I had good intentions for blogging this week.

I really did!

But then Garrett and I got super sick this weekend. Like... super sick. gross kinds of sick. It was the worst.

There were 14 of us at a mexican restaurant close to our house on Friday, and 10/14 of the people that were there got sick over the weekend. We were thinking about filing a complaint but... with who? What would the recourse be? Was it just a really weird fluke? Who knows.

So today is the first day I'm drinking any coffee since... Friday. I know. I KNOW. Also, can I confess something? There are three (3!) unopened containers of Pumpkin Spice creamer in the back of my refrigerator right now. I've been hoarding it because it doesn't expire till April or May and I'm not sure when the stores are going to stop carrying it. Embarrassing, I know.

So we've spent the last two days feeling sorry for ourselves trying to rehydrate and get better. What's your favorite way to recharge after you've been sick? I've been drinking lots of Gatorade and water (obviously), and yesterday I tried to put some cucumbers in my water but I just canNOT get into it.

Also, as a total aside, I finally made this soup last night, and Garrett and I agreed that it's one of the best recipes I've found so far. So go make it. It's DELISH.

So anyway, I'm spending today playing catch-up. Kinda. I don't think we have groceries. I definitely don't have any meals planned. I do have blog posts planned though. #bloggerproblems, am I right?

My Holiday Wishlist

Last weekend, when my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year, I responded with "the gold iPhone and a haircut." (I'm totally serious, by the way.)
"That's all you want?"
"Yep."

And seriously, it is all I really need. It's officially been one calendar year since I've had a haircut and I feel like my hair weighs one thousand pounds. And like I've mentioned before, I still have an iPhone 4 that I got in early 2011 that is practically an antique. (Champagne problems, am I right?)

Buuuuut I would be lying if I haven't been seeing some super cute stuff on the internet lately. I definitely don't need any of it, but if you put a gun to my head and made me pick nine gifts (the horror!), I know exactly what I would choose.

1 // J. Crew Downtown Field Jacket: I've had my eye on this for so long, I really need to just pull the trigger and buy it. Maybe after the holidays are over with some Christmas money?
2 // Gap Embroidered Striped Tee: In case you haven't figured it out, navy is definitely my favorite color to wear. Pink accents are just a (super fabulous) bonus.
3 // Lakeland Printed Scarf: Okay I realize that the scarf and the tee are really similar, but... YOLO, or whatever. Navy stripes forever.
4 // Steve Madden 'Heaven' Flat: I have these in several colors already, and I love them.
5 // Love Bangle: I mean, I just really love bangles. (LOL, GET IT?)

1 // Gold iPhone 5S: I mean obviously, right?
2 // French Bull Lazy Susan: To match my tray and my Crock Pot, of course. I'm not sure where we'd put it, as we have the Tiniest Drawers Ever Manufactured (TM), but I'm certain we would use it.
3 // Voluspa Cut Glass Jar: I used to buy these at a little store close to my apartment, but they've stopped carrying them, so I haven't bought one lately. Santiago Huckleberry is a kinda floral/kinda vanilla scent that is perfect. Candles are a good splurge-y type item that make it a perfect Christmas present, right?
4 // Don't Worry, Be Happy Print: A 'happy' print in bright colors? Yes and yes.

What's on your list this year?

Datevitation: A Review + Giveaway!

I've always prided myself on being a pretty good gift giver. I look all throughout the year for the perfect presents for the people that are closest to me. When I was younger, one of my favorite things to do was make coupon books for people. They were always perfect because they let me really reflect on my relationship with each person and focus on the things that person loves.

Note: I received this product free of charge for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

But as a 25 year old, some construction paper and glitter isn't going to cut it anymore, right? Enter: Datevitation! When Datevitation contacted me about discussing their product on my blog, I was so excited. If you're looking for a small, creative gift for someone, there really isn't anything better. There are lots of coupon books that you can purchase on the internet, but none are as customizable as the ones you can make on Datevitation.com.

The people at Datevitation gave me the chance to create my own coupon book, and let me tell you guys, I was impressed from start to finish. There are over 500 date ideas that you can choose from. 500!!! Don't let that overwhelm you though: they're sorted by category. Whether you're looking for all adventure, romantic date ideas, or a variety, they'll be sure to have something for you. I decided to choose a variety of activities. I like adventure, but I also like wine. You feel me?

Like I said, everything is super customizable. You choose a cover first, and then a short greeting on the inside, and then it's time to choose your dates! Once you choose your five dates, you can change the text on each coupon. For example, if you're going to a vineyard, you can name that specific vineyard on the coupon! I was able to incorporate one of our inside jokes into one of the coupons, and I just love that.
My favorite part about Datevitation coupon books is that you can add your own faces in! How adorable, right? (This part is easy, but when you're doing it, I found that the best thing to do is use the same picture for both of your faces so the lighting/coloring is the same.)
Super cool, right? Like I said, the fact that everything is SO customizable is really what sets Datevitation apart from other companies.

You really can't go wrong with a Datevitation coupon book this Christmas. Datevitation is run by an adorable husband and wife team (read more about them here), so you'll be buying a product from a small family company as opposed to a huge company who doesn't care about you. And books start at only $25, so it's super affordable in addition to being totally cute.

As a special treat for my followers, you can use the code  ‘ALYSSA10’  for $10 off your purchase plus free shipping (total value of $13.50)  That means you can get your loved one a one-of-a-kind gift for Christmas starting at just $15!  The order cut-off date for guaranteed delivery by Christmas is December 13 so make sure to get your order in before then! I ordered mine on a Wednesday and got it on Saturday afternoon, so shipping is super fast.

And the best part? Datevitation is giving away a book to one of my readers! You know the drill - enter on the Rafflecopter below. Do it fast, the giveaway ends in just two days!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

December!

Every single month of the year, I go "I can't believe [month] is already here!" so maybe this is really played out, but seriously, you guys? I CAN'T BELIEVE that December is here.

So anyway, did you have a good Thanksgiving?! I sure hope so. I did... as I mentioned, I went to the beach with my family. Thursday was my mom's birthday. Since it was just the four of us, she decided she didn't really want to cook stuff, so we got hibachi. Yep, I had sushi on Thanksgiving. And it was some of the best sushi I've ever had. #truestory. Friday, we did the Thanksgiving thing, and Saturday morning, my brother and I headed back.

And then Saturday night, Christmas vommed all over our apartment and it is the absolute best ever.

Garrett bought a huge Christmas tree. Like, legitimately enormous.

We decided that we were going to forgo Christmas presents this year (we did the same thing last year), but we would buy each other a few stocking stuffers and an ornament (or two). We each got a serious-ish one and a funny one. (Does your Christmas tree have a sparkly hamburger on it? It probably should.)

And the rest of the weekend was for watching a lot of football, drinking a lot of coffee and doing a lot of relaxing.

This week should be pretty low-key. Tomorrow, I'm going to share one of my favorite products with you, which I'm so excited about. Also, I have some pretty great things planned this week for dinner, so I'm super excited about that.
Monday: Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup
Tuesday: Baked Salmon
Wednesday: Chicken Florentine Casserole
Thursday: Carbonara (This is a new recipe I'm trying. I've had a standby carbonara recipe for a few years now, but I've been wanting to try something new lately.)

Happy Monday!! I hope you have the most wonderful day.