Christmas Must-Haves

Can you believe there are only 8 more days till Christmas?!?!  How did that happen??  I have been trying to spend time and enjoy all that the season has to offer.  I love this season, the lights, the movies, all the treats!  

Here are some of my Christmas Must Haves:

Christmas Movies: I am all about a good Christmas movie...I have watched way to many this season.  There have been some pretty good ones on Netflix this year and is it really Christmas if you don't watch a few cheesy Hallmark movies??  My all time favorite Christmas movie would have to be The Muppet Christmas Carol.  We haven't watched it yet, I like to save it.  If you haven't watched it yet check it out and let me know what you think.

Coffee Mugs:  Can you really get in the spirit without a holiday mug??  I love drinking my coffee out of a cute Christmas mug.  This one is from Target and I'm obsessed with it.  They have so many options this year and I am loving them!  These would also make a great last minute gift.

Cozy PJs: Yes to cozy jammies!!  I love cuddling up in cozy pajamas and watching a movie.  These plaid ones are super cute and perfect for a hot chocolate and movie night.

Christmas Coffee: Starbucks starts serving their holiday drinks earlier and earlier and I'm not complaining.  My favorite is definitely the chestnut praline latte, trust me it's delicious!    

Candles: My husband requests that our house smell like a Christmas tree and this candle does the trick.  So so good, makes our whole house smell like a Christmas tree farm.

What are your Christmas Must Haves?  Let me know down below.

What's In My Disney Backpack and Must Haves

If you have been around for a while you know I LOVE Disney.  I have had the chance to go to Disney World a couple of times in the past two years and I feel like I have a good feel for the parks and what you need for the day.  If you are planning a trip to Disney hopefully this will help you plan what you need.  Here's what I carry throughout the day:

Backpack: This is my absolute favorite Disney bag, I ordered it online and cannot wait to carry it in the parks.  

Phone case: Because your phone should be Disney'd out too

Wallet: I like to bring a small wallet when I travel so I have more space in my bag.  

Charger and cable: An external charger and your cord are lifesavers!  They sell some in the parks but they are pricey.  

Disney Buttons: I love using fun buttons to add character to my jacket, bag, etc. Talk Disney to Me and Here for the Food are That Gray Stuff, Hands Off My Dole Whip is from Wonderland Buttons.  

Sunglasses: Whether you are in Florida or California it's bound to be sunny, a good pair of sunglasses is a must!  

Hand Sanitizer: Trust me you need this!  So many people and germs around hand sanitizer is your best friend! 

Wet Brush: All those rides get my hair super tangled, I like to bring a brush just to smooth out my hair after riding space mountain.  

Bandaids: You never know when you might need one.  

Hair Ties: Again, super tangled hair on rides sometimes just call for a hair tie.  

Lypsyl: Just chapstick in general is a must have.  

Lipstick: Not a must have but you are taking a lot of picture, might as well make sure your lips look good.  My favorite easy to apply color of the moment is Maybelline Warm Me Up. 

Sunscreen: Do your skin a favor and protect it with some sunscreen!

I also will typically throw a poncho in that I purchased from the Dollar Tree, you never know when it will start to rain in Florida.   

Let me know what your must-haves are for Disney and your favorite things to do at Disney!

What to bring on your Cruise

Travel Mug: Coffee, water, lemonade and juices are provided on the ship free of charge.  The cups they provide are pretty small so a travel mug is perfect for getting a normal amount of liquid and you can carry it around with you.  

Cardigan: I freeze in air conditioning so a cardigan was a must for me!  I brought one to dinner every night and it definitely came in handy.  You would be surprised how chilly the decks can get at night with the breeze as well.  

Wristlet: I carried this guy with me all week.  On the ship they give you a card that is your room key, payment info, and your way on and off the ship.  This is obviously something important to hang onto and something you will need on a daily basis.  I kept mine in my wristlet along with my id, phone and Chapstick.  

Water Bottle: Again small cups are the only things provided and sometimes your spot for the day is far away from any sort of refreshment.  A water bottle is great to carry with you and stay hydrated.  

Plastic bags: I stuffed a couple of these in my suitcase and was so glad I did.  They came in handy for keeping our passports together and clean, keeping sand out of my phone and also storing things like bathing suits and such in larger ones.  

Beach bag: On excursion days we brought one beach bag with our ship towels, sunscreen, books, and whatever else we needed for the day.  I love a big bag with comfy handles and a cute design.  

Floppy hat: I almost didn't wear my floppy hat but was so glad I did.  I wore the stank out of mine.  It was so nice to wear around and keep the sun off my face and shoulders.  

Sunglasses: These are an obvious must-have.  They are great for lazy days when you don't want to do your makeup but still want to look semi cute.  

Powerstrip: Little known fact of cruise ship rooms: they have about two plug in spots, not even kidding.  We survived because we really weren't using our phones and didn't have a lot of electronic devices to plug in.  If you have more than two appliances to plug in bring one of these suckers.  

Sunscreen: Again this is a no brainier but make sure you bring it!  My husband got burnt in less than thirty minutes in the sun.  Trust me that sun is intense! 

