Merry Monday Mentions: bits and curiosities from the web

Happy Monday, friends!  I hope your week is off to a great start!  I'm looking forward to filling the rest of the week with Christmas festivities...

Perhaps beginning with a surprise evening for the littles.  Golden tickets and all!

Baking sugar cookies is an annual Christmas tradition in our house.  So is this and this.

This festive run has been dubbed the "ugliest 5k on the planet."  Sign me up!

Such a perfect advent craft.  I just love A Beautiful Mess!

Calling all book lovers!  This wrapping paper is for you!

I have a blogger crush.  She writes poetic and beautiful, and stirs deep each time she posts (and as I was writing this, I learned she is the newest blogger for the Huffington Post!).  This this essay is relateable, heartbreaking, and wise.

Cat Cafes, Cuddle Cafes and other Japanese cafes that are just plain odd.  I don't find anything merry about this.

Tender advice for what you should do when love arrives, stays, and when it leaves...

A Christmas Prayer.  Such beautiful words for dark times.  We're praying for you Sandy Hook.  xx

Since the staff party I attended on Friday, I'm now on the hunt for the best chocolate truffle cake recipe ever.  Obviously, the caterer didn't cooperate when asked about her recipe.  Let me know if you know where I should turn!  For now, this one looks like a good place to start.  Because you know, I'm going to be baking chocolate truffle cakes until I get it right.

Oh yeah, today marks the beginning of my Paleo eating regimen.  So baking weekly chocolate truffle cakes is out.  Dang. 

Now that the littles are done with school till after the New Year, I can't wait to take them here.  I sang there many times as a teen.  So festive!

Be merry, friends!

 

pastel cookies