** THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED **
This giveaway is closed, and the winner has been contacted (CONGRATULATIONS, STEPHANIE!!!), but check back next Saturday for another giveaway.
Good morning, glory! Happy day after Christmas! How’s it going? What have you been up to? More importantly, what have you been eating!? Tell me about all of it. With this whole gestational diabetes thing, I LITERALLY have to live vicariously through you, so please do the right thing, and share with me what you’ve been eating.
And please make it good. I want to be able to close my eyes and practically taste the noms from your descriptions, LOL!
Kidding…sort of.
But seriously, please do it. 🙂
Haha!
I hope you’re having a fabulous holiday weekend so far. I’ve been doing lots of the regular — fun with family, eating food (although very few carbs), Christmas lights, watching countless Christmas movies and some basketball on TV (go Warriors!) and hardcore relaxing (I even took a nap!).
This week for the giveaway we’re going to do something a little different. Instead of the usual $50 Sephora or MAC gift card, I’m giving away a beautiful gift box filled with mystery makeup and beauty products (mostly makeup) handpicked by me, and I promise you…the prize will be great (minimum $250 value).
The giveaway ends on Thursday, December 31, 2015 at 11:59 PM PST.
Same rules as always to enter, and it’s open to U.S. and international. Just leave a comment about anything down below.
- One (1) Fancy gift box filled with a mysterious bounty of beauty products (mostly makeup) handpicked by me (with help from Tabs). Estimated value: AT LEAST $250. And the giveaway is open to U.S. AND international readers.
- Enter by leaving a comment below.
- Open to U.S. and international readers.
- You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
- Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
- So how was Christmas!? What did you do?
- What’s your favorite fashion website?
- Best holiday decorations you saw this year?
- Have you ever cried watching a YouTube video?
- What’s your favorite blanket?
- What’s the optimal number of shadows for an eyeshadow palette?
- One entry per person.
- You must use a valid email address to win.
- The giveaway ends on Thursday, December 31, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
It’s great now that I’m older that I don’t look ridiculous with heavier makeup on.
Christmas was wonderful -we hosted a lovely intimate dinner party for six ! Boxing Day with my love in our jammies was still the high point !!
Christmas was simple this year, as it usually is. Most of our extended family has moved away, so a fancier dinner than normal is basically all we do.
Baked green tea sponge cakes in tins to give to my friends – went over great!
So how was Christmas!? What did you do?
Mom and Dad come to eat at a Christmas eve by the hub and me and the next day they come for a delicious Chinese take out by us again for lunch. Love being together
Have you ever cried watching a YouTube video?
Yup I cry allot, when it has a happy ending or sad
An eyeshadow palette should have at least 10 shadows. Not so many that you never use a few, but enough to create a lot of different looks!
Happy holidays! My fluffy down blanket that I left by my parents. A little worn out but it still does the trick 😉
I always cry why I watch YouTube videos on shelter animals. I feed cats on the street (about 50). I wish I could adopt them all.
Merry Xmas
Q) What’s the optimal number of shadows for an eyeshadow palette? A) i like 6 as the optimal, any more than that and it gets confusing.
A mystery box filled with makeup? Yes, please!
My Christmas was really good, had a relaxing morning, made a Polish cheesecake, then Mike’s son came back from his mom’s and we opened our gifts and then had a family dinner and played games at a rented hall, then watched some Star Wars. Working right now as well as tomorrow :-/
What did Santa bring you?
Merry Christmas! YouTube makes me cry a lot, actually, lol, but in a good way 😉
I ate the most delicious wild boar goulash in chocolate sauce, cooked by my husband, who is a hunter. So it was basically made from scratch. When not pregnant I usually eat vegetarian, but the meat he brings home is just awesome.
Neiman marcus website for fashion..love their sales.. right now a beautiful ysl lipstick design zip pouch is on sale. .but i can’t buy it as i’m on a self imposed spending ban.. 🙂
I had a wonderful Christmas lunch/dinner/after dinner snack with the family! Yum!
My favorite blanket was knitted by my mother in law for me. The other favorite one was given to me from my mom – it’s super soft 🙂
I hope you, Tabs, and El Hubs had a great Xmas, Karen!
Happy day after christmas!
Its my parents’ 45th wedding anniversary!
We are in South Lake Tahoe for a very white christmas. We girls and my dad did not do any cooking (which was great!). We are thankful for the people who worked on christmas to make our holiday smorgasbord dreams come true at buffet stations.
I dont wear eyeshadows really but maybe in 2016 it will change. I did give my 17 yo niece a UD vice pallet, Real Techniques eye brushes and UD eye primer -oh the joy of her squeal when she opened her present and there was a thousand thank you hugs, squeezes and kisses. My brother thought it was a bad idea though because my niece tool forever in the bathroom to do her eye makeup. LOL ?
Happy Holidays Miss and Tabs! And to the whole family!
Wow this is awesome! My Christmas was great- we celebrated with our family early (and with the other side next week)- so hubby and I are on vacation just the two of us. Christmas day was spent drinking coffee, watching movies, and eating soup for dinner.
I’m so excited to see what’s in the box! I hope you reveal what’s in there when you announce the winner.
I had very busy Christmas! In my country, we celebrate the Christmas Eve, but the next day is mostly for resting in the comfort of one’s home. So I started early on Thursday’s afternoon by visiting my father, then off to my boyfriend’s fatherand finally we had a party at our home with the remaining family members. We do this routine every year because we both come from divorced families. So I had a triple dose of Latvian Christmas foods – meat, potatoes and baked sauerkraut, lots of sauerkraut.
Anyways, thank you for throwing such an amazing giveaway AND including international entries! Happy end of the year holidays! 🙂
Merry belated Christmas!
I ate a ton of crab. So delicious. I’m thinking of going out and getting more so that I can make crab fried rice. The only thing stopping me is temperature! It’s insanely cold right now! Ok, the temp and the fact that it’s only 8:50am!
Hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas. Nope, never cried while watching youtube. Unless you count the tears of laughter of which there were much and more ?
Happy Holidays Karen. I’m so excited for your little one to arrive.
Hi Karen! After opening presents and having brunch yesterday we drove down to LA from San Jose for a little vacation. For dinner last night I had my favorite pan fried pork buns. Get this, the ones here are so amazeballs they give you straws to drink the soup inside first! Hope you’re feeling well, I’m now 26 weeks and finally able to hold down food. Love ya!
My Christmas was great! Got to see my entire family and my nephew who is growing way too fast! I feel like he was born yesterday and he’s already 7 months old!
We were invited to the neighbors. It was great! I finally got to make candied sweet potatoes like my Mom used to. They took forever but they turned out perfect – my neighbor told me he’d have a party every week if I promised to make them. LoL
I’m on a roll so I’m gonna try and make her special fruit salad for New Year’s Eve. None of these recipes are written down so I add a prayer while cooking. Hey, it works! LoL
I wish you many blessings in the new year!
Hope you have a wonderful holiday season and best wishes for the new year.
Merry, merry Christmas!
We’ve spent the days visiting as many family members as possible – my boyfriend’s family is huge and we always try to see everyone during the holidays. And I’m in a constant food coma since Thursday, because Christmas starts on the 24th here in Germany^^
I hope your doing good and had a great time with your loved ones!
Much love,
Alexandra
Hi, Karen! Love reading your articles and all the pretty makeup. Congrats on baby girl!
Karen, I live in Brazil and if there is one thing that i would love to receive from Santa it would Be snow!! Lol !! It’s so freakin hot in here!! Oh, My God!! And to get better, I got sick! The flu caught me in one way that made me not leave the bed. :/. Girl, it’s not been easy!! But i would love to win this prize!! :). At least to finish the year with some good news!!! ??. Xoxo, Carol. P.s.: i haven’t eaten anything from Xmas either…let just picture the taste of the best food time ever!! ? Lov ya!!!
I cry every time I watch a video of soldiers coming home, especially when it involves their families… And wedding/proposal videos… And baby announcement videos… And animal videos… And really, any kind of sentimental video! ?
I’ve been eating lots of chocolate crinkles, peanut butter blossoms and chex mix! But the most noteworthy thing that happened was a positive pregnancy test 2 days before Christmas! 🙂
Merry Christmas! My family had some jambalaya for dinner! It was so good!
We made a yummy gingerbread cake with whipped cream and creme fraiche icing and sugared cranberries on top (from smitten kitchen). It was delightful–I was on the fence about the sugared cranberries, but they turned out to be the best part.
Comment…. 🙂 ate too much yesterday can’t think
Oh and bingewatch making a murderer on netflix. Best tv/doc of 2015
Merry Christmas! Our family turned it into a Star Wars marathon. May the Force be with you.
I have never purchased an eyeshadow palette!!!!
I had a nice Christmas. Got some makeup
Merry Christmas! My favorite blanket is really soft and fluffy. I can’t remember the brand but I picked it up at costco this year.
Have you ever cried watching a YouTube video? All the time, the last time was the video about a flight attendant singing honoring a fallen soldier (whose coffin was on their boarding plane) at an airport terminal.
What’s the optimal number of shadows for an eyeshadow palette? I don’t know. For me, the more the better but if you need a palette to tote around in your purse then 12 is a good number.
Merry Christmas Karen 🙂 And congrats on your baby girl! Christmas was wonderful, I spent it with my family on the west coast. We had a big dinner that my mom made with ham, sweet potatoes, and homemade stuffing. Today we’re going to make pea soup out of the rest of the ham. Congrats on your baby girl!
The better question to ask is what have I NOT been eating?! ? Sigh. ?
I think 12 eyeshadows is the optimal amount. 🙂 Merry Christmas Karen!
Happy holidays, Karen!
Christmas was good, partying at night, surfing and chilling on the beach next day) I’m on vacation in Sri Lanka right now, so here is not really winter xmas mood)
My favorite blanket is my baby blanket that still makes appearances every so often when I’m alone.
I watched holiday movies and specials with my family!
happy holidays! 🙂
Next year will be competely different for you with the little one! Hope you had a wonderful Chrstmas. Good luck, everyone!
Hi karen, tabs, and baby girl. Hope your christmas was a great one. You are so sweet to do these giveawayd every week and especially right after christmas. My kids had a great one and me and hubby made out pretty well. We have tons of turkey, dressing, and sweet potatoes left over. My favorite has been cheesecake with cherries on top. My tradition since having kids is letting him (and now an 18 month old) stay up until midnight and then go to bed right after we watch the ball drop. Happy holidays everyone.
My favorite blanket in the world is my son’s of anarchy blanket featuring a very Sexy upclose picture of Jax Teller aka Charlie Hunnam. ….I am in love with it I sleep with it every night lol I feel like such a big kid
I studied/have been studying/will be studying for the Hawaii bar exam. That’s it. That’s my life until February. Merry Xmas to me! lol…. But during my study breaks I indulge in “Snog, Marry, Avoid” & YouTube makeup vids, including yours!, and my new favorites–Jackie Aina, Jordan Liberty, Lisa Eldridge, and, of course, Angie Castellano. 😉
If you’re not veg*n you could indulge in all of those amazing Filipino savory dishes, like crispy pata, chicken adobo, & lots of veggies to satisf. you and babygirl? Christmas Eve dinner was spent out at one of our favorite Italian places and I just ordered a beet & spinach w/ pistachio nut & goat cheese salad + grilled zucchini & bacon-wrapped shrimp. It really did me good rather than the pizza (which my husband always gets & can get away with eating, what is it with men’s metabolisms & lack of digestive issues)….
I had a super low key Christmas with my dog and my husband (notice who came first LOL) and we watched a Christmas story a million times and enjoyed a Jewish Christmas dinner. Come this following week were driving down to California to visit my mama and that’s when we’re gonna eat ALL THE FOOD! Sorry for yelling but im really exited.
Hi! I had to work this Christmas, but I didn’t mind. I like to think that I’ve helped bringing many people to their families for the holidays (I’m a flight attendant) I’ll be home for new years Eve ?
Well, I made a bunch of cookies like I do every year. Made sugar, chocolate chip, peanut butter, hershey kiss, pizzelles, haystacks, bird’s nests, chocolate crackle, etc. And for Christmas dinner, we made ham, turkey, stuffing, turkey gravy, sweet gravy, mashed potatoes, broccoli and cheese, cream corn, crescent rolls, dutch apple pie, cherry pie and pumpkin pie.
We celebrated my son’s first Christmas! He’s almost 11 months old and loved all the excitement.
I had a lovely Christmas dinner: ham, mashed potatoes, asparagus, biscuits, green and black olives, deviled eggs and for dessert we had peppermint pudding on top of crushed oreo cookie crust. For Christmas breakfast we have a tradition of making breakfast pizza. Crescent roll crust, eggs, cheese, sausage, peppers, onions, and oregano are all baked on a round pizza pan and very much enjoyed. For our Christmas cookies this year we took a small pretzel knot and layered a pecan, rolo candy, and another pecan – baked it a ~300 degrees for 5-6 minutes and had our version of turtle candy. I certainly hope that you were able to have some healthy treats and would love to hear more about them 🙂
I travelled back to my hometown to spend quality time with my family 🙂
I made snickerdoodles for Christmas, which I think are both more delicious and way easier than a lot of the more traditional Christmas cookies.
The best holiday lights I saw this year was at Dyker Heights Brooklyn! Streets and streets of lights!
I’m so excited to see what’s in the box! I hope you reveal what’s in there when you announce the winner
I can’t believe Christmas is already over! It’s been really nice to come home for winter break though. Thanks for the amazing giveaways! I recently made my own blog too and yours has always been a great source of inspiration.
Had a great Christmas. Spent time with family that i haven’t seen in months. The kids all loved their gifts!
We’re having a hot Christmas here in Florida (not bragging at all). Enjoying spending time with the family.
Hmm… optimal number of eyeshadows would be at least 10-12, you can get decent mixture of finishes and colors that way I think.
This one house I saw while driving by went all out for decorations in their front yard. So many lights it was a bit blinding!
Well Merry Christmas to you, family was everything this year. As parents are moving on and children growing up fast…. No snow in New Jersey.
Got a beautiful laser treatment done, so waiting for some fantastic finds in that box of yours.
love
Belinda
Karen,your lipstick color is gorgeous in the pic above!! Happy New Year to you and your family and may the blessings of God continue to flow in your life. LUV ya much..!!!!
So far I’ve spent my Christmas days reading and watching movies with my boyfriend. Merry Christmas !
I have cried many times during youtube videos! I like to watch the sentimental ones!
My Mum & Stepdad are here for Xmas, and yesterday was Boxing Day here in Australia, so we all went for a drive, found a lovely place for lunch, then drove a little further & had a walk on the beach. It wasn’t super hot weather as it was on Xmas day – but the back of my neck got a bit sunburnt! I’m normally very careful about being in the sun, but I guess the holidays have me a little too relaxed! Oops!
I have been eating lots of oyster dressing and honey baked ham!
work : (
My optimal eye shadow palette would have six neutral and two Glam shadows. To help create an everyday,glamorous look!
Hi Karen! Merry ( a little late) Christmas!!! I hope you had a lovely one. I had a nice one myself. Spent yesterday alone but Christmas Eve was fun. Here’s hoping the rest of your holidays are bright and beautiful!!!!
Trying to not eat too much junk, but almond m&ms are my kryptonite!
For the last few years my family has been doing non-traditional Christmas meals, and this year we had spaghetti, French bread and salad. I just had some leftovers for lunch, yum! Happy holidays 🙂
Now that I am a college student, I am seeing that I cannot really afford the makeup products that I used to wear which is ok. I have now discovered e.l.f. and I really like their prodcuts. Oh and I personally believe that an eyeshadow palette should have at least 9 or 10 eyeshadows that every skin tone can wear!
Thanks for this awsome giveaway!!
So far a YouTube video has not made me cry
Merry Christmas to you, El Hub, Tabs, and Baby Girl. Made turkey and homemade stuffing for the 1ST time. So muck work but a nice sense of accomplishment.
I like shopping from the Nordstrom website, but I wanna branch out!
I am very sentimental person so yes I have cried many times while watching YT videos…anything emotional and if I can relate to it my eyes will start watering..lol..wish me luck coz its ma bday today! yay! hoping to win..fingers crossed!
Am having a nice Christmas. My family moved to a new state just about a month ago so its been an adjustment. Doing everything I can to make happy memories. I hope you’re enjoying the holdays.
I made the best creamed corn on Christmas and I put it on top of my mashed potatoes and it was the most delicious part of the day. You can keep the turkey just give me good ole creamy corn and potatoes!!!
My favorite blanket is a fuzzy Berkshire throw from QVC. It’s purple and I use it ALL the time
I had a great christmas with my niece. Watching her open up the presents was really fun seeing her reaction. I hope you had a great christmas too
This Christmas has been lovely — spending time with my Mom who just finished up treatment for breast cancer (and she’s doing wonderfully well!), and we’re also celebrating my 44th birthday (woot woot)!
