Archives for November 2015

Lindsay Letters Holiday Giveaway…!

November 30, 2015 / By Courtney / 11 Comments

Tis the season of giving, right? Let’s kick off another giveaway – yippee!

Oh my goodness, I think by now you all know how much I heart Christmas so I’m sure you could understand how utterly excited I was to pair up with the darling Lindsay Letters Shop for this amazing print giveaway.

Seriously, how freaking adorable is her work. You can view her full holiday collection here. Sigh. I kind of want it all, don’t you?

But back to the giveaway. This 8X10 ‘night before Christmas’ print will be hanging in my home all season long and it can be in yours too! It will arrive framed in a white 11×14 Ikea Ribba frame ready to be decked in your halls.

To enter, simply follow the instructions below. As a bonus, tell me where in your home you’d feature it. Just leave a comment, it’s that easy.

The giveaway runs through December 6th at midnight and is open to US residents only. Winner will be announced Monday, December 7th on my Facebook Page so be sure you’re following me along there so you don’t miss out on all the fun.

Good luck to you all and thank you so much, Lindsay Letters, for partnering up! Your work is beautiful.

Giveaway rules: No purchase necessary. Must be 18 years old to enter. Giveaway is open to US residents only, except where prohibited by law. Giveaway will run from November 30th through December 6th, 2015 at 11:59 pm EST. A single winner will be randomly selected by Woobox and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize; failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the prize. Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest do not sponsor, administer, or endorse this promotion. Participants must read and agree to Woobox Privacy Policy before entering and participating in this promotion. By entering this giveaway, entrants give their consent for their email address to be added to the ALFS newsletter list.

C’s picks – week of November 29th.

November 29, 2015 / By Courtney / 1 Comment

Oh I hope everyone has had a lovely holiday weekend! With December being right around the corner (eek!) there is no better time to plan. Let’s start off in the kitchen. I’m down in balmy Florida catching some rays but I’m still putting together a little line up for you. I hope it helps and I’d love to hear what you are making!

Sunday night I hope I’m munching on fish tacos. And a margarita. A really good one.

Monday night is our last night down here so that means we are headed to our favorite joint, Manatee Island.

Going from 80 degrees to 20 degrees can always be sort of a shock to the system so we’ll be dining on deep bowls of my winter sausage stew.

That brings us to Wednesday and to a soup Biz raves about (she has made it forty one times!). Lasagna soup it is.

Mexican for Thursday? Chicken tostadas are always a hit in my home. Ole!

And that brings us to Friday and to a night in with some friends! Not positive what I’m making just quite yet, but, this company sauce with fresh pasta and sausage is always a top contender.

Have a great week everyone! Happy cooking.
C

Happy (long!) holiday weekend.

November 27, 2015 / By Courtney / Leave a Comment

Sigh. Holiday weekends are the best, aren’t they? Especially the weekend following Thanksgiving. So many fun things to do between holiday shopping, eating delicious leftovers, and of course – decking the halls! We sort of had a head start on all the fun as today we are high in the sky headed towards sunny Florida. Yippee! Yet here are some festive thoughts still floating around in my mind on this merry Friday.

If we were home, we’d 100% still be in pajamas eating this.

I’ve had this hanging on my mantel for years now and it’s always one of my most favorite decorations to put up!

Moms. How dead on is this.

Traveling with kiddos this season? Here are some of my tips.

Have some leftover turkey? Of course you do! This soup is insane and read: oh so healthy. (Psst – no leftover turkey? A rotisserie chicken works just as well).

This Banana Republic blouse is absolutely stunning on. Trust me, you need it in red for this holiday season.

Stumbled upon this candle company and can’t get enough of their spruce scent.

Anyone up for a little holiday baking? Christmas crack is where it’s at.

Haven’t ordered your Christmas cards yet? No sweat at all – now is the time. Head on over to the stylish Minted for up to 20% off your order! Ho ho ho.

Hands down my favorite Christmas song. What’s on your play list?

B and L will look oh so dapper in this shirt this December.

And last but definitely not least. I get to partner up with the oh so talented Lindsay Letters for the most darling giveaway to start on ALFS next Monday, November 30th. You’re not going to want to miss this one!

I hope you have the most wonderful holiday weekend with dear friends and family. Enjoy it!
C

Holiday gift guide: for your boys.

November 25, 2015 / By Courtney / 1 Comment

Kids are tricky, don’t you think? The last thing I want in the house is more junk and if I see one more lego I might actually cry but then again, it’s Christmas. So, let’s do a little mix of it all.

I see major smiles in L’s future sipping from this mug in the morning.
For their baseball bag…..HOW CUTE. I’m obsessed and I know L would be too. Baseball not your boys thing? They have football, soccer, lacrosse….take your pick.
L and his BFF sport this Nike jacket constantly and look oh so handsome.
Ok, ok, festive legos make them that much more tolerable.
Both the boys will be opening up these this year. Because sometimes the sneakers just won’t cut it!
I can totally see them now hiding on opposite ends of the home talking to each other. Well, more like L getting frustrated because B isn’t doing it right.
Band aids are constantly in serious rotation in our household. Love these so much! Fun for stockings.
It’s tradition. Bath bombs every year. My boys love these.
These will totally crack my boys up. And socks are so in with the kids right now!

I hope you find something for your little one! And don’t forget, we have tons of gifts ideas for the hostess, the grandparents, and your best gal pal, too.

Happy holiday shopping – ho ho ho!
C

*The fine print: this post contains affiliate links which means that if you use these links to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. Of course, you are not obligated to use these links to make your purchase but please know that when you do, it supports my blog and for that I thank you.

Brown sugar bacon.

November 23, 2015 / By Courtney / 2 Comments

With holiday mornings around the corner I thought it was time to introduce you to my new go to for mornings that just seem a bit more special.

I first served this bacon for the Apartment Therapy shoot and practically had to lock the boys away from it so we’d have enough left for our guests. So good.

And. the. smell. Did you ever think bacon could ever smell better than it already does? Yeah me neither. But this bacon does. It sends sort of a spicy sweet and salty goodness throughout the home.

I know.

Get this in your rotation this weekend. Because holiday breakfasts should have just a little something more special going on and this bacon does exactly that. Pairs perfectly with red and green sliced apples (so festive!), a warm pumpkin bread (Trader Joe’s gluten free is our new fav), and cozy Christmas pajamas.

Enjoy!
C

Brown Sugar Bacon

2015-11-19 15:18:21

Serves 4

A salty, sweet, spiced goodness perfect for holiday mornings!

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

25 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

25 min

Ingredients

8 slices thick cut bacon
1/4 cup brown sugar
Pinch of chili pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with foil and set a cooling rack on the baking sheet.
Mix together the brown sugar and chili pepper.
Lay the bacon out on the cooling rack, piece by piece, and spread the brown sugar mixture on top.
Bake away for 20 minutes or so, until crisp.

By Paula Deen

A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/