Stephany Writes

Categories: Holidays

24 Things I’m Grateful For This Year

1. My cats – The way Lila hardcore snuggles with me every morning in bed and the way Eloise curls up into my lap when I’m lying on the couch and the way they jump on the table to greet me when I come home. I am so obsessed with my cats.

2. Dr. Pepper – Nothing tastes as delicious to me as an ice-cold can of Dr. Pepper. I will never quit you!

3. A job I love – I’m grateful every day that I have a job that doesn’t make me miserable. I don’t get the Sunday Scaries and I genuinely like what I do and the people I work with.

4. People who take the time to film and produce funny Reels/TikToks – It may feel like something silly, but I really appreciate the creativity of people who make online content (bonus points if it’s dog or cat focused). It’s something that lifts my spirits every day.

5. Chip and Lucy – I call them “my babies” because they are. I love them obsessively.

6. Pizza – My diet is made up of 40% pizza. A conservative estimate. Where would I be without ooey, gooey, delicious pizza?

7. My CPAP machine – While I wish I didn’t have to use it, I am so grateful to live in a time where we have the technology to help those of us with sleep apnea disorders. I have so much more energy!

8. Online ordering – The convenience of being able to tap away at my phone and get whatever I need is astounding to me.

9. Book club – My friendships are some of the most important things in my life and having developed deep, loving friendships with the members of my book club is something I don’t take for granted. They mean the world to me.

10. Silly phone games – Oh, how I love thee! They are such a great way to dissociate and distract me when I need a brain break.

11. My brother – Of course! We are only 14 months apart in age so we were very close growing up (while also squabbling a LOT—my poor mother). We are still close now and I consider him one of my best friends.

12. Dishwashers – What an amazing invention. I never used my dishwasher until this year when my apartment complex announced they were doing a flat rate for water usage. That rate was double what I was paying for my water bill, which prompted me to start using my dishwasher more. (As a single gal, it’s hard for me to fill up an entire dishwasher, which is why I was handwashing more often than not.) Now I don’t know why I wasted so much of my time handwashing! Dishwashers are amazing.

13. The blog community – Where would I be without this sweet blog community we’ve built? I love sharing my life with all of you and getting your advice and commiseration and support. I’m so thankful for each and every one of you!

14. Fluffy pillows – I sleep with a lot of pillows and it’s so decadent. I love my bed so much and especially all of my fluffy pillows!

15. Being a reader – I love being a reader. I love reading books and talking about books and learning about new books and book podcasts and bookish t-shirts and bookstores and libraries and organizing my reading life. Everything about reading and being a reader lights me up.

16. Podcasts – Living alone can get a little lonely at times, but not when you have your parasocial relationships chit-chatting with you in the background! I listen to podcasts throughout my days and have developed quite the parasocial friendships with so many podcasters.

17. Lexapro – Generalized anxiety sucks and Lexapro balances my brain just enough so that I’m not living as if I’m balancing on the edge of a cliff every day.

18. Working from home – I love working from home and I would never want to work somewhere that has in-the-office mandates. I get to snuggle my cats during meetings, take a siesta in the middle of the day if I’m tired, and work bra-less if I want. It’s the best!

19. My apartment – This little space of mine makes me so happy. I love that I get to decorate it whatever way I want and that I don’t have to put up with anyone else. Living alone is my favorite thing!

20. Reality TV – I am a whore for reality TV shows (typically, I like when they’re strategy or competition based, not stuff like Real Housewives). I have watched so much reality TV this year and it makes me happy.

21. Football – Yes, there are a lot of things wrong with the sport but I love football all the same. It’s a bonding activity for my brother and me.

22. Financial security – I grew up poor and spent a lot of my twenties barely scraping by. It feels so good to be financially secure and in a place where I can pay my bills, save money, and buy whatever I need.

23. My gym – I never thought I’d be a gym person but here I am: someone who looks forward to dying during HIIT classes and spin classes, and enjoys the atmosphere of being in the gym.

