Timeless love! A unique watch perfect for Valentine's gifting!

Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. - 
Marthe Troly-Curtin

Can you believe that we are already approaching Valentine's Day you guys? I feel like we just finished Christmas. Its time to start thinking about your Valentine's Day gift giving for that special someone. While the gift of time is one of my favorites, sometimes its fun to spoil our loved ones with a little something more! 

One of the things I love most about my husband is that he is a super thoughtful gift giver if you read any of my holiday gift guides you know that I try to put a ton of effort and thought into my gifts as well. I really try to find unique or custom things for people. Something, that will really resonate with them as to why I picked I, a reminder of a trip we took, something personalized with their new last name – you get the idea!

One of the most sentimental gifts I have ever received from my husband was a watch with our anniversary engraved on the back – so imagine my delight when Jord approached me about hosting a Valentines watch give away.  To me, Jord watches tick all the boxes (get it… tick, as in tick tock… watch? Ok moving on…) they’re unique in that they’re made from wood, you can personalize them by having a message engraved on the back and they come in AMAZING packaging. I was honestly taken away with the presentation; it comes with a beautiful wood magnetic box (that can be engraved as well!), a cleaning cloth, and a marker for any touch-ups.

It took me forever to pick out the watch I wanted because they have so many fun options – I ended up going with the Cassia model and I am so happy that I did. It has a large boldface that goes perfect with all my rose gold jewelry and while its substantial it’s also lightweight and comfortable to wear all day. They have amazing options for men as well – I love their timeless look (ha, did it again!).

I had Bubbles & Bones engraved on the back of mine to remind me of this journey I am on with blogging. When I showed it to my husband he said “how funny, that’s what I would have picked as well!” which makes it even more special for me.

I took my watch out for a date day with Dom and received tons of compliments on it; I was surprised at how many people noticed. This romantic and classic piece would make the perfect Valentine’s Day gift!

I am so so excited to share that, Jord has been generous enough to give away one $100 gift certificate to one of my readers – it’s a painless 2-second entry and I promise they don’t spam you! A little birdy told me there might be a significant coupon code just for entering…

Head here to enter: https://www.woodwatches.com/g/bubblesandbones

Don't want to wait and want to get shopping? Click HERE for my exact watch! Click HERE for all mens styles! Click HERE all the womens styles! Click HERE for all styles! 

Wooden Wrist Watch

Let me know which watch you would pick in the comments below, I’d also love to know what you’d get engraved on yours!

XOXO | SLL

Branding Babes - Facebook Live tomorrow!

You guys! 

I am so excited that tomorrow at 7 pm PST (10 pm EST) I will be going live on Facebook with my girl Shawna of Shawna Poliz Design on her weekly installment of Branding Babes! 

We are going to be talking all things branding, blogging and influencing! I am so excited to chat with her and share some of what I have learned along the way! Shawna is a general badass graphic designer, web designer, content creator and business babe! She is a wealth of information and an awesome friend too! 

Be sure to join us on her Facebook tomorrow or check out her BLOG (click here) for a recap after tomorrow! You should totally check out her blog before then too if you don't know her work, (edit: you totally know her work! You're on this page! Shawna created my logo and blog!) 

Drop some questions you may have in the comments below! Can't wait to see you all tomorrow! 

XOXO | SLL 

Through time with diligence...

So depending on how well you know me you may or may not know that I originally started Bubbles & Bones back in 2013. I had a good run at it for about 60 days and then my posting kinda tapered off... Recently on Facebook memories, I was reminded of a post I wrote inspired by my grandmother and great-grandmother. While that post screams of 25-year-old immaturity (I'm sorry for what I said about yoga pants), and is not at all the message I wanted to share,  I knew that I wanted to share with my new readers a little about them.

They were the ultimate icons of style and class. Their self-worth, perseverance, and confidence never came from another, it was an internal fire that I hope burns a little inside me as well. 

