December 2017 – Living off Leesh

A Review of “A Christmas Prince”

Published on December 24, 2017January 7, 2023 by Alicia1 Comment

Hi everyone! Today’s Blogmas post is a review of the Netflix original “A Christmas Prince.” So many people have been debating watching it because it’s not an ‘original’ Christmas movie. However, I figured I would watch that 92-minute movie to see how it ranked.

For those of you who haven’t heard of the movie, straight from Netflix comes this brief synopsis: “Christmas comes early for an aspiring young journalist when she’s sent abroad to get the scoop on a dashing prince who’s poised to be king.” I don’t want to give anything else away so you’ll all have to watch the movie for yourselves to see what happens with that journalist and the prince. 😉

Pros:

Ben Lamb (Prince Richard) is a cutie
most of the actors in the movie I’d never heard of so it’s always nice to see new people playing bigger roles
Princess Emily and Amber’s relationship is so cute
ROMANCE!!
A plot twist I actually wasn’t expecting
The cliche

Cons:

Lady Sophia and Simon are so annoying (but what is a cliche movie with no annoying people)
That period of time where shit hits the fan and you have 10 minutes to resolve
The cliche

Overall Review: Overall, I adored this movie. I am a sucker for a cliche but if you aren’t you’ll probably hate it. It sort of reminded me of a Christmas Ella Enchanted just without the violence. I really liked the plot twist in the movie (that I will not share) and it was just overall a very cute and sweet movie. I’d say a 9/10 from me tbh.

Until next time

Alicia

A guide to “Secret Santa”

Published on December 24, 2017January 2, 2018 by AliciaLeave a comment

Hi everyone, still going strong with my Blogmas posts. Today’s Blogmas post is all about giving a successful Secret Santa gift and some tips and tricks I use to try to give the best Secret Santa gift ever!!

Plan it out. Normally Secret Santa presents are supposed to be under a certain amount of money so make sure you budget for what you’re going to buy instead of going crazy the second you walk into the store. Nothing is worse than receiving a gift that is way above (or below) the budget. Plan accordingly.
Talk to the person’s friends (if you know them) or try to learn more about them- Even though Secret Santas are usually among friend groups I almost always get the person I know the least. I try to go through their social media accounts to try and find out some of their favorite things and ask their friends as well for things they like to make sure the person receiving the gift really loves what they’re getting
Try to make it festive- I always like making my Secret Santa gifts festive. Whether I throw in a pair of Christmas socks, hot chocolate mix or a scarf and gloves because I know I personally love opening gifts filled with holiday items because they really make me feel in the Christmas spirit
Avoid funny gifts unless you know the person really well and know their sense of humor. While you may think the gift is funny the person on the receiving end may take the joke the wrong way and some hard feelings may occur.
Gift receipt- Always place the gift receipt in the gift when it’s apparel. Whether it’s the wrong size or a color the recipient doesn’t enjoy, you want them to enjoy the gift, not for it to sit in the bottom of a drawer for the next 5 years.

Are there any other tips you have for Secret Santa gift giving?

Alicia

Stocking stuffer ideas

Published on December 23, 2017January 2, 2018 by Alicia3 Comments

T-minus 3 days until Christmas and there are still many people at malls running around picking up some last minute gifts. I feel like with all the commotion with getting the bulk of the gifts we tend to forget about the stocking stuffers. Those are always some of my favorites gifts to receive because they are usually the first I open and it’s always fun to see what ‘Santa’ puts in them. Here are a few random ones that you can usually find in most stores and some pretty close to check out.

1. Silly Putty- Always a classic and anyone f any age will enjoy this timeless gift
2. iTunes gift card- Any music lover will love this gift card.. 10 new songs here they come
3. Hair ties- More of a girl gift, however, any human with long hair will thank you for this
4. Uno cards- Another timeless gift that any person of any age will love. Uno cards would be a hit on Christmas day
5. Chapstick- With the dry winter air there is not a soul on this earth who couldn’t use some chapstick
6. Slinky- More of a gift for a younger receiver, however, slinkys were and are such fun toys. Before everyone was glued to a screen for the whole day slinkys could be hours of fun
7.Slippers- Slippers are a great way to keep warm in the winter months.
8.Tumbler- These are super cute and they can be personalized so everyone can drink water and look good doing it
9. Christmas socks- These are pretty self-explanatory because who doesn’t love a fuzzy pair of warm Christmas socks?