I’ve grown to love my birthday cake in the shape of a Christmas tree! Now, to add this mystery gift box to my birthday swag would be the star on the top of the tree! 😉
Regardless, thank you for always being so generous with your readers. Hope you and your family have had a magical holiday!
Merry Christmas!
My Christmas was great, it was my first one with my dog that I adopted earlier this year. She’s the sweetest German Shepherd you will ever meet… although she’s still quite timid and nervous around large dogs and will either bark to tell them that or hide behind me. She does have some small-dog friends from our neighborhood though! Her name is Nyla 🙂
There’s this fake mink bedspread situation my mom bought us at Big Lots. My husband hates the thing but I could not love it more. Every time I wrap myself up in it it’s like a hug from a giant cat.
Happy Holidays Karen! I had an amazing Christmas Eve and yesterday I also had a very cosy Christmas dinner with my side of the family. Unfortunately I have to spend my days behind my desk studying because of exams starting at the beginning of January! That’s not very exciting BUT (normally) I will graduate in June so that is what keeps me motivated!
Every Christmas Eve, our family get matching themed Christmas pajamas one year it was onesies and another year it was penguins this year it was plaid!
What a rad giveaway! Dang!
This is super generous of you Karen; I always enjoy reading your blog and absolutely love your cat (he’s so cute!). I’m enjoying a green, cool Christmas here in Ottawa Ontario Canada with my parents while hubby works – and have been enjoying some online shopping in my jammies 😀 wishing you and your family a very Happy New Year with much continued success, happiness and health – especially as you welcome your little one into the world 🙂
I love the fake fur blankets you find all over home goods and Nordstrom rack now. I thought they were cheesy at first but they are awesome!!
I had a great Christmas- all my family was in from out-of-state & we had so much fun! Hope you had a good one too!
My favorite online fashion clothing store is a tie between Shopbop & Nordstrom…
Hi, Karen, the hubs & I had a wonderful day with my 3 adult kids & daughter’s boyfriend. So much laughing opening gifts and great food & drink.
My favorite blanket would be the one that my mom just bought me for Christmas. 🙂
Spending Christmas with my son. Doesn’t get any better.
I think an eyeshadow palette should have 8-10 shadows. Eagerly awaiting the birth of your baby – it will be fun to see how your makeup routine changes once you become a mom. Love reading your blog!
We had a quiet Christmas since a cold is making the rounds at my house. We did go see Star Wars, and had a nice but small dinner.
The closest I got to makeup as Christmas presents was a brush belt and a sephora gift card.I really enjoyed this Christmas; my family all decided to set a budget for gifts and it was thoroughly enjoyable to see everyone break it horribly..
it was so warm here on the East Coast that I celebrated Cinco de Mayo on xmas with chips salsa and guacamole instead of hot chocolate and candy canes
Christmas was super low key this year. Stayed in made lots of great food and watched holiday movies in the jams!
I don’t have a favorite fashion website but my favorite beauty blog is yours! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
I received the new Lorac Pro To Go lip and eye palette for Christmas and am in love with it!
Happy Holidays! I’ve spent my Christmas days watching movies and cooking with my mother! Kisses
I really picky about blankets. They have to be the right amount of fuzzy, short enough for my little legs to not be drowning in it, but long enough to cover my toes when pulled up to my waist. I’ve found children’s fleece blankets usually fit my requirements just perfect. (And it has to be cute, so it helps with that as well!) I always have to have a blanket on me when I lay on the couch, so I feel like it’s okay to be picky since I get so much use out of it!
My Christmas was wonderful. Christmas Eve dinner with my in-laws, breakfast with my parents on Christmas morning and dinner made by my chef husband that night. Food and family is always a win in my book. Hope you had a lovely holiday!
Cried watching a YouTube video of Lord Remember Me by chip or Billy Davis . The simplicity of it was overwhelming . Just an impromptu recording that they are polishing up .
I’m still stuffed from yesterday! I started the morning festivities of with a strawberry and cheese coffee cake. I made a chocolate pie, a berry pie, and my favorite orange jello mixed with cool whip dessert! Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
Erin
ErinLoves2Run at gmail dot com
Happy Holidays, mom to be!
My cyber Monday purchase was 3 lipsticks from NYX Cosmetics. Everything on the site was 40% off. That’s about as exciting as my life is right now. lol.
I spent Christmas with my loud, fabulous family and ate great food. Every family dressed up in matching pjs. It was great!
My Christmas was wonderful!! Here in Nebraska we got SNOW! 🙂
Hi Karen
Sounds like you had a great holiday.
Mine was low key and quiet, just my daughter and me, as my family is all in so. Cal.
Daughter was pet sittin, but we took off for a couple of hours to drive down the coast, my favorite drive. Then stopped at an English pub on the way back and grabbed a bite.
Hope you feel better.
I especially like eye shadow palettes with 4 or 5 shadows.
Christmas was good this year. Quiet. The kids were all happy with their gifts, there was no fighting, everything was nice and calm for a change.
Omg! Karen! I made the most wonderful cookies for Christmas Eve. The greatest thing about these cookies is that it they are low in sugar. The jam filling is want makes them sweet but since you can’t have to much sugar, you can bake them and just eat them without the jelly… I attached the link so you can get the recepie, plus you can watch the step by step on the bakers YouTube channel.. You’ll love them. I hope you had a great Christmas Day with family and friends and wish you the best with the remainder of your pregnancy.. Xoxo. http://www.homecookingadventure.com/recipes/strawberry-cardamom-linzer-cookies
Christmas was wonderful this year! I got to spend time with my new addition to my family . . . my daughter, Alexa! She was just born on 12/22/15.
My favorite blanket is one my grandmother had. My mother is German so my grandmother was Oma. My mother brought the blanket home from Germany after my Oma died. When I moved out, I took it. I remember using it when we visited her, I have very fond memories of that blanket. It’s really fugly but I don’t care, it’s my Oma blanket and it lives on the couch.
I’ve been eating a LOT. My birthday is the 23rd so my husband took me out for sushi, so we gorged on sushi (spicy tuna, unagi, tempura shrimp, California roll, etc) he bought me three cupcakes from Sift: red velvet, lemon with lemon curd filling and a lemon cream cheese frosting and a chocolate with chocolate gnache filling. Christmas Eve I made a ham, roasted fingerling potatoes and green beans and Patti Labelle’s sweet potato pie (if you like pumpkin pie you HAVE to make this pie..seriously) Christmas morning I made breakfast sandwiches with homemade biscuits, bacon, cheese and eggs and some hashbrowns and homemade coffee cake. *sigh* we’re not done yet! Today we’re heading out to the Hummingbird Cafe in Fairfax for shrimp po’boys and some beignet’s and Cafe au Lait. I hope that wasn’t too much detail!
this is exciting! i love surprises!
I hosted a Christmas dinner yesterday. My first one ever. We had a Bacon wrapped Turducken, scalloped potatoes, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, croissants, lemon meringue pie, apple pie, blueberry pie, and a skor trifle.
i just put a new blanket/coverlet on my bed. i’ve had it for about 2 years, waiting for the perfect time, and yesterday was it. a silverly-blue quilted silky coverlet, that makes me feel like a movie star.
thanks, and i am really curious and excited to see what is in the mystery box
Christmas was quite nice and relaxing! Just went to my parents’ place, chilled, and watched movies into the night.
I’m really loving eyeshadow palettes that are more fine-tuned with a less-is-more approach. So I have been enjoying 4-10 pan palettes like the Becca Ombre Rouge.
As many people have written, this season has been filled with family togetherness and lots of love. My daughter prepared a standing rib roast otherwise known as Prime Rib for us with all the sides. She even made yeast rolls and an Apple Pie. The entire meal was made from scratch and tasted like it too. It was an incredible evening and one I will always remember for the great food, love and laughter shared.
My favorite fashion website is polyvore ?
I ate way too much on Christmas Eve/Christmas. My mom made her usual Puerto Rican feast of arroz con gandules and pernil (aka pork shoulder) and I think I’m still full.
Happy holidays, Karen, El Hub, Tabs and Baby Girl!!!
On Christmas Eve, I went to my dad’s side of the family and besides the cake that my Gramma usually makes, she also made a different version this year with orange flavour and chocolate. It was soooooo goood!
Christmas Day was spent with my parents, my siblings, brother-in-law and my grandparents (on my mom’s side). My parents made all kinds of appetizers and we opened our presents. And today we celebrated with my mom’s side of the family. We ate a big Christmas lunch.
About crying when watching youtube videos: sure, I have! Show me one of those videos about the first year in the life of a baby (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6tGZy8fRAo & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtgzTr8iopk), and by the end, I’m usually crying. I love those videos. You get to see this tiny person develop and see their own personality form. I feel so moved: they’re so loved that their parents wanted to remember every moment.
Maybe it also has something to do with the fact that I’m the third in line, so I have very few baby pictures. 😀
Christmas was fantastic! I’m about 22 weeks pregnant and had a license to eat which made it especially fun 🙂
Merry Christmas Karen!!
Christmas was spent with family. We were home with the kids early in the morning and opened gifts. Then we went to my parents and did more of the same.
Good afternoon Karen and family,
Christmas was awesome and I had so much fun with my family. The food was superb and my brother cooked it all by himself (except for the mom’s potato salad and my stuff portebello mushrooms). The spread consisted of: cabbage, pot roast, 2 roasted olive oil/thyme chickens, five cheese baked macaroni, dressing, potato salad, stuffed portebellos, gooey butter cake w/ chocolate glaze, sweet potato pie, and pecan pie.
Everything that I could eat I did (except for the meat, and sweet potato pie) and it was all good.
Today is really just resting and catching up on some movies. I scored both Magic Mikes before Christmas and Just Wright (one of my favorite movies) so I want to watch those today.
My favorite fashion website is Polyvore and Pinterest. The possibilities with both of those sites is endless.
Also, I think the optimal number of shadows for a reasonable palette would be 32. That gives you room to play and there should be a wide range of shades in there to keep you pretty happy.
Happy Day After Christmas to you, too! My holiday (spent with my mom) was wonderful. I woke up this morning & got inspired to move furniture. Probably not the best idea, but my rearranged bedroom looks nice!
I’ll answer what I did for Christmas: work!!! I’m working all weekend too. I’m really burned out – I’m a full time university student with two paid jobs and two volunteer jobs working with nonprofit arts organizations. The only way I could keep up with everything was to work right through the holiday. I guess work was my boss’ idea of a great Christmas gift! Thank goodness my kitty is here to pet once in a while to keep my blood pressure down through the stress! I hope you all had a better holiday! The upside is I’ve planned an Atlantic City vacation for 5 days in January before Spring semester starts – and nothing is going to stand in my way! If they say anything, I’m going to remind them how I worked through Christmas and New Years! I hope I have time to get back into my blog next year but at the moment my chances don’t look good. Happy Holidays everyone!
Happy new year!
I had a great Christmas day with my family and some friends! Lots of good food!
Happy holidays! I cry at more YouTube videos than I can count…I’m a crybaby
Christmas was pretty good. It’s normally very relaxed anyway, but it was even more so this year. I got some really nice jewelry, which was pretty exciting, since I’m normally not a big fan of it.
Wonderful Christmas! Missing the warmth of my home in Florida while visiting family in the north though. Brrrrrrr! : )
Yay, another giveaway! This looks so nice, thank you! And Christmas was great, family was just chillin’.
Nice giveaway!
I’ve been eating French Onion Soup. We basically use Tyler Florence’s recipe from the Food Network website. It’s the best we’ve tried. We use organic beef broth, red wine, fresh thyme, unsalted butter, and sauteed Vidalia or Walla Walla onions. We oven-broil Swiss cheese on top of sourdough bread, and then cubes it for “croutons.” The bread absorbs the rich broth and the cheese melts even more. It’s to die for, and even better the second day.
I was also going to make a beef roast for Christmas, but hubby ended up spit roasting it on his barbecue, and it turned out soooo good. It was the perfect rare roast, juicy and unbelievably tender. The flavor of the herbs penetrated the outer layer nicely: Thyme, basil, rosemary. Baked potatoes with butter and sour cream.
Also, homemade wheat bread, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, microgreens salad, pistachios, chocolate chip cookies. Hot chocolate made with Euphoria Chocolate Company’s cocoa mix, cinnamon and nutmeg, and whipped cream.
Today we’re making giant seashell pasta stuffed with Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses with fresh grated nutmeg, and marinara sauce. We’re going to oven-roast heads of garlic for the bread. We’re also roasting a couple whole chickens flavored with sage, thyme, basil, rosemary, garlic, onions, celery, carrots, lemons and white wine.
Hi karen! I’m spending a nice weekend home, with my family, friends and PETS! Wishing you happy holidays!
Since we just moved from Oslo to Berlin, it has been a strange Christmas. We skipped Christmas with the husband’s family in South of Germany to stay back in Berlin and slowly sort through our moving boxes that arrived a few weeks ago. It’s been a weird exercise where you find things that mean a lot and things that mean a little bit less. It’s also a bit scary how many things a person can accumulate over 8-10 years 🙂 So, in light of that my new year’s resolution is to try to own less things.
Hope Christmas has been fun for you, Karen 🙂
Congrats! Homemade cream cheese coffee cake is a tradition for us on Christmas morning. It was delicious.
Enjoying the Hawaiian sunshine this Christmas. Wishing you a good holiday season!
The optimal amount of eyeshadows in a palette is 30! The more the better in my opinion!
A belated Merry Christmas to you & yours, Karen! I hope you’re staying arm & comfortable as possible. I have a a couple of owl print fleece blankets which I love so much. I can layer them if I’m really cold or wrap them around my shoulders if I’m reading in bed to keep my neck warm.
My sister had gestational diabetes with all three of her kids; I know it’s tough to stick to the diet. She’s been diagnosed with diabetes earlier this year our dad had it as well). Luckily one of her dogs alerts her if her blood sugar drops, so he’s her service dog no.
I had more booze this year than desserts–I tried Moscato for the first time & Moscow Mules. One of my oldest friends was visiting her mom & stepdad this year, so since she’s still nursing her youngest, her stepdad & I enjoyed the alcohol. I still have a sibling Christmas coming up on January 2nd. I rather like having my celebration spread out over a week or so!
I hope that you have a wonderful New Year! Looking forward to seeing Baby Girl pics (maybe?) & hearing all about her; my sister-in-law, her sister, & my cousin’s wife are all due about the same time you are & all with girls! So excited!
It was my second christmas with my husband and I loved it. It was quiet and simple!!
My Christmas was good. Spend quality time with the family. Wish it snowed here where I live though!
I think 12 is a good number of shadows for a palette.
Best holiday decoration was right across the street from me – How the Grinch Stole Christmas lights right off of the house!
This was the best Christmas I’ve had in a long time! I got to spend time with all my favorite people and shower them with gifts..it was a great way to end a great year! I hope your Christmas was amazing as well Karen!
Omg ate sooo many cookies… I actually feel sick. How’s that for descriptive 😉 that majorly stinks that your diet is so limited now. Hang in there, it’s all worth it!
I ate tons of food. Cookies, kettle corn, apple pie, Mexican food, ugh. Back to the gym next week. Happy Holidays!
I think 9 is a good number for an eye palette
Hmmm… I think one of the big hits this year was pumpkin cheesecake. It actually tasted a lot more like pumpkin pie than I thought it would (not sure why I thought it wouldn’t haha).
My faaaavorite blanket is a quilt my great aunt made me when I graduated from high school. She asked what color scheme I liked and I said blues. So she named it “something blue” and it’s packed with gorgeous blue squares. I’ll never part with it.
I have a pink fleece Hello Kitty blanket. I’ve had it for years. It’s small and lightweight… Perfect for a quick nap!
First of all happy holidays!
I have a confession to make, I am jelly jelly of everyone getting gifts (no gifts for the jewish girl), so I just binged on yt christmas haul videos and ate chocolate.
I had a fabulous Christmas! Santa brought me a blanket scarf, winter boots and much needed blender! Winning this would just top it off.
My Christmas was great spent it with my daughter and grandkids had a wonderful time. Hope u did too and hope to win:) thanks
Happy Holidays Karen!!!
I didn’t do anything for Christmas. I’m hoping next year will be different. I saw a Christmas tree on instagram that was decorated with tropical flowers instead of ornaments…just gorgeous, I want to try something like that.
I love eye shadow palettes with at least 8 colors to mix and match from.
On vacation in east coast for the holidays
Congrats on the coming baby! The lack of sweet foods for gestational diabetes is well worth the little sweetie to be born. 🙂
Food wise, Imagine savory golden brown turkey and creamy whipped potatoes with garlic. Crust less apple pie topped with cinnamon brown sugar crumble, it’s warmth melting the edge of a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream, maybe a bit of caramel drizzled artistically across…
Oh, and my new favorite blanket is one we made from shirts acquired on our vacations. A real quilt to remember, lol.
Animals being rescued videos always make me cry!
Just turned 40 and my favorite blanket is a fleece blue, pink, and white blanket with a teddy bear. As old as i am, it gives me comfort! Lol. First Christmas without my husband so sister is here with me. Thank god for family! Have a Happy New Year Karen! We r all excited to see your bundle of joy!
