love day

fifteen days until love day

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

i think this day should be more about loving than gift-giving... but sometimes a little surprise is fun too.

this post is to help all those boys men find something special for their sweetheart that doesn't rob their wallet.  girls can seem hard to shop for, i'm sure... but the reality is that we aren't too complicated when it comes to gifts. when a gift comes from someone we love who has given it some thought- we're easy to please. 

easy, right!?

these are things bry has given me in the past, and a few new ideas too. enjoy. xo

1. flowers  

flowers are a must. if you're looking for inexpensive, but pretty flowers, go to Trader Joe's.

 and boys... you never can go wrong with pink roses or peonies. just fyi.

2. a special box for the wedding ring  

isn't this perfect? i love the way it reflects light everywhere and makes my ring sparkle. find one here

 

3. pink lipstick

i love the maybelline vivid colors right now.

can't go wrong with "pink pop." and only $6 at target!

4. a love note 

these are the things i treasure most from bry. leave it on the pillow, hide it in her purse, put it in his pocket... make it an unexpected surprise.

for all you girls sending love notes, don't forget to seal the letter with a kiss. :)  

5. a love notes book 

this is something i did for bry last year. i made him a "love notes book" where he can keep all of our notes to each other. it's so fun to pull out and read every once in a while. also, super easy and inexpensive!

6. a pink necklace 

okay, what girl doesn't drool over jcrew jewelry? but who has $150 of extra money laying around? 

not most people... so find similar necklaces at one of my favorite boutiques: francescas

7. homemade valentines dinner 

bry and i love making our heart-belgian-waffles, and it ends up being more fun than eating out. this year, bry told me he wants to make me valentines dinner instead of going out- andddd my heart melted. i love him.

8. pink work-out clothes

if your sweetheart is anything like me, i can't have too many work-out clothes. if you're looking to spend a little more, anything from lululemon is always a winner. these are some work-out clothes i love and others i've had my eye on. 

 some of my favorite pink work-out clothes. ^

9. something for the kitchen

i've had my eye on these bowls for a year now, and i think i'm just gonna have to buy them soon. 

my husband doesn't always understand the need to have different dinnerware for special occasions... but all you girls understand, right? ;) i could never have enough. find these pretty things here

10. a pink fragrance

these four lovelies are some of my favorites.

the lotion: Victoria Secret's "warm and cozy" body lotion... amazing. find here 

the perfume: Aquolina "Pink Sugar..." your sweetheart will love. find here

the body spray: Victoria Secret's "Gorgeous." And it smells as good as it's name. 

the small perfume: Vera Wang's "Princess" perfume: one of my all-time favorites. find here

hope you got some good ideas! happy planning!

xo

m

merry + bright

it's beginning to look a lot like 

C  H  R  I  S  T  M  A  S

everywhere you go.

Finals ended today and I'm so excited, I could fly.  This was by far the hardest semester of nursing school and I'm glad I can leave it in the dust. Now it's time to sit back and enjoy some weeks off, sipping hot cocoa and waking up early to ski on powder days. Excited is an understatement.

^^can this count as our christmas card this year?  happy holidays from the miles family.

how did the rule "you can't decorate until thanksgiving is over" get created? i don't buy it.

^ my in-laws who live in Germany gave us the prettiest German nutcrackers this year!! ahhh i died. 

^our stockings were finished and hung. yes i made three, but no we are not pregnant. 

^ i love putting out all the nativity sets. this one is from Antigua

^ one of my favorite candles for the season. (find it at target)

^ hello pretty little things.

 

^^our German Christmas pyramid from my in-laws

^ 'tis the season for long, cozy socks

 

 

 

 

 

H A P P Y   H O L I D A Y S

xo

m

overnight cinnamon apple oatmeal

Overnight Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal

(in the slow cooker)

This will make your house smell like cinnamon. 

I liked this recipe because I knew I was eating something really healthy to start off my day. I loved the mixture of the apples and cinnamon. The honest truth is my husband thought it tasted kind of bland, but once he added extra brown sugar, he ate it right up. It's quick, easy, and healthy: what I like to call a "breakfast no-brainer." 

<><><><><><><><>

Nutritional Information: (Serving size 1 cup prepared oatmeal, 1 Tbsp. dried fruit)

Calories: 321; Fat: 13 g; Carbohydrate: 46 g; Fiber: 6 g; Protein: 7 g

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 2 large tart apples (such as Granny Smith or Pink Lady), chopped
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk ... (I just used 1%)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup whole grain oats
• 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon (more or less to your taste)
• 1 tablespoon milled/ground flaxseed
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Additional Toppings
• 1/4 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries)
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans)

Instructions

Spray a 3 1/2 quart or larger slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Combine chopped apples, milk, water, oats, sugar, butter, and flax- stirring to combine. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours (overnight). Stir in 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt into the oatmeal just before serving.

If desired, serve with additional toppings (1 tablespoon dried fruit and 1 tablespoon chopped nuts, each)
Adapted from Our Best Bites, retrieved from here

Enjoy!

xo

m

hello fall

H  E  L  L  O    F  A  L  L 

I can't get enough of you lately. And this is why...

^your pumpkin patches

^your O R A N G E 

^your Y E L L O W

^your q u a k e y aspens

^and p i n e s

^your c r i t t e r s 

^your h i k e s

^your v i e w s

you've got me F A L L I N G for you.

XO 

m