Endless Bliss | Happy Lifestyle Blog: holiday
Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts

14 Love Songs from the 90's to Listen to on Valentine's Day.

love songs from the 90's
I can't remember the last time I posted on a Saturday, but I just love Valentine's Day so much that I couldn't let it pass without me posting at least once about it. 

This year, Jon and I are spending Valentine's Day at an epic Mardi Gras party followed by an awesome parade. Romantic, much? Even though I love Valentine's Day, Jon and I usually spend all 365 (sometimes 366) days of the year showing our love, so we don't usually go over the top for Valentine's Day, which is why we're skipping the romantic dinner scene and celebrating Fat Tuesday instead. 

All that being said, there's never a bad time to listen to romantic music, especially romantic music from the 90's, aka the best decade ever. So without further ado, here are some romantic songs from the 90's that you and all of the beautiful people in your life can jam out to. 

I THINK I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU - JESSICA SIMPSON (1999)
"Boy, I think that I'm in love with you. You got me doin' silly things when it comes to you."


(GOD MUST HAVE SPENT) A LITTLE MORE TIME ON YOU - *NSYNC (1998)
"I never thought that love could feel like this, then you changed my world with just one kiss."


KISS ME - SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER (1997)
"Strike up the band, and make the fireflies dance. Silver moon's sparkling. So kiss me."


I WANNA BE WITH YOU - MANDY MOORE (1999)
"So I'll hold you tonight like I would if you were mine to hold forevermore."


TWO IN A MILLION - S CLUB 7 (1999)
"If the world should stop, we'll still have each other, and no matter what, we'll be forever as one."


AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME - BACKSTREET BOYS (1997)
"I don't care who you are, where you're from, don't care what you did as long as you love me."


IRIS - GOO GOO DOLLS (1998)
"You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be, and I don't want to go home right now."


I SWEAR - ALL 4 ONE (1994)
"For better or worse, til death do us part, I'll love you with every beat of my heart."


I DON'T WANT TO MISS A THING - AEROSMITH (1997)
"Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure."


BACK AT ONE - BRIAN MCKNIGHT (1999)
"One, you're like a dream come true. Two, just wanna be with you."


WONDERWALL - OASIS (1995)
"I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now."


TRULY MADLY DEEPLY - SAVAGE GARDEN (1997)
"I'll be your dream. I'll be your wish. I'll be your fantasy. I'll be your hope. I'll be your love. Be everything that you need."


ALL MY LIFE - K-CI & JOJO (1998)
"All my life I prayed for someone like, and I think God that I finally found you."


AMAZED - LONESTAR (1994)
"I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side, forever and ever."



Of course, I couldn't let the holiday pass without getting a little cheesy, so here are my answers to this special Valentine's Day edition of the Blogmopolitan quiz: 

love songs from the 90's


What are your favorite love songs?

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In 2015, I Will...



The other day, I was on Twitter, and I saw this tweet about how in 2015, 2030 will be as far away as the year 2000. Isn't that so scary to think about? In my mind, it feels like the 2000's just started. It's hard for me to fathom that I was born in a completely different millennium.

Anyway, as I've already shared, 2014 was an amazing year for me. I'm looking forward to an even more awesome 2015! While I don't make resolutions (because there's no way that I'm going eat cleaner or drink less wine), I do like to set some goals for myself, and I try to make sure they're goals that I'll actually keep and ones that I can cross off of a list. Nothing's more frustrating than having a goal like be more kind to people or feel better about myself, because how do you measure that? To me, a goal is something that has an end date, and because I'm an overachiever, I like my goals to be things that I don't have to question whether I actually accomplished them or not.

These are a few of the goals I've set for myself in 2015:


Travel internationally at least once. // I have plenty of trips planned for 2015 - a trip to Houston for Supernatural Con with Jon, a trip to Chicago to reunite with my college roommates and see Taylor Swift, and potentially going to South Carolina - but all of those trips are within the United States. After traveling to Europe with my sister this past summer, I realized that I want to explore more of this vast and beautiful world, so of course I want to leave the country at least once next year. 

Take the next steps for publishing my book. // By next steps, I mean, find a few beta readers to give me feedback about my book and make any suggested changes that I agree with and also decide on how I would like to publish my book. I've been looking at several different options for publishing, and I'm not sure which option appeals to me most. Even if I don't get my book published next year, I still want to make sure I'm working toward that goal.