I ate and ate and ate some more. I had a ton of fun with our huge family. Lots of laughter, hugs, entertainment and great food.
We don’t celebrate Christmas religiously, but we still do big family dinners with aunts, uncles, and cousins, plus nieces and nephews. This year we played a lot of Heads Up and Family Feud, complete with one of my nieces doing a killer Steve Harvey impression.
I was at work for Christmas because I’m a caregiver. My coworker saved the day and made an awesome turkey dinner with loaded mashed potatoes. It was my first time trying loaded mashed potatoes – they have lots of bacon and cheese mixed in, and now I know what I have been missing out on in life, yum!
I hope your Christmas was great! My favorite blanket is a Hello Kitty one that my husband brought back from korea when he was stationed over there!
Merry Christmas to you and your growing familyKaren! Love from France
Every time I need a good cry, I watch the lion reunion video on YouTube… The one with the two men getting reunited with their pet lion in Africa. Guaranteed to make me a blubbering mess!
I always thought the naked palettes had an optimal number of eyeshadows, not too repetitive but nothing major missing (12)!
Hmmm, the sweet, fragrant smell of panettone wafting through the house… that’s Christmas for me in a nutshell! I have the recipe from my mom, it’s basically a type of sweet bread, made with flour, eggs, milk and vanilla, lemon zest and melted butter, and obviously some yeast, and then kneaded to perfection until it’s soft and fluffy, and filled with roasted nuts. I think you would like it, Karen! Happy Holidays! 🙂
Celebrating boxing day by staying in and doing all the shopping online in my jammies!
What a nice idea for a giveaway 🙂
Christmas was nice, but I have to admit today (Boxing Day) had been the laziest ever – mostly consisting of reading, naps and eating!
Hope your Christmas has been wonderful 🙂
Christmas this year was one my favorites. We made cookies during the holiday season for the first time and they were the most buttery, sugary cookies I’ve ever had. We attempted to decorate them with buttercream icing, but alas none of us had a confectioners’ touch and they all turned out looking a little goofy. It was a great time, though, and we enjoyed baked goodies while we opened presents. 🙂
Merry Christmas, Karen and Tabs!
Spent the day with my husband and two girls. Nice and quiet and lots of good food. A bit to much wine apparently because I’ve had a headache all day. 🙂
Unfortunately, the bottom element of my oven broke at the end of Christmas Day. I had cooked a pork roast and roasted potatoes earlier in the day and we were preheating the oven for pumpkin muffins. Fireworks inside the oven is not a good thing! Hopefully, the element can be replaced.
We did not put up a Christmas tree this year.
I love my Giraffe at Home blanket.
I love makeup!!!!
12 is the optimal number of eyeshadows I prefer. I enjoy having options that are coordinated for me, and I can choose among them(usually only 3 or 4 at a time) and have blending shades if needed. I have been spoiled by the Laura Mercier Artist’s and Urban Decay NAKED palettes, what can I say?
I went to the OC winter fest! So much fun!
Happy Christmas to you 🙂 Greetings from Iceland
I was very jealous of houses with projected lights this year. My man and I live in an apartment, but I definitely want to get one of those light projectors when we live in a house! I can’t imagine actually having to hang strands of lights all over a house- I’m afraid of ladders + ain’t nobody got time for that!
Merry Christmas Karen, Tabs and baby girl.. sure can’t wait to meet that little beautiful bundle of joy.. I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. As I am in a little of the same boat I have not been able to eat much this year as I have called chronic tummy problem. I’m sure you b don’t want to hear about. So I will not bother you with that. Bit how I love reading all these comments off yummy nom noms.. I hope you have a great year ahead Karen take care of you and baby.
My Christmas was awesome. My kids get two gifts, one from Santa and one from mommy and daddy.
For christmas, the whole family went to see Star Wars the Force Awakens! It was amazing! We then went back home and had roast beef watched the martian and played some mario kart 8!
This ear for Christmas I fell in love and it was more than I ever thought it would be! Hope everything is going amazingly well for you and your family Karen! Heaps of love and good wishes for your baby!! (And what a cute little bump you have omg!!!)
Xoxo
Wonderful Christmas with family, especially my “just turned” five year old grandson. Enjoy your family time.
I think that the best eyeshadow palettes should have at least 8 shadows.
We had Christmas dinner at my mother-in-law’s which was a little stressful to start. Just as we’re going to sit down, 8 day old Erik starts crying and a diaper change later he was still really upset. He ate right before we got there but nursed him again just in case (in a cold unfamiliar room, that’s always fun :p) and whew, he completely passed out after one side and slept in Gramma’s arms the entire dinner. I stayed home for nearly six months with Colin, but I think this time we’ll be out and about a lot more.
I had a nice Christmas with my husband and kids! I hope you had a nice Christmas too!
My favorite blanket is a throw blanket I bought from a grocery store when I was around ten years old. It’s mainly a lilac color and has stars and moons on it. Super soft!
Ooooh sweet little baby Jesus I have eaten horribly! Pork Lo Mein, Pork Tamales, Chips and Queso, Beef Stew….sweets….anything unhealthy I wanted an excuse to eat I fully took advantage of!
My Christmas was nice and relatively quiet this year. In the past, my husband and I have tried to make the rounds to all of our grandparents and parents, but as the years have went by and we have lost most of our grandparents (I have 1 grandfather left, he has 2 grandmas, but 1 is in a nursing home), we only visit with our parents. My husband’s family decided to wait until January 10th to do our Christmas with them this year, so we had nowhere to go until the evening yesterday! That has never happened before, so we were scrambling to figure out what restaurants might be open and fretting a bit about how it won’t be the same, until my husband’s grandma called and asked if we would come to her place. She made a FANTASTIC lunch and it really made the whole day feel like Christmas! <3
My favorite blanket is the slanket – a blanket with arms! I can be comfy inside it but with my hands out for mobility – I can change the tv channel, eat food, pet my loved one, while I’m still inside the blanket and with my arms covered. Really handy for this season! 😉
Merry, merry Christmas, Karen, El Hub, Tabs & Baby Girl! I hope you’re all getting a chance to relax a little bit post-Christmas!
My favourite clothes shopping site is ModCloth – so many vintagey finds that are really gorgeous. And dresses galore (with new ones coming in every day)!
xoxo
I saw a video of an amazing front yard Christmas light show! Apparently the family does awesome decorations every year but this one was in sync to an original dub step track, so I would assume the parents are light engineers, music producers, or some other creative production profession – they absolutely killed it!
My cat babies prefer fleece or fuzzy blankets and seeing they are spoiled that’s the only kind of blankets I use now.??❤❤
Happy Holidays to the lady with the cutest baby bump and kitty. I just love reading your blog, keep up the awesome work.
On Christmas I hung out with my people. My people are dogs & cats as I work as a dog walker & pet sitter. My life would be incomplete without my people I love them so much!
I also Celebrated with family!
What a cheery gift to give! Merry Christmas!
When it comes to eyeshadow palettes, 10 feels like the perfect amount to give you lots of colour options without being too bulky to take in your handbag. Hope you had an amazing Christmas!
I’ve been on crutches since December 2nd. This would really brighten my mood.
So my favorite blanket is one I bought when I was 15. It was one of the first times I had my own money and I decided to by my own comforter. It is soft and fluffy and I still use it 15 years later. lol
I woke up this morning and after my shower looked in the mirror and thought, “Ugh my skin looks awful, what’s going on?” Then it dawned on me. SUGAR! I’ve been eating too much sugar and it just makes my rosacea look worse in every way. Redder, larger pores, oilier, etc. Time to get back to healthier eating. My daughter came back home and spent Christmas eve and day with us. She baked a lot and I taste tested a lot! First there were the Cinnamon Walnut cookies my mom used to make when I was kid. We only mad`e half a recipe since 7 dozen cookies seemed like overkill. Then we make Apricot Almond tea cookies my grandmother used to make. Then Chocolate Crinkles (the ones coated in confectioner’s sugar) and Cream Cheese Puff cookies topped in colored sugars. Then she made an apple pie with a crumble topping for dessert.
So glad I’m going to be hitting up the gym this coming week when it reopens.
Hope you had a lovely Christmas! I have a eating restrictions for health reasons. No gluten, vegan. However, a new vegan eatery opened up with a number a gluten free options as well. I got a delicious Sweet & Spicy Lady, which was delicious. Even got an amazing piece of pecan pie, which I haven’t been able to eat for 5 years! Yum!
I’d love to go up north for Christmas one year. I imagine it so beautiful in Northern Cali. Anyhoo, other then the typical ham, scalloped potatoes, and salad, we had tamales with our dinner. I love the ones with cheese and a strip of jalapeño chili inside. So good, but yes, so full of carbs and fat. I try really hard not to eat them any other time of year.
My favorite gift this year was a food processor. I’m so excited about it!
I ate the egg rolls my neighbor gave us all through christmas. they were so delicious and quick to heat up
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas Karen, from France !
My Christmas was great ! I saw my entire family and I ate tons of foie gras, chocolate, smocked salmon… yummy !
Unfortunately, I spent this Christmas with just our kitties because I got stuck with a stomach flu the night before we were to fly out to my boyfriend’s family in Nashville. On the plus side, I’ve gotten lots of rest and kitty snuggles!
Unfortunately I don’t have a beautiful pregnancy glow right now, so I need all the makeup help I can get!
Merry Christmas from Fargo! We had a great Christmas-we picked out our new bed today! Woohoo!
Your blog is awesome. Very excited for your upcoming baby. Congrats!!!
This beautiful, original song was the last YouTube video that made me cry….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35say5G5cz8&index=11&list=PLUMQjr2B59WwH7GOtv3IFT80BdpwqcEbp
Christmas was a fun adventure – family to the airport, dinner with friends, and lots of laughs.
We have been traveling around visiting our kids and grand kids this year so much fun seeing all those happy little faces
It’s been a good Christmas so far… Had a family Christmas yesterday, and have another one tomorrow… So it gets a little crazy especially with two young kids. But we are surviving!! ? Merry Christmas to you and your family!!
Christmas was crazy! No electricity at my parents’ house due to wind storms, and they won’t get it back on until Tuesday! We still managed a full turkey dinner due to a small generator to save the food in the refrigerator and freezer and a gas stove. We had a fun few days there in spite of things, playing board games, cards, and enjoying each other’s company.
We had smoked duck for Christmas, it tasted just like ham!
Merry, merry Christmas! Just think, next year will be your baby girl’s first Christmas! We spent ours in a very low-key fashion, and I received five new Colourpop items. So exciting!
Merry Christmas to you & your family! What is the optimum number of eyeshadows in a palette? Well ideally I’d like to have a palette with the following groups: neutral (Browns), blues. purple, & grays with each group having shades for the brow bone, lid, outer corner, & crease, I’d say 16 colors all of which can be switched around. Has any makeup company done this already?
I love my purple Sherpa, so warm and soft. I’m curled up with it right now!
We don’t celebrate Christmas, but we had family time. It was wonderful! Days off like this let’s us all cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie. I also hung out on our front porch and read a book, and let my two kids play with sidewalk chalk. It
was chill and relaxing. ?
I must say I prefer a quad eyeshadow palette. Too much colors made me confused LOL! That’s why I usually end up swapping my UD palette..
Anyway, MERRY XMAS Karen!
xoxo
So how was Christmas!? What did you do?
Not much, we ate and went to the dog park! We watched Ted 2 after dinner.
What’s your favorite fashion website?
Hmmm, I don’t have one right now!
Best holiday decorations you saw this year?
I’ve seen very few in person that were impressive but I’ve seen a ton on Instagram. My favorites are always pets covered in string lights though!
Have you ever cried watching a YouTube video?
Yes.
What’s your favorite blanket?
Well, for our couch my MIL sent us a cheap fleece blanket from Old Navy for our first christmas together. She passed this summer so we treasure that blanket.
What’s the optimal number of shadows for an eyeshadow palette?
Hmmm, for traveling 4 to 8. For something that stays at home, there is no limit!
I had a wonderful Christmas. I love a natural light makeup look daily but a little more dramatic on date night with my husband.
We had a grilled tenderloin with sweet potato fried with brussels sprouts and garlic. Everything was delicious!!!
I went to christmas dinner at my sisters house, and had dinner with her and her 2 friends. It was fun.
My Christmas was fabulous. It was my first Christmas in my new apartment. We made gingerbread houses, I made my first whole turkey, and we got my first real tree!
What haven’t I been eating is the real question here! Yesterday, I had honey baked ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn casserole, at least 3 different kinds of cookies, Death by Chocolate dessert, toffee… etc!! Today we had some more honey baked ham and more cookies! Yikes!
Christmas was crazy this year! Had my first holiday with the new boyfriend’s parents. It was a blast – so many people. On top of that.. I found out I am going to be an Aunt for the first time! An amazing Christmas for sure.
Hope you and baby are well!
Christmas Eve was 100% family time. Everyone gathers at my house to be together. Then Christmas Day we each spend it with our own smaller families.
DH and I had a wonderful relaxed time with our children. Even dinner was mellow. We had spaghetti. I received a faux fur blanket and its my official favorite due to the nice size and the super softness.
My husband and I took a 6 hour drive to NJ yesterday to spend the day with my two sisters and one brother and their families.
My brother-in-law is an AMAZING cook. Thanks to him we had prime rib for dinner. We had a wonderful time but could only spend 1 night down there.
Merry Christmas Karen and Tabs! 🙂 My favorite blanket is whichever one has my kitties on it!
I’m so blessed to be able to watch my nieces and nephew open their presents Christmas morning. I’m a great auntie, so always have lots of presents to buy and I love it.
I didn’t get to do my personal holiday tradition of watching Elf this year unfortunately, but maybe I’ll do it today!
Christmas was good, my 8 year old daughter got a laptop (from grandparents) & a bike (from us) but said her favorite gifts were the lightsaber ($9) and fake Harry Potter glasses ($10). Typical!
Wonderful couple weeks of days with family and delicious food – prime rib roast on the grill! Fun times playing games and talking. Lots of music – no football! ?
I cry to Youtube videos all the time! I work in the medical field and we would watch videos of children with certain genetic conditions, and they always made me bawl. To get my spririts up, I would have to watch cat videos 🙂
Also Christmas was great! Very low-key, but it was wonderful getting to relax and just enjoy life in the moment. I also finally got to watch Back to the Future…how I have lived without seeing it before?! Loved it!
I continued the annual traditional of carb overlaid, and prepared tortellini skewer appetizers, pepperoni lasagna, pesto bread, and cheesecake. Beautiful pic of the fam; you have your dad’s eyes!
Oh dear so you have gestational diabetes?
I had a great Christmas! Stayed home this year for a change.
I cry all the time watching YouTube videos 😀
I celebrate Chanuka, which ended a while ago. I didn’t really do anything other than work the whole time, unfortunately. Gifted myself a little bit of makeup, though! (First Colourpop order, woo!)
I wouldn’t do this, but since you asked, I’m living off of chocolate cheesecake until I have to change our of my Christmas pjs.
Merry Christmas! We had a lovely Christmas day with family.
I have a big family and love to cook. We don’t eat a lot of sweets, but during the Christmas and holiday season we enjoy it. This season I have baked: chocolate chip cookies, cranberry shortbread, macaroons with mini chocolate chips, oreo balls, peanut butter bars, chocolate covered cherry bars, M & M cookies, and other holiday foods. The chocolate covered cherry bars were not good. My bad for taking the easy way out on making chocolate covered cherries for my daughter. I owe her the real ones now. Our Christmas was wonderful.
My Christmas was lovely! I got to spend it surrounded by family & it was full of dancing & singing & eating & playing card games!
This Christmas I was stuck in bed due to a recent back injury. But at least the family was here all together.
I made an amazing Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake with brownie crust today and sold it, I didn’t even get a nibble….
I just finished my first semester of law school! So happy to be home and relaxing with family.
Merry Christmas! My favorite blanket is my feather duvet – warm and lightweight!
We have what would otherwise be considered a pretty ugly, use up the last of every skein of yarn you have sort of crocheted blanket with no real pattern, but it was made by my husband’s grandmother many years ago and she gave it to us sometime after we told her we were expecting her first great-grandchild. He loved to sleep with it for years, long after she passed away.
I’ve been eating a whole lot over the holidays! Mostly stuffing (my fave), turkey, turnips, potatoes, gravy, fries, etc. and I can’t wait to get back to running! I last ran about 5 days ago so it hasn’t been that long, but my legs are getting antsy 🙂
12 is the optimal number of shadows for an eyeshadow palette.
I went to Minneapolis to spend the holiday with my son & family. My food contribution was homemade Chex Mix- yum- with a little splash of hot sauce and M&Ms
A mystery box of makeup that’s what dreams are made of! Haha this year was great my daughters & I made gingerbread people for the first time ever we were so proud. I made lemon tarts with apples on top & honey drizzled over it, sounds like a strange combination yes but so good. Sadly I’m on a diet so I had to give most (all but 3 that I gave to my daughters) away.
