Serindipity: "a nice sounding word for what it means: a fortunate accident" (Serendipity, 2001). This is the home of an extremely Type A future special education teacher, dancer, Philly lover, and car dancing expert who has found herself in some of the best situations because of serindipity.
I have a few last minute gifts to pick up, I have to bake brownies and cookies, get a Christmas outfit...Okay, pass the chocolate martini now!
Well, not only has the week been crazy schedule-wise, but it's been crazy weather-wise! This past weekend was our first snow *yay* and it was about 17 degrees!
No no no! I'm not built to withstand 17 degrees! So when the weather gets this bad, I only have one solution:
Netflix, baby! I love staying in and watching Netflix when it gets to be like...oh -13532 degrees out!Those days are made for snuggling up on the couch, hot cocoa in hand, and sweatpants.Netflix has been my go to since college for snowy day activities. I've been inspired by Luma, the creators of a surround wifi network for you home, to make up my ideal Winter Netflix Viewing Party. So...gather up your girls, make a cup of hot cocoa (recipe below) and chill! Or if you are in one of those adorable things we call a loving and committed relationship (what are those? lol) enjoy with your love!
1. So I am craving a Snow Day so I can watch Viola Davis slay as Annalise Keating!
2. Friends the old go to! Perfect show for any occasion. I'm pretty sure I've seen each episode about 6,5363 times and it never gets old!
3. Olivia Pope=Girl Crush
4. I binge watched How I Met Your Mother in 1 month during college! That might be one of my most exciting accomplishments in life
5. The most underrated ABCFamily Christmas movie! 12 Dates of Christmas has Zach Morris and Jamie Pallamino! What more could you want in life? Also, can we get on Freeform to bring back the original Christmas movies?! Every year I looked forward to them!
6. Just Friends! You need to see this movie. It's hilarious and makes me laugh every time! Zach and I actually became friends because one of us quoted this movie to the other and we were like did we just become best friends? So. So. So. Good! A perfect holiday film...love, laughs, and Christmas! What else do you want in life?
Okay, so here's my favorite hot cocoa recipe!
1 C Wegman's Vanilla Almond Milk
5 TBSP (or more to taste) Double Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa from Williams Sonoma (the best! It doesn't taste fake like those instant packets)
1 TBPS Wegman's organic creamy peanut butter
Put all ingredients into your Vitamix and press the soup button. Once it's done pour it into your favorite Christmas mug and chill! I always add pb (for protein purposes...or because it's my favorite food) after I had it at brunch when I went to Max Brenner last year. Amazing! Life changing!
I will leave you with this cute little gif that is 100% me! Dude, I want to watch the show. I need to focus when I watch Breaking Bad!
Jolly ol' Saint Nick did a great job at the Kitley household! I got lotsa cute stuff! Thank you brother for the glamtastic Reebok running jacket! Lerve winter runs! Something about the cold, picturesque skies, and seeing your breath just warms my little runner's heart! Thank you Mama and Daddy for my new juicer (Dylan says I will now be the "juice girl" like a cat lady but less pathetic healthier! He says you'll see me standing in random places handing out juice with "baby eyes" to passerby's. I hate to admit that that might be true. I love juice and want everyone to drink it!) I got a lotta Jackie O stuff including a (not creepy at all-she is flawless like my girl Jackie is) Jackie Doll! She is dressed for the Inauguration! I swoon! As you all know I'm a Jackie fanatic and consume all things Jackie! I live and breathe for her style and life inspiration! I also got These Precious Few Days, the tome about Jack and Jackie's last year together. I got a few Kennedy magazines, too! I think if Jackie was still alive I would be on some sort of Do-Not-Let-Her-Within-50 yards of 1040 Fifth Avenue. I got a few other books and a Phillies jersey in light blue! I got a Phillies rubber ducky! (Win!) an E Alex and Ani bracelet! I also got a pink sock monkey and a Loub ornament all from Dollywood! I also got subscriptions to Glamour and USWeekly! (Side note, I spend so much money on magazines so this was a Godsend!)
Anyway, time to talk about the issue at hand--Winter Break! Since October I have been dreaming about Winter Break! I have been hoping, wishing, dreaming, and living for Winter Break Bliss. Sleeping til 11, eating cookies all day, shopping with my friends and family, and seeing old high school friends that are home for break. I daydream all about trading my linguistics book for Kennedy books and cruising the internet for vital and important information Pinterest, blogs, and Glee marathons. This is the life, people! This is the part of break I adore! (That and the fact that I can wear sweats/hoodies/tees/and big fluffy socks and rock a messy bun 90% of the time)
Preach it Kim!