Do some freelance writing jobs. // Writing is one of my biggest passions, and I would love to start building my portfolio and try to figure out how I would fit into the world of writing. 

Work out at least four times a week. // I've actually been really good about this for the past few weeks. I found this awesome channel on YouTube called XHIT, and they have great exercises that only take a few minutes, but you do so much in those few minutes. I've had days of sore legs and sore abs just from a ten-minute workout. Plus the trainers are so fun, and all of the workouts are super easy to do. 

De-Clutter. // I have way too much stuff, and I'm currently working on going through every room in my house and getting rid of the things that I don't need or use. It's crazy how many things I have that I haven't even looked at in years, and I just move them from place to place. 

Learn to use my fancy camera. // I'm obsessed with the camera Jon bought me for my birthday, but I would love to get off using it in Auto mode and learning how to use it to its full potential. 



Create a blog group. // I'm letting the cat out of the bag a little prematurely with this one. My friend, Nina, and I have been putting together a blog group since November. We're almost through in the planning stages, and I'm super excited to launch and share all of our awesome ideas with the blog world. The group is called The Blogging Elite, and you can find a little more information about it here. The link in the page will take you to nothing because it's still a secret group, but soon, it will open up, and if you're wanting to join an awesome blog group, you should definitely join us! 

Create a media kit. // This past year has been a great year for me as far as blogging for profit goes. I still can't believe that I actually have to file for taxes for my blog this year. As amazing as this year was, I would love to see my blog grow more on the business side of things, and having a media kit would definitely help improve how I look to brands.

Attend a blog conference or meet-up. // Ever since Blogcation was cancelled, I've been on the look-out for a blog conference to attend. I've also been on the hunt for bloggers closer to home. I would love to organize a blogger meet-up, but I don't know of my bloggers in my area. Luckily, Dallas is only a 3-hour drive away, so I may pop on over there to meet-up with a few bloggers.

Get blog business cards. // I've been wanting to get business cards for my blog for so long, but I just keep talking about it and not actually doing it. 

Utilize my blog planner. // I used to be really good about using a planner, but for some reason, when I started blogging, I stopped using one. My sister bought me a planner for Christmas, and I really want to use it to get more organized with my posts. 



Create a budget (and stick to it). // Pinterest has been a saving grace lately when it comes to budgeting. I've been looking at so many printables and tips on how to manage money. I've created budgets in the past, but I've never really stuck to them. I'm hoping to change that in 2015.

Create a joint savings account with Jon. // We've been talking about doing this for a few months now, but we just haven't gone to the bank to do it. We want to create a savings account that we each contribute to each month, and we're not going to touch it. We don't really have a fallback as far as money is concerned, so having a savings account that will be there for emergencies would put both of our minds at ease.

Pay off one of my credit cards. // I've had a credit card for a really long time, and this past year, I got another one. I really want to work on paying off my first credit card, but still keeping it open and using it for smaller purchases to continue to build my credit score. 

Get a second job. // This one is iffy for me. I've been toying with the idea of getting a second job at a bookstore or one of the local libraries to earn some extra cash by working on the weekends or a few nights a week. It wouldn't be a ton of money, but all of the money would be put away to use for paying off debts and planning for future vacations. 

What are some of your goals for 2015? 

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10 Movies to Stream on Netflix this Christmas.

Happy Christmas Eve! I've said it once, I'll say it a million times - Christmas is my favorite time of year. While my family in Louisiana isn't really big into Christmas (weirdos!), my family in South Carolina used to do it big during this time of year. We did Secret Santa every year, we decorated multiple trees together, we sang Christmas songs together. One of my favorite Christmas traditions is when we used to open up all of our presents at midnight on Christmas. Of course, this was after we found out that Santa wasn't real

Now that Jon and I are living together, I'm excited to create some new Christmas traditions, including watching Christmas movies! Jon hates Christmas movies, but I'm trying hard to convert him. 

If you're looking for a few holiday movies to watch this Christmas, these are some awesome (and some are bit cheesy) Christmas movies that you can stream on Netflix today and tomorrow (or even when it's not Christmas anymore). 

Love Actually
With an amazing cast of Hugh Grant (Bridget Jones's Diary, About a Boy), Colin Firth (What a Girl Wants, Bridget Jones's Diary), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter), Kiera Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean, Pride and Prejudice) and many, many more, Love Actually is the perfect holiday movie to watch with everyone. It follows eight different interrelated love stories, set in London.


