12 Days of Christmas - Day 12

What would a holiday wish list from me be without a hoodie?!?

I would love either of these in a large, in the charcoal gray color. I think the sloth one on the left or the Good Morning World on the right would be great :)

Hoodies are pretty much my comfy cozy go-to. I had to weed out a few of my old favorites as they got too worn in the last year or so, so I definitely need to add to my collection again.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 11

I've been carrying the first Holly Aiken bag I bought for about a year now. It was my first major purchase after I started working outside the home again last year. I LOVE my bag, and it seems to be nearly indestructible! When I first got it, the friend who recommended these bags told me, "The biggest problem is you never have an excuse to get another one, because they stay looking brand new!" She's right.

But I want another one anyway. I would love a little smaller bag than the one I've got. I've got my eye on this Bonanza with the Hummingbird design in Iris/Graphite. I love that it buckles closed and has a long strap.

While I've got your attention, let me tell you what else is so awesome about these bags in general. They're made of vinyl, and the straps are like seatbelt material. My friend says you can put them in the dishwasher if they need cleaning. I literally dropped mine in the mud one time, and was able to wipe it off with damp paper towel. I love it!!

12 Days of Christmas - Day 10

I don't know what took me so long to list this! I've mentioned wanting it since school started in the fall. I have to wear my access card and badge every day, and I'd love a personalized lanyard!

From the link I gave, I think I'd really like color #13 - Gray Damask, with black thread saying 'Ms Becki'. My uniform shirt for most of the week is green and white, but I currently have two dress down days each week, so then I have no idea what I'm wearing my lanyard with ;)

I've now been serving meals at the school for a little longer than a year, and I doubt I'll leave anytime soon. A personalized lanyard (and maybe some seasonal aprons with at least two big pockets?) would really spice things up for me.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 9

I've always wanted to be the sort of person who had a 'signature' scent - a perfume they wore for years and years. But I'm not. LOL

I would like having a nice perfume to wear most days. A while back, in an order from somewhere, I recieved a sample of Versace's Bright Crystal perfume. And I used all of it because I enjoyed it. I would love to recieve a bigger one for Christmas that I could wear regularly. Hubby never said I stank while I wore it, so I guess it's good for me? Hahaha...

Have you ever had a scent that you wore for a long time? I've gotten a few different perfumes over the time we've been married. I guess I've never loved one enough to keep it in stock on my vanity.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 8

Today brings us another classic from my holiday wish lists - slippers! This year I'm hoping for some pink bunny slippers, with a no-slip bottom  in size 8 - 9.

For years, I was going through two pairs of slippers each year. I'd wear a pair til they wore through (usually sometime in the summer) and then switch to my second pair. It was a good arrangement. But those were more cute and less functional. Now that I get the plastic bottom, no-slip ones, I've been in the ones I'm wearing now for at least a year - maybe two? I can see where I'm starting to wear through from the inside now.

That being said, I suppose I'd be okay with two cute pair, or one pair that's made to last. I wear slippers all the time, so I need some for sure!

12 Days of Christmas - Day 7

So this one is just sort of out of left field. I want to try using a diffuser with my sort of curly hair. And it looks like the Conair Volumizing Diffuser should fit my beloved Yellowbird dryer.

Growing up, I had straight hair. Then it was a little wavy. Then I had two kids, and a hairdresser asked, "Have you always had curly hair?" I was like, WHAT? LOL

I've looked into how to care for curly hair to play it up a bit, but nothing really works well with my job (if you start the day in a hair net or hat, it's very seldom a 'good hair day'). So maybe drying it this way on the weekends will give me a chance to be a little more natural with it? I tend to go with a ponytail or other sort of clip usually now. Work has also trained me that now even when I cook at home,  I usually tie my hair up or back (out of the way..).

I'd like to give this a try, I think. Have you tried a diffuser? What did you think?

12 Days of Christmas - Day 6

The older I get, the less variation there is on my holiday wish lists. And I guess I'm okay with that. A few years ago I received a few pair of PJ pants. I've worn them until the elastic is totally dead in one pair, and the other two probably aren't far behind.

I would love some more cozy PJ pants. They have to be pants (not shorts) and don't bother with full PJ sets - the shirts are never as comfy as just stealing one of hubs t-shirts. I think the link here goes to Target, and I think the last ones I got were from Old Navy. I'm not that picky - as long as they're long and cozy, I'm good.

My very favorite shirt to wear with my PJ pants is actually a crewneck sweatshirt that I've had for probably years. It's heading for threadbare in a hurry, but for now it covers what I want it to, and is just a little thicker than a cotton t-shirt, so it feels a little less see-thru. I don't think what I feel for that sweatshirt will be duplicated anytime soon. But new pants will be fantastic.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 5

I think this is on my holiday wish list every year, but it's been my favorite eyeliner forever!

I would love more of the Make Up Forever Aqua XL Waterproof Eye Pencil. I like any of the dark colors (blacks, browns), and want to think I'd be all creative with lighter ones, but I wouldn't. LOL I bought them myself one year and I think they're still in my makeup pile. So darker colors it is.

If you have a great mascara to recommend, let me know that! I've just been buying whatever lately. It works well enough, but an awesome one would be, well, awesome!

12 Days of Christmas - Day 4

This is a classic that (I think) makes it on my list every year. I've got one already, but more would definitely simplify my life, at least on baking days.

Last weekend, for example, I was baking a few different kinds of cookies. The first one was waiting to completely cool before I could decorate, but I was ready to keep baking! I want the first one out and cooling (not closed up in their own humidity in plastic storage), but I need a cooling rack for the next set of cookies! You see my dilemma.

Luckily they store folded-up and flat, so I definitely have enough room to keep another for my busier baking days. I'd love another of the Pampered Chef cooling racks - and they're stackable too!!



AND - since I'm at the site anyway, I'd love another baking stone. I only do one tray of baking at a time because I like baking on the stone so much better than on a metal cookie sheet. So another Large Bar Pan would be excellent.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 3

My third wish this Christmas is a little quirky. I love seeing infomercials - and their new version - Facebook suggested ads. This Shampoo Brush keeps popping up in my timeline, and the people in the video look like they love it! LOL


So I decided I would love to experience that level of bliss each morning when I wash my hair. Washing my hair is always more about the scalp than the length of my hair, so a scalp massage sounds great.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 2

At Thanksgiving,  a fellow book-lover recommended Margaret Atwood's graphic novel to me. So for the second day of Christmas, I'd like to add Angel Catbird to my wish list. And I'm old-fashioned, so I'd like it in real book form (instead of Kindle).

Graphic novels haven't really held much appeal for me, but Margaret Atwood's writing certainly does. Maybe my daughter's holiday wish will finally come true and I'll enjoy a 'comic book.' LOL

12 Days of Christmas - Day 1

Welcome to my version of the 12 days of Christmas!! I started this years ago to address the inevitable question during gift swaps with family - "What do you want?"
Well, here it is, folks! Starting today and going for 12 days, I'll give all the details for some things I would love to receive for holiday gifts. LOL

This one is technically something I already received this year. See, we exchange gifts and celebrate all the winter holidays with my parents before they leave town in late fall. So we already did all this in early November.

My mom says this isn't really a 'holiday gift,' but just something she knows I'll appreciate. I'm pretty much always cold, so she got me this great base-layer shirt from 32Degrees. It's white (which goes great under my green and white work shirt) and a size large. I wear it to work every time it's washed again. So another one would give me more cozy days at work.