I love Pinterest Told Me To for fashion tips!
My favorite blanket is actually by Ralph Lauren. I’ve had it forever, at least 15 years!! It’s a denim blanket which is not something I’d necessarily choose now, but because I’ve had it so long, it is just butter soft and cozy from many trips through the washer and dryer. 🙂 Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season!!
All the best for keeping your gestational diabetes in control.
Christmas was a bummer for us since hubby got multiple fractures on his wrist and Christmas eve was spent at the orthopaedic surgeon getting a cast put from palm to elbow. Obviously that meant no crowded places and that rules out new year’s eve parties too 🙁 I’m thankful that it was his left arm, not right (since he’s a rightie) coz at least he can do basic things like brushing and eating without too much discomfort.
Wish you a happy new year 🙂
Christmas was OK, we celebrated a few days early this year so when it actually was Christmas I was definitely out of the spirit. All in all it was good. Got to see family which is always a plus. 🙂
This is my favorite post EVER! I love mysteries and surprises so much, so just the mystery of what someone will get is so fun! Aww, Karen, hang in there w all the holiday food around…you’re a trooper. I’ve been mindlessly eating chocolate just for a perk from bad jet lag and horrible female issues. Just found out I’m in pre menopause (I’m 37), and the hormones and pain are killer, and whoa the sadness of the reality that maybe I’ll never have kids?! On my mind 24/7 and I randomly cry…I mean bawl!!
Hubby and I flew from London to Michigan to see my family, then drove to Ohio for his family, and fly back to London tomorrow. All in 6 days. I’m hoping to soon visit my “home…” Chicago soon and have a laugh with friends.
Fave fashion website…I honestly LOVE your style. I’m all of a sudden addicted to Aritzia as a friend who works there got me hooked but whoa, it’s expensive! Honey, there ate no limits to how many colors are in a pallette!! 🙂 anything urban decay, Esp Gwen Stefani s new pallette is perfect tho!
So happy that you are relaxing!! Just think, next year after baby girl is born, you can eat Luke Will Ferrell in Elf!! “Candy canes, candy corn, syrup!” <3 You, friend! Happiest holidays to you!
Christmas is my nine year old daughter’s birthday, so we focus on that in my house, and celebrate Xmas on Xmas eve!
YT does make me cry! happy videos when people announce they’re having babies, soldiers coming back from deployment and how surprised their families are to see them.
Oh, honey. I think I’ve eaten all the carbs you missed. I’m talking gravy on top of gravy. With extra gravy on the side.
Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Christmas was awesome! We waited till midnight to open gifts, and spent every minute up till then eating, drinking, and playing games that got rowdier the more we drank, lol! Then the next day was a second Christmas at my bestie’s house, so I am truly blessed to have two Christmases to celebrate.
I am so in love with my new Vice 4 palette… definitely a standout Christmas present from mom and dad! I definitely learned how much easier a wishlist helps everyone with Christmas gifts this year.
Hi Karen! I hope you and your family had a great Christmas! I spent the day with my siblings, and it was a nice and relaxed day.
Holiday’s were quiet. I had a relaxing day off with me and the kitties.
Christmas was great! We opened presented slowly by the fire and went on a walk around Walden pond later in the evening and came home and had tea time!
I had a beautiful Christmas with my mom, sister, and pets☺️ It was great! We ate delicious treats, watched a lot of movies, and played board games❤️ Level of coziness was through the roof ???
Oy vey! I definitely ate too much the past couple of days. Posole, tamales, pumpkin pie, prime rib and it goes on and on.
I went to see Star Wars tonight!
Hey Karen my Christmas was pretty good got to spend time with some friends and family this year which was nice. Its always fun to shop for loved ones and see their reactions when they open their gifts. That’s probably my favorite part well aside from the pie!
I had the best Christmas ever! I’m just getting into makeup and most of my presents were new makeup products, I can’t wait to try everything out. I had 3 Christmas dinners and we had ham and turkey at two then potato soup at the other. I love the southern food my family cooks. I would absolutely love to win this mystery pack!
Hello Karen! Merry Christmas! I spend time with my family and eat, eat and eat! hohohohoho.
Merry Christmas, Karen! My hubs and I rented a cabin in the San Jacinto mountains this Christmas and we are enjoying some snow!!! I hope you had a wonderful holiday!
Merry Christmas! I spend time with my family and eat, eat and eat! hohohohoho
This week I tried to make homemade macaroons. I completely failed. They tasted nice but they were flat ugly things. However, I did make some awesome raspberry jam to use in them. I never made that before either. We have been eating that all week!
I single handedly made a 8 kg turkey!
I cried over watching the German grocery store commercial. The father had to play dead to get his kids to go home at Christmas. Happy ending but I cried every time I watched it.
I am moving away so this Christmas it especially important for me. I spent a lovely day with my family.
•What’s your favorite blanket? – My IKEA down comforter, especially when it has the wild and warm Leopard German Flannel duvet on it – which it does right now. Keeping me warm and toasty on these cold nights.
Yes I’ve cried watching Youtube videos but I can remember an specific one.
Merry Christmas! My fav blanket is a super soft baby blanket my mom knitted for my son!
Merry Christmas Karen , El Hub , Baby Girl and Tabs <3 !!!
I had the blessing to spent Christmas with my Family and my two westies 😀 I helped my mom preparing Tamales , Pork Ribs with Pineapple jam and for dessert pineapple galette 😀 and working out like crazy in a sad intent to not feel guilty oh well … I'm so guilty but so happy hahaha <3
I have a purple plush blanket that is so soft. My cats love it!
I cry at all the YouTube videos involving rescue animals! Gets me every time! Crossing my fingers so hard for this one!! Happy Holidays!
I am not an eyeshadow person as I don’t really look a lot better with it. However, I have been buying a number of eyeshadow palettes to complete my makeup collection. Let just say I have not been using them too much. Since I read all the great reviews about UD, I have been thinking about buying the Naked 3 palette for months. However, I simply can’t justify buying another palette when I don’t really use the products. I finally got a solution! I read about the new Cover Girl Trunaked Eyeshadow palettes are supposed to be dupes of the UD Naked palettes. I have watched a few youtube videos and the shades and effects looked almost exactly the same between UD and CG. Of course the CG ones are a lot cheaper. I am going to buy the Roses palette, which is a dupe of the Naked 3. Anyone has tried it yet?
Hi Karen! We had a great Christmas. We adopted two new animals this year, so we had a special First Christmas with our rescued greyhound, Ben, and our little kitty who was abandoned in our neighborhood until we scooped her up and named her Beans. Happy New Year! Can’t wait to see your little girl!
Hi Karen! I’ve been on a bit of a baking binge lately…pumpkin spice cake with chocolate chips and walnuts (thanks Trader Joe’s!), ginger bread men…(yep, there were many, many casualties turned ginger-zombie men ), connamin coffee cake, and my personal favourite–French apple tart. All for others, or friend’s kids, mostly. If I use a store bought mix, like the pumpkin cake from TJ’s, I always add a little something–nuts, vanilla, spices, candied dates, etc. to give it a more homemade flavor. Argh, craving something sinful and sweet as I write this…
Happy holidays & a joyful New Year to you & yours!
🙂
Merry Christmas! You look amazing! You are the cutest Prego ever! Bummer about the GD. That sucks. Especially this time of year. I usually don’t give a crap about eating but since I’ve been pregnant, food is awesome. But I’ve had this stomach thing for the last few days and haven’t been able to enjoy the prime rib and baked potatoes and marshmallow sweet potatoes. I heard it was amazing though! We moved two weeks ago and had 37 people over yesterday and cooked and I’m pregnant w the fourth child… Maybe that stress had something to do with it! I hope you had a wonderful holiday!!!
Oh my gosh I went to visit some family and they had strawberry pie with whipped cream and a crust that tasted like pecan sandies it was sooooooo good best dessert of the season hands down! AND I recently cried when kandee johnson shared her dad’s passing away story broke my heart.
I just discovered the Capitol Hill Style blog and binge-read it during the holidays. For shopping though, nothing beats Nordstrom.
My favorite christmas decorations are the ones I saw in the newport mansions store while visiting my parents. Not any kind but they had these gorgeous ones that were all sea ‘creatures’ like sea stars, sea horses, sea shells and they were all in teal, blue and purple colours and they just looked amaaazing!
Hope you are having a lovely time in your holidays Karen 🙂 it’s always nice to get a new post from your blog (especially with tabs)!
Merry Christmas! xx
Yes I’ve cried watching Youtube videos specially of songs who remember me people that i loved, and now they aren’t here.
Hope you had a nice Christmas. I cooked Christmas dinner. It was ok. Finally, I love your blog.
Had a great Christmas but I am so glad it is over lol!
Compliments of the Season…. Would love to win your Mystery Box…Reminds me of the Mystery boxes in Masterchef Australia..
A palet has To have at list 9 shadows, neutrals,hot and cool colors.
This Christmas was so fun but only because it was with family. I regret that I went with a very safe Mehr on the lips but everyone kept complimenting me so whatevs then haha.
Having a fabulous mini vacation down at my daughter and her family’s house. Have done nothing but sit around and eat junk!!
i think 12 is optimal. especially for travels. not too many, yet allows for variety.
I’m going to share my favorite quote for my comment.
“Whether you think you can or you can’t, either way you are right” – Henry Ford
Happy New Year, y’all! ^_^
Happy holidays! Unfortunately mine are not as great coz my inlaws are over and lets just say we dont mesh well..sigh..only 5 more weeks to go with them. I need some serious retail therapy.
Enjoy your new year!!
Merry belated Christmas! How was yours? Mine was quieter than usual but it was great seeing my 2 year old daughters excitement while opening up all her gifts.
I think 12 eye shadows palette is enough n good.I like your fashion blog.
You deserve to hear about everyone’s delicious food if you have gestational diabetes! I was terrified it would happen to me while pregnant with my son (because believe me, my food intake was OUT OF CONTROL) but I was one of the lucky ones. I hope you got to cheat a little!
Merry Christmas to you, tabs and El hubs!
My Christmas was fantastic. Spend time with family members and had an amazing dinner with my family. In the evening we went for a walk to see the Christmas decorations.
Oh wow what a prize! We’ve been having a great Christmas staying at my parents’ house, catching up with friends and family while we’re in town. 🙂
A very Merry Christmas and a very happy new year to you and everyone here 🙂
I only cry during episodes of masterchef. I am a freak of nature. Also. I find Gordon Ramseys forehead wrinkles morbidly hypnotizing. @_@
Awesome giveaway. Thank you!
Those YouTube videos where people hear for the first time, or see color for the first time al……ways…. Always make me cry. It is just difficult to imagine life without color for me. There is one video in particular in which the colorblind person is seeing the flowers in true color, and I lose it. When a child hears their mother’s voice for the first time? It. is. Over. Absolutely crying.
Fav blanket at the moment would have to be a toss up between an awesome throw I found at homesense (my family & friends don’t ask where things in our home are from anymore, 80% of the time it’s from homesense).. or an amazingly cozy fair isle throw I got as an xmas gift from hubs 🙂 Merry Christmas!
For me, the optimal number of shadows for a palette range between 8-12 shadows. Any less than 8 then I’d have to LOVE ALL the colors to purchase. Any more than 12, then it is way too easy to get lost in all the possibilities.
My Christmas very fun. I finally had time to relax and read books and catch up on my favourite blogs 🙂
Hey!
What have I been doing this Christmas? I spent Christmas rolled up in a blanket watching all the cheesy Christmas movies I could find (and there are a lot). I’ve also been stalking the mac website for the new mac faerie whispers collection so I can be the firts one to get it, before it’s sold out. (the collection comes out later in Europe). And most of all, I’ve been reading this website religiously. Hope you have a great end of the year!!
Optimal number of eyeshadows in a palette would be 10, I think.
My favorite blanket is my faux fur blanket. I bring it out around christmas and when game of thrones are on because it looks a bit like the wolf fur the Stark family has in their beds (:
I made it to my sister’s house for Christmas again. That makes 2 yrs in a row. It has been so hard for me to attend family gatherings since I lost my son. He was a victim of a murder. Being around family like that only reminds me what is missing while the rest of my family have all their children. My mother is getting older and I want to spend and make as many memories as I can with her. she is 82. The dinner was delicious and my sister made her famous chocolate brownie pie which was my baby’s favorite. It was wonderful as usual. Made it back home safely in the storm and I was exhausted so made it an early night
For Christmas I actually came to Perth, Western Australia to visit my best friend’s family! We were actually really good friends in elementary school but lost touch when she moved away, and rekindled our friendship in college. We actually had no idea we were going to the same university until we found each other on the first day of class. As it turned out we were both in the same Intro to Psych class! We’ve been inseparable ever since.
We spent a couple of days in Sydney before flying over to Perth and it’s been great! I’ve never visited Australia (or been south of the Equator), so the heat has been super nice. She lives right by the beach so we’ve been there every day!
Haven’t yet found “The One” of fashion websites. I want to be wowed routinely. ?
Dear Karen!In the past years I was following your blog and altough I think you are always incredibly beautifull, I have seen a kind of sadness in your eyes…Now, as your are going through the most wonderfull experience in your life,I see again your eyes sparkling :)I wish you and your family a Happy New Year!A happy mom from Hungary!
The best Christmas-related thing I heard about this year was an all night cake making/eating vigil here in Madagascar. It’s BYOM (bring your own mattress) and goes on till 5am! Incredible scenes! Tinsel looks slightly out of place here but it does sparkle in the sun! Looking forward to catching up on some UK Christmas cheer in a couple of weeks! Hope you had a lovely time Karen! X
My Christmas was fine ..I spent my time with my family & went to the shopping with friends <3
We had roast duck and pork roast for Christmas – so delicious. And because my dad in law is from Hong Kong we had Chinese food on the first day of Christmas 🙂 again roast duck, really juicy chicken, sweet-n-sour sauce with chicken and giant juicy shrimp, great food. Yum yum 🙂
Oooh, the surprise of this is so exciting! I got the lorac pro for christmas (yay!!) and I pretty much think it’s the perfect number and size of shadows – 16 smaller pans. Variety without bulkiness.
Happy Holidays!!
The best holiday decorations I’ve seen this year were about a mile from my house. The entire cul d sac decorates their houses with lights and lit up lawn ornaments. The neighbors also get together and set their lights and ornaments to Christmas music. You can slowly drive through, setting your radio to an AM station and watch the lights dance to the music..all the different house are in-synch… You can also walk through and hear the music. They have hot chocolate and snacks available. The best part of the whole display, is there is a donation box where all the money collected goes to a different charity involving the local community each year. They have a lit up banner showing the amount raised so far. This year they raised $7,420 for the Children’s Hospital.. What is better than spending quality time with those you love and giving back to your community at the same time!!!! This is what Christmas is all about.
Oooooh, this is soooo generous! Count me in! We spent Christmas Eve with my in-laws and Christmas Day with my folks.
my Christmas this year was one of the MOST stressful and just awful ones I have had in a LONG time… I got the majority of my shopping done months ago. So I was planning on wrapping and getting the last few thing done the few days before Christmas. I live with my father in law though- and every year he messes our schedule up… he doesn’t do anything til 2 days before. I have been straight out busy since last Friday. And my poor toddler got stuck in the car and shopping 5 days in a row too, which made me feel really bad for her. I know you are probably saying why didn’t I just say no. Well, like I said we live with him, in his house. So if we dare try to say no or maybe later, he throws a fit and makes life miserable anyway… So besides getting all his shopping done and his cleaning, we went to my sister in laws on Christmas eve. Which wouldn’t be bad if it wasn’t 3 hours away! and we had to wait for my ‘dad’ to get out of mass at 5 so we didn’t get there til about 730. The we stayed til midnight. So we didn’t get home til after 2am. My hubby still had to wrap the rest of our gifts for our toddler and build a train table. Then I went to my moms on Christmas day. my grandmother, my mom’s mom, has alzhiemers/dementia and is usually pretty with it. but she ended up freaking out and my mom started a ‘you should go to assisted living’ conversation. omg. I just couldn’t deal with anything this year lol. then yesterday, I was finally trying to relax and get 5 minutes to myself and my toddler would ask me to open a toy and play with her, so I did. then I would think I was done and my 9 year old would ask me to open something and play, etc. etc. so it’s been stressful. and I know all this sounds like normal mom stuff. maybe it’s just me but this year was just so hard to deal with. I think I spread myself way too thin and just had too much to do. me and hubs already are saying that we can’t go to his sister’s next year because it is just too hard. but again, if we tell his dad that we aren’t going there with him he will throw a fit and be passive aggressive and make life miserable. I am hoping to not be living with him by next fall, that way he won’t be able to ruin another Christmas for my family.
Sorry for the rant and the novel 🙂 hope your Christmas was great 🙂 happy new year!
my email is cstone412.cs@gmail
I’ve been trying to figure out how to do winged liner!
