“I just like to smile, smiling’s my favorite”

One of my favorite movies EVER!  All my friends keep saying I need to hold off on watching Elf b/c it’s not Christmas time, but isn’t Thanksgiving all about showing thanks and appreciation for the people and things we love?  Well, I am thankful for this movie, it has cheered me up when I have been in awful moods, and it has made me smile and laugh harder and harder every time I watch it.  Now, I know Thanksgiving hasn’t even passed yet but I can’t contain myself anymore, I need to watch Elf soon!  This movie makes me smile, and just like buddy the Elf, “I just like to smile, smiling’s my favorite” 🙂

Last night I made homemade apple-pear-cranberry-pumpkin sauce….

3 medium braeburn apples, 1 large comice pear

***Forgive the awkwardness of my hands***

about 1c or so of pumpkin + 1/2 c dried cranberries (not pictured)

Recipe:

3 medium braeburn apples (or whatever apples you want to use)

1 large comice pear

cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (more cinnamon than anything)

1 c pumpkin

2 tbsp water

1/2 c dried cranberries (or fresh, whatever you have on hand….raisins would be lovely in this as well)

Organic honey (to taste)

Sea Salt (just a sprinkle)

Chop up the apples and pear into about 1-in chunks, throw in a pan with water, spices, honey, and cranberries.  Let simmer for about 10-15 min (covered) and stirring occasionally.  Then add in the pumpkin and sea salt, recover, simmer for about 5 more min. and Viola!

This is amazing…its like a cross between pumpkin butter, applesauce, and a pear tart.

I had 2 of these filled to the brim of the mix...I would say it serves 3-4 depending on the actual size of the fruit

This morning I had this hot, with 1 tbsp Better N’ PB, and 1/4 c Dylans Chia Granola….

I also had a cup of Starbucks Via, Vanilla Coffee (since I woke up at 5am)…

in a Christmas cup 🙂

I have also packed up these snackies for the day……

Apple, Lemon, kale, Spinach

1/2 a papaya, with lime....a new favorite of mine

1 blueberry fruition bar, and 1 vega acai berry sport drink mix (for when I teach spin the 4th day in a row)

Zesty Nacho, Rhythm City Kale Chips....I want to work at Daily Juice Foods in Austin soooo bad!!

You all should check out Daily Juice Foods here

I bought a bottle of French Pinot Noir from Whole Foods (they let me have a sample of it and I loved it, and it was on Sale)….no clue why I really bought it though…I still have an unopened bottle of wine from SLO this summer.  Wine is better when its aged right? lol

I had 2 photoshoots this weekend, so thats a lot of makeup wearing for me (i rarely wear makeup ever) so I used

an extra avocado on my face….this time it was run in the food processor to get a smoother texture….

i know this sounds really weird….but avocado feels sooo good on my face!!  Tonight I’ll be making an avocado

hair mask (avocado, EVOO, and banana) thanks to the fitnessista!

This mask was awesome last time, so I know it will be great this time!  I think the cold weather is really starting to

dry out my ends….well, that and I probably could use a trim too.

I have a lot going on this week….today I have a test and a group presentation, then I have to pack up most of my

apartment so I can load it up in the big van my parents are renting and bringing down here to dallas so I can start

getting stuff moved before I peace out and head to Austin.

I think last night I said the phrase, “by-golly”….for the first time in my life.

now that I look back on it, I laugh really hard

I’m really digging this song by Flying Lotus “Massage Situation”

the video is a little off, but I wasn’t watching it b/c I’m supposed to be studying right now…not blogging or

looking up cool, random music :-0

From the Anti-bullying campaign shoot I did on Sunday for Chris Butler....I'm helping out by writing "speak" on Justin's cheek

Church yesterday was amazing….Matt talked about husbands and wives (we were in Ephesians 5:22-34, a little in

Proverbs 21, 27, and 31, 1 Peter, and Titus 2).  It was the message I really needed to receive.  This message was

about marriage, which means even for the singles, it was a real eye-opener to show how everything we do now

will have an affect on our future marriages.

We closed the service out with amazing praise and worship, and then Psalm 18:2-3 was put up on the screen, and

thats where I’ll leave ya’ll today…..

^“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”- Psalm 18:2-3