Amazon Prime Purchases - November

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Happy December! I started this post mid November and added to it because I had already bought so much from Amazon. I started my Christmas shopping early, so there will be a lot this month and a little bit next month.

So what did we buy this last month?

linking up with Tanya

So let's start with the repurchases.

EO Shower Gel

We love this shower gel. It smells so good and isn't made with all those yucky ingredients.

Bob's Red Mill Buttermilk Pancake Mix

This is our favorite (non homemade) pancake mix. I can't get it in the stores anymore, so I order it through Amazon. I get a four pack for about the same cost as I used to get it in stores.

Pet Probiotics

When we are close to being out of these probiotics, I grab another pack. I get these for Walter to help with his digestion and tummy issues.

And now for some Christmas gifts for the girls.

Outdoor Mud Kitchen

My girls have been wanting a kitchen since a month after they gave theirs away. To be fair, it was smaller and they got it when they were one. It was perfect, but now they wanted something larger. And I wanted something that could be outside, in the garage or inside. But mostly for outside.

I searched on Etsy, Amazon and other retailers like Target. And this one is the one we got. It has a top removable area that you can fill with water or attach a water spout. And they recommend you stain it to weather the weather.

Melissa and Doug Pots and Pans

I got these pots and pans to go with the kitchen.

Melissa and Doug Utensils

And these utensils.

Klee Kids Natural Mineral Makeup

After asking my followers on IG what kids makeup they recommended, this company had the overwhelming recommendation. After looking at colors, I bought this set above for each girl. And the set comes from the company, so free shipping this way.

Kids Apron

I got this for them for their kitchens and to help me bake.

Kids Elbow and Knee Pads

The girls got roller skates while they were visiting my in-laws mountain home and they desperately needed elbow, knee and wrist guards. These have great reviews and slide over their knees and elbows to help them stay on.

Card Holder

I got these for the girls since they have a hard time holding all the cards and seeing what is in their hand.

Gimme Hair Ties

I got these for the girls stockings. They needed some new hair ties and ones that will stop the breakage in their hair.

Lucky Fortune Cookie Mystery Bracelet

This is another stocking stuffer. I saw these while browsing Amazon and thought they were so cute. You get surprised on what bracelet you get. And these have great reviews and said they are not the cheap plastic bracelets.

Laundry Travel Bags

Rory and I have similar travel laundry bags and we use them all the time. The girls don't have any, so I grabbed these for them. They will love the mermaid theme to them.

Ballet Slippers

These are a repurchase item, but also a gift. The girls needed new ballet slippers (even though they are not currently in ballet) and these worked out great last time. We hope to get them back in ballet soon.

Fuzzy Slippers

The girls also needed new slippers and Christmas is a great time to get them. These look like the Ugg slippers, but so much less and they have great reviews.

Girls Underwear

I was going to get the girls Carter's undies or Hanna Andersson, but then I saw these online and on sale during Cyber Monday and I couldn't pass them up.

These two are still technically gifts for the girls, but they are from their Elf that arrived last week.

Little Red Sleigh

Santa's Lost Reindeer

Now some gifts for others. I didn't include what I purchased for Rory as he reads here and I didn't want him to see what I got. I will post those next month.

Princess Castle

I got this for my niece. She loves princesses and will love this little castle to hang out in.

Bow and Arrow Set

I got this for my nephew. I think he will love this since he can shoot the target or things like windows.

And now for some random purchases.

First Little Readers Level E and F

The girls reading has exploded so I grabbed them the next set up which is levels E and F. These are amazing with helping children read.

Bank Robber Mask and Bag Kit

I got these for our Thanksgiving themed dinner: colors. We wore all black and dressed as bank robbers. But the girls made sure to let everyone know that we really were not robbers and don't steal anything.

Q-Tips Double Pack

We were running low on Q-Tips and these were on sale, so I grabbed them.

Band-Aid Family Pack

This was another item we were running low on, so I grabbed them on sale on Amazon.

Crest Gum Detoxify Toothpaste

Rory and the girls use Tom's toothpaste, but I have tried so many "natural" toothpastes and I hate them. This is my favorite, so I grabbed a three pack on major discount.

What did you buy from Amazon this month? Was your monthly order way larger than normal? Mine was and this didn't include the two grocery purchases from Whole Foods.

Friday Favorites and Happenings

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

Happy Friday all! And just like that, we are into December. We have a lot of fun things planned this month and I am trying to wrap my head around the fact that we are nearing the end of 2021. So crazy.

ONE. This week our Elf came back. I used a free Elf Welcome Letter template online and saved another for his goodbye letter. I usually write these, but I think the girls will start to catch onto my handwriting, so a template this year it is. 

Check out his cute entrance.

PJs (50% off right now) | Socks (from Target dollar spot), Hot Chocolate Bomb (from local chocolate shop), Sleigh Book, Reindeer Book, Milk Jugs (from Target)

I wasn't there when they saw their elf and read his note as I was at work, but Rory captured these for me.

TWO. I shared on my Instagram, a fun ugly Christmas sweater. I have had this sweater for a few years now, but I LOVE it. It lights up, it still works after 3 years and it is a fan favorite. I have washed it, but you have to take the batteries out before doing that. 

If you love Christmas Vacation then this sweater is for you. It is unisex, so just size up if you are a guy.

