I love music, and nothing gets me into the holiday spirit like some great Christmas songs. My Spotify Christmas channel has been on repeat since November 1; I’m not ashamed of it! I’m picky about my music. Some remakes are better than the original, but there are a few originals you just can’t beat. The list could go on and on, honestly, but these are my absolute favorites!!!
Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt
Carol of the Bells
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings by Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan
Sleigh Ride by Carpenters
Peace On Earth/The Little Drummer Boy by Bing Crosby and David Bowie
Happy Holidays by Andy Williams
Man With The Bag by Jessi J
O Holy Night
Last Christmas by Wham!
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas by Gayle Peevey
bisous und обьятий, RaeAnna
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Sometimes I’m real basic. I like to support local coffee shops as much as possible, but you know, Starbucks calls. And it’s hard to pass up a photo opportunity with their cute Christmas/holiday cups!
My best friend, Alex, worked at Starbucks in college. He would always wake me up in the morning with a caramel apple spice or something else delicious he made up for me. It’s hard not to love free! When I miss him, I still head to Starbucks for a caramel apple spice.
They are everywhere, and you always know what you’re getting. As a traveler, Starbucks is nice because it feels familiar on the other side of the world or in an airport.
Rewards programs get me every time. Alex made me get a reward program almost nine years ago. I’ve been a gold member every since. I get tons of free coffee, and now that they updated the program, I can buy merchandise with my stars!!! (My wallet was stolen four years ago, and I’m still pissed my gold card was stolen. So much ANGER.)
I have one 137 steps from my front door. A gate opens up from my apartment complex into a Starbucks parking lot. Convenience is sometimes key. It’s hard to compete with a minute away. I’m doing a service to the earth by not using gas, bringing my own cup, and taking my dog for a walk.
Puppuccinos are Beau’s favorite thing. She will get mad and sassy if I come home with a Starbucks cup or a green straw and no puppuccino for her. Yes she can tell the difference. I have checked.
I like being able to scan my phone and pay with the app. It’s convenient. I can grab a coffee while out on a walk with Beau even though I leave my wallet. I’m responsible, so this never happens, except all the time.
I can send Starbucks gift cards to my best friend as a treat, when she has something to celebrate, or she’s having a lousy day through the app. It’s easy to make a small gesture. Or for a last minute birthday/Christmas/whatever present if you forget.
They treat their employees well. Alex loved his time at Starbucks, and we’re still friends with lots of his coworkers. Some still work there because it’s a good job. I like supporting businesses which treat their employees well.
Christmas cups are selling point for me. I love the holiday season. I’m not religious, but Christmas is my jam. They get behind it with their red cups and holiday merchandise. Yay!!!
No matter where you are in the world, you know what you’re going to get. Starbucks makes sure everything is cohesive. A vanilla latte will taste the same in Iowa as it does in London or Munich. I know because I have product tested in those locations.
They’re nice. Starbucks takes customer experience seriously. I have met some of the nicest people behind their counters. No snarky baristas there. Or if they’re snarky, it’s because they’re being funny and playing off my snarkiness.
bisous und обьятий, RaeAnna
I’m also including a bunch of Christmas pajamas that I love and wear
this time of year… and all year round because I’m weird.
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There was a period of time in high school when I wanted to go to law school. The lawyers I talked with warned me away from it because they assumed I watched law dramas on TV and wanted the courtroom thing, which couldn’t be further from the truth. I didn’t even start watching law dramas until about two years ago. I liked the law because I knew it would be constant learning and researching, and I could advocate for people and women and become a judge or become an advocate or lobbyist. Vibeke Norgaard Martin hammers home the point that being a lawyer is not about being in court in 101 Things I Learned in Law School.
If you’ve ever read a book that has anything to do with law or the judiciary system, most of this is not new information. Martin does break down a lot of complicated and sometimes confusing concepts, terms, ideas, and workings of the law, government, and even courtroom in his 101 Things I Learned in Law School, and he particularly focuses on the US but does speak to British and global law.
Martin wants to make it clear that lawyers are people with prejudices, blind spots, limitations, skills, and specialties. Lawyers have areas of expertise, so consulting a corporate law attorney will not help you in divorce court. They do not know everything. Lawyers are known for having a good hold on words and manipulating language – which is a huge part of why the law has always spoken to me – but there is a difference between honesty and truth. This fact transcends law.
For every thing learned there is a little drawing on the opposing page to demonstrate, in a usually humorous fashion, what Martin is describing. There is a sense of humor to the entire book. Even in the quotes chosen have levity, humor, and drive home the point being a lawyer is a way of thinking and it is not infallible: “There is no doubt that if there were a super-Supreme Court, a substantial proportion of our reversals of state courts would also be reversed. We are not final because we are infallible, but we are infallible only because we are final.” Robert H. Jackson. Martin goes through some of the most important cases tried in courts, and cases people should know about but probably don’t.