24. My relationship with my mom – There is so much I could say here. My mom is my soulmate and I am so grateful for the relationship we have. It’s a healthy, happy, strong relationship. I’m always excited when she calls me or I get to spend time with her. We travel together, shop together, and talk on the phone multiple times a day. I love our relationship and I don’t take a single day with her for granted.

Categories: Holidays

Thanksgiving Day

It is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., and I have a lovely day ahead of me.

Right after finishing this post, I will start making the cookies I’m bringing to our Thanksgiving Day dinner. I made the batter last night (and also “tested” the batter by baking a few cookies for myself). And then I’ll take a shower and make myself presentable for our family gathering.

My cousin is hosting Thanksgiving this year. And it’s going to be a bittersweet holiday this year, as it could be the last one with my uncle. I wrote previously that his cancer returned a few months ago and it’s now terminal. He’s doing as well as expected—good days and bad days. He gets IV fluids and medication regularly, which seems to be helping a bit. But it’s hard to know what the future holds, and we’re preparing for this to be our last Thanksgiving with him.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It helps that my birthday is either on Thanksgiving or very close to it, so it’s always had a special meaning for me. (Although it also meant my birthday parties when I was younger had to be earlier in the month or postponed because everyone was usually traveling/busy during my actual birthday weekend.) But what’s not to love about a holiday that’s about food, football, and family? Okay, football may not enter the equation for many people, but it does for me and my family. We always have the games on in the background, which is fun. And I love having a Thursday night game, too, which I can watch while slumped on my couch and eating Thanksgiving leftovers.

Holidays can be hard for so many people for so many reasons. And if it’s a hard day for you, please know you are in my heart and I wish I could bring you to my family Thanksgiving. I feel grateful that I am able to enjoy this holiday to the fullest with family I actually like and love. That’s a gift in and of itself.

What’s something you’re thankful for today?

Categories: Holidays

Picking Out a 2023 Advent Calendar

Fun fact: I have never bought an advent calendar for myself. Why? I don’t really know. I guess I didn’t realize there were so many niche and cool advent calendars to choose from, not just calendars that give you a mediocre piece of chocolate every day. For the last two years, I’ve gotten the cats an advent calendar, which has been fun. But two years and 20+ toys later… it’s time for something different. It’s time for an advent calendar for me.

But which one should I get? A few nights ago, I spent way too long scrolling through Amazon and advent calendar listicles to find the perfect calendar and I’ve narrowed them down to a few options.

The Book Lover’s Advent Calendar

How can I resist this? It’s 25 fun little trinkets, like stickers and bookmarks and ornaments, to delight in. This is the first advent calendar I came across and I haven’t been able to think about anything else since.

Peppermint Bark Advent Calendar

Peppermint bark is one of my favorite Christmastime treats, so this would be the perfect calendar for me to enjoy throughout the season.

Beauty Advent Calendar (Sephora, Ulta)

These advent calendars are a bit pricey, but I think I would use everything I got from them. And how fun would it be to open up a new beauty product to try every day of December? There’s the Ulta advent calendar that is $45 for 15 goodies and the Sephora Collection advent calendar that’s $85 for 24 goodies.

The 12 Coffees of Christmas

I love coffee and drink a few cups of it every day. So maybe a coffee advent calendar would be fun! I’d get to try out a ton of new flavors throughout December, which could be an exciting way to enjoy the season. But I’m also kinda picky about my coffee flavors and I’m worried I’ll get a bunch of flavors I don’t like. Hmm.

Puzzle Advent Calendar

This one looks fun! Every day you get 42 pieces of a puzzle and by Christmas, you’ll have a 1,000+ piece puzzle completed. I would love to buy this calendar, but the cats would not cooperate, I don’t think. I would need to buy some sort of puzzle board to keep the pieces away from the girls when not in use.

Choosing one of these advent calendars is going to be quite the adventure, but I think we all know which one I’m most leaning toward. Nothing would be more on-brand for me than getting a bookish advent calendar! I’ll keep everyone posted on what I end up choosing!