Wishing all a very happy new year!
this year was my first christmas without my mom, so it was pretty hard, but we were able to look on the bright side and have our first christmas in our new house with other family to celebrate. and it was a good pre-game for the family since i am getting married next weekend!
You had me at “fancy gift box”!
My fingers are crossed…
I had a MASSIVE cold sore this christmas, my lips felt like they were on fire the entire evening. :’) Thank god for makeup though, nobody noticed a thing! I’d say mission accomplished. 🙂 Happy holidays!!
This was a fantastic year for makeup gifts. With so many options of new palettes and holiday gift sets (I think my favorite one was from Bite Beauty) I had a lot of trouble reigning myself in while buying myself and others. I can’t wait to see what they come out with next year!
So sorry to hear about the gestational diabetes 🙁 hoping I will never go through that, because chocolate is my life!
For me, optimal number of shadows in a palette is three or four, I prefer mini palettes.
Happy Holidays, Karen!
For me, 8 is the perfect number of shadows in a palette.
I love when there’s about 16 eye shadows in a palette because it makes it perfect for travel. I usually only bring one palette with me so I like to have a wide variety of options.
I often cry when watching Youtube videos. :o)
Hey,
Christmas I always celebrate with my family, on the 1. Christmas Day we drove to my grandmothers to celebrate with them.
Greetings
Jenny
I’ve just been relaxing and moderately eating traditional foods. I did eat – hmm – more than a few salty truffle chocolates though!
I am hoping for a terrific new year for all of us.
Karen, yesterday for dessert I had a bowl of *warm* white-chocolate bread pudding with fresh whipped cream and caramel sauce. It was as delicious as it sounds!
Hey Karen! I am going on holiday to Chiangmai, Thailand, early January next year. I am so stoked! I hope you are having an awesome holiday!
Christmas was fantastic! We spent time with my family and his family. We each had the four day weekend off from work which made a great time.
My Christmas was filled with traditional Finnish food and pastries that we call “joulutorttu” (I actually googled that and sadly it’s not an internationally known pastry) which are super delicious! It’s made from puff pastry and filled with prune jam. And I spent time with my family by watching movies from tv and going to sauna etc, just relaxing! 🙂
Happy Holidays Karen! 🙂
Happy holidays Karen!!!
My favorite blanket is the blue plush blanket my son received in the hospital right after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. He fought bravely for 10 months but passed in November 2014. We purchased a new home this past September and “cocoon” the blue blanket is lovingly draped on my late son’s bed.
I’d say 6 shadows for a palette, and yes – YouTube makes me cry sometimes, but in a good way! Have a happy New Year! XOXO, Daisy
We had Christmas in Dubai as we have to go back to the UK for work in January. So we went out to Bahri Bar, which is a bar overlooking the burj al Arab on Christmas Eve. I wore sky high red kurt geiger’s and a matching MAC Dita Von Tease lipstick, both a hit with the hubby. In keeping with my love of sparkles we drank bubbles all night. Then we came home and watched nightmare before Christmas and ate mince pies until we could barely move.
Christmas day I cooked. The usual turkey and all the trimmings but this year I wrapped the turkey in bacon after stuffing it with herb butter. It worked do well I was super pleased. I also made a random Brussels sprouts dish as hubbie hayes sprouts so it’s a constant challenge to get him to like them. So I baked them in olive oil, chilli and parmeSan. It makes a surprisingly yummy side. Again accompanied by bubbles and hubby made his signature espresso martinis.
We missed being home in the UK but we made the most of our little home from home in the desert.
Our four rescue cats were not left out. They had a new laser toy and turkey dinner. They were also treated some youtube video for cats time. They love those videos especially the bird ones. Does tabs enjoy cat videos?
I cry all the time when watching YouTube videos. Babies, kittens, or kids all do it for me!
On Christmas day I stuffed myself with turkey and mashed potato. Yum!
Hi! I’ve been following your blog for years and love all the content. I’ve been eating lots of chocolate and I feel stuffed. With no regrets though 🙂
Hope you’re having a great holiday and happy new year!
– Teresa T.
My favorite fashion website is Chictopia! 🙂
Happy New Year 2016!!!
Well I work in retail so unfortunately for me the only day I got off was Christmas Day then I was back Boxing Day for a 10hr shift starting at 7.50 in the morning! I don’t celebrate Christmas so Mum made roast potatoes for lunch OMG they tasted so good!!!! But other than that I just relaxed at home and I’m waiting for this coming Wednesday to be over since I get 4 days off starting Thursday! I’m gonna lie in like nobody’s business!!! The no carb thing sucks but I’m sure all your readers will eat some on your behalf!
Happy holidays!!! I spend my christmas very sick so i hope to have a better NYE!
We had a wonderful Christmas! We had 33 family members here for a real Cajun Christmas. I am in Lafayette, Louisiana. We ate very well! Chicken and sausage gumbo, turkey with all the fixings and pecan pie. Yumm!
Merry Christmas, Karen! I had to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I have been spending my days off driving home to spend time with my family and my dog. We attempted baking maranitos, but had to make them in all different shapes because our pig cookie cutter was not the right pig shape! They were delicious anyway.
Hello Karen, Merry Christmas. I hope you had a great holiday! This year, I had a casual, and quiet (sort of.. I have a 4 and 6 year old!) Christmas at home with my family. We stayed in our matching holiday pjs, opened gifts, ate yummy food, and just enjoyed each others company. I was determined to make this a low stress holiday. Usually, I’m racing around to different houses, dolling the kids up, cooking lots of food, stressing out, not really enjoying myself.. but this year my Nana passed away, and it made me change my perspective. I just wanted to get cozy and spend quality family time together because that’s all that really matters.
We lost all our Christmas holiday ornaments in a fire some time back and this year I bought the most beautiful, sparkly peacock to put on our tree. 🙂
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! My post-exam break has been awesome; I finally got to catch up with friends that I hadn’t seen in ages. One of the friends I met up with was growing his hair out to donate, and since we both had long ponytails chopped off early this year, we met up and mailed our ponytails in to a wig shop together. For Christmas dinner, my family and I had delicious delicious hot pot!
I’ve been allowing myself a couple of chocolate truffles this week 😀
My favorite blanket is one of my husbands from when he was in middle school – it’s a green and white Boston Celtics fluffy thing. It even has a burn hole in it from a 4th of July firework incident. But it is so warm and comfy.
Christmas was great! Stressful until the last couple days before, as I finally finished my shopping and wrapping. But lots of great food, gifts, and family.
Best wishes to you and fam and Tabs!!
Our Family Christmas went very well more than expected no drama or arguments lol! Everyone was happy and getting along. My kids got so much that I feel so blessed. We also had a gender announcement in our family of the twins that will be born in April 2016 we were all so happy and excited. We were also surprised with being asked to be the Godparents for them so happy and flattered. It was a great Christmas all around! 🙂
Christmas was spent with lots of cooking, wine chugging and cookie baking! I tried a chocolate cookie recipe I found online and it was amazing… And surprisingly made (almost) literally a TON of cookies. I thought I was going to have cookies for at least the rest of the year (ha!) but as of right now there are only four of them left. Happy holidays everyone!
My Christmas has been awesome so far, tonight is cinema date , and my brother is babysitting.. Star Wars..
I love reading your blog! thank you for all your hard work & swatches, they’re extremely helpful
I think an eyeshadow palette should have at least 12 eyeshadows, especially if it’s high end. I prefer 16 eyeshadow palettes though! Happy Holidays! 🙂
I had baked french toast for dessert on Christmas! It was made with challah that was allowed to soak lots of butter, half and half, and vanilla overnight. Then heavy caramel was poured on top ust before baking. Rich and scrumptious!
happy holidaysssssssssssss
We celebrated Christmas Eve with friends and spent Christmas opening presents and calling relatives. I thought my husband did a nice job with the holiday decor this year, and my kiddo got her first bike!
I’m in Baltimore and there’s an event called Miracle on 34th Street. All the houses there put up lights and the entire street is just so bright and cheery. It’s amazing!
Christmas was great…I’ve been eating too much! My mother in law made some dee-licious homemade peanut brittle and these chocolate pretzel things that I just love. I can’t eat just one!
I really loved getting to spend Christmas with my mom and sister!
i had a big party on christmas! it was pretty great, i also got some makeup i didnt expect ot get <3
My favourite fashion website is Yoox.com! I love all the filters and being able to return anything for free if it doesn’t fit.
I love the Anthro website.
Love your style! 🙂
Christmas was just great! Spent the whole days visiting family and had so much fun! Hope yours was great too and… Merry Christmas to you! 🙂
I had a wonderful Christmas- got to stay in my pajamas all day!
We had a funny Christmas this year. We had planned to go to a neighbour’s house and co-cook dinner, but he came down with a nasty stomach bug in the early afternoon. Change of plans! She cooked the turkey and I did the roast veggies (potatoes, yams, carrots, onions, brussel sprouts – it’s not Christmas without them, apple, and a turnip all cut into bite-sized pieces and roasted in garlicky olive oil) and we met on the street and traded. We came home and ate our delicious meal in front of the fireplace and had a bottle of champagne. So, we shared a meal with our neighbors, but just not together!
We had an amazingly busy Christmas day with family. My nephew had received the Pie in the Face game. I think the adults had just as much fun playing it!
So excited for you guys. Baby Girl is one lucky baby. Little ones are so much fun…
My mom crocheted a quilt square blanket for me when I was a child and I still have it on my bed as an adult-it’s my favorite!
My favorite blanket is a fleece sherpa throw from Costco! It feels like the wings of angels, I love it.
Favorite fashion website: ASOS all the way. They have everything I want, and they have great sales!
I have a lovely Christmas dinner with all my family! It was cold outside so we got to turn the fireplace on!
I had a traditional Jewish Christmas – movies and restaurant for dinner! LOL!
Happy Christmas Karen! I am loving milk chocolate covered cinnamon bears this holiday. My fave ??
ooh so curious to know what’s inside. 🙂 I didn’t celebrate christmas as I’m jewish. But I had a nice chanukah a couple weeks ago. 🙂
Christmas was great -saw Star Wars with my son!
I had a wonderful, long distance present opening celebration with my daughter and don in law. I’m in Vermont and they’re in Oregon. I was feeling very solitary and happy with it but her descriptions of Christmas Eve dinner with her mother and law made me wistful.
As she opened the gifts under their tree, she vividly described them, letting me hear the crumpling sounds. We vicariously shared what is so important to her and have created our own tradition. It made my heart swell with love and gratitude.
I sincerely hope everyone had an equally love filled family moment this holiday season.
My favorite blanket ever is this soft throw I got from my college roommate for Christmas years ago. It’s white so it gets dirty but it is the perfect size!
I have lots of blankets though. I’m a blanket hoarder haha
I love Christmas lights too!! There’s a neighbourhood where every house puts up lights, and it’s beautiful! I could walk up and down those streets every night! some even light up to the music they play outside the house!
I had a Korean Christmas – Korean BBQ (among other Korean dishes)! LOLOL 🙂
My favorite blanket is actually a scarf. It’s always cold at work and a blanket scarf is the next best thing to a snuggie, which probably isn’t professional.
These holidays have been pretty great! Christmas is my most favorite time of the year so to me it’s always enjoyable. Somehow though I feel like this xmas has been sort of not that christmas-y, if that makes any sense. Raise your hand if you’ve felt the same! :p nonetheless this downtime has been lovely and it’s always great to be able to spend time with your family and catch up on some sleep. Looking forward to the new year.
This was the first year I didn’t host our immediate family Christmas. My son-in-law was on call at a local hospital where he works. So, my hubby and I packed up presents, food, and clothes to stay there for a long weekend. It turned out to be wonderful and a change from the usual. My favorite gift was a monogram necklace!
Hi Karen, thanks for doing a special giveaway. In Australia it has been hot then cool and there have been some awful bushfires, but not near me. When I hear about fires I worry about all the animals.
Thank you for always having such wonderful giveaway! Sorry about the gestational diabetes diagnosis! My friend Cathy had the same thing. But all is well now and her daughter is 24. Hope you are well other than that. Enjoy your time with family!! And Tabs, of course!
I like buying and using single eyeshadows. At one time I made my own palette with most of my eyeshadows but never used them and sticked to my singles haha
i cry over everything. happy, sad, thrilling moments… you name it! I cry over everything! even commercials
Happy holidays Karen! I spent the holidays with my crazy and lovable family. The highlight is food, making new memories and opening presents and admiring everyone’s gifts. Sad movies are prohibited during the holidays! Luckily I’m on vacation this week relaxing and getting in gear for a new year.
I feel like at most 12-15 eyeshadows would be a good number for a palette and at the very least 5. The UD Vice palette is great, but definitely a bit a of splurge for the amount of shadows and the selection of colors they include. The build your own palettes are a godsend. I can pick as few or as many as I want, so to each their own.
Merry belated Christmas! We just opened small gifts in the morning and went to both of our parents’ houses to celebrate with them. It was pretty low key!
Happy holidays, Karen! I hope you, El Hub and the little one are well!
We had my brother’s famous turkey on Christmas Day, and it was so, so good. I wanted to crawl into it and just live there for a couple of days.
As for crying, I cry about virtually anything – happy, sad, baby animals… My boyfriend doesn’t always know how to handle it, lol.
Have a nice Sunday, and take care!
<3
PS: Awesome giveaway!
Christmas was great! My aunt and uncle hosted, and they (they being my Aunt Ruth, mainly) made a beatiful roast beef with horseradish sauce. It was too-die-for. And we all drank too much wine and played Cards Against Humanity after dinner. So much fun.
I thoroughly enjoyed chaos pie on Christmas.
Cute/sad animal videos on Youtube always makes me cry.
omg i love sample boxes, so this is a dreeeeeeeeeam!
I have totally cried watching a few youtube videos! Especially if that includes documents or excerpts from animal rescue shows!
Christmas was great! Spent it laughing and reminiscing with family and eating amazing food. What could be better?
My favorite blanket is the afghan that my mom knitted for me when I was a kid. It’s a large, multi-colored afghan and it’s so pretty. She knitted one for me and my three older brothers and 40 years later I still have it (of course). I still use it and it’s in great condition.
I had a great Christmas with a fabulous dinner cooked by my very talented hubby! My kids were super well behaved and everything went so well.
Congratulations on your soon-to-be-here baby! My “baby” is going to be 22 next month so I’ll have to live vicariously through you with your new baby moments. (Believe me, it goes by fast!)
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and have an even better New Year!
Merry Xmas! This year was my little families year to start up our own traditions. I have a two year old and am currently five months pregnant and having the little one to share in e Xmas spirit with was amazing. All month long we did various Xmas crafts, made gifts like handprint ornaments, seed wreaths, and baked goods (cranberry pecan cookies, coconut lime and gingerbread biscotti to name a few). Last week we hosted a tea luncheon with tea sandwiches, scones and the likes for some of our family, hosted Xmas dinner too (traditional fare like turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, but included a pomegranate feta orzo salad and Brussels sprout, pecan and Gorgonzola salad too which are a new hit). Went out to the farm on Boxing Day and had more amazing food including lamb and pecan pie! It’s been the most amazing Xmas we’ve had so far in our little familly’s life.
Christmas was low key but wonderful! Good food eaten (bacon wrapped potatoes being #1!) and good times had with loved ones 🙂
In one word, my Christmas was: HECTIC.
Although I’m pooped, and the festivities still have a few days to go, I feel restored spending time with my family and friends. I’m a blessed girl.
Happy Holidays, Karen!
Hi Karen, I’m so sorry you have gestational diabetes! I’m an RN and have had 2 kids and really feel for you…especially during the holidays! 🙁
I actually am still trying to *ahem* “reduce” so my food intake wasn’t that fun. I actually had a vegan Christmas…so…there ya go! Sorry you can’t live vicariously through my tastebuds lol
My Thanksgiving was one for the ages though. Whew. Went to The Lady and Sons in Savannah, GA for Paula Deen’s buffet. My Gosh.
I just happened across your blog tonight looking into Stowaway cosmetics because I was going to sell my make-up trio of lipsticks on Ebay (along with my Lulu gear and Bellefit corset that I never used but probably should have looking back). But after reading your post and seeing how pretty you looked…I am going to order the $75 kit on their website. Haha. Life is strange! Take Care and Good Luck with your little one. They are so worth the inconvenience!! Feel free to message me if you get bored. I can regale you with all kinds of Mommy stuff, health and advice info. and pet stories too.
I got my dad the extended edition of The Hobbit trilogy, so we watched those over the long weekend!
Hi Karen!
Christmas with family per usual! I only recently got my hands on a MAC lipstick and WOW! Per one of your posts, I tried a lipstick from MAC Ellie Goulding’s collection and not only was the color so natural looking for my skintone just from online photos and swatches, but the quality of the lipsticks are amazing! I actually prefer this over my YSL rouge volupte lipsticks! So thanks for telling us about it!
Ivy
I went home for Christmas and saw my family and friends. It was amazing!
