Holy moly. It's November  December. I'm so shocked that I am a month off. Can you believe tomorrow is the final month of the year? I have to say that 2015 has been the best year of my life. Each new day has brought me hope and promises of grace and beauty from above.

Here are my favorite things this month...it's only a matter of time before I am writing my favorites for the year.

Beauty product... Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream

Guest blogger, Elizabeth Harper, fashion writer at Mary Jane Fashion

Black Friday has a reputation of being purely chaotic. Last year was the first year I have ever tackled it and ironically, there were ZERO crowds. I did not wait for parking for hours, I did not even wait in line when buying at the stores. That being said, I did not think there were any overly satisfying deals. I think it is a great day if you are making a big purchase or buying electronics, but for cosmetics, clothing, and smaller items, Black Friday makes no big difference.

If you are going to trek out shopping this weekend, here are a few tips:

1. Have a plan. Know what you are shopping for so that you do not overspend on unnecessary items or spend more time than needed at the mall.
2. Compare prices ahead of time. Many websites, such as Price Grabber and Shop Advisor, will tell you which store will have the best price for what you are looking for. This will cut out any pain of purchasing immediately at Nordstrom's, then finding the jeans $20 cheaper at Macy's.
3. Get a good night's rest. When you are sleep deprived you are likely to overeat and overspend. Being sure you got 6-8 hours of sleep (the tryptophan in the turkey should help!) could prevent you from binge eating Wetzel's Pretzels at the food court and buying the same sweater in eight different colors.
4. Read the fine print. A lot of stores will mark up the "original" price, to make the discount look greater than it really is. Be sure you know that you are really getting a discount before you purchase.
5. Do not limit yourself to Black Friday. Many stores seem to be doing "Black November" and bargains are already out. Cyber Monday is another great way to get fabulous deals without even having to leave your bed.

Tis the season to be jolly...after a few cocktails. Here are three fun, fall flavored drinks to enjoy this November.

Caramel Apple Sangria (my kinda party!)

• Ingredients
• 1 bottle of white wine
• 1 cup caramel flavored vodka
• 6 cups apple cider
• 2 medium apples, cored and chopped
• How To
• Stir wine, vodka, and cider together in a pitcher.
• Add chopped apples to pitcher.
• Serve over ice.

Apple Ginger Smash

• Ingredients
• 4 ounces vodka
• 2 ounces ginger liquor
• 1 cup apple cider
• 2 ounces simple syrup
• fresh ginger
• How To
• Add ingredients into shaker. Shake.
• Pour over ice.

Cranberry Margarita:

• Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cup cranberry juice
• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 3/4 cup tequila
• 1/2 cup Triple Sec
• ice 
• How To
• Stir, blend, enjoy.

This month is Gluten Free Diet Awareness Month. Ironically, this month I also had several severe allergic reactions which I have narrowed down to being gluten related. Last week I tested out a recipe, substituting gluten free products and peanut butter chips instead of chocolate, and it was one of the best desserts I have ever made, if not THE best.


Ingredients:

• 1 bag caramel chips
• 1 bag peanut butter chips
• 2 tubes gluten free cookie dough
• vanilla bean ice cream (optional)

Today is National Clean Out Your Fridge Day. Believe it or not, this actually is a national "holiday." Be sure to celebrate today by throwing out the three week old Chinese food leftovers and finding that frozen salmon you forgot you bought four months ago at Trader Joe's. Here are 5 great hacks for keeping the fridge nice and organized.

1. Cover the shelves with cling wrap. That way when something spills, you won't have to scrub the fridge...just replace the cling wrap.
2. Don't put dairy in the door! So many people keep their milk in the door of the fridge, but this is the part of the fridge where temperature fluctuates the most, so dairy spoils more quickly than at another location in the fridge.
3. Label a basket in the fridge "Eat Me First!" and keep all items that are losing their shelf life quickly in it so that food does not go to waste.
4. Store raw meat and seafood in the bottom shelf or drawer to prevent them from leaking down onto other foods.
5. Only use clear containers, that way you are always able to see what you have as far as leftovers, fruit and veggies, etc.

I had originally planned on posting about my opinion on the Starbucks red controversy today. However, it simply seems irrelevant at this point in the state of our world.

Yesterday, a massacre occurred in Paris. Over 120 lives were taken and the count is still growing. In times like these life is put into perspective. Innocent people went into a concert hall and yesterday and unfortunately never came out. They never got a final chance to tell their loved ones how important they were, they never got a chance to fulfill all their dreams, and they never got a chance to say goodbye. And while I can not wrap my head around how people could be so sick to want to murder others, I can wrap my head around the fact that life is short.

As cliche as it sounds, live every moment as if it is your last. Do not let anything go unsaid. Be true to yourself, because at the end of the day, it's your life. And most importantly, please pray for Paris.

This football season has been the easiest on me, which is surprising considering it's the season we have been the farthest away from each other. However, this year I did not revolve my life around football like I have the past few seasons. Instead, I revolved my life around myself and penciled football in on Saturdays. This year I learned the key to getting through football season is by treating it like any other season of life. Don't get me wrong, I love dressing in team colors, running errands for my coach, and tailgating with fans. While I love going to the games and cheering for my coach and his players, I no longer allow myself on the roller coaster emotional. I occupy my days with a job I love, family, friends (some of whom are wives of coaches on our team) and hobbies, such as hiking, blogging, and binge watching The OC. I have accepted the fact that our fate is completely unknown, but have grown closer to the Lord in having faith that he has our fate completely laid out. They key to football season is to sit back, enjoy the ride, and remember that this is your significant other's passion, and to also tap in to your own.