Another great thing about Winter Break is that my mom makes all the best food because Dylan is home! (Also, Dylan is my partner in crime and it's nice to have someone else get yelled at/split 50% of the suspected household crimes like leaving dishes in the sink, causing the blankets to not be in their perfect, precise spot (shudder), or just not responding to parental questions because you are too enthralled in a TV marathon.)
I also love hanging out with my high school friends and literally reliving our high school hang outs. Tonight I'm getting Sonic and watching Just Friends and eating half apps just like the good ol' days! Last week I drove around looking at lights and giggling with another great friend.
However, some parts of Winter Break are not glamtastic.
The part of Winter Break I hate is that 10% of the time I have to leave my house. I live in a small town. Like really small. Like everyone knows you, your mom, your grandma small town. This is why I run to the city any chance I get. I don't necessarily hate living in a small town, it's nice to wave to your neighbors (know their names/see them regularly/exchange holiday cookies) but sometimes I need to get out and experience life without the confines of gossip, soccer moms, and minivans. The definitive worst part about Winter Break is running into everyone you have ever gone to school with since birth. The rule of life is that when you are looking less than stellar (i.e. the Erin Kitley at home wardrobe of yoga pants, hoodies, and messy bun) is when you will see absolutely everyone you have ever known. So cue the make up, hairspray, and skinny jeans with boots (thankfully it's so cold here that you don't have to wear a cute top because as long as you have a cute topper and scarf combo you are set from the waist up. I loathe seeing people from high school. It's not that I'm a hater of the class of 2009, it's just that...I prefer to call it selective friendliness. Let's take a stroll back down high school memory lane. Ok, in high school I was quite the juxtaposition. I was probably a Rachel Berry-esque human being. I was so entrenched in being perfect and living perfectly that I probably missed out on actually being 14-18. I went on exactly 2 dates in all of high school because I was more focused on AP classes and keeping a 4.0. I was also cheerleading captain and on Science League. I was VP of French Club, in NHS, and in SADD (and totally judged the people in SADD who drank. I was terrified of alcohol and really never drank until I was 21. Complete truth. I've never even been to a college party because I hate basements, frat boys, and cheap booze.) I was rarely liked in high school because I took myself and life wayyyy too seriously. I realize this now because in college I had wayyyy more fun and took myself (not my school work) less seriously and life was 1000000000 times better! So anyway, when I see people from my graduating class I tend to think they still hate me. It's probably true. I was super, painfully, distractingly shy and awkward and never really felt like I fit in. Typical though. Also, I've come to realize that those people that think they fit in to the high school mold are usually not going to be successful in real adult life. They suck as grown ups because let's be 100% honest, binge drinking and being illiterate are not cool after 18. I always loved culture, reading, and travel. I know that being the geeky museum girl is not hot in high school. I know that it makes people uncomfortable. I learned that in life it is far better to be educated than uneducated. This is ranty now and I don't think it's even relevant anymore. I digress.
Okay, the worst part about seeing people from high school is that you never know what to say to them! I usually just smile and keep on walking. Not out of rudeness, but just out of I don't know what to say to you because we didn't talk during the 13 years we went to school together, EVER. I sometimes offer a wave. Sometimes no matter what you do/say/muse you are wrong and inevitably going to run into the high school kids that think they are still running the world. My feeling, 5 years after graduating is whatevs! Seriously, this is the feeling I have come to now. I don't care. I really don't. However, my Deb makes me wave and pretend like I'm sofreakin'pumped to see them.
how I really feel wearing pants with zippers and putting make up on and doing my hair etc.
I also hate having to get dressed up and look cute when I just want to run to Target, Shop Rite, Starbucks, or Panera. (The mall is different, you should always dress cute at the mall. The mall is where suburban style is born. RESPECT!) Some of you (including myself) may be like Oh, Erin shove it and just go bare faced to the stores. Welp, easier said than done. You don't want people to be like "Ewww, I saw her and she looked disgusting!" No one wants to peak in high school--especiallly not this girl.
Another non-fave part of Winter Break is getting ready for the upcoming Spring Semester. I don't wanna go back. That's not true. I want to go back--just to hang out with my friends and finally put this masters degree to bed. I hate the planning, organizing of supplies, mentally prepping for homework/projects/assignments/lectures and all the craziness that a semester inevitably brings with it. Michael Scott knows what's up:
So, what are your best and worst things about Winter Break? Do you have any Winter Break Horror Stories?