While You Were Sleeping
Starring Sandra Bullock (Miss Congeniality, The Blind Side), Bill Pullman (Independence Day), and Peter Gallagher (The O.C.),While You Were Sleeping is about a woman named Lucy (Bullock), a token collector who saves the life of a man named Peter (Gallagher). Peter ends up unconscious in the hospital, and Lucy introduces herself to his family as his fiancee. While getting to know Peter's family, she starts falling for his brother, Jack (Pullman). 


I'll Be Home for Christmas
Starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas (Home Improvement) and Jessica Biel (7th Heaven, The Illusionist), this movie is about a college student named Jake (Thomas) who is trying to make it home for Christmas with his family, but only after being bribed by his father. 


Christmas with the Kranks
Starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, Christmas with the Kranks is about a couple who decides to skip Christmas and go on a cruise after their only daughter leaves for the holidays to join the Peace Corps. When their daughter decides to make a last minute trip home, the Kranks have to do everything they can to make sure they uphold the level of Christmas celebration that their daughter expects. 


Christmas Cupid
Starring Christina Milian (Bring It On: Fight to the Finish, Love Don't Cost a Thing), Ashley Benson (Pretty Little Liars) and Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill, A Cinderella Story), this movie is about a a public relations guru named Sloane (Milan) whose famous client, Caitlin Quinn (Benson), dies. Caitlin comes to visit Sloane by ushering in the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, and they all come in the form of Sloane's former boyfriends. 


12 Dates of Christmas
Starring Amy Smart (The Butterfly Effect, Just Friends) and Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Saved by the Bell), 12 Dates of Christmas is about a girl named Kate who relives Christmas Eve twelve times before she finally gets it right.


A Christmas Kiss
Starring Elisabeth Rohm (Heroes), Laura Breckenridge (Loving Annabelle, Hit and Run), and Brendan Fehr (Roswell), this movie is about a struggling designer named Wendy (Breckenridge) who spontaneously kisses a stranger (Fehr) in the elevator. The next day, she finds out that this stranger is the boyfriend of her demanding boss (Rohm). 


Desperately Seeking Santa
Starring Laura Vandervoort (This Means War, Smallville) and Nick Zano (What I Like About You, The Final Destination), Desperately Seeking Santa is about a woman named Jennifer (Vandervoort) whose only goal this Christmas is to increase hotel sales so she can finally get a promotion to corporate. Her quick money-making plan is to hold a contest for the sexiest Santa Clause, and when David (Zano), wins, the two start to fall for each other.

Holiday Engagement
Starring Bonnie Somerville (The Ugly Truth, The Best and the Brightest), Shelley Long (The Brady Bunch), and Jordan Bridges (Rizzoli & Isles) with Haylie Duff (7th Heaven, Material Girls), Holiday Engagement is about a woman named Hillary (Somerville) whose fiancee just broke up with her. Instead of telling her family about the break-up, she hires David (Bridges) to pose as her fiancee during the holidays. 


Radio City Christmas Spectacular
For anyone who has a love for singing, dancing, and New York City, you will love seeing the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes at the Radio City Music Hall. 

What's your favorite Christmas movie?

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Christmas Cheer.



This weekend was full of so many Christmas-y things, and I loved it! Christmas is my favorite time of year because everyone is in a wonderful and giving mood and also, I usually get to reunite with people that I haven't seen in awhile. I got to do a lot of that this weekend, and it was just nonstop happiness. 

The Christmas celebration started on Friday at work with this ugly Christmas sweater, even though it's not really that ugly. It's just an oversized sweatshirt that I usually wear to bed and I pinned some ornaments on it that I didn't put on the tree. Of course I had to pair it with some green jeans and sparkly red shoes. Go big or go home #amiright? 
After work, we had the sales team Christmas party. The six of us exchanged gifts for Secret Santa, and my Secret Santa did an amazing job! She got me a gift card to Wing Stop (one of my favorite places to eat for lunch) and to 2nd and Charles (my absolute favorite store because it has all of my favorite things housed under one roof). She also bought me Harry Potter stuff galore! I was so excited when I opened each thing. Harry Potter bracelets, a Harry Potter decal for my toilet (This Way to the Ministry of Magic!), and she even made me chocolate frogs (Jon and I already ate a few, and they're pretty delicious). I'm so in love with all of my goodies.