My grandmother and great-grandmother (and their husbands) lived life so fully that most people don't believe me when I share stories of them. Partying at the palace in Monaco, speed boats down the Riviera, movie stars and royalty as friends and more. But their lives weren't always like that. 

Before the speedboats and the Royals came extreme heartache and tragedy - as did many other global citizens of the time. World War II brought war to the small island that my family was living on (Java). My grandmother only knew her fathers face from a photograph until she was 3 years old, as he was detained at the male camp and my great-grandmother and grandmother at the female camp. They were held in concentration camps located in the remote jungle Boven-Digoel by the Japanese during WWII - as they lived in the Dutch East Indies running their printing empire at the time. They lost everything, including parents, siblings, businesses, homes and more. But again, they didn't let that stop them. The three of them rebuilt their lives and lived them to the fullest. 

Our family crest has the words "door tyd en vlyt" on it - which translates from Dutch to English as "Through time with diligence" (if you've seen me in a bikini you know that this is incorporated into one of my tattoos). They never let their situations define them and worked diligently for the rest of their lives, to live their best lives.  

Consistently pulled together and polished, they oozed style and class. My grandmother more of a rebellious spirit was one for furs and embellishments, yet rooted her style with the classics. Hermes, Chanel, custom couture made for her by her best friend, and famous Dutch designer Edgar Vos.

A young grandmother preparing for a day on the slopes (or more likely Après-ski!)

My great-grandmother, having lived through losing everything during the war (and getting it back again) was more conservative in her style and lifestyle. Most of the photographs I have of her are in elegant gowns or hosting a lavish party, not a hair, nail or button out of place. She was an incredible hostess and cook. She was made up at all times and it wasn't until she became physically unable to that her hair went uncolored or not styled in elaborate combs. 

My great-grandparents at a black tie gala. 

My great-grandmother passed away when I was 5 years old, but thankfully I do have some memories of her. My grandmother was one of the most influential people in my life and unfortunately passed away way too soon. I was able to spend at least one day a week with her until her death when I was 15. Her loss is still felt deeply by my mom and myself. The photographs I have of both of them are some of my (and my moms) most prized possessions. Each photo of them is a complete story. A fairy tale of sorts. I find myself in awe of the lives they lived and often daydream filling in the gaps I don't know. 

One of my goals for 2018, and through life,  is to be more like them. To be consistent in my life, my style, my demeanor. To pass through life diligently and with purpose. 

XOXO | SLL 

So fresh and so clean clean... my house that is!

So I decided this year I wasn’t going to make any resolutions, I was instead going to focus on living my best life. I know a bit Oprah of me but… I feel like that encourages me to do little things to improve the big things daily and not focus on falling off the… make your bed every day, work out 6 times per week, do laundry on Tuesdays and Saturdays, don’t eat dairy wagon.

The first thing that I thought I should tackle and improve on was keeping a clean house.  Having a clean and organized home is something that is really important to me. I find that when I feel off or stressed generally my space is as well. My goal is to keep the house in order so that I have one less stressor!

I was super excited when a friend who sells Norwex reached out and offered to send me a few products to try out. You may have seen them on Facebook or been to a party where someone is selling them. They're a multi-level marketing company and I was skeptical, as unfortunately, I am about most of them.  But hey, never hurts to try right?

Amber sent me their “basic home package” which comes with the enviro cloth that they're best known for, a window cloth and 3 face and body cloths. I had heard other people talk about the “magic cleaning” properties of the enviro cloth and I honestly wasn’t sure that it would hold up to the task, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The first thing I used was window cloth and wiped down all the silver and glasses I used for Christmas dinner! I was able to easily remove the water spots - this normally takes me HOURS!!! 

(Grey = Enviro Cloth, Purple = Window Cloth, Multi = Make Up Remover) 

 I put the Enviro Cloth up against what I normally use a magic eraser for… the door handle and jam leading from my make up vanity to our bathroom. I seem to always have makeup smudges on the white door. I got the cloth slightly damp like the instructions recommend and honestly, it worked better than the magic eraser and didn’t leave behind any residue.

