Christmas 2017 (Summary + What I Got)

I don't get sick very often, but as luck would have it, I started not feeling well as Christmas weekend approached.  I had a slight tickle in my throat starting Thursday afternoon that developed into a sore throat. Overall, it was fairly mild, but I wanted to be cautious in case it took a turn for the worse. Reasoning that my parents don't visit often enough to waste a visit when I'm not feeling well, I suggested that we postpone them coming down. They were supposed to come Saturday, but I spent most of the weekend resting instead.

For Christmas morning, we indulged in this Caramel Latte Bake and exchanged a few gifts.

Similar to last year, we've really pulled back on the number of gifts that we're buying each other. Gifts listed below are from Francisco unless otherwise noted.

OUTSIDE

1// Bird feeder [Link to the one from my Amazon Wish List] - Gift from my brother, and I was so excited to reopen our bird restaurant.

BATHROOM

1// My brother picked this Laundry Hamper straight from my Wish List. I already love it so much more than the dilapidated basket I'd been using in my bathroom.
2// My old eyeliner sharpeners had seen better days, so I'm happy about receiving this new one.
3// The Vichy product was just a sample that must've come with the eyeliner sharpener.
4// You can see I ask for very practical presents (like toilet brushes), and my brother is happy to deliver lol.

BEDROOM

1-3// Most of this pile is actually for Francisco. I got him 3 pairs of Richer Poorer Boxer Briefs, because he loves their underwear. Check them out on Amazon here - they're definitely cheaper than buying straight from the RP website!
4-6// I also got him 3 pairs of Richer Poorer socks.
7// Francisco got me this Anicco top, but I'm not really sure I like how it fits.  I'm hoping to wear it this week, so I can make a final decision to see if we should return it.
8// My brother got me the TaoTronics Clothes Steamer of course straight from my Wish List. I have to admit that I walk outside wearing clothes that are all too often more wrinkled than should be socially acceptable.

KITCHEN

1// Francisco knows quite well that Holiday Reese's are my fave, so I found this stashed in my stocking.
2-4// I had some restaurant gift cards and special coupons from my annual survey cash-out that I gifted to Francisco.
3// I actually got this mini cutting board at work and passed it on to Francisco [similar here].
4// We'll be returning this glass set I picked up from Target - we're a family who much prefers dishwasher safe glassware, and I didn't read the description very carefully.
5// My brother got Francisco one of these Copper Chef Pans.
6// He also got him these Silicone Rolling Pin Spacer Bands.

GAMES

1// Francisco got me the Oregon Trail: Hunting Game, and I really enjoyed it.
2// I don't think we're going to keep the Snappy Dressers Card Game. Francisco readily admitted he picked this up on a whim, and we're trying to be better about being more purposeful in our gift-giving.
3// We've both really enjoyed playing Spot It in the past, and we pick this up nearly every time we go to the local board game bar, so I finally decided to buy it for us.
4// Last year, I made us a puzzle for the UK and Ireland, and this year I made one for Paris + Iceland. We put this puzzle together, and he was already suggesting that we pull out the one from last year to do again. :) 

CLOSET

1// I got Francisco the L.L.Bean backpack he'd been eyeing in my October vlog.
2// I also got him this sweater since he'd flagged it in an L.L.Bean catalog he browsed through.

LIVING ROOM

1// My brother got Francisco The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.: A Novel.
2-6[+7,8]// Shutterfly got a lot of my business this year.  I made Francisco:
a/ An Eiffel Tower blanket
b/ 2 prints from Iceland (although I got the frames from Target cuz' cheaper) (also note that we've only framed one of the prints so far, but we did use one frame for a small painting we picked up while in Paris)
c/ Pillow with a pic from Iceland
d/ Ornament

Oh, and I also got a bonus present that isn't pictured here, but I will be featuring it in an upcoming vlog. The presentation of it was by far the best thing about Christmas this year. :)

All in all, it was a seriously lazy weekend that just went by way too fast. I hardly did anything but drink lots of water and many mugs of tea, eat the most delicious Peppermint Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookies, and lounge around with my husband and two adorable kitties.