Which of these advent calendars would YOU choose? Do you have any advent calendar recommendations for me?

Categories: Holidays

Stephany’s Christmas Wonderland | The 2022 Edition

My front porch didn’t change this year – the wreath and sign I bought last year and I’ve had this beautiful snowflake doormat for a few years now.

My bedroom – I have a small shelf that I was able to place some Christmas goodies and I hung this sweet sign on my door. I’ve had that little snowman countdown for a long time now, and I love changing the dates every night. All of the signs are from TJ Maxx and the trees are from Target.

How do you know I live in Florida? I hang my stockings on a wall. Fireplaces are very uncommon in Florida, so there isn’t a mantle to hang stockings. I love looking at this little wall with the “Believe” sign I picked up at Target this year and our stockings. It brings me immense joy!

These floating shelves in my dining room are a prime spot for more Christmas signage. The top shelf has my newest signage; I picked up the “merry and bright” sign this year and the “Merry Christmas” sign last year. The bottom shelf has some signs I used to keep at work because yes, I used to do my own “Stephany’s Christmas Wonderland” at work and brought everything home in 2020. I love this shiny gold garland, too. It’s one of my faves!

This is my small entryway (just a wall, ha) where I have a small shelf. It has a tiny space to include some Christmas decorations, so of course, I have done so! I’m pretty sure this was a TJ Maxx sign I got last Christmas and the tiny trees are from Target.

My sweet little TV shelf. I have garland and lights (I love these chunky white lights so much!) strung around the TV and then have placed a whole bunch of different objects on the shelf. I have a second countdown (I used to keep this one at work and brought it home), some candles in small jars, and a few ornaments that are kinda heavy so they don’t hang on the tree very well (the snowman ornament is one of my faves). I also have a little reindeer that I think I bought at Target a few years ago and a “merry” sign that I got from the Target dollar section this year. The “believe” sign is one I used to keep at work and brought home. (And yes, I put on a fireplace Youtube video on the TV to take these pictures.)

I love this little shelf that sits to the right of the big window in my living room. Almost everything on this shelf is new this year. Yes, I have a second “this girl loves Christmas” sign and I think this is my third “merry and bright” sign, lol. Both of those were TJ Maxx purchases this year. The little cat in the Santa hat is actually a stress relief ball but I like it more as a decoration (another TJ Maxx find this year). The little trees are from Target and the bigger tree might have been a gift from someone else. I actually can’t remember! It lights up, though.

These bookshelves in my dining room are a prime Christmas signage spot! I have some garland and colored lights along with a “merry” sign. I think I got that “merry” sign at Target a few years ago, but I can’t remember. I have lots of fun signage, including the “meowy Christmas” sign I bought this year. And I filled in any extra areas with different types of trees. Can you tell trees are my favorite little finishing touch to any space? Hehe.

The tray on my coffee table got Christmas-fied, of course. I have some Christmassy rocks from my dear friend Kim, a rose gold pine cone, and a little Christmassy plant. And there’s my pine-scented candle, yassss. It’s not the same as having the scent of a real tree in my apartment (miss that!), but it does its job.

My sweet little Christmas tree! It is ridiculously huge for a small apartment (the tree topper is just a few inches from my ceiling, ha), but I don’t care. I love it so much, and it makes me so happy to see it all lit up every night. There are some new ornaments on the tree this year, so let’s go through those!

The first two ornaments I received from friends this year, and you’ve already seen them! The library card one is from Kim and the little gnome is from Anne. I picked up this stack of books at Robert’s Christmas Wonderland last weekend. The “Christmas is Better with Cats” ornament is a personalized ornament the “cats” bought me last year. The maple leaf I bought when I was in Canada and every time I notice it, it makes me smile! The “Meowy Catmas” ornament was another personalized ornament from the cats. I couldn’t resist this cheery snowman when I was at Robert’s Christmas Wonderland last weekend. And, finally, I bought these initial ornaments during an after-Christmas sale at Bed, Bath, and Beyond last year. It’s fun to have all of our initials on the tree!