 If you know me you know that I’m not a huge cleaner… I have a housekeeper and my husband thank goodness seems to enjoy it… but I got so much satisfaction from how well this thing was working I quickly started on a bunch of other surfaces.

According to their website, the cloth removes dust, dirt, and grease from all washable surfaces using only water. The cloth is naturally antibacterial using silver threads (I actually already knew about the use of silvers antimicrobial/antibacterial properties from using it on the horses).

If you saw my instastories (@bubblesandbones) from New Year's Eve you saw the Window Cloth it in action! It totally removed all the water spots on my bathroom mirror and left it streak free in like 2 seconds.  I have been keeping this one upstairs and wiping down all the glass and shiny surfaces in my bathroom daily, I am for sure a convert when it comes to this one!

I tended to avoid this because it meant I had to clean off the counter of all my products and makeup brushes because I didn’t want windex on them!

The last thing that I got to try was the makeup remover cloths… and while they worked great, they're honestly not my thing. I don’t usually “wash” my face I use things like micellar water – but I am totally keeping one in the shower.

Amber has provided a link for you guys to shop if you're interested as well as some care tips for the cloths! I think I am going to look into some of their floor products because as much as I haaaaaaaaaaaad to have my dark hardwood floors they're a total bitch to keep clean!

Click here to shop directly with Amber! 

You can also reach out to Amber with any questions or concerns on her Facebook page: 

https://www.facebook.com/AmberCleansGreen

Overall I was super impressed with how everything worked how they said it would, and additionally, I am totally excited that I don't don’t to spray chemicals everywhere to get the job done.

So tell me... whats your best cleaning hack? 

XOXO | SLL

* I recieved these prodcuts for free in exchange for my review* 

absence makes the heart grow fonder? Updates. (Don't worry I'm back!)

ab·sence

ˈabsəns/

noun

1. the state of being away from a place or person.

2. an occasion or period of being away from a place or person

3. .the nonexistence or lack of.

Hello, my lovely readers, it has been a while, hasn't it? I've been away from you, away from here and really away from everything. The word absence is really the only word that explains where I've been and what I've been doing. All three definitions are applicable to my recent state. Hope you're ready for a long one... 

You see, on Thursday, December 7th I left for Las Vegas planning on several days of boots, big hair and rodeo for the National Finals Rodeo. A trip I look forward to all year long. My mom, step-dad, step-brother and I go together every year. We drink too much, we spend too much money and we eat at PF Chang's (long long story) a few too many times. It's our "thing". 

My mom and I boarded an awesome little flight right from Carlsbad, checked into our hotel and we were just about to grab some lunch and a glass of wine when we got the text... Fire. 

You see, we have a bit of a history with fires...

In 2003, my mom and I worked for several days evacuating other peoples horses in what would eventually be called the "Cedar Fire" which burned over 280,000 acres in San Diego County. 2,232 homes were burned, 15 people lost their lives and the fire burned for 12 days. We learned first hand how fast and unpredictable fire can be, we also learned how important it was to have an evacuation plan in place. Thankfully during that time our home and horses were not under any evacuation orders and we were simply able to help others. I remember to this day remarking to my mom that I felt like we were in one of those bad disaster movies as we traveled down the freeway with not a single car on our side of the freeway... and bumper to bumper traffic heading the other direction. I can honestly say that that week shaped my view of a lot of things in life, it also gave me a pretty intense fear and anxiety regarding wildfires in southern California. 

In 2007 I was heavily campaigning for the title of Congress Queen and October of 2007 found both my mom and me in Columbus, Ohio. I had secured the title of Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Association Queen and was giving it my best run! October 2007 also found San Diego heavily engulfed in flames.  The "Witch" fires would claim two lives, injured 55 firefighters, burn 247,800 acres, and over 1,200 homes. 

