Our Christmas with Mixbook

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, how lovely are your branches??
Joy to the World, the Lord has Come!
Away in the Manger the poor Baby wakes…
Silent Night, Holy Night, All is Calm, All is Bright…

These songs (and so many more) are on repeat in the Glass house and we are watching all the Christmas movies too. Do you know what else we are doing this holiday season? Updating our photos! As usual for our printing needs, we partnered with Mixbook, and I am so glad that we did.

Since our first year of marriage, Asa and I have sent out Christmas cards. At first I think he thought I was kind of silly [they included photos of us awkwardly posing, and our multitude of pets], but over the years, he admits that he loves it just as much as I do. [Wives know best right?]…….#KIDDING

Anyway, Mixbook has always been great and our Christmas cards come out beautifully! When this post goes live, you all will still have one day [by 12/15] to get your photo presents by December 24! Calendars are also going on sale until 12/19, but I’ll get there in a second.

One of my gifts for my mom has always been a 12-month calendar. She has always hung one in their kitchen, right above the small desk and work space. It’s one of the corners in their house, where I grew up, that is sentimental for me in a sense; making calendars for her full of photos from our past memories is something that I LOVE to do. This year was no different. I compiled tons of photos and asked my brother and sister-in-law to share theirs too. I plugged in birthdays and designed each month exactly how I wanted to. When the package arrived I was so excited to open it and flip through each month—the quality is excellent and pages sturdy. I can’t wait for her to open it when we get to visit for Christmas this year!

The last thing we gifted ourselves this holiday season, was an updated canvas in our living room. My sister-in-law takes our photos for us and we haven’t updated it in a couple of years. I love having our family photo being one of the first things people see when they walk in! These too have always had great quality with clear resolution, and accurate colors. You can see in the photos below our living room gallery too, which is full of photos we printed from Mixbook :)

Let’s face it, at the end of the day you know there are a million (plus some) photos on your phones, screaming to get and be printed. I promise you that Mixbook is the company to help you with that. Pictures are worth a thousand words and make the sweetest holiday presents for your loved ones. If you make your own order this year [or ever] let me know! I would love to know what you purchased. Photo books, cards, invitations, and calendars…this company has so much to offer!

Why You Should Invite Harry & David to Your Celebration

This post is sponsored by Harry & David but all opinions are my own

If you’ve followed me for any length of time you undoubtedly know my husband does all the cooking. Like seriously. So when he wanted to have a dinner party for his 36th birthday... I was a little freaked out about how I could pull that off. Thankfully, Harry & David Gourmet Foods came to my rescue!

The weather was so iffy (like, rain and temps in the low 40’s!!), so instead of gathering on the deck, we decided to move all the sitting furniture out of the living room and bring our dining room table there to accommodate the extra guests. As soon as the table was situated, the vision started coming together. Fall is great, because bringing in rustic elements like leaves, and live edge cutting boards can really spice up the aesthetic. The table runner was made by my adorably talented niece, lights were borrowed temporarily from another part of our fall décor...In fact, everything we used was already owned, and just moved from their normal spot in our home to complete the tablescape for Asa’s birthday dinner party.

We wanted lots of textures and tones to help fill in the table. But ultimately, once the food was set out, that’s when the party really happened. We love charcuterie boards around here, and these boards from Harry & David were INCREDIBLE. They offered so many options for cheeses and meats that everyone who attended was able to try new things.

The assortment of puff pastry appetizers were so delicious (but yet simple too!) Honestly, the food was delivered to our house a few days before the party, and everything was ready or near ready to eat. Twenty minutes in the oven to finish preparing those apps was literally all it took...umm, hello literal answer to prayer for this non-cooking wife!

Whether it’s a savory side dish, dessert or an entire decadent spread, Harry & David Gourmet has everything for entertaining with elegance and ease, and currently includes more than 200 premium products to serve, share and savor. Our guests had so much fun trying the wide assortment of food this night, and all were blown away that everything had been delivered, and yet was SO fresh! I really can’t say enough about Harry & David coming to my rescue. The party went off without a hitch, and took so little effort from me in the kitchen. Here’s to my husband turning 36, to a lifetime of memories still to be made at this table of ours, here’s to good food and even better, friends! Cheers!

Getaway for a Spectacular Weekend in French Lick

This post is sponsored by Visit Indiana and French Lick Resort, but all thoughts and opinions are my own!

Praise the Lord, it is our summer vacation!! My family and I were counting down the days until our summer could begin and finally, it is here! It was so fun to surprise the kids with a mini getaway the weekend that their school let out. We had heard GREAT things about French Lick Resort, and my husband and I are so glad we got to experience it for ourselves.

First off, for such a short drive from Louisville, it really feels like you’re ‘getting away.’ Not really an interstate close by, but two lane state roads wind you through beautiful country side. Then you pull into French Lick and there are these two MASSIVE resorts. They are historic, stately and offer such truly beautiful architecture and exploration. We pulled up and low and behold…FREE VALET. Sorry, but we aren’t typically fancy enough to have someone else park our car. That’s really a great way to start any vacation, someone willing to do mundane tasks for you. They even brought the luggage to our room free of charge as well!