After the sales Christmas party, I went to Strange Brew to meet up with a few of my college friends that I haven't seen for way too long. It was so lovely to reunite and catch up over drinks.


On Saturday, I went to the most adorable (and strangest) Christmas play I've ever attended called Jingle Arrgh the Way (no, I didn't make that title up) with Jon, my college friends, Tyler and Analeigh, and Analeigh's boyfriend, William. We also ate at Strawn's, which was so delicious. I could live off of their pie. No kidding.

Told you I didn't make it up

My boyfriend is a cutie!

That adorable little girl is Tyler and Analeigh's cousin, and she was part of the pirate ensemble. Presh.

Unintentionally matching coats



I ended the weekend with the company Christmas party. Jon was my very handsome date. Our amazing chef prepared a delicious dinner, and there were door prizes, but unfortunately, I wasn't a lucky winner. I still had fun with my co-workers though. 

After the party, we stopped by my parents' house, and they gave Jon his Christmas present since he'll be spending Christmas down south with his family this year. He got a ratchet set and a pair of pajama bottoms, and he was super excited about it. 





What are your plans for Christmas this year? 

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Gift Guide for Bookworms.

I love books. When people ask me what I would bring with me on a deserted island, books is always one of the answers. And yes, I keep it plural, because sometimes I don't follow the rules. I'd like to say I never follow the rules, but let's not get crazy. 

The wonderful thing about being a book lover is that there are millions of other book lovers in the world, meaning that tons of geniuses are creating tons of things that everyone in the worldwide book lovers club can enjoy. If you're looking for a last minute gift for the book lovers in your life, then I have the perfect gift guide for you!

MUGGLE SHIRT: We've all seen the "Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal" sweaters, but this one is so much better.

BOOK CANDLE: What's better than the smell of a new book? Probably a lot of things, but that's not the point.

PERSONAL LIBRARY KIT: Being a book lover means that you have a lot of books. If you're nerdy like me, a library kit to personalize and claim all of your books would be pretty amazing.

READING JOURNAL: It's like the old school Goodreads.

BOOK LAPTOP CASE: A laptop case disguised as a book? What more could you want? Besides everything on this amazing gift guide.

SNITCH BRACELET: Harry Potter themed jewelry is always in style.

THUMB BOOK HOLDER: Anything that makes reading just a tad bit easier is pretty much ideal.

BOOK HOLDER: Why waste your time with a bookmark, when you can just have this handy book holder by your bedside table?

BOOK CLUTCH: Because nothing make a fashion statement quite like a book.

NOVEL TEAS: With these book-themed teas, you can have your books and drink them too

BOOK SHIRT: I mean, this is pretty self-explanatory.

Are you a fellow bookworm? What's on your Christmas list this year?

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Gift Guide for Her featuring Boden.

I know girls always say that guys are hard to shop for, but I think (actually, I know) that guys think shopping for girls can be equally, if not more, difficult. I've always been one of those people that gets excited about anything anyone gets me. I think it's so nice that people even think of me, and I like to think that I'm easy to please when it comes to gifts (though Jon would probably disagree). 

I recently discovered this awesome company called Boden. It's a British brand of fashion full of amazing pieces for everyone on your gift list. Browsing the site is fueling my love of London and is making me want to hop on a plane back to one of my favorite cities. 

I'm obsessing over this little black dress I found on the Boden site. It's perfect for a date night or even for the office. They have a new petite line, and I spent hours pouring over their petite sizes. I was nervous about whether or not this dress would fit me, but it ended up being perfect, and it's easily my new favorite LBD.




If you're still on the hunt for the perfect gift idea for the women in your life, check out some of my favorite picks from the Boden site. 

COZY BLANKET // BOOT SOCKS // CUTE GLOVES // SPARKLY BELT // LACE DRESS
SUEDE BOOTS // DEER TEE // BOHO BOOTIES // POLKA DOT TOTE // CARD HOLDER
KNIT SLIPPERS // PLAID SCARF

See something you like? Click here or use the code 9E3A at checkout to receive up to 50% off of EVERYTHING from Sunday, December 14, 2014 to Sunday, January 4, 2015. 

Thank you to Boden for sponsoring today's post. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.

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Couple's Christmas To-Do List.

I love Christmastime. It's the perfect time of the year to get cozy and do wintery things with your boyfriend or girlfriend. There's always so many fun things to do during this time of year. 