I have had a wonderful Christmas with my mother and daughter who came to visit and stay with me. We went to Church on Christmas Eve and watched a Christmas movie each evening they were here. Today we topped it off with high tea and a little shopping, it was lovely. It’s been very relaxing.
Christmas was low key an simple this year. I cooked a yummy tri-tip roast dinner and we all received lovely gifts. Hope your holiday was lovely Karen!
Christmas was great….quiet, spent with family, delicious turkey dinner. Lots of fun.
When it comes to eyeshadow, I like the size of the Naked palettes! 12 shadows work out nicely for me; it’s enough to give me plenty of options for eye looks without overwhelming me.
I’ve been listening to some expertly fuzzy garage-rock-type tunes lately. There’s something about all the feedback that warms my little heart and bones! I recommend “Vampire On Titus” by Guided by Voices, “You Turn Me On” by Beat Happening, and “Weirdo Shrine” by La Luz (an awesome girl band!) if you want something dreamier and softer. Curling up with a hot cup of tea and vegging out has been lovely!
Haven’t spent Christmas with my family for years. So this Christmas was extra special since I get to spend it with them 🙂
Our Christmas was wonderful, but we had to celebrate late. Both my girls had to work Christmas Day, but it was fine. We had a fabulous night and then the next day celebrated my oldest’s birthday by going to St Augustine 🙂
I like for an eyeshadow palette to have 6-12 shadows. Too many more and I feel like I don’t really use them, too few and you feel like you have no choices.
Whenever I am researching new makeup I always end up on your blog because of the detailed descriptions, pictures and unbiased opinions! Thanks for always being so informative! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
My Christmas was pretty low-key this year. Just hanging out with family. Happy New Year!
I went to my partner’s house for Christmas lunch, and ended up staying the entire day! (My family isn’t particularly festive and we celebrated in the morning). His grandfather made me some wonderful wooden, old-fashioned puzzles and I spent nearly the entire time sitting on the floor trying to figure them out. It rained the entire day to the point that there were flash flood warnings, but that only emphasized the cozy, homey feeling. (Stay safe during flash flood warnings though guys!) I had a lovely Christmas and I hope you did too. Best wishes!
I hope you have a happy and healthy remainder of your pregnancy, and wish you and your family-including the little princess!-a very Merry Christmas!
I hope you had a nice Christmas! Any fun plans for New Year’s Eve? I find that as I get older the more I’m happy to just stay at home and fall asleep before midnight.
The last meal I had was leftover chicken adobo from Chego here in L.A. I was kind of iffy even having it as leftovers because of the amount of sauce, but I thought it was even better after the rice had absorbed the sauce. I think I’ve found my go-to dish to order there.
What’s your favorite fashion website? I shop mostly on Amazon. I’ve been mostly buying shoes from Spylovebuy & YRU.
I ate ham with brown sugar glaze, yams with marshmallows, whole yams, cream corn, apple pie and rolls !
Christmas was wonderful. We had a great day and everyone was on their best behavior. We ate dinner at 3 p.m. and also celebrated my Dad’s 83rd birthday.
Oh gosh, I moved recently, downsizing from a house to an apartment. I could use some serious help organizing and getting rid of those last few things that I just don’t have room for!
It was great! We all went out to go see the lights with family 🙂
Christmas was wonderful!
mascara is a womans best friend lol
I think 12 eyeshadows is the perfect number!
Hope you have a safe and happy new year! I spent Christmas with my parents and husband.
I was actually watching YouTube videos of WestJet doing random acts of kindness. There were videos of people receiving gifts and got a chance to see snow for the first time. My eyes got teary.
Merry Christmas! I wasn’t able to spend my Christmas with my family but had a very relaxing one with my bf. May 2015 bring you lots of joy, laughter and wonderful new experiences. Congrats on your family growing!!
Had a wonderful Christmas because I was off both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year!
We had a big double smoked ham this year and it was amazing! Big seafood dinner on Christmas Eve too.
Was in Maui for Christmas! It was so wonderful.
Hi Karen! I love your blog!
Let’s see, I’ve been eating cheese enchiladas, homemade cookies, ice cream, and Hershey’s chocolate bells. Mmm
On Christmas eve, I had dinner with my family and we stayed up till 12 am to open presents! It was really nice.
Fuzzy blankets!!
Had hot pot on one day and turkey on another. Totally yummy!
I just got a blue fuzzy blanket from Costco for my reading nook and it’s so cozy and comfortable, I’m loving it!!!
A youtube video that I watched during my winter break is a music video of my favorite EXO (a korean idol group). This video on the surface seems like a song about missing a lost love, but when you get to know their story and history, its more like they were singing about how hurt they felt and how much they missed the former members. They were together once and that was the happiest moments for these members. Watching this video brings me to tears because i have been supporting them since day one and been through all of it with them. It also relates to a problem i have been dealing with a close friend of mine. This songs fits the winter season so much for its melody and its connections with the heartbreaking problems we all had. It makes me appreciate all the important people, family and friends alike, that are still here with me through thick and thin. EXO- sing for you.
I had probably the most quiet Christmas of all time! My parents have gone to visit my brother and it was just me and the boyfriend. I made the most of the quiet and was mellow all day.
Happy Holidays!
I’m from Russia and Christmas is celebrated on January 7 in my country.
For the first time in about four years, I got to have tamales for Christmas Eve dinner. They were really yummy.
You poor dear! My husband is diabetic and is just now starting with the leg and foot problems. Trying to keep those numbers down. Christmas was really blah this year. Such warm temp.s here in Arkansas made it not very merry!
I think it can depend on how many shades there are in a palette. Like if I have a palette with a bunch of different colors then obviously the ideal amount would vary with wanting one or more shades of every color; however if it was just a palette of one shade then only approximately 7-8 in varying shades because you can combine shades to make a darker or lighter toned one…
My heated blanket is my favorite.
My favorite blanket is the one my girlfriend gave me last year for Christmas.
I went a little nuts on the xmas baking this year… I made 2 boiled fruitcakes, 2 batches of fudge (cherry, ginger & pistachio), a gingerbread cake and 3 batches of stained glass biscuits! We’ve still got some of everything left, even after giving it away left right and centre to anyone who would take it haha.
Usually I also make gingerbread christmas trees (stacks of star-shaped gingerbread biscuits, held together with icing or melted chocolate) but this year I elected to do the stained glass biccies instead 🙂
So, while we were out in a neighborhood beauty store, my 3 year old starts asking me to pick out some pink lippies for her. I pick out some cute ones, swatch it on her hand and asked if I could go back to look at other stuff. She said “OKAY!” and went back to looking through the different displays. After a few seconds of looking, I check back with her and God bless her innocent heart, I find her twisting up a concealer and applying it on her lips!!!!
My daughter, the makeup maven! Just schooled me on proper lipstick application! (Momma dont even conceal before lipstick! maybe i ought to now! 🙂
Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a fabulous New Year! ^0^ Love you and your work so so much! ^____^/
I decided to be more positive in 2016.,cause being negative isn’t doing me any good anyway.
Makeup giveaway?!?!? Count me in! I’m really curious to see whats in the box! I hope you had an awesome Christmas!
I had a great Christmas, and hauled at the Boxing Day sales (on the 26th, which is the Australian equivalent of Black Friday)! Made the price difference compared to the US way more bearable 🙂
I had a wonderful time thank you With extended family who came to stay just a short visit because of time off work and travelling but it was so lovely to see and hear them and be around them seeing them happy and close for awhile 🙂
Christmas was good. My inlaws visited and it was nice.
This was probably the most bare bones Christmas I’ve had in a while, and it was very quiet. I couldn’t travel the 2,000 miles home this year, so I cooked dinner for myself and a neighbor who is also far from family. I don’t think either of us expected to feel very cheery, but somehow… We did! Between a delicious, hearty meal (totally ringing my own bell there) and a few old-time Christmas movies (Emmett Otter’s Jugband Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street), we crafted some ornaments, drank some wine and joked about the positivity of being absent from the family squabbles and frustrating travel this year, but being able to call and face-time with those we love, so really it’s a win-win. We went from cheerless to cheerful, and ate cookies and drank hot chocolate. I lit candles and the fireplace, we turned off most of the lights, and snow was actually falling- it was truly a magical and blessed night. I think, ultimately, that’s what I was supposed to remember this year. It really is all about how you feel, and being grateful for every little thing. Going into the New Year I feel content, with joy in my heart, appreciating the good things to come (including visiting family! YAY!) Happy New Year to you and yours!! <3
Hope you and your family had a very Merry Christmas!!??. Lol, as far as the food, I’m kinda with you, having to live vicariously through others descriptions of the wonderful food that they are having!! I did have a really delicious broccoli casserole, that’s about the closest I came to really good food!! :/// It was a really nice day though!! :)) I love a good mystery giveaway, it’s just so much fun!! Thanks for doing it and thanks for the chance!! :)) Hope you have a great year ahead!! :))
This Christmas we ordered in dinner from a luxury hotel and truly enjoyed our holiday – no shopping, no cooking, and still lots of left overs to enjoy during the shoulder holidays between Christmas and New Years.
I think anywhere between 8-10 shadows is ideal. Any more than that the whole palette usually ends up too bulky!
Hi! For me christmas is with family! We don’t do anything special but it is so precious to me to have time with all of them. We play games on the 25th like yum or scategories. We have so much fun.
How was yours ?
My christmas was great, because I had a chance to see my relatives. We don’t see each other very often. I had a very nice and cosy Christmas Eve and Christmas day as well. Unfortunately, my brother and one of my cousins weren’t able to come as they live in another country:( That is always sad, but I’m happy anyways!
Wow! I would really wish myself and yourself a wonderful year ahead, 2016 sure looks damn exciting 🙂
Hope the rest of your pregnancy will be easy and delightful 🙂
What an amazing giveaway, thank you!
My Christmas was good but a bit tiring has my fiancé went back and forth between our two family to spend some quality time with them. But I’m still very happy I got so many good moments with both families!
Spent Christmas sick, but managed to cook. Most exciting thing was a Christmas tree cake. I don’t know if I can link, but if you Google Betty Crocker Christmas tree cake, that’s the one. The cutting to make the tree shape is the hardest part.
Best wishes for 2016, Karen, for a safe and healthy delivery of Baby Girl, and an exciting year. 🙂
Merry Christmas! Mine was great, hope yours was too!!
had a really great Christmas! For food we had homemade manicotti, herb potatoes, zucchini, quiche, and a rib roast.
Kia Ora, Karen
I live in New Zealand, and here it is hot hot hot! I suffer from the dreaded diabetise as well, and hate it! My kids are always on my case about anything I put in my mouth. For Christmas we were invited over to some friends, and fortunately the lovely lady knew about my predicament, so weighed the table down with lovely meaty dishes that was marrinated for days. My fav. was the pork ribs cooked in 1 litre coke cola and 1/2 cup of brown sugar! I know, a total cheat.
Since I am on leave, I laze around the house with my PJ’s and go online to see what is going on in the world. Love fashion blogs, anything that makes you pretty or feel good is OK by me.
Diabetise dried out my skin something terrible so I try to larther on some cream, if I can.
Sorry… I can jammer on… Have a great day and I hope New Year is just awesome.
Ka Pai
Suzette
You know what everyone should have this winter? A car blanket!
Hope pregnancy is going well!
Holiday makeup! I got to wear so much red lipstick! Also, I got my T3 body waver for Christmas and am so excited! I need to figure out how best to use it tough…
Hi! I was browsing the internet and found your blog:) I love it! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Im new to this, But Obsessed with make-up!! Pick me!!
My Christmas was great & lowkey! Chinese takeout and sitting on the couch watching movies & TV with my mom.
I’m still with my parents till tomorrow. And all I did was eating and sleeping, plus some board games. And I had to watch Elsa the Snow Queen with my niece.
I had a really low key christmas this year, usually my family goes somewhere on vacation but this year we stayed home at my parents house and went to visit my cousins instead 🙂
Christmas was great. I ate extra cookies and Bissinger chocolates since I knew you couldn’t have any.
However, my husband drank a glass of eggnog and was really, really sick. He’s what do you call it, lactose intolerant and is only supposed to drink soy or almond milk. I bought him a container of dairy-free, egg-free taste-free egg nog and he still dipped into our son’s stash.
Loved your comments and review on the new MAC Retro Matte liquid lipstick line!
My Christmas was very special this year! spent with family and most importantly, celebrating Jesus’ birthday!
My favorite blanket is the one I knitted for my son when he went away to college.
Let’s see, ideally an eyeshadow palette needs a base shade, a highlighter shade, a transition/crease shade, a liner shade, and at least one light/bright and one darker coordinating lid shade… so my ideal palette has at least six shades. Preferably eight, so that I can get a couple of different color schemes out of it. But, I like to it be compact, easy to hold while I stand at the bathroom sink, balancing everything on the lid of the toilet seat while I apply my makeup.
Actually I think the Ciate London/Olivia Palermo palettes that came out this holiday season have fantastic combinations of shades, even though they don’t really have highlight shades; both the Smokey Suedes and the Smouldering palettes have shades that work for base and transition/crease and then a mix of mattes and shimmers that will get you at least four different looks from each compactly designed palette. The Make Up For Ever 9 Artist Shadow Palette in Nudes You Need is also a perfect, compact neutral palette, if you like to use all shimmery shades, and the 9 Artist Shadow Palette Vol. 2 in artistic brights is great if you like more colorful, dramatic looks or like to have a blush included. The MUFE 15-pan Artist Palette, while less compact, is just about perfect: the shimmer in the Satin shades is very subtle, and it includes Satin shades that work for base, transition/crease, and liner, not to mention a highlighter shade and enough different colors to create a classic black or brown smoky eye, other neutral looks, or looks with gold, burgundy, lavender/purple, blue, or teal.
Hi Karen!
Christmas was awesome! I was a bit burned out from cooking EVERYTHING for Thanksgiving so my lovely Aunt decided she would cook for Christmas Eve. I had family and friends over, and my Aunt made lasagna (now I love her lasagna because she not only adds tons of cheese but she incorporates sausage!,) baked chicken, string beans, roasted potatoes and carrots, and RIBS!!! There was also a lovely lemon meringue pie, coconut cake, AND strawberry cheesecake (my personal FAV.) I have two children; a girl 8 (going on 40-lol) and a son 6 1/2. They were more than happy to stay up late and entertain all our guests. They sung karaoke style and danced. My son even had nerve to challenge me to a dance off (someone should have reminded him mama can D-A-N-C-E!) Ha–that will be one for the records, and you can imagine what that dance off may have looked like if mom had a few mixed drinks and cocquito. Christmas day was more quiet with the kids opening their presents with me and my husband and thanks to that Aunt of mine I had leftovers so no need to cook! I have also this holiday been HOOKED on the Hallmark Channel! Do you watch? I have turned into such a sap as I’ve aged. I have been sitting around any chance I get (for about the last 4 weeks) watching Christmas love stories, and then crying at the end! Hallmark Channel had a new movie this years with Mariah Carey (my person FAV!) acting and directing–it was quite good. She also had a Christmas special singing carols which my whole family enjoyed. Ok Karen, I’m gonna wrap it up here but I do hope you had a Merry Christmas and I entertained you with my holiday cheer! Oh and Kelly Clarkson Christmas album is AWESOME SAUCE!
Talk with you again soon.:)
I’ve cried watching Ingrid on youtube. she had her coming out video and just balled with relief after she got thru saying it. Its so rare to share an emotion like that with someone. I was so moved I watched it twice. Thanks for doing this giveaway!
I made lasagna soup last night, accompanied by biscuits. It was VERY tasty. My 22 year old son said we should have had that for Christmas and it was the tastiest meal I had ever made. And this comment is made after several days of cooking lots of food for the holidays! Thanks a whole bunch! Once again, simple is better.
Hi Karen! I have been eating biscuits, fudge, and cookies. All homemade by my mom. I also made goat cheese spreads and have been having those with triscuits and wonton crisps. Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas Karen! I am so excited about the arrival of your baby girl!
My favourite blanket is a terribly old grey one that my kitties know means cuddle time when its out. Its like an invitation for them to join me on the couch.
I love mystery boxes, this is really exciting!
I worked on Christmas. But time and a half plus 150 in tips. Can’t complain too much!
It was 75 degrees here for Christmas… not very Christmassy 🙁 But I’m hoping the New Year brings some snow with it!
Lately I’ve been looking for clothes on Etsy. Gotta love suppporting small business!
Hope you had a merry Christmas!
Wow this is so exciting. Surprises are always fun.
how was Christmas!? What did you do? This was the first Christmas with our little one. She is 11 months old. We visited our cousins and had a great time with them.
What’s your favorite fashion website? High Heel Confidential is a fashion website on Bollywood celebrities mostly. When it comes to makeup it is makeupandbeautyblog 🙂
Best holiday decorations you saw this year? There an entire strip of holiday decorations on one of the streets in Portland. It was AMAZING!!!
Have you ever cried watching a YouTube video? No
What’s your favorite blanket? I have one that I got it as a gift from Kuwait. It is super cozy and I love that.
