And just like that, Thanksgiving is over and we are completely immersed into December and holiday mode.  While I adore the hot summer months and the flowers that come with the warmer weather, the holidays really hold a special place in my heart.  It’s my favorite time of year!

These next couple of weeks, I will be finishing up my finals for the semester and then I will be baking up a storm, singing (even more!) Christmas carols from morning til night, and shopping for all of the special people on my list.  I. can’t. wait.

Here are all of the things that made me happy last month.

Products/Services I am Loving:

• NOW Foods Sweet Almond Oil for lotion

Colorado is pretty darn dry all the time, but add the chill of winter and my skin closely resembles sand paper.  That being said, I need some pretty intense moisturizing.  A friend recommended sweet almond oil for the very dry Colorado winters and I have been really loving the moisturizing affect the oil has.  My hands get especially dry and I find that if I put some oil on my hands and then sleep with socks on to keep the oil on my hands for a few nights, most of the dryness goes away.

• Fabletics (affiliate link)

Usually, I am really great at remembering to “skip the month” for my fabletics subscription, but the month of November totally caught me by surprise and I forgot to skip the month!  I ordered this vest with my “credit” because I have been searching for a good active vest that I could wear while hiking or running in cooler temperatures.  I actually just recently ordered the vest, so I have yet to see if it fits or looks the way I want it to.  Crossing my fingers that I love it and don’t have to send it back!

• Erin Condren Planner for 2016

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am a HUGE planner person.  I love color-coding with markers and keeping all calendars in the house (yes we have more than one) up to date.  When Brian and I got married, he ordered me an Erin Condren planner so we could “plan our future together” and I have been hooked ever since!  I have been itching to fill the pages of this nearly empty planner, but that large task will have to wait until after finals 🙂

• November Rocksbox

(use my code trebleinthekitchenxoxo for a free month!)

I have written about Rocksbox several times before (click here to read about my first experience!) and I absolutely love the jewelry rental service.  This month, I ended up keeping these Gorjana Petra Shimmer Diamond Studs.  My ears are pierced twice on each lobe, and these are the perfect little stud for my second hole.  I wear them almost every day.

• Eat Feel Live Love Challenge

This month, I completed the Eat Feel Live Love Challenge hosted by Meg and Shawn of the Nourished Podcast.  I have completed other challenges before and really felt deprived, or guilty if I deviated away from the rules because “normal life” got in the way but this challenge was SO different.  There were a few food components to the challenge, but there were many components of the challenge that focused on stress-relief, self-love, overall health, physical and mental well-being.  It was a great challenge to complete just before the holidays when things can get a bit stressful and it is easy to lose focus on the important things.  If you have more questions about it, let me know and I will be happy to share!

• Adult Coloring Books 

A friend told me about her adult coloring book and I had seen a few people post about them over social media.  I ordered my coloring book and I am literally seeing them everywhere now!  I really love the relaxing of coloring, so in my opinion I think the whole relaxation idea behind the books is spot on.

• Lola Tampons

Not too long ago, the kind people with Lola reached out to me asking if I would like to try their all-natural feminine products.  I was happy to give these products a try, because honestly I had not thought about “natural feminine products” prior to that request!  They are made with 100% cotton and they are 100% biodegradable AND they come in a monthly delivery.  That means, no more frantic, last minute drug-store runs.  I have been very happy with these tampons and plan on continuing to use them in the future.

Personal Favorites:

• Bernie passed basic obedience training!

When Bernie was very young, we went to Ted Terroux Dog Training for Puppy School and loved it!  When it came time to put Bernie into basic obedience courses, we knew we were going to go back to Ted Terroux. The basic obedience course really helped Brian and I learn how to train Bernie and it really helped us gain dominance over Bernie.  We loved the course and are planning on going back for the Good Canine Citizen course.

• Family Visiting!

I loved having my family in town for Thanksgiving.  We had so many fun moments and I am itching to see them again for Christmas.

• Friends visiting!

We had lots of friends visiting this month!  I didn’t capture pictures with everyone, but we had a lot of fun with all of our visitors.  The best part about having people visit is getting to explore Denver a little more each time.  There are so many fun things to do here, it’s really nice having people in town to motivate us to get out and see things.

• Singing with the Company B Gals

I absolutely love that I get to spread holiday cheer throughout the holiday season while singing!  It’s one of my favorite parts of the holiday season.

• Our first real Christmas wreath

Brian and I purchased a live wreath from our church and we are loving it! I love the way it looks and the evergreen smell 🙂

Workouts I’ve Been Loving:

• I’ve been loving teaching Bodypump.  I teach a 6am Monday class and it is seriously the best way to start out the week.
• CorePower Yoga Sculpt.  Brian and I had a bit of free time a couple of Sundays ago and took advantage of it by heading to a yoga sculpt class taught by a friend.  We loved it!
• My 25 Minute Bodyweight Tabata workout (perfect for doing at home during the busy holiday season)

Foods I’ve Been Loving:

• Buttercup Squash

I officially have a new favorite winter squash.  Buttercup squash is tender, slightly sweet and so tasty.  I can’t wait to eat it again!

• Thanksgiving food 🙂

It was all so delicious!

• Turkey Soup

We had quite a bit of leftover turkey and stock from Thanksgiving so my mom put it all together in a pot with some herbs and veggies for a tasty turkey soup that we enjoyed this week.  It was so nice to simply reheat and eat this hearty meal.

Posts I’m Loving:

5 Step Warm Up for Strength Training via Lifting Revolution

What I Ate Wednesday (You Make the Choice) via In it For the Long Run

Five Food Photography Tips via Well Plated

5 Online Tools I Use for Business via Danielle Zeigler

10 Ways to Change Your Story or Purpose via Hello Neverland

How to Create a Holiday Gift Guide via Sits Girls

The lowdown on Low FODMAPS via Oh My Veggies

The Best Props for Food Photography via In it for the Long Run

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Muffins via Cotter Crunch

Old Posts I Have Been Loving:

Coconut Flour Pancakes (make a double or triple batch on the weekend and put in a baggie for later in the week!)

 Chicken Sweet Potato Spinach Curry Crock Pot Meal (perfect for cooler weather.)

Quickie Bodyweight Ab Workout

Now, time for me to get back into study mode 🙂  Have a great weekend!

Share something:

• Tell me something amazing about your month 🙂