My ugly Christmas sweater collection

Published on December 23, 2017January 2, 2018 by Alicia2 Comments

Hello everyone, I have been one to talk about my love of ugly Christmas sweaters, and I figured I’d also share the ones I have. I only have 3 of my own at the moment but I’m certain my collection will grow. So, here’s my collection and a backstory behind each of them.

Let it Glow- The most recent Christmas sweater purchase and the most ‘fun’ one. This light up sweater was a hit at a few parties over the past few weeks and I love to dazzle the crowds with the color changing lights.

Shrek Christmas- This sweater was a gift from Santa 😉 last Christmas. After receiving Shrek and Donkey pillow pets the year before, I guess the tradition had t continue. This sweater is actually really comfortable and if there wasn’t a lifesize Ogre head on it I’d love to wear it regularly.

Homemade Sweater- I’ve discussed this sweater in posts before so I’ll keep this one short and sweet. My entire family slaved over the sweater for hours trying to make me the perfect ugly Christmas sweater. Let me say, this one is always a big hit for everyone who sees it

Do you have any funny Christmas sweaters?

Alicia

The Unique Blogger Award

Published on December 22, 2017December 22, 2017 by Alicia2 Comments

Hi everyone, I was nominated for the Unique Blogger Award by Rachael! Thank you so much for this award and everyone definitely go check out her blog!! I love reading it. Let’s get started with the award. 🙂

The Rules:

Share the link of the blogger who has shown love to you by nominating you.
Answer the questions.
In the spirit of sharing love and solidarity with our blogging family, nominate 8-13 people for the same award.
Ask them 3 questions.

My answers:

If money didn’t matter(free schooling,) what would you want to do for a career? I think I would just stay in school forever and learn as much as I could and then do whatever I liked the most
What weird food combination do you really enjoy? I don’t think I have any?
What was the last photo you took? A picture of Poppy (my dog) in front of the Christmas tree

My questions:

What is your favorite holiday tradition (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, St. Patrick’s Day… any holiday)?
What was/is your favorite subject in school?
What is one New Year’s Resolution you hace for 2018 (if you don’t like resolutions what is one thing you are looking forward to in 2018)

I nominate:

A Soulful Saga Beachy Girl Monique A real messy beautiful twisted sunshine

Shinavy Blogs A Beautiful thing Life of Blind An Emzy Life KaylaAnn

My Christmas traditions

Published on December 22, 2017December 21, 2017 by AliciaLeave a comment

Hi everyone, continuing with my Blogmas posts today and today I will be talking about some Christmas traditions I have. I always felt like I don’t have any but after talking about what to do in Chicago for Christmas I’ve realized that I do have a few traditions of my own and here they are!

Christkindlmarket- Every year (not the past two because of bad schedules however my family has kept going) my family and some family friends head to the city to have breakfast at 7th on Heaven and then walk over to the Christkindlmarket. The adults always get hot wine (tastes like garbage) and we all love the Sweet Shoppe which has an abundance of German candies, truffles, and nuts. It is normally very cold so we try to keep it short and sweet. This year, however, it was 50 degrees on the day we went so we were able to spend longer and make it more enjoyable
Holiday lights- This tradition is a hit or miss for my family. We usually get there every other to every 3 years but when we do it’s so much fun. The Brookfield Zoo has Holiday Magic every year during the month of December and it’s so cool seeing all the lights littering the Zoo along with taking some cute pictures and spending quality time in the cold with friends and family
Ugly sweaters- This was a tradition just started 2 years ago but each year I have received an ugly Christmas sweater… I bought one this year for myself so even if I don’t receive one as a gift I still added to the collection
A weekend in Wisconsin- My mom’s best friend’s family and our family always go to Wisconsin for a weekend each winter break. No matter what else we have going on with works, friends, and family we almost always make time to see each other in the midst of the holiday craziness.

Those are my traditions, what are yours?

Alicia

Christmas events in Chicago

Published on December 21, 2017 by Alicia2 Comments

Hey everyone! If you’ve learned one thing about me it’s I love Christmas! Due to this I love doing Christmas related outings close to home! So…. I’ve decided to make a guide to Christmas events in Chicago and the surrounding area for myself and anyone else who lives here or is around for the holidays!!