What’s the optimal number of shadows for an eyeshadow palette? 15 (3 rows and 5 columns) to create 5 different looks (smoky and non-smoky).
Hope you had a great Christmas. And next year its going to be even more fun with your little one 🙂
Happy New Year! I can’t wait to see what’s in this surprise giveaway!
I cried while watching a lot of Youtube videos. The last video that I saw and made me cry is EDEKA Weihnachtsclip – #heimkommen I love that video! <3
Had a great Christmas……my favorite blanket is an open weave cotton blanket that is always on my bed.
Congratulations on the pregnancy Karen – you look like a glowing mommy to be and its so exciting! Can’t wait to see the little beauty queen 🙂
Thanks for having such a wonderful blog and generous giveaway contest. Happy holidays and best wishes for 2016!!
P.S. You can daydream about the salted caramel hot chocolate I am about to make and the chocolate nutella banana crepe I just had! Yum 🙂
MAYBE this year I will finally master the skill of applying false eyelashes…
What a great giveaway! I’m a long time lurker on your site and just love your reviews. I always come here first to check out reviews of products. I am also a crazy cat lady with 2 beautiful boys – a black short hair named Baxter and a grey medium length fur with beautiful caramel accents named Cactus. Tabs is beautiful!
What a cool giveaway! Thank you!
A belated congratulations on the baby! I have three daughters and you will love every minute of being a mom.
For Christmas,it was very chaotic that morning. Of course my husband and I went got the kids way too many gifts. It was Shopkins and Starwars galore! I made out with makeup, clothes and shoes. Husband made a rib roast and bread pudding for dinner and the kids played with all their toys. It was a good day.
Letty
Spoiler! Mystery make up surprise sounds like very awesome.
I didn’t feel well at Christmas, but it was okay. I ate Cordon Bleu with sort of asian fusion…and extra hot! That had made me better.
I wish you a wonderful New Year!
Happy Holidays! One of the greatest gifts I got this year was a tin of cookies from neiman marcus. Best chocolate chip cookies ever!.. I need another box….
Christmas was good…it was stressful getting everything purchased/wrapped, etc., but seeing everyone’s faces when they opened their gifts was, as usual, worth it! My mother-in-law even cried when she opened hers (Kenny Chesney tix), which made my day!
This is the best time of year for a reason. Lots of great food and wearing nothing by sweatshirts help cover this fact.
And the new addition of binge watching tv with family.
Yo:) I absolutely love your blog and always check your past entries before I purchase anything. I work full time and have a one year old daughter, a 3 year old son, a spoiled Labradoodle, and a crazy Aussiedoodle. My two dogs think they are children…because we spoiled them way 2 much before the not so furry children were born. I love make-up and everything about it, but have to budget for the “good” stuff.
I have never commented, but have quietly stalked your site:) I love your writing style. You always seem so down to earth and fun. Being a mommy is the best thing that will ever happen to you and shopping for baby girl stuff is so much fun! Glittery Hello Kitty shoes are a must for your little one:)
Strick vegan eating was banished for the day, and was instead replaced with amazing Danish Julemad (Christmas Food)
Roasted duck and pork, sweet & sour red cabbage, grønlangkål (which is shredded kale with cream, butter, sugar – sounds gross but is DEVINE!) as well as a host of sides including, carmalized potatoes, sausages, frikadeller (yummy meat balls), mashed and gravy, pickled beets and pumpkin called Asia. Best of all? Danes eat plain Lay’s type potato chips with Christmas dinner, as if a dish in itself. Gotta love it! Topped it all off with rice pudding topped with a lovely warm cherry sauce!
Holy scrolling batman that’s a lot of entries! Happy holidays and congrats on the baby girl! My older boys bought me makeup related gifts for Christmas this year. I’ve raised them right!
Happy Holidays, thank you for this surprise giveaways.
how was Christmas!? What did you do? This time around Christmas is a joyful, since m hubby can attend eventhough he had to work extra early, usually he never get day of on every holiday
Hope you had a Merry Christmas Karen!
I am a huge crybaby! I always cry during movies, and yes, I have cried during many YouTube videos before!
Wishing you a happy new year!!!
Christmas was very relaxing!
christmas was great! lots of family, friends, and GREAT food!!
Okay, this food thing is great. I hope you’re ready.
I LOVE pickles. Recently my coworker let me try these pickled cucumbers from a Mediterranean brand called Ziyad. Let me tell you, these bad boys are spicy, HELLA garlicy and not as sour as dill pickles. THEY ARE AMAZING. I bought one jar, ate some more and instantly regretted not buying 3 jars.
I went back the next day and bought 3 jars.
I eat them alone or with cheese or on a very lucky sandwich.
Nirvana can be achieved by heating a honeybun for 10 seconds (or less) and smearing it with cashew butter. MAH GAWD.
I made INCREDIBLE egg salad by using the pickled cucumbers mentioned earlier, plus mayo and this spice blend I found online (and gave away as Christmas presents cause I’m classy like that): cumin, coriander, black pepper, turmeric, salt. I shook it into the mayo, set it chill some more and mixed the other ingredients. The literal flavor explosion that later occurred in my mouth made me do nice things for strangers all day long. IT’S SHAKE AND BAKE AND I HELPED!!
If I think of more food things, I will tweet them to you from my MiMiLuvsMakeup account.
*positive baby vibes*
Thanks for the giveaway Karen, my holiday was nice and quiet, which is just the way I like it! 🙂 I hope you had a nice Christmas!
Congratulations on baby?… I love reading your blog.. U r hilarious!!
I had a great Christmas this year. Spent some time with my family then headed in to work for the evening (I’m a nurse)
I would say the optimal number of eye shadows in a palette should be 3 for an everyday wear-to-work kind of palette and six for a “day to evening” type palette where you can add a bit of a smokey eye for glamour. Thanks for the giveaway, happy new year!
Pregnancy announcement videos give me all the feels.
Hey Karen, since baby won’t let your body have yummy things, I figured I’d let you in on my holiday diet, which consists of nothing but cookies. I’m such a fiend for sugar during the holidays, because nothing gets me in the mood for Christmas like holiday cookies. This year, we got this recipe for the BEST ginger snap/white chocolate cookies I’ve ever had. I’ve been away at uni for most of December, so I kind of missed out on the whole Christmas baking thing with mum, but she saved this one for me to bake amidst our holiday traditions of shortbreads, gingerbreads, and sugar cookies.
I can’t even describe how good they taste. They’re the most moist cookies I’ve ever had, and the spiciness balances the sweetness of the white chocolate SO well. The original recipe called for shortening – like what? is that even a thing? I thought shortening was only for pies – but we swapped in butter and they’re just the best thing I’ve ever had. I’m literally salivating while writing this.
Hopefully you’re having a wonderful, mostly stress-free holiday. You’ve become one of my favourite beauty b/vloggers this year, and I’m so excited to keep up with you and the baby in the new year! Lots of love being sent your way.
My Christmas was great. I won a voucher for shopping in the first day of Christmas, it was the best gift ever, was a gift from God.
I’ve never cried while watching a YouTube video, but I rarely stream anything because of super limited bandwidth! Thanks for the giveaway, Karen!!
I had a great Christmas! I got to spend time with my family, got some great presents, and ate some delicious food!
Hi Karen!
We have a sort of Christmas tradition where we make quiche lorraine and spend the whole day watching Vicar of Dibley and alternating naps in front of the TV with eating quiche and left over buche de noel from the night before. In pajamas. This year, I’ve been hit with the cold to end all colds, so there was a fair bit of nyquil and mucinex thrown into the mix, but it was still great. It’s literally the only day all year where we know the whole day will be fantastically lazy and we aren’t allowed to feel guilty about it. Plus, presents, so- pretty suite. Man… can’t wait till next year 🙂
Sweet, not suite, haha <3
Yes, I’ve cried watching a Youtube video!! Have you seen Earthings? It’s on youtube- a documentary narrated by Joaquin Phoenix. I was crying almost the entire movie 🙁 It changed my life.
My Christmas was crazy busy, hectic, and wonderful! I worked Christmas Eve and boxing day, had 2 family dinners and 1 breakfast in between.
I was gifted a new cozy onesie and a memory foam pillow which I made use of with a four hour nap! Merry Christmas!
Hello, hello! For Christmas I traveled to Mexico, but ended up sleeping through most of the festivities because I’ve screwed up my sleep schedule from playing so many video games.
It’s been nonstop eating and drinking for the past ten days, and my tummy is not too pleased. So for breakfast this morning, it’s oatmeal and dried cranberries.
Our Christmas was nice and relaxing! I cooked a traditional Polish dinner for the family. We hung around, watching Christmas movies. Stayed at home this year.
When I’m having a bad day I put my make up on which instantly makes me feel better and do something special anonymously for someone else. And life is good again.
This time last year I was waiting to find out what stage breast cancer I had. I am glad to say I am in remission and getting healthier.
I had exactly the Christmas that I wanted: quiet and lazy. 🙂
I had a great Christmas because I actually got to go home to my mom’s which usually never happens!
I would have to say my favorite blanket is one of my daughters LOL! My grandmother crocheted it for her when she was born, and she has passed on so I like to snuggle with it now and then. 🙂
The Mother’s Day video on YouTube always makes me cry! Karen, your love for your mother increases ten fold when you become a mom. Congrats on becoming a mom, hugs & kisses from Houston.
Martha Adams
I’m a nurse so i was working on Christmas eve and Christmas day. It was sad that I wasn’t able to be with my family but our team had a great Christmas potluck at work!
Search for Toughest Job on Planet on YouTube for the mom video I was referring too, so good!
Yes I have cried to a YouTube video. Those montages of our Soldiers and Sevicemembers returning home and surprising their families get me evey time!
The best decoration I’ve seen is a light up Christmas pig!!! I want him.
Merry Christmas and thanks for the giveaway 😀
i have cried watching YouTube videos.Christmas was great,just relaxed all day.
We finally finished the Christmas Meal leftovers today! Still delish
I’ve cried at YouTube videos, but I can’t remember specifically which ones. However, there are two focused on my dad. One was a video done by the Wall Street Journal that was in conjunction with an article they wrote about my dad and his battle with mesothelioma. He passed away by the time they came back to do second interviews. The second is the photo slideshow my sister put together for the memorial.
https://youtu.be/z6ONksI1S9U
https://youtu.be/RaDpJeMJC3o
Hi Karen! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! All the best to you and your expanding family in 2016. Cheers to new adventures!
One of the questions you asked was “what’s your favourite blanket?” I had a good chuckle about this. When I went home for Christmas to my parent’s house, my Mom had put out my childhood blanket on my bed as a little joke for me and my boyfriend. She also found my sister’s bear and put it out on her bed. This childhood blanket was actually a second blanket from my childhood and was handmade by my aunt. I’m sure you will have lots of friends and family making you precious little gifts for your little one. Hold onto them long after your little girl has outgrown them for these bring back special memories that both you and your daughter will never forget.
All the best for a happy and healthy 2016. <3 Jessica
Happy Holidays, Karen!!!!! 🙂
Q: What’s the optimal number of shadows for an eyeshadow palette?
I would say about 9-14. I like some of the recent palettes by Urban, Make Up Forever, and Tarte, because it makes it easy to grab one palette and find everything you need there if you’re in a rush or travelling. It’s better than shifting through your makeup drawers for different colors at 8am 🙂
Christmas was great this year. My 8 yr. son had addressed a letter to Santa, put a stamp on it, and dropped in the mailbox. On Christmas Eve he received a typewritten response from Santa addressed to him. He was so, so excited! He even read the letter to my parents and sister’s family. God bless our local post office! We were all in tears. So sweet. My sister and parents decided to have tacos this year for Christmas Eve dinner, what? There was much laughter at our house about who would be carving the “traditional Christmas taco!”. Not making fun of tacos mind you, but I don’t ever recall seeing my dad eat a taco ever.
HELLO Karen and family! I’ve been subscribed to your YouTube channel forever now I absolutely love it!!! It has been so helpful to a new makeup user like myself. Its also great to see and hear all about your pregnancy and how its coming along. IM YOUR TYPICAL FAN GIRL 🙂 Anyway, My Christmas was a very blessed one its the only time of the year that I get to see my family and spend time with them due to living so far away in Texas. We enjoyed a lot of great food and played a couple of games such as the pie face game which is actually so much fun and bean boozled which is another great one. How was yours?! thank you for this amazing opportunity, god bless from my family to yours
Oh yeah, I’ve cried (with laughter!) many times at a YouTube video and/or its comments, it’s actually the first place I head to whenever I need a laugh xD
I am so happy for you and El Hub!! I hope you had an amazing Christmas. Mine was okay – I get a little overwhelmed with the amount of family present 😛 still, it’s definitely a wonderful time of the year
Hey ate Karen! Great giveaway! Im trying to win but fair and square lol but the video that I watched on YouTube that made me cry was your pregnancy announcement! I remember reading your blog about your bursting into tears when seeing babies and then seeing your video I cried!!! Lol ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hi Karen, had a great-ish Christmas. My in-laws surprised us on Christmas eve eve by arriving in town to spend Christmas with us. My husband was so excited we hadn’t had a chance to see them in person since the summer of 2014. They don’t like to travel. Highly stressful for me but it was great to see them interacting with dh and the kids. 😛 I understand the gestational diabetes thing… I had it with my daughter. I really hated the insulin shots. But we do our best for little ones. 🙂
Best thing i ate during Christmas was a chocolate coated ginger shortbread biscuit. I have to ration them, as they came from a “clearance” store, and when i went back they didn’t have any left, so i am left to console myself with the consolation prize… the orange version of the same.
My Christmas was very special, I spend that day with my husband and the family of his friend, we ate a lot of delicious food and share presents ?
My favorite holiday treat so far was turkey confit. It’s a method where the meat is cooked in fat over several hours rendering a super moist and juicy meat and crispy skin. Definitely a once in a while treat but so so tasty!!Cheers!
Sooo.. I’m getting a Corgi! I know that you looove kitties so I was wondering if you’ve looked up “Munchkin Cats” haha they’re so cute!
We drove around to look at houses that had lights set to music which was really neat.
We had a roast beef for dinner and it was our first time making it, but it came out pretty good!
I guess it would depend on the cost of the palette, but I usually like to get a few different looks from them so I prefer eight to ten shadows.
Hope you had a great holiday!
My favorite blanket is a thin quilt that my mom’s aunt made her as a teenager. We call it the “sick” blanket in our house because it has no batting/stuffing so it allows you to feel covered up without being too hot, when is nice when you’re running a fever. It’s starting to get tattered at the edges and that terrifies me.
Thanks for this giveaway! Christmas was pretty good. The hubby and I and our two puppies spent the entire weekend at my in-laws’ place. Then we’re going to my family for New Year’s so it’s all pretty good. 🙂
Hey Karen! I really enjoy watching your videos since I’m Asian and I have really hard time finding someone with similar skin tone to swatch the products I’m about to buy! Hearing your voice at first I couldn’t believe that you are a lady! (I always thought that voice belongs to a girl in her early 20s because it sounds so cute!, no offense if you feel so). Please keep up the good work and happy holidays! You inspire me to open a blog about makeup and it’s coming next January <3
Merry Christmas! Mine was warm and rainy… the South is having some strange weather lately!
Bringing a pie to Christmas dinner is easy enough. ESPECIALLY if you pick it up from the freezer section, right? Wrong. So very, very wrong.
Christmas morning I woke up and decided it would be wise to pull the pumpkin pie out of the freezer so it would have time to thaw for lunch at my mom’s. I happened to glance at the baking instructions as I…wait…BAKING INSTRUCTIONS???
Place FROZEN pie on a cookie sheet on the middle rack of the oven preheated to 375 degrees, cover crust in foil so it doesn’t blacken (what??), bake for 75 minutes, then let stand for 2 HOURS?!?
The pie stood for one hour in my car as we drove to my mom’s house for lunch, and another hour in her fridge. By the time it came out, almost every other dessert had been eaten. On the positive side, my husband (who HATES pumpkin pie) said it was delicious. VICTORY! I now have three of those forsaken pies sitting in my freezer for him. And I will never not read the instructions on the back of a frozen desert again.
I think eye shadow palletes should have 10-15 shadows and be separated according to event.
Christmas was great, I spent it in the cold, cold north with my family for the first time in a few years. Hung out with my nieces and made some tasty homemade eggnog!
Thanks for the giveaway, very exciting!
My current favorite blanket is pretty new… a king size super soft and super warm fuzzy blanket.
im dying to know what’s in the box
The surprise gift sound neat. We had a great ( green ) Christmas shared with friends and family. We are looking forward to a great New Year. Merry Christmas to all and a very Happy New year.
My Christmas went well, I got to spend time with my family. We even planned the next get together, which is on New Years Day.
I had a wonderful Christmas. My family and I enjoyed lots of cookies and coffee along with a delicious dinner
Merry Christmas and a happy New year!!??????????? ….I had an awesome holiday and it was spent with lots of family..lots of coquito and pernil and pastels to eat !