Highlighter: You might think I am crazy but we actually used ours.  Everyday you get a ship itinerary for the day.  There is a lot going on in a day and you want to make sure you don't miss things.  We used highlighters to go through the list the night before and mark what we liked. This helped to keep track of what we wanted to do.  

What are your must-haves, tips and tricks?

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Bible Journaling Must-Haves

Journaling Bible: Obviously you will need a journaling bible.  My husband got this one for me for my birthday and I love it!  It is so pretty outside and has a great amount of space to doodle.  

Watercolors: I haven't actually used watercolors in my journal yet but I have seen some beautiful creations on pinterest that have used them.  

Journaling Pens: My husband also gave me these pens and I love them!  They are acid free so they won't mess up your pages, fine tipped, easy to use and don't bleed through your pages.  They come in a lot of different colors so I have lots of options.  

Notebook: I like to have a notebook with my bible journal to write down ideas and verses that I want to work on later.  

Pencils: With my doodles I always start in pencil.  Mechanical pencils are my favorite for thin lines.  I like being able to sketch it out first and be able to erase at the end.  

Eraser: After I have finished with a journaling section I like to take an eraser over the doodles to erase any stray pencil markings just to clean it up a little bit.  

Pens: These are great for adding thin lines, dates, details or titles.  

Highlighters: If you want to add bright details or highlight the verse that you are journaling these are great! 

Colored Pencils: Along with my pens these are something that I use all the time.  These are great for coloring in doodles and adding pretty depth and texture.

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Gym Must-Haves

I recently started going to the gym...yep that's right.  My husband has been going for years and since he uses the University gym I was able to get a discount to join.  I've actually been enjoying it.  Right now I just use the elliptical and cardio machines but I'm hoping to start some weights soon.  Here are my gym must-haves:

Vera Bradley Tech Case: This is an old retired pattern (Cambridge I think??) but this tiny case is perfect for holding my gym card, headphones, chapstick, keys and whatever else I need to throw in .

Monogrammed Water Bottle: You have to have water when you workout and it helps if it's in a cute bottle!

Nike Tennis Shoes: I picked these tennis shoes up at the outlet for a Disney trip and I love them!  They are super light and keep my feet comfy.

Earphones: I like to watch YouTube videos or TV shows on my phone while I workout so earphones are a must!  These are great because they wrap around your ear and stay in place, even when you're working hard.

Chapstick: My lips get so dry, so I always carry chapstick.  Dry lips are not stopping my workout.

Champion Workout Headband: These are my favorite headbands for a workout.  They have a silicone lining so they stay put and keep your hair in place.

Physiclo Compresion Leggings: These leggings were sent to me to review and I love them!  They are a little hard to get on, they are supposed to be tight (make sure you check out the sizing befoe you buy!!).  The compression is supposed to let you work harder, burn more calories and just get more out of your workout.  I definitely feel like they help my stamina and help to last through my workout.

As a gym newbie I would love to know what your essentials are?

Beach Bag Essentials

My husband and I are going on a cruise at the end of the month and I couldn't be more excited!  I have never been on a cruise or to the Bahamas and I can't wait!!  In preparation for this I have gathered my beach bag essentials: 

Monogrammed Canvas Tote: You need a bag to hold everything in so it might as well be a cute one!  This one zips and is machine washable so it's perfect for tossing all your stuff in sandy or not.

Sunscreen: As a ginger my skin is constantly being burned by the sun, so 30 SPF and up is my BFF.  But seriously pale or not get yourself some sunscreen, cancer isn't a good look for anyone.

Swimsuit: If you're going to the beach you need a swimsuit.  One piece, two piece, whatever you wear make sure it fits you well and makes you feel great!

Hair ties: Sand, wind and salty air can result in great texture but also some serious mess.  I always have hair ties in my bag to throw up my hair when it is getting a little out of control.

Chapstick: Sunburn doesn't just happen on your skin it can also damage your lips.  Make sure you have a chapstick with sunscreen!

Towel Clips: These little guys I picked up on eBay and are awesome!  They are for clipping your towels onto your beach chair so they don't blow away, also for staking your claim on your perfect spot.  These guys are cheap and super easy to throw in a bag.

Book: I love reading on the beach, the sound of the waves, warm sun and no worries.  I always save my best books for reading on vacation, I think it makes it a little more special.  Mary Kay Andrews is one of my favorites and I can't wait to start this one!

Sunnies: This is a no-brainer, if you are going to be out in the sun you have to protect your eyes!  These are one of my favorites I picked up at Ross for less than $5!  I don't buy expensive sunglasses since they always end up broken or lost.

Hat: I love throwing on a hat and sunnies for a relaxed beach day.  This is one of my favorites to rep my home state.  Hats are also great for a no-makeup, messy hair coverup.  

Brush: Like I said before the beach can give your hair great texture but it can also give it some great tangles.  A brush is a must-have for taming those major tangles.

Tumbler: I always get super thirsty at the beach so I love to carry a cute cup!  This one from Ellie Belle has my monogram and holds a lot of water!  Use coupon code "erinssharings" for $2 off drinkware!