This time of year is hectic for everyone. One way to cut time when setting the table for Thanksgiving is to use these labels from Food Packaging Labels. They make for great place settings.


This company creates custom and stock food packaging labels for reasonable pricing. Their website is also full of free printables, including these Thanksgiving labels above, weekly meal planners, lunchbox stickers, and more.

Today is a holiday I can get behind...National Nacho Day. While nachos are flipping delicious, they can also be high calorie, high fat, and high sodium. Here is a nacho recipe that is 21 Day Fix approved, running at only 258 calories per serving.

• 1 corn tortilla
• 1/2 medium lime
• dash chili powder
• 1/4 c pinto beans, cooked
• 1 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 medium tomato chopped
• 1/4 c diced onion
• 1/4 medium green bell pepper
• 1/4 jalapeno
• 1/4 avocado
• 1 tbsp greek yogurt
• sprig of cilantro
• sea salt

As part of YESvember, we are focusing on chasing goals. A great way to keep your goals organized and your daily life organized, is by using a planner from Rebel's Agenda. This paper planner is designed for entrepreneurs and professionals.

The Executive Rebel helps you with strategic planning, organizing, and getting it done. It allows you to identify big goals, plan projects and meetings. It has monthly and weekly planners with presentation guides.

The Entrepreneur Rebel also helps with strategic planning, organizing, and getting things done. The layouts include project planners, monthly financials, monthly and weekly planners, documenting new ideas, and to do lists.





To get 15% off visit Rebel's Agenda and use the code: KBWCREBEL

As a former library assistant, nanny, and now as an educator, I love books. Ever since I knew how to read I have had a passion for getting lost in another world. Not only do I enjoy reading, but I love to write.

Reading helps improve focus and concentration, improves imagination, develops verbal abilities, reduces stress, and improves memory.



Here are 10 of my favorite children's books that I have enjoyed, kids I have nannied enjoyed, and I hope eventually my own children will enjoy:

1. I'd Choose You by John Trent
2. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
3. If You Give A Moose A Muffin by Laura Numeroff
4. Falling Up by Shel Silverstein
5. Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
6. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
7. Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann
8. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
9. I Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
10. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Today is National Sandwich Day. While you could celebrate with a trip to Subway, Jimmy John's, or my personal favorite, Jersey Mike's, why don't you explore something new? Here are 5 funky grilled cheese sandwiches to test out today. As for me...I'll be diving head first into a tuna melt.

1.) Bacon Pretzel Grilled Cheese

• Ingredients:
• frozen pretzel, thawed and sliced
• 3 slices of bacon, cooked
• 1 slice of Havarti cheese
• a little butter
• How to:
• Place bacon on bottom half of grilled cheese.
• Top with cheese and pretzel top.
• Melt butter in nonstick skillet and warm sandwich until cheese is melted.

2.) Loaded Nacho Grilled Cheese

• Ingredients:
• 2 slices French bread
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tbsp salsa
• Mexican shredded cheese
• 3 tbsp cooked ground beef
• taco seasoning
• diced avocado
• black beans
• 2 slices chopped jalapeno pepper
• 1 scrambled egg
• a little butter
• How to:
• Put sour cream on one slice of bread and salsa on the other slice.
• Layer cheese, ground beef, seasoning, avocado, beans, jalapeno, and eggs.
• Top with another layer of cheese and another slice of bread.
• Heat butter in a nonstick skillet and warm sandwich until browned.

3.) Dulce de Leche and Mascarpone Grilled Cheese

• Ingredients:
• 1 ounce mascarpone cheese
• 1 tbsp dulce de leche
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• a little butter
• 2 slices cinnamon raisin bread
• How to:
• In a bowl, combine mascarpone, dulce de leche, and vanilla extract.
• Butter one side of each slice of bread.
• Spread mixture on non-buttered side of each slice of bread.
• Put together, butter sides out, and warm on nonstick skillet for 1-2 minutes.

4.) Fried Chicken and Waffle Grilled Cheese

• Ingredients:
• 2 waffles
• 2 slices of cheddar cheese
• 1 piece of fried chicken, thinly cut up
• a little butter
• How to:
• Add a slice of cheese to each waffle.
• Arrange chicken on one side of sandwich.
• Put together and heat butter on nonstick skillet. Warm until cheese melts.

5.) Cream Cheese and Nutella Grilled Cheese

• Ingredients:
• 2 slices of Italian bread
• 1 ounce cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon Nutella
• melted chocolate
• fresh berries
• How to:
• Heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Lay bread, separately, on baking sheet and toast until brown (2-3 minutes.)
• Spread softened cream cheese on one slice of bread.
• Spread Nutella on other slice of bread.
• Put sandwich together and broil in oven for 1-2 minutes.
• Drizzle with melted chocolate and top with berries.

Daylight Savings Time usually means an extra hour of sleep. However, utilize your "extra" hour for something powerful. Set goals for the upcoming week, month, and rest of the year. Throughout the week I am going to be talking about attacking goals this month. Prepare yourself by getting a head start today.

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK. <3