We stayed at French Lick’s sister hotel West Baden Springs Hotel. You walk through a giant atrium to get to the hotel lobby, and oh my goodness, y’all—it’s magical. All of the beautiful natural light pours through, and when you stop and look straight up to the top, you can’t help being completely in awe at such a spectacular building. (I’m also blown away by whoever constructed it because holy heights, that would be kind of terrifying.)

Admittedly, French Lick is a small town, but for our weekend getaway it was perfect. Plenty of restaurants to choose from, games and activities for the kids, and the resorts have PLENTY of swimming options both indoor and out. The food at Ballard’s in West Baden, the charming train that will shuttle you back and forth between the resorts, bowling alleys, all of it was just super charming and relaxing. (PS, when you go and ride the train hopefully Todd is your conductor, he was MADE for this. Such a sweet and kind gentleman to everyone he gave rides too. He even gave our kids wooden train whistles, which I now have a love/hate relationship with; but regardless, sweet gesture!)

Outside of the resorts there were plenty of places to eat, shops to look through, and fun activities for everyone to enjoy. I recommend 33 Brick Street, which is where we had dinner one of our nights. Its a casual sports bar filled with cool memorabilia. Apparently I’m lame because I don’t really know who Larry bird is, but he has lots of things on display there!! We also enjoyed Pluto’s Pizzeria, which is where we bowled and ate pizza—a really fun experience and activity for our kids who are five and seven! For breakfast both days we went to the Grand Colonnade Restaurant Buffet. Saturday morning I had some girl time with my daughter; my husband drove our son to his basketball tournament back in Louisville (dedicated sports dad!) and she and I went to breakfast and explored some of the shops.

Big Splash Adventure is minutes down the road from the hotel, and a great activity for families who visit! It is a 40,000 square foot INDOOR water park, but get this—it has a retractable roof! All year round you all can enjoy this destination for some great family fun! Just outside of town there is Wilstem Ranch. There you can actually meet giraffes and elephants, and there is also zip lining and horseback riding here. The ranch is just ten minutes from Paoli and French Lick.

You all know me and my obsession with horses, right? We obviously had to check out the Stables at West Baden, which has trail rides available. (The minimum age requirement to ride though was eight, so we didn’t do a trail ride since our kids were too young; however, you know we cuddled them and got to know some of the staff, which in my mind, was pretty much just as awesome.) The staff there were super friendly! I’d highly recommend snuggling with the horses (and going for a ride, haha!)

We spent one of the afternoons at the pools, West Baden Springs has a great indoor and outdoor facility. It was sprinkling when we started, but the weather held off and we were able to enjoy a good couple of hours in the water!

French Lick truly was a GREAT weekend getaway place. Not far from home, but far enough away that life and responsibilities just slow down—and rest and laughter become the two most important things to take care of. I’ve heard from several friends that the decorations they put up at Christmas time are unreal, so my family will definitely be going back! Thank you, French Lick Resort for hosting our family this weekend, what an incredible place it is.

Be a Wellness Warrior featuring BioChem

This post is sponsored by Biochem.

While I am not a gal who works out a ton, I am a woman who believes in healthy products and who knows protein is an essential part of that. Recently my husband and I discovered a drink that fully supports our healthy lifestyle, and who knows how important protein is in our diet. Especially for me personally, I don’t eat a lot of meat in my diet so I do not get protein in that capacity. Biochem is a company that makes dual-action protein powders, designed to fuel bodies with the nutrients it needs to live our best lifestyle. This protein drink now plays an important part in our wellness journey and we think it may be something you would love for yours too!

Whether you are just beginning your journey to becoming healthy or you are a seasoned pro, Biochem could really be a great option for you. This is a powder drink that has expanded to include a Vegan Plant+ line that includes non-GMO ingredients, but that also offers the best in both flavor and quality. These powders include the highest quality and pure ingredients, AND they are certified gluten-free. My brother-in-law and I were talking recently about protein drinks, and he said, “I really believe that the world needs more guilt free powder drinks, Biochem sounds awesome.” I told him that this is a drink that is reasonably priced and available at convenient retails, like Whole Foods and Amazon, along with the Biochem site, so he should definitely give these drinks a try!

Here are some ways that my husband and I strive to be Wellness Warriors:

• He is the cook in our family and daily we try to incorporate fruits and vegetables in our meal plan. Biochem also helps with the balance of nutrients we know we benefit from. I have been taking this protein drink to work with me too. The Plant Protein Vanilla Mood powder is packed with ashwagandha, moringa, and passionflower to help stabilize and boost mood levels (something I definitely can use during my long work days.

• We go hiking, a lot! Even when we vacation, we always make an effort to try new trails and explore, such as in Asheville, North Carolina and climbing our first ever mountain! Our kids love these memories and we love making them with them!

• We walk our dogs daily, especially now that we have a puppy!

• I own horses, and it has been so easy for me to take Biochem with me to the barn; it has been a great fuel source on the days I do my riding.

• We aren’t part of a local gym anymore and do all of our workouts at home. I enjoy running on our treadmill and doing core workouts on my mat.

I really believe that whether you’re hitting the yoga mat first thing in the morning or pushing yourself to get through your work day, you KNOW how important protein is. Let’s celebrate ALL the good that protein can do for our bodies with Biochem’s line of dual-action protein powders. If you have any questions at all, feel free to email me (just hit my contact tab) and I’ll be happy to help you discern which powder may be the best fit for you in your busy lifestyle! Follow Biochem on Instagram and Facebook to learn more.