101 Things I Learned in Law School talks about history, language, law, thinking, and more. It is a quick and easy book to peruse, but it’s filled with information and a lesson. I highly suggest it to anyone with a curiosity for law or wants to look smart and worldly by putting it on their coffee table. Either way, I suggest it.
Memorable Quotes “Honesty and truthfulness are different things.” “In practice, the exceptions to the rule are the rule.”
Title: 101 Things I Learned in Law School Author: Vibeke Norgaard Martin With: Matthew Frederick Publisher: Three Rivers Press (Penguin Random House) Copyright: 2019 ISBN: 9781524762025
Starbucks is a beautiful thing. We love it because the service is always good, the drinks are Starbucks, they treat their employees well. Oh, did I mention there is one right next to my apartment? Convenience factor is high.
When I adopted Beau, one of the first outings was to Starbucks. Beau had a hard life, and she deserved Starbucks. If you’re not in-the-know, Starbucks has puppaccinos – or puppy-lattes depending on the location – perfect for your puppy friends. What is it? Whipped cream in a cup. Honestly, I’ve thought about getting one for me. How much do they cost, nothing.
We go on a frequent enough basis, many of the employees know Beau. I’m pretty unnoteworthy, but Beau is memorable. They remember her cute face!
It’s almost TOO convenient.
Beau is very neurotic from her years of abuse. There are so many things she is terrified of. Including straws. EXCEPT the green straws. The green straws mean Starbucks. Starbucks means puppaccinos. If, for some catastrophic reason, there are green straws in the house without a puppaccino, Beau whips out her sassy teenager attitude. Dogs are red-green colorblind, so she must have a system for being able to tell… She’s a smarty-pants.
Anyways.
Today was grey and kind of rainy, which has been the case for a week, so I haven’t been able to take Blog + Dog pictures I wanted. So we walked the 532 steps to Starbucks to cheer up my rained out pooch.
Pumpkin Scones are the perfect fall treat for breakfast or afternoon.
Pumpkin Scones
It’s that time of year. Pumpkin time. They’re everywhere. Is it just me, or do they increase in popularity annually? Not that I mind. I live and breathe for the three months a year pumpkin pie is an acceptable dinner option… Is that just me? Whatever, I’m gonna keep consuming whole pies.
As much as I love pumpkin, I am actually really picky about the pumpkin pie alternatives. I hate Pumpkin Spice Lattes. They’re not my jam. I want to show you a few of my favorite fall pumpkin recipes, which I have fine tuned over the years. They’re not super pumpkin punchy, but they’ll get you in the spirit.
The first of many recipes to come is a fabulous breakfast option to go with your morning coffee or PSL or cocoa or apple cider. Fall options are the best options. Anyways! Here’s my quick and easy pumpkin scone recipe. The glaze is not necessary, but a yummy, sugary addition. I made my own pumpkin puree, but canned pumpkin is just as good. I suggest chilling it in a container, so it doesn’t get that metallic flavor.
Ingredients Scone
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter* – cold and grated
3/4 canned pumpkin puree – chilled (don’t chill in can)
4 Tbsp buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extrac
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp half and half , then more as needed
1 tbs pumpkin puree
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
*Note on butter. I like to freeze the butter and grate it frozen. It takes a lot of the effort out of cutting it into the flour mixture, in my opinion. Keeping the butter cold is important because that’s what gives the scones a flaky texture. So the faster you work the better! Also if it’s frozen, it stays colder that much longer.
Grating frozen butter.
Butter to be mixed.
I hear Starbucks has a seasonal pumpkin scone, so why not save some money and impress your friends by making it at home!
Create a well for the dry ingredients.
The dough is ready to be formed.
Cutting the dough into scones.
Dip in the glaze.
If dipped warm, the glaze will finish smooth!
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in a large mixing bowl.
Grate frozen butter. If you want to follow tradition: Cut butter into 1/2 inch cubes.
Mix butter into the dry ingredients. Work quickly to incorporate, so the flour holds together without being wet. Don’t overwork. There will be very small chunks of butter incorporated thoroughly.
Make a well in the dry ingredients. Crack the cold egg, cold pumpkin puree, cold buttermilk, and vanilla into the well.
Mix all the ingredients until combined. It will be a firm dough that will hold its shape. It shouldn’t be very sticky.
Form dough into a a 1 ½ to 2 inch thick disk. Cut into eight equal triangles.
Place on baking sheet.
Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.
While the scones are baking…
Whisk all the ingredients for the glaze in a bowl. It will be a golden brown color flecked by the spices.
Pull the scones out and place on cooling rack.
Dip the top of the scone into the glaze. OR drizzle the glaze on top of the scones. I like to dip them when they’re still a little warm; this allows the glaze to have a smooth top that drips down the sides.
ENJOY!
I would love to hear all about your favorite pumpkin recipes! Let me know in the comments!