And that’s my Christmas home! Next year, my goal is to buy a few things for the bathroom so I can start to Christmas-fy that area (inspired by Jenny!). I also really want to buy a few short-sleeved Christmassy tees. This is such a Florida problem, but all of my Christmas-wear is long-sleeved sweaters and it’s usually too hot to wear them in December. I’ll be scouring Etsy next week to see if there are any good after-Christmas sales on t-shirts!

What is your Christmas decorating style like? Do you go all out like me, keep things minimal, or don’t decorate at all? Let me know!

Categories: Holidays

My Christmas Wishlist

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is in 4 days. Four days?! How in the world did that happen? Every year, I like to share some of the things that are on my Christmas wishlist. My family abides by the wishlist concept. While I will veer from someone’s wishlist if I find a gift I know they’ll love, I also really love the simplicity of shopping from someone’s wishlist and knowing they’ll have presents they want under the tree. Here’s what’s on my wishlist this year:

1) Fitbit Versa ($150)

I have an older version of a Fitbit, one of the standard ones that only really tracks your steps and heart rate. What I really want is to invest in an Apple Watch, but I’m worried that I’ll spend all the money on one but then grow tired of it after a few weeks (like I do with my Fitbit). So I put this Fitbit on my Christmas wishlist that I could use as a test run. It basically functions as a smartwatch, so it’s almost like having an Apple Watch for a much more affordable price.

2) Pet camera ($35)

My mom has one of these pet cameras and she turns it on when the dogs are alone in the house. My mom has only recently been allowing them to be uncrated when they are home alone, so she wanted to see if they get into any mischief. (Answer: No. Chip sleeps on the top of the couch and Lucy cuddles under a blanket.) I often wonder what my cats get up to when I’m gone, so I put this camera on my wishlist so I could snoop in on my cats whenever I want!

3) Nail polish case ($20)

This year, I really got into painting my own nails and have amassed quite the collection of nail polish! I was keeping all of my nail polish and accessories (buffing blocks, nail clippers, etc) in a small-ish makeup case and I’m quickly running out space! This carrying case looks so beautifully organized, and it holds 30 bottles of nail polish. I currently have 16 bottles, which means I could nearly double my current nail polish collection without running out of space with this case. Yes, please!

4) Three-tier utility cart ($50)

I would love to have one of these carts next to my desk. I bought a sit/stand desk earlier this year, and I love it, but my monitors/laptop/external keyboard take up most of the desk space. This cart would give me a place for storage and I thought it would add a nice little touch to my work area. I like that this one has a tabletop so it could function as an extra workspace!

5) Waterpik cordless water flosser ($70)

Water flossers are all the rage, and I’ve wanted one for a long while now but the good ones are kinda expensive! I put this very adult purchase on my Christmas list because it’s something I need, but can’t ever imagine spending money on myself.

6) A bookish sweatshirt ($20)

How cute is this sweatshirt? I recently realized that I don’t really have any cozy sweatshirts that fit me well, so I added this one to my Christmas list. A cat sleeping on a pile of books? What could be more perfect for me?

7) A wall clock ($45)

I saw this wall clock in Target a few months ago and immediately took a picture of it so I could add it to my Christmas list. I’ve been wanting a wall clock to hang in my dining area, and this one is perfect!

8) A stand mixer ($133)

I have been putting a stand mixer on my Christmas list for a few years now, so we’ll see if Santa delivers! This isn’t one of those fancy KitchenAid mixers (spending $300+ on a stand mixer sounds unreasonable to me), but it’s Hamilton Beach and seems to get lots of great reviews on Amazon.

9) Books

I mean, of course! There are always books on my Christmas list. This year, I’m asking for:

10) Floating bookshelves ($25)

I fell in love with these floating bookshelves a few years ago. How cute would these look on a wall? And they would give me extra space to store books, which means I would obviously need to buy more books to fill them up. A win/win if I’ve ever heard one.

What’s on your wishlist this year?