We played a fun game for christmas present exchange this year. We were 9 of us and we were instructed to each buy 3 presents (which altogether shouldn’t cost more than $25) and by throwing a dice to first determine who would go first, highest roll wins. We then proceed clockwise to try throw a 1 or 6 to win the opportunity to select a wrapped present from the pile in the centre of the table. Throw a 2, 3, 4 or 5 and you have to hope for better luck next time around. Once all the presents are won, we open the presents and then we turn on the 20 minute timer and we continue to throw the dice with the hopes of throwing a 1 or 6 and you can steal a present from someone else’s pile that you covet! with the one provision that you cannot steal from someone who only has one gift in front of them. SOOOOOO much fun!
My current favorite blanket is one my grandmother made for me years ago. She passed away recently so it’s even more special to me now.
Yes, I have cried watching a YouTube video (insert shy emoji). It was about children recognizing their moms while being blindfolded and being able to only touch and smell. I am sure you will soon experience the same emotions 😉
Happy New Year!
The box is so gorgeous, I can only imagine what’s inside! We had a nice quiet Christmas at home. The kids were spoiled and us adults are loving the time off work and the family time playing board games and watching holiday movies.
I am of the “less is more” kind in terms of Christmas decorations, unlike my neighbours who go bat sh* crazy in and outside their apartments. So I love my Christmas red heart decoration that I bought in London. I put on my door and it says: “Keep calm, it’s only Christmas” heehee…
Anything that makes me look less like a hot mess and more like a “natural” beauty queen, I’m all for. Thank you for your help with that. 🙂
I hope you had a Merry Christmas! I sure did.It was quiet..just me and my fiance’ but he really spoiled me.
My christmas was “normal” for me because I am. Sick. Again. It’s like that Oprah meme going around “you get a cold!” and “you get a cold!”
Q) What’s the optimal number of shadows for an eyeshadow palette?
A) I think probably 8. But I like them generally in the same color family, and usually mostly, if not all, shimmer. But no glitter, ever. If there are any mattes they have to be black and super dark brown and super dark purple or navy. I prefer browns and bronzes and nudes and rose golds. I am boring. lol Don’t waste my time with anything light that is matte. Really, I don’t want matte anyway.
Yes I Have cried multiple times after watching youtube videos
Also I Love you and your blog 🙂
I enjoy and get great advice on sites about fashion over 40’s. I tend to stay stuck in one fashion/makeup mode and those sites help me not look crazy. 🙂
Hang in there! 30 weeks done, baby girl will be in your arms soon!
Im glad that your doing a log of your food intake because your wellbeing is very important.
I made some Mango Cashew Meringue cake for Christmas and just finished it last night, it was well worth all the effort. I wont torture you with any details!
I tried to leave comments before but i was never lucky enough to see it posted, Im keeping my fingers crossed on this one.
Christmas was great and the honeybaked ham was a success!
My favorite place to get fashion and style ideas is Banana Republic (boring, I know). My absolute favorite blanket is a soft, cozy number I got from Costco. Its so soft it almost feels like you’re touching air.
Grey, black, fuzzy, and super soft are just a few works that describe my favorite blanket. The pièce de résistance is the glorious unicorn smack dab in the middle of if this ultra plant of coziness.
spending my Christmas was again awesome and full of fun! as expected again, had a blast with my terrible twos and family plus relatives, we had food, booze and fun games til morning came.. (“,*
Am I the only one who can’t wait to see baby pics? You look radiant in pictures. ?
Christmas was great, besides being sick. I had a nice time with my family and I got some cool things including a blanket made of sweatshirt material!
Favorite blanket is a Sunbeam heated velvet plush blanket. It’s so great for cold winters!
Hi! I can’t believe Christmas has come by so fast and now it’s almost 2016! I have been baking lots with tins full of Christmas cookies! My first batch of cookies did not turn out good – there was too much butter and the cookies didn’t hold their shape, but after that I have brushed up on my baking skills!
Hope you’re having a great holiday and Happy New Year!
Happy holidays!. I can’t believe that 2015 is ending already. This year has been a major change for me- getting married and moving to US has changed everything in my life. But every single day has though me something new and i started loving my life more, thanks to my husband. I hope 2016 brings happiness to everyone and there is peace & lots of love around the world.
I am a huge makeup fan. I get paid on hourly basis and usually every time i make money i calculate that after all the expenses what are my savings and i spend everything on buying makeup. HAHA. Makeup has become my adiction after moving to US.
Thank you for the giveaway. toes & fingers crossed. hehe ( sorry i got excited and wrote too much). Happy new year. xoxo
Today is my birthday!
Ooh I love a good mystery! I spent my Christmas with my family and my boyfriend’s family this year! Everyone knows I love makeup and tea, soo I got a bunch of makeup and two new tea sets. Can’t wait to sit down with some tea and play with my new goodies! ?
My friend and I decided to have a sleepover at their new condo. It’s new so there weren’t much stuff in it including blankets. So, when she told me that they might not have decent blankets in there, we decided to go to this store that we know are selling cheap stuff. That is where I found my favorite blanket! They were selling these wonderful, fluffy fleece blankets in different colors and patterns. It was hard for me to choose one so we can continue on with the sleepover. In the end, I bought the peach colored blanket. It was so amazing! It’s so soft and fluffy and gives just the right amount of warmth. I loved it so much that I went back to the store to buy 7 more in different colors and patterns to give as gifts to my friends and family. Actually, now that I’m writing this, I’m contemplating of buying more for myself cause the other designs are just too pretty!
Yup have cried watching YouTube videos especially those ones that shows the life of the poor or suffering ones which makes us realise how lucky and blessed we are 🙂
Optimal no. of eyeshadows…Oh great 4 maybe?… I love all nude coloured eyeshadows.
I discovered staycations this year and took two of them. I think I like them more than do-it-all hyper-hurried out of town trips.
Wow this is a lovely giveaway :). Thankyou
I had a wonderful christmas with my family. I baked some delicious cakes n sweets with my granny and mom and organised at get together with my family. We watched many movies and played alot of games. I was very happy on getting my sweet christmas gifts 😀
For Christmas this year I got a faux fur blanket which makes naps on the sofa an unfortunate daily reality! 🙂
I think the perfect eyeshadow number in a palette is something between six and ten. That way it’s possible to use it up! But I also like singles. And large palettes are so beautiful to look at and I’ve never owned one so it would feel very luxurious.
Hey !
On Christmas I ate a french traditional dish called Baekeoffe, it’s a meat cooked for HOURS with christmas spices, potatoes, apricot, prune, dry grape, ….. the meat became so creamy…. that it I’m hungry again!! 😉
xx
Sarah R
Love your blog! Just bought a wine lipstick off your recommendations and am looking forward to trying the 10-minute smoky eye for NYE tomorrow 🙂
Have you ever cried watching a YouTube video?
omg, yes, I fail all the no-cry challenge playlists, like, 30 seconds in, it’s pathetic.
What’s the optimal number of shadows for an eyeshadow palette?
Can I say all of them? Because all of them. If it’s a palette I’m intending to use for travel, I think 10-20 shadows each about the size of your thumbnail in a wide range of colors/finishes (except matte) and ~2 dark and ~2 light mattes for shading/darkening/highlighting is best. Otherwise, I’m that girl loading up on triple-digit Coastal Scents palettes because I need all the shadows. I want them in all shades and all finishes.
I hope you and your family had a lovely Christmas! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on all the new makeup goodies that 2016 has in store for us. 🙂
Merry Christmas!
I cant believe how man Spring collections are launching.
Will you be reviewing the new Nars palette?!
My favorite fashion website is ASOS.com
I was introduced to it about 3 years ago. I became a premium member, which gets me free 2 day shipping for $30 a year. I order at least a once a month. They sell men’s clothing so mu husband has been loving it too!
I get my basics, trendy pieces and recently shoes. They even sell makeup!
Hi Karen I really look forward to your posts on the mbb blog and I wanted to share..how much Im loving the new Too faced bon bons palette almost as much as the mac fairy whispers collection!
•So how was Christmas!? What did you do? It was great! Went to 7 (!) Christmas dinners and hung out with mine and my husband’s families!
•Have you ever cried watching a YouTube video? Lots of times. If it has to do with someone in the military or an animal, I’m crying. Someone in the military coming home to his or her animal? DONE for.
•What’s your favorite blanket? It’s a “quillow” that my 91-year-old grandmother made for me. Sentimental value, obviously, plus the ability to stick my feet in the quillow pocket while covered up… the best!
Hope you had a Merry Christmas, Karen! I know 2016 will be the best year for you yet with the arrival of Baby Girl!!!
My gallbladder prevents me from indulging too much in dinner type foods, but it doesnt appear to have a problem with desserts. So for this year, our xmas baking consisted of pretty simple but yummy things: Regular & Golden oreo truffles, Cranberry Bliss Cookies (shortbread/cream cheese icing and dried cranberries), peanut butter and white chocolate rice crispie squares and Twix bars (made from scratch)
I have 3 grown daughters, 4 teenaged granddaughters and I believe this sweeps prize would be put to perfect use by everyone!!
Hello! I’m glad to hear you’re having a good time with your loved ones. Wishing the best for you and your family in the new year.
My favorite blanket is a blanket made by my grandma that she gave me when I was 10. It was made with different patches of fabrics. She recently passed away so sleeping with it brings me comfort and good memories of her.
Christmas this year was alot of fun. We did our usual Mexican food potluck. I brought the tamales and everyone pigged out.
Ahhh, Karen you are amazing! This is so fun! I had a nice Christmas with family, and with this really amazing guy who makes me feel super butterflies in my tummy. It was a pretty great feeling, being surrounded by love. Hope you, tabs, hubby and the lil one in your tummy are doing well. Happy New Year!
My Christmas was nice and relaxing, hope yours was as well!
I loooove Christmas. It’s my favourite time of the year.
What’s the optimal number of shadows for an eyeshadow palette? Around 6, so that I won’t get confused!
Hi Karen,
First off congrats with the baby!! I always check your website for new release reviews as we have the same skin tone and you always answer questions on recommendations.(Thank you!! You have saved me from make up disasters! lol)
Anyway, Christmas is low key this year, with just a few dishes nothing major, not a full on fiesta as Filipinos usually do. We did spend the rest of the day at my brother in law’s. We had a blast with the games, one is the hula hoop challenge (basically who can hula hoop the longest) and the longest time we had was someone on hula hoop for 10 minutes! lol. We also did white elephant and karaoke singoff contest. Philippine made karaokes usually scores you after you sing (trick is to sing really loud hahaha!) and whoever has the highest score wins. So yeah fun, fun Christmas. Hope yours was too! =)
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Wishing you continued success in the new year.
I love the holidays, because everyone seems to remember to be gracious and thoughtful to others, and spend quality time with loved ones.
I want to carry that with me every year, to cherish every moment because tomorrow is not guaranteed. I hope we all remember to carry that spirit with us
Hi Karen! I had a good Christmas, it was a bit rough since I just received some bad news but my husband and I watched The Elf and that was very uplifting, ha!
All the best!
I was sick with a cold this past week so we had more of a laid back Christmas at home and had a nice dinner.
It is so nice to have all of my family together like we did for Christmas. It rarely happens and we actually don’t have a large immediate family.
I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season. Thanks for this wonderful opportunity.
I had a great holiday this year, it was one of the best Christmas day’s I have had in years. We spent the day at my Sister’s house and played games had appetizers, it was very relaxed.
My boyfriend and I just moved in together and he decided to make a little man cave in our walk-in closet (luckily we have another little sliding door closet, and not much stuff tbh) and he’s just now realizing that the air circulation probably isn’t so great in there so he’s second guessing his man cave/closet desicion because it’s too hot!
I love for an eyeshadow palette to have a goodly number of shades I can mix and match and play with to create different looks. The Urban Decay and Too Faced palettes are great that way. Though I’m also a big fan of the much smaller Dior palettes. I’m quixotic like that. Just give me pretty colours.
I am hoping to win because I need serious cheering up after the tragic death of my beloved tabby cat, Pumpkin Cider. It was at right before Thanksgiving. I enjoy your blog above all others and read every new post.I hope you are feeling better and I wish you the best of luck with your new baby girl. Peace & love & makeup forever-
Bunny
My Christmas was wonderful but exhausting. I love visiting family but am happy to be back home for a few days of restful do-nothingness before I have to go back to work!
My favorite fashion website is intermix or net a porter or polyvore which you can virtually get lost in for days on end! The possibilities are endless!
Would love new products for the new year!
Wishing you a blessed and happy New Years!
Sorry that you weren’t able to indulge this holiday season, but I may have done enough for both of us. Throughout the month of December we make some real decadent foods. Most memorable is the lobster mac n’ cheese that was made for me by my friend. Oozey with cheese and fresh lobster chunks, it was awesome. Then we had a roasted duck with crispy skin over rice. Let alone the night we had breakfast for dinner, with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, cinnamon raisin french toast, and my favorite, rosti. There was so much more too….
Happiest of Holidays Karen! I’m so excited about baby girl! I’ve been reading your blog since the early days, and you’ve always seemed like a friend!
I had a fun Christmas with family.
I’ve always kinda lurked, and now I am commenting! Yay!! Love your blog Karen 🙂 I comment on your Youtube videos quite often haha.
My favorite ornament (hard to explain) I saw was an ornament made out of Mason jar lids glued together and a tiny Christmas tree glued inside, with a jingle bell on top! I wish I had that much talent! So adorable. How was your Christmas? 🙂
Happy New Year and thank you for having this contest! My Christmas was alright since I went back home for the holidays but suddenly came down with a cold. Fortunately, my relatives I got together early on Christmas Eve, so I didn’t miss out on spending time with everyone and enjoying a delicious meal! I spent Christmas and the past few days staying at home so I wouldn’t give others my cold, but it was relaxing to watch some makeup/skincare tutorials and plan for a future shopping haul!
Happy New Year to you and your growing family. I have to go with favorite blanket. My is the one you recommended from Costco. Now everyone in the house has one, even the dog has her own cut down from one that was too big! Thanks for the blankets and a chance to win.
I saw the cutest Christmas prop the year it was snoppy flying a airplance it was light up and the propler was turning so cute
Happy new year. I am so excited to try my luck.
Happy New Year and Happy Holidays! Had pork dumplings with spicy mustard, crispy small chicken wings with sweat vinegar abd garlic seasoning, edamame and kimchee fried rice. That was fairly spicy, some shared orders. About to buy becca moonstone on sale, you look really pretty in the picture of your review post.
The best Christmas decoration I saw was a manger and dozens of lit sheep covering the entire front lawn. There must be dozens of them! The display always brings a smile to my face.
Wishing you good health and much happiness in 2016.
Hi Karen,
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas & A Happy New Year! 2016 will be a truly special precious year for you and your hub as you welcome your baby girl into your family. Babies/ kids are the best , you will be so happy. I love your glow , you will be such a fabulous momma!!! And that girl will have the best makeup and makeup tips from you! Lucky girl?. I so love your blog and look forward to reading them. Now that’s little girl is 12 she reads your blogs with me as she’s is starting to get into lips and eyes– so fun! You always look amazing, share the best makeup goodies with us! For Christmas I hosted the big Italian family and we had our traditional 7 fish feast— salmon, crab cakes, cod fish with tomatoes, capers fresh basil and lemon, scallops wrapped in pancetta, fried flounder, clams with linguini, calamari salad, and my grammas spaghetti with green olive tomatoe sauce. All so savory, salty and yummy!!! Then for dessert we had my fav. Tartufos. It’s literally an ice cream ball of chocolate and vanilla dipped in dark chocolate with a cherry and pistachio in the middle. I also made some homemade biscotti- 2 kinds fig and them a cappacino biscotti. Yes full to the rim but it’s all about tradition, love and family. I love teaching my kids (Olivia 12 and Carmine 10) about family traditions, passing along recipes and sharing love! There’s nothing better than sharing love, knowledge and good cheer not just on the holidays but all the time! You do that in all your blogs and for that I’m grateful not to mention how fun it is! Cheers!
I being with my family for Christmas…
Hi Karen! Love the blog it’s my new beauty obsession! I have been eating ghirardelli chocolate peppermint squares and I’m completely obsessed with these during the winter months…who am kidding?!? I love these things anytime anywhere! They are so delicious frozen and I also always have them in my purse for emergency reasons (mostly me needing a piece of chocolate when walking in a packed mall). I feel so bad you can’t enjoy these tasty treats too so I’ll make sure to eat a couple for you too!
I am just now seeing this post, so I’m late to the party and the giveaway, but I’ll still tell you about some foods I ate over the holidays. My husband was working on Christmas day, and when he got home I made us a platter with Havarti and smoked Gouda cheeses, crackers, apple slices, and prosciutto and salami slices. Yum. Also, I don’t really want to admit how many pretzel rolls I ate–I bought a bag at Costco and didn’t want them to go stale or moldy, so…..
Hi