Having first-hand experience from 2003 intensified every emotion during that time. You can imagine the feeling of helplessness being thousands of miles away and hearing that indeed your house and horses are in a mandatory evacuation zone. In between my testing, interviews, and lots and lots of tears - I would catch national news coverage (social media wasn't was what it is today!) to check for updates. I remember discussing with family back home which horses would go first, which horses would stay if we ran out of time, and I vividly remember talking to my sister on the phone and her saying to me "ok, I'm standing in your room - what do you want me to get?". The overwhelming feeling of loss hit instantly before anything even happened. Thankfully our home and horses survived the worst of it, and I remember at about 3 pm on coronation night looking at my mom, taking a deep breath and saying "you think I still have time to get my hair done?". I still can't believe we pulled it off. 

The next few Octobers came and went without issue, and the fear of fire while always there begins to slip away a little bit each season it doesn't come. But that's the thing about fire... you never know when it will happen. 

My next experience with fire came in May of 2014. You see... I thought I was smart. I thought I would remove as much stress from my WEDDING DAY. I thought I would have a small private ceremony, on a Wednesday in San Fransisco. Close to my husbands family, easy for mine to get to.... the 21 of us would have a quiet day with a private ceremony and a beautiful dinner. The weather would be nice and cool (my biggest fear was being hot in my dress!). Ohhhh how mother nature had other plans for us. 

San Fransico hit over 100 degrees that day, actual record-breaking temperatures. The same was going on in San Diego. Mid-morning amidst all the wedding prep, hair, make up etc.... we got the text. Fire. 

A superstorm of 20 fires would join together and burn over 26,000 acres in North San Diego County. The Coco's fire (closest to us) would burn from our wedding day May 14th, 2014 until May 22nd. The fires would claim one life and over 65 structures.  

I was devastated. I knew that all day I was going to be distracted, and to be totally honest - I cannot believe that my most amazing friend and photographer, Heather, was able to capture the photos she did that day. If I wasn't on the phone, I was texting, if I wasn't texting I was looking at local news and the cycle went over and over again. Its a true testament to my most amazing husband that he put up with me that day. 

Literally, everyone in my family was there. My evacuation plan was WITH me. Everyone did their best to keep me distracted, fed, champagne'd and we tried our best to continue on with the day. 

These photos were taken within the same 10 minutes, my first time seeing my married name, the fires coming over the hill back home, and our calvary coming to evacuate our horses back home. 

Thankfully we have an amazing network of friends (who pulled our valuables and sentimental things out of our house in the dark), horse trainers, and farriers who showed up and loaded up ALL of our horses under scary circumstances. Not to mention poor Heather who was stuck taking our pictures while she was dealing with the same thing for her family and horses. While I knew my wedding day was to be memorable - I didn't think it would be THAT memorable. 

So fast forward back to December 7th, 2017. The text. I immediately get in touch with work and see whats going on there. In my heart I am devastated that I cannot be there, not only to help - but be there to support my amazing coworkers who I know are going to be in for one heck of a ride. You see, my day job, which I have spoken of before entails helping to run a pretty darn amazing equine sports medicine veterinary practice in San Marcos, California. We take care of some phenomenal equine athletes, including those at the San Luis Rey Downs. 

As the afternoon played out, news got worse and worse. I tried to create a "command center" from my hotel room and keep my friend in harms way,  clients and colleagues as informed as I could. I went to instastories (sorry if you had to listen to all of those) to get evacuation news to as many people as fast as I could. And... when I heard that the fire had hit the training track... I well... I had a bit of a breakdown. 

The fire spread quickly and sporadically. The fire department called it a "dirty burn". Wood barns, palm trees and anything in its path caught flame and quickly entire barns were engulphed. Family friends of ours were injured defending their horses and barns with garden hoses. 