The Christkindlmarket- This has been a bit of a Christmas tradition for my family for the past few years. We always buy the festive Holiday Cup (with either Gluhwein or hot chocolate in it), and candy from the Sweet Shoppe. It’s such a fun day for everyone involved despite all the crowds and below freezing temperatures
The Museum of Science and Industry Christmas trees- If you ever want a lesson on world Christmases head on over to the Museum of Science and Industry. During the entire month of December (and a bit more) the main hall of the Museum is filled with Christmas tree decorated in the fashion of a Christmas from countries all over the world. It is a beautiful sight to see and it’s so much fun learning about different celebrations from around the world.
Ice Skating at Maggie Daley Park– This one is not something I have ever done or will ever do (I am terrified of ice skating but that’s a story for another day) but this is something that so many people love doing. Lacing up your ice skates with some friends or a significant other (barf) and skating the ribbon around Maggie Daley park is always a day of frozen butt fun (or so I hear)
Zoo Lights- Whether you go to the Brookfield Zoo or Lincoln Park Zoo (I have only ever gone to the Brookfield Zoo lights since it’s 5 minutes from my house) the holiday lights are always so incredible. I always wonder how expensive their electiricity bills are because of the sheer amount of lights that are placed on trees, bushes, and even in te sky.
The Art Institute Wreathing of the Lions- This actually already happened but for next year, the day after Thanksgiving hundreds of people gather across from the Musuem(and even on Michigan Avenue) to watch the Wreathing of the Lions. The lions outside of the Art Institute are sort of a symbol of Chicago and when they are adorned with wreaths the entire city just gets in the holiday spirit

What are some holiday events in your city?

Alicia

Christmas playlist

Published on December 21, 2017May 27, 2018 by AliciaLeave a comment

Hi everyone, sorry I’ve been a bit inactive over the past week. Just being home and recovering my lack of sleep over the past semester paired with seeing friends has taken its toll. Also, I queued up some posts for the past few days which I realized this morning never posted and were saved as drafts so I’ll have loads of Blogmas posts coming in the next few days. Until those upload, here is my ultimate Christmas playlist!

Things I hate about winter

Published on December 13, 2017December 12, 2017 by Alicia2 Comments

Hi everyone, me again back to post about the things I don’t like about winter. While I mentioned before that there are some great aspects of winter there are also quite a few things that I’m not too keen on and here they are.

Snow: When it starts sticking to the road, or there’s two feet of it, snow is cute in theory but when shoveling or driving… it sucks.
Middle aged mothers Christmas Shopping: I was walking past a Walmart the other day and an ambulance carted away a middle-aged mother who WE ALL KNOW was fighting with another mother over a Tickle Me Elmo
People who forget how to drive: when it snows people seem to forget that we have to be careful on the roads and can’t drive recklessly.Every winter I see so many accidents it’s almost unbelievable
People who get offended when you say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”
Dry skin: I have dry skin as it is, but with winter and the lack of moisture in the ar, my skin becomes drier than ever.
Getting sick: I am literally sick all winter. Even when I’m not sick… I am.
Cold… cold… cold
Wet hair freezes: I can’t leave the house with wet hair or my hair might break.
Football: I love football but every year as we near playoffs and the Super Bowl it reminds me just how terrible the Bears are.
It starts getting dark ridiculously early

Things I love about winter

Published on December 12, 2017December 12, 2017 by Alicia2 Comments

Hi everyone, sorry I have been MIA for the past few days. Studying for finals was kicking my butt. I finished finals earlier this afternoon so I am done with my first semester at OU! More on that later. Until then, I figured I would write about my favorite things about winter and then tomorrow or sometime in the near future I’ll share my least favorite things about this chilly season. Let’s get to it.

Christmas: Seeing family and friends and being able to catch up on everything and anything is so nice to do.
Peppermint: Candy canes and peppermint coffee, peppermint hot chocolate… I really love peppermint
Cozy pajamas: Cute and warm pajamas with penguins, snowmen, Santa, or Candy Canes on them… What could be better?
Christmas music: Any Christmas song is a jam and I will listen to all of them long after Christmas is over
Holiday scents: Vanilla, Peppermint (if you can’t tell I’m obsessed), Cinnamon, and Gingerbread are some of my favorite scents year round but for some dumb reason it’s only acceptable to have them around during winter
Snow: when it coats the trees and bushes, and the large flakes land softly on your hair, it’s so beautiful
The clothes: I love boots and sweaters and scarves… basically, any item worn when it’s cold out.
Baking: Spending the day surrounded by mixing bowls, spilled flour, and sprinkles are the perfect way to spend any winter afternoon.
Lights: houses all over are covered with white lights, colored lights, twinkling lights, and everything in between. Driving down streets with snow-covered lights is like driving in a winter wonderland
The first snow: Yes this is different than snow in general. The first snow of the season whether it happens in October or February that really marks the coming of the winter season.

Alicia