Since I live in the south, I didn't include anything involving snow on my list, but if you have snow in your area, you can totally add build a snowman, go sledding, have a snowball fight, and lots of other fun, snowy things.

What's on your to-do list with your hunny this season?

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A Magical Christmas in Roseland.

There are so many things to do in Shreveport around Christmastime. There are tons of festivals, lots of shopping (hello Christmas specials!), and lots of Christmas-themed shows. This past weekend, Jon and I joined in on some of the Christmas festivities, and we went to Christmas in Roseland at the American Rose Center. It was my first time visiting the Rose Center and both of our first times seeing it at Christmastime. I love seeing Christmas lights, and seeing all of the pretty lights was so fun!
Singing with my crawfish choir

How handsome is he??!!


Sippin on that hot chocolate

There were tons of beautiful paintings to see. 

Duh. My favorite. 

Do you wanna build a snowman? C'mon let's go and play!

I love this guy. 

Just chattin' with my reindeer friends.
What fun Christmas-y things are there to do in your area?

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Meet Katie!


Hi! I'm Katie from The Hungry Goat! My blog is a smorgasbord of all things entertainment, especially books and music, mixed in with some baking on the off chance that I take a good photo and little tiny snippets into my life. IRL, I'm a writer of all sorts and work at a restaurant to pay the bills and travel. 

What song are you currently obsessed with?
I can't get enough of Hozier's Take Me To Church. That song is so intense and, while I know it's been out for a while, I just can't stop listening to it!

If you could live a day in the life of anyone, who would you choose and why?
Is Hermione Grander a viable option? She's a badass and married to Ron Weasley. I can't see a better life than that. 

Name 5 things that make you happy. 
Family. Cookie Butter. Harry Potter. Goats. Libba Bray. 

For more from Katie, check out the following links:

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Christmas Playlist.

Christmas music, holiday music


As soon as Thanksgiving is over, it's time for to bring out all of the Christmas music. Earlier this week, Jon and I finally put up the Christmas tree, and we listened to this Christmas album I bought for just $4 on vinyl. I loved it. Jon hates Christmas music, but that just makes me love it more! (Haha)

I usually like listening to untraditional Christmas music, but every once in awhile, the classics break through and steal my heart. These are a few Christmas songs I'll be listening to all month. 


Text Me Merry Christmas - Straight No Chaser + Kristen Bell
Kristen Bell is pretty much my famous person ever (or at least top 10), and I've been a long time fan of Straight No Chaser. I think this song is just so adorable!


Mistletoe - Lucy Hale
I love everything that I hear Lucy Hale sing, so of course I would love her first Christmas song. 


We Need a Little Christmas - Shane Harper
Shane Harper is such a talent, and I love his song "Rocketship." His rendition of "We Need a Little Christmas" is one of my favorites.


I Wanna Be Your Christmas - Andrew Allen
This song is just so sweet, and Andrew Allen's voice is totally swoon-worthy.


White Winter Hymnal - The Gardiner Sisters
The Gardiner Sisters is one of my favorite music groups. I love how great they sound together. I hate to be biased, but Mandi is my favorite. She's the blonde one, and her voice is absolutely spectacular. I love their rendition of this beautiful song. 


That's Christmas to Me - Pentatonix
I think we all know how amazing Pentatonix is. I love a capella groups, and they're definitely in my top 5. I love this video because it shows videos of them when they're younger, and I'm a sucker for old home videos. 


Baby It's Cold Outside - Idina Menzel + Michael Buble
I love this song, and there are so many amazing versions of it, but put Idina Menzel and Michael Buble together, and of course, flawlessness is going to happen. Plus, the video is so freaking cute. 


Christmas Time - Christina Aguilera
Christina's Christmas album was the first Christmas album that I ever owned, and this continues to be one of my favorite Christmas songs. 


Happy Christmas - Colbie Caillat
I just love Colbie Caillat, and the message behind this song is so beautiful and something that everyone needs to hear. It's so easy to lose sight of what Christmas is really about, and this song pretty much says it all. 


Blame It On the Snow - Tiffany Houghton
Ever since I heard her sing "High," I started to adore her. Plus, we have the same name, so that's automatic awesomeness. 



For more of my favorite Christmas songs, check out my Spotify playlist reserved just for this time of year. 


What are your favorite Christmas songs?

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