A photo posted by one of my doctors, driving into San Luis Rey Downs

I saw horrific things via text, facebook, and Instagram. I watched videos of horses being let go in order to save their lives. The worst part, I knew MY people were there. I knew they were in danger as well. I knew that this loss would be so much more than we were even seeing in that moment.

Vet truck headlights on the track after the fire had devastated the track, it didn't stop. Photo via my amazing friend and technician Jenna Powell. 

My team was simply amazing. They worked around the clock not only directly at "The Downs" as we affectionally call it, but the rest of my team mobilized and assisted with the county evacuations taking place at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. I work with a highly trained, skilled and technical team and they were nothing short of phenomenal. I heard from everyone who had contact with them what all-stars they were that night and in the coming days. I honestly still have difficulty writing about it without crying. I am so so impressed with them and our equine community. As my colleague, Nicole recently said to me, "It's the horses that ultimately bring us together"

I did what I could with what I had, it's amazing the power of social media isn't it? We quickly heard from friends, family, vendors. The donations are still coming in today. The hardest hit, after the equine lives lost, were the backstretch workers. The grooms, exercise riders, and families who lived at San Luis Rey Downs lost everything that day. They lost their homes, their place of work, they lost their equine companions. Many many left with only the shirts on their backs. I will link donation resources for them below. 

Photo via Bloodhorse.com all in all 9 barns wold be totally destroyed 

All in all the Lilac fire claimed 46 of our equine friends. The devastation and loss will take a long long time to get over. The community is strong and already beginning to rebuild. As the days pass it gets a little easier for each of us. 

I decided to stay in Vegas with my family that weekend.  I knew by the time I got home that the dust would have settled so to speak, and I knew my presence with my family was just what they and I both needed. 

So there you have it... while I have been right here all along, it just didn't feel right to put out content that I wasn't wholeheartedly believing in. I've been a bit of a hot mess of late. Not too many pretty Instagram worthy moments, but you know what? That's ok. I'm here to share with you the real me. And sometimes it's not pretty. I apologize for my absence and promise you that all the fun content is coming back soon (like really soon, like tomorrow soon...). I will be back in full force with a NFR recap. 

Ways to help: 

Amazon wishlist for grooms (I can personally vouch for the person collecting these goods): http://amzn.to/2D88IVx

Thoroughbred Charities of America GoFund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/help-for-san-luis-rey-downs

Or... just message me and I can get you in touch with the people who need it most. 

With lots of love & thanks for your patience, 

XOXO | SLL

Holiday Gift Guide #4 - Beauty Gadgets!

Hey babes! This guide is all about gadgets... beauty gadgets that is! These are all items I have in my bathroom and use on a regular basis - you know I am all about trying things before I share them with you!

I thought this would be a great roundup for the beauty lover in your life, as it can often be hard to shop for makeup and products for someone else. We're picky about our brands, our shades of foundation and what we put on our faces aren't we? So here you have it... five gadgets for your beauty babe. 

First up... this awesome make up brush drying rack. I first learned about this from my friend Lauren (check out her beauty blog while you're at it! www.laurenerro.com) and let me tell you, I am not sure how I lived with out it before. 

No more brushes on towels scattered around your counter. No more weird flat bristles from drying on their sides. Game. Changer. You can pick it up on Amazon for $8.99 HERE.  You probably want to pick one up for yourself as well... 

The next item is something you never knew you even needed, and then once you start using it you have no idea how you ever lived before. I was gifted this mascara guard by a friend and thought that it would be just another something I used a few times and got lost in a drawer. Oh how wrong I was. This simple curved mascara guard from Tweezerman helps keep your perfectly blended eyeshadow and your painstakingly applied concealer just how you want it. You can grab it for just $8.15 HERE.

You know that relaxing feeling when you get facial where the warm steam starts to cover your face and you just know you're going to leave there glowing? Why not give that gift to someone! Enter... the at home facial steamer. 