Christmas Vacation Ugly Christmas Sweater

THREE. Another find I shared on my Instagram this week was my Allbirds Tree Breezers. I wear flats pretty much daily to work and I bought these since I love their Wool Loungers so much. They are comfy, cozy, you can wear them without socks and they are machine washable. I have had my Loungers for about 3 years now and I wear them all the time (on the weekends), so it was a no brainer to buy the Tree Breezers. 

Don't worry, I still wear my Rothy's all the time as well. But with the liner in the Tree Breezers, it keeps my feet warmer. I can wear these on the weekends as well. Very versatile shoe.

In the Wool Loungers, I sized up to a 9, but in the Tree Breezers, I got an 8 1/2 which has been my "new" normal for a few years now. Not sure when they changed the sizing on shoes, but I have been getting 8 1/2's for about 2 years now. Even though many of my size 8 shoes are the same size as the new 8 1/2.

Allbirds Tree Breezers (yes that is really my feet and picture)

FOUR. Lindsay posted about getting her dog a boujee sweater. After looking at it, I decided to get Walter one for Christmas. He does have a new sweater that we love, but when we wash his sweater, he needs another. Also it is nice to change it up for him. And this one looks super cozy. 

It arrives today, but if it is anything like other Barefoot Dreams items, we will love it. I got Walter a size Medium as he is 17 pounds.

If you order now, it should arrive before Christmas. We got him this dark gray sweater, but there is a Rose/Purple color as well.

Barefoot Dreams Dog Sweater

FIVE. Weekly funnies.

Have a great weekend. I am linking up with A Little Bit of Everything. 

Thanksgiving Weekend Recap

Happy December 1st!

We had the busiest Thanksgiving weekend, but it was filled with so much fun, joy and family. Just the way it was meant to go.

Let's go back to Thanksgiving morning. I had plans to go to my first Pilates class at my cousin's studio in town. It had just opened up a week before and she convinced the cousins and family for a morning session. Now this was my first Pilates class ever. I was nervous as I didn't want to hurt myself on Thanksgiving and have nowhere to go if I needed an adjustment (chiropractor). But she promised it would be a beginners class. And it was. I was hooked. It felt so good to stretch out. And it was definitely a workout. I was sore for three days after. But I can't wait to go again.

Check out the beautiful studio.

After Pilates, I grabbed a coffee (from a place that was open until noon), and headed home to have brunch at the house. We made pancakes and bacon. Then we got ready, packed our bags and headed down to my parents house. We were staying overnight there to make it easier for Christmas tree cutting in the morning.

Once we were at my parents house, I put together my charcuterie board and headed over to my sister's in-laws house. Now I have known my sister's in-laws since I was about 15. My brother-in-laws brother and I have been friends for a long time. And we have all been to each other's events for years. Anyways, we had Thanksgiving dinner there. It was so much fun. We got to play with my nephew, the girls played the piano with the brother that I have known for a long time, we ate so much food and had the best conversation. Here are some highlights from the evening.

My nephew has a helmet like my girls did. He is rocking it and gets it off on December 8th!

We had the best pumpkin pie and pecan pie to end the evening. Oh and several games of pool!

We went back to my parents house and Rory and the girls crashed out while I hung out catching up with my parents.

Friday morning we got up, got ready and headed out to cut down our Christmas tree. We met up with friends at 10 am and then drove out to our spot. The girls went with my sister and brother-in-law and Rory and I set out to find out tree. That took over an hour and was almost a bust. But with some help from my cousin and a family friend, we got a tree at last minute. This didn't leave us much time to hang out after, but we still managed to get a photo and cheers to the holiday season ahead.

We drove home, got showered and ready and headed out to Rory's families Thanksgiving. This one was themed and we dressed up as bank robbers. I sadly didn't get any photos of just us in our costumes as it is hard to wrangle kids once they are with their cousins. But we did get a group photo!

We played some games, ate a traditional Thanksgiving meal and had a dance off. It was a great time!

We headed home and crashed out early.

Saturday we got up and had breakfast with my sister-in-law, brother-in-law and my nephew. My niece stayed home with my in-laws. Then everyone came over to our house to jump on the trampoline, watch football and just hang out. 

Then we met up with more family at the park to let the kids burn off more energy and to hang out with more family.

Then we headed home for a bit and then headed over to my in-laws house for a close family dinner.

This time we had ham, rolls, salad, risotto and roasted tomatoes with pesto and pumpkin pie for dessert. It was a great way to end our Thanksgiving festivities.

Sunday morning we had a lazy morning. We watched football and some Christmas movies. Then we headed out for a quick lunch at Chipotle and a run to Home Depot for more Christmas lights. Then I headed out to another Home Depot, Target, Whole Foods, and a local grocery store. I had way too many things to grab for the week ahead and to finish decorating.

When I got back, we set up the Christmas tree and the girls and I decorated it.

This was prior to cutting it down 2 feet. We saved the chunk we cut off and will burn it in a fire later this season or next season.

Now to add a bow or something to the top since my topper is way too heavy for these pine trees. And I want to add that this is the first tree in a few years that has smelled this good. Usually they don't smell or the smell goes away in a day or so. This one is still going strong and makes the house so lovely.

I then made this Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Spinach. After dinner, we cleaned up and watched Christmas movies to end the evening.

It was such a great weekend! How was your Thanksgiving weekend?