to avoid.

All of my flower planting and the addition of two hummingbird feeders to the yard led to several hummers hanging out here most of the time.  I put one feeder on the front porch, and I find myself wasting tons of time staring at the cute little birdies flitting around and eating or drinking or whatever it is they do.  I guess it's not totally wasted time watching them because it never fails to boost my mood.

For the first time in my whole life, I colored my hair!  I've been into the ombre trend since celebrities first started doing it years ago, so I figured I should finally bite the bullet before it goes out of style.  I was terribly nervous, but I love it - and so does Chris!  Which means I have to keep it this way at least until he comes home.  I'm addicted, just like everyone said I'd be, and I'm going to get more color at the end of September.

My cousin Emily had a baby, and she is peanut, and she is perfect, and I need more snuggles with her asap.

Chris has said over and over that all he wants for a post-deployment gift is to have a nice backyard where we can hang out and have friends over.  In early June, I hired landscapers to come lay sod in our backyard and side yards to replace the sand and weeds we had before.  Since then my life has included a lot of adjusting sprinklers, moving hoses around, and dog poop scooping, but it will all be worth it to see Chris's face when he comes home to our backyard with REAL grass.  My dad is coming sometime this week to start working on the patio/pergola area, which is the last step in our backyard makeover.  I'm very lucky to have a dad and father-in-law who are happy to come help out with the yard whenever they have a chance.

 

 

Lulu did some more strange things.

I mean, this is how all dogs sleep, right?

Fourth of July weekend, Caroline came to spend a couple nights with me and go to the Josh Turner concert at Fort Bragg.  July 4th was a really great day complete with a gun salute provided by a battery in Chris's battalion and a phenomenal fireworks show (the best I've ever seen!).  I've been to this celebration at Bragg once before with Chris, and I really enjoyed it, but it was even better than I remembered.  Caroline and I decided it would be a tradition from now on with our whole family.

The last week of July, I went on vacation to Emerald Isle, NC, with my family and my brother's girlfriend.  Although I was sad Chris couldn't be there with us, it was a treat because I hadn't been on a week-long vacation since our honeymoon last September.

I found this at a store I fell in love with at Emerald Isle called The Fisherman's Wife.  I mean, a sweet quote AND vintage Airstream art? - I had to buy it.  It now lives on our kitchen counter and makes me smile daily.

While we were at the beach, Caroline forced me to get with the times and download Instagram (you can find me at hhkdixon if you enjoy the occasional dog photo).  So, of course, the first thing I did was search GSP and weimaraner hashtags, and I found this dog that looks like Luellen's head on Hank's body.  It's really pretty creepy.

 

Lastly, in June, Miranda Lambert's new album, Platinum, came out. That may not seem like a noteworthy event for most people, but it was one of the highlights of my summer.  Although this album has a different vibe than those she's released previously, I love it, and it's pretty much always in the CD player in my car.

Luckily, I wasn't working on the night of August 21st when Miranda came to Raleigh on her Platinum tour.  Caroline, Brittany, and I went, and it was incredible.  Although I've seen Miranda do short sets live before at CMA Music Festival in Nashville, I've never gotten to attend one of her full-length concerts.  She sounded amazing, and she played so many songs I love.  I have so much respect for her and her reverence toward traditional country music.  She has the ability to make new music that is innovative while still true to the genre.  And she encored with a Haggard song!  Seriously, how much cooler can she get? 

On that note, I found this tank on Etsy with some of the lyrics to my favorite song on Platinum, "Little Red Wagon."  I think I'm going to have to order it as an early birthday present to myself.

Well, there ya have it... I'm sure I omitted tons, but that's the end of my abbreviated summer summary.  Now, I'm welcoming fall with open arms, even if it's not officially here yet.  I even switched out our white hops wreath for our pumpkin wreath today!  The neighbors might think I'm crazy since it's about 95 degrees out, but I need to see those happy little pumpkins when I pull into the driveway.  

I have a girls' weekend in Atlanta with two of my best friends from college to look forward to in the very near future. Thank goodness for friends who are available and happy to celebrate my anniversary with me in the absence of my husband!  After that, I have mine and Chris's birthdays, another girls' weekend, and the NC State Fair on my radar.  I'll try to do better about stopping in here with more than just updates about what's been going on in my life because I've been gone forever.

Thanks for reading!! Happy fall, y'all!