Facial Steamer $25.99

I think this is the single biggest improvement I have made to my skin over the last few months. I use this 2ish times per week after cleansing my face super well. I then tone and apply products. This is a great gift for someone looking to upgrade their at-home skincare routine, or perhaps someone that isn't able to get regular facials. You can pick this one up on Amazon for $25.99 HERE. 

Any guesses what this next product is? Nope not an ear thermometer... its a vacuum for your face! 

Home "microderm" skin vacuum $34.99

... ok stick with me here. A vacuum for your face. Yes, sounds insane. Yes, you look insane but... it totally works. They advertise this as a sort of at home microderm procedure, which it certainly is not quite the same. I have been using this for about 3 months now. I would highly recommend you start out with super light treatments and work your way up. I don't think this thing sucks out impurities quite like it says it does, but it is a wonderful exfoliation and has evened out my skin tone. You can pick this up on Amazon for $34.99

Last on the list, if you have followed me for any length of time you have seen a gazillion times. But, really its so amazing I knew it should be included here. There is a not a single person who wouldn't benefit from a facial ice roller. Get rid of those puffy under eye bags in an instant. Refresh that dull complexion and get rolling! You can grab it on Amazon for just $11.00 HERE

Facial ice roller $11.99

So there you have it! My favorite beauty gadgets right now. Do you have any gadgets I need to know about? Be sure to drop it in the comments below! Happy shopping! 

XOXO | SLL

Belif Skincare - Moisture Bomb Review (Eye & Face)

We all know that skincare can be a daunting task, there are so many lotions, potions, serums, masks etc I often don't know where to start. I also feel that it usually takes a few weeks of using a product to know if it's going to make a difference or not. That, first and foremost is why I am writing this review after only a couple uses.  

Before I get too far into this blog - I want to be sure and mention that I received these products for free in exchange for my review on sephora.com, and there alone... that being said... I really enjoyed them so much I wanted to be sure and spread the word with everyone.( I also just spent another $150 ordering different products from their line... I mean... Dom, these were free too when they show up... )

So what are we talking about here? We're talking about Moisture Bombs by belif -believe in truth a Korean beauty brand with an impressive line of skincare and cosmetics. You can find their line of products at retailers like sephora or online via Amazon. 

I have pretty normal skin. I'm not overly oily or dry (except in the winter) so I am hesitant to buy all new products just for a season (stupid I know) so I was delighted to see that these products were called "moisture bombs". 

My first impression was that I was initially impressed with the packaging. I have been known to not use a product because it doesn't work with my bathroom aesthetics, yes I am that crazy.  The pretty packaging makes these products feel special. Upon further investigation, I again was not disappointed. 

I opened the Belif Moisture Eye Bomb - ($48, currently exclusive in the US to Sephora). The thick cream has a pleasant yet not overpowering scent. Important for me especially around my eyes. Their claim is that the eye cream provides a "26-hour burst of moisture" - while I'm not sure that I felt like I had fresh product on, I did wake up with pretty darn good looking skin around my eyes! It definately held its moisture, and the skin around my eyes was much much less crepe-y when I applied concealer. 

I also used The True Cream - Moisturizing Bomb ($33) all over my face and thought it worked nicely. This might be a little too thick for me to use twice a day so I think I will continue to use this, but only as a night moisturizer.  It is not greasy per say, but you can certainly tell its on your skin. If you like more dewy look then this is for sure the moisturizer for you. Again, it was lightly scented but nothing identifiable, just enough to smell fresh. 

Overall I was more impressed with these two products than anything new I have tried in a while. I am excited to get the masks I ordered (I mean... oops sorry Dom!) and will update you once I've tried them! 

Also, after doing a bit of research found out that this brand is a total cult favorite, even making PopSugars list this fall. I keep hearing all about K- Beauty (Korean Beauty) but have not yet tried any until now. So tell me... do you have any other K-Beauty musts?!?! 

XOXO | SLL 

Holiday Gift Guide #3: The person who has everything!

Next installment on the holiday gift guide is for the hard to shop for person that has everything!  We all have that one person that is super hard to shop for, they might be really picky, you might not really know them that well, or maybe they just get themselves all the cool stuff and leave you with nothing!

Right off the bat the first thing that I think of to get "the person who has everything" is an experience. Groupon and Living Social type websites have tons and tons of voucher options that you can give as gifts. From escape rooms to culinary tours there is something for everyone! (This would also be a great option for a family gift, especially if you're on a budget!)

Who doesn't want to know where they come from?  I really think the 23andME DNA test, could make such a cool gift! Give someone the gift of knowing their ancestry. I know a few people who have done this and we’re so surprised by the results!  It takes about 6 weeks to get your results back and everything you need is included in the kit for $69.00!

Shop: HERE

Next, I don’t think I know a single person who hasn’t misplaced their keys, purse, wallet… etc.… enter Tile Mate – these small tiles sync to an app on your phone (hopefully that’s not what you misplaced!) and using Bluetooth alters you to the location so you can find it fast!  You can pick what sound you want your Tile to make as well so that you can differentiate the rings! This would also be perfect for kids backpacks!

If you’ve misplaced your phone you simply push the button on one of your Tile’s and your phone will ring instantly! They come in singles for $24.99 or a 4 pack for $69.99.

Shop: HERE

My family loves table topics, and have really enjoyed the conversations that have come from these cards, especially during the holidays. These cards would suit just about anyone on the list. Perfect for your neighbor or co-worker you don’t really know that well! The box is full of conversation starting cards and comes in tons of different versions now! My personal favorite is the original and “not your mom's dinner party!. These run $25.00 per set.

Shop: HERE

Next idea is a little out of the box, but I personally have done this on many occasions and it has always been amazingly well received... make a donation in their name. For a friends birthday, I sponsored a bat at a bat sanctuary for a year, (she's a bat lover obviously!) and she totally loved it. I think this would be a wonderfully thoughtful gift, and super appropriate for the person that already has everything! 

I hope this guide gets you off to a good start for that hard to shop for person! Or even makes you think about gift giving in a different way! 

Whats the best gift you've ever received? Drop it in the comments below! 

XOXO | SLL 

Thanksgiving Planning!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Can you believe its just a few days away? I'm not hosting this year - but, I thought I would share with you a simple spreadsheet that has brought some sanity to my Thanksgivings of years past! 

Image via Lonny Magazine

I created this simple spreadsheet a few years ago,  Its a calendar, a reminder system, a shopping list and sanity saver all in one! 

What I do first is get a final(ish) head count - it is much easier to plan when you know how many people you will be serving (shh... then I add like 4 more to make sure we have leftovers!).

When we host, I don't do a ton of the Thanksgiving cooking as my husband is a magnificent cook and cooks a killer turkey! So my job is generally logistics, taste tester and baker!

So...You can imagine how big of a deal it is when someone (oopsy) forgets to buy that one ingredient that makes the dish... never again with this list! 

Our next step, my husband and I decide on a menu for the day. I go through the recipes and pull out the ingredients necessary for each dish. I  then enter it into this spreadsheet with the quantity needed. 

Next step, I go through the kitchen and see what we have already in our pantry - if I have the ingredient I leave the line black and put an X in that collum. If I cant find it, the line goes to red (really helps when at the store).

While grocery shopping I then mark each thing off as I put it in the cart to make sure I don't miss anything (never again!!!). 

I also use this list to keep me organized while preparing, I like to include what "special" items I will need for setting the table so that I can start pulling those out and washing them if needed a few days before. Since we have a pretty small kitchen and just one oven its been really helpful to schedule oven time so that everything is done when we needed it to be! 

So there you have it! Hope everyone has a most wonderful holiday with their friends and families! Do you have any tips and tricks to make your Turkey day run smoother? 

Want a copy of this spreadsheet to get you started? Just sign up for the email list and leave a comment on this post and I will send you an excel file to get you started! 

XOXO | SLL