Have you written your Christmas list yet!? This year, I made it really simple by using Google Sheets to put everything I wanted in one place and then share my list with everyone. 

All your friends and family have to do is pick what gift they want to get you and then delete it off the list, so no one else gets you the same thing! I liked doing this because I could keep my list organized and include my sizes, colors, and even the links. #TypeAProblems

If you're struggling with what to get the blogger in your life, check out a few of the gifts I'm still raving about:

1. Blue Yeti USB Microphone
My mom got me this mic for my birthday and it's perfect for recording interviews, voiceovers, or podcasts. It was really easy to set up and I love that it plugs right into your laptop.
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I used this mic to record my interview on The Glow Up Podcast ​and Getrude Matshe's Podcast, and the sound quality is incredible. It's on sale on Amazon right now, so grab one of these before they run out!

If this sounds right up your alley, you can sign up here. Feel free to email me if you have any questions!
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3. Lap Desk
Whether you're a blogger, you work from home, or you're starting your own business, chances are you spend a lottttt of time on your laptop. 

My mom got me this Sofia & Sam lap desk for my birthday and I'm obsessed! The memory foam base is so comfy compared to some of the other lap desks I've used. There's even a component that slides out for a place to put a wireless mouse and your phone. 
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4. Gratitude notebooks
Has anyone else been doing #Last90Days with Rachel Hollis? This was my first year and it has really helped me focus on what's important by writing down what I'm grateful for every day. 

Our family friends gifted me these gratitude journals for my birthday and they're perfect for jotting down alllll the good things in your life. Grab one for you and a friend - they're a steal on Amazon!

​5. A puppy
Come on, every blogger wants a puppy... I call our dog, Duke, my assistant, but fair warning: he does sleep on the job a lot.

We adopted Duke from Blues City Animal Rescue in Tennessee, where he was rescued from a kill shelter. If you're serious about adopting your new best friend, take a look at their website!

The holidays are meant to be a time for celebration. 

College students taking a break after finals, parents enjoying a full home again, professionals sharing their accomplishments, and siblings back to fighting over the best spot on the couch.

But for some people, the holidays aren't all things merry and bright. Although they may be surrounded by family and friends, all they can see is an empty seat at the table.

If you've lost someone in your family, especially if you've lost them recently, the holidays can be an incredibly painful reminder of the people who are no longer here to celebrate with you. 

Sometimes, it may even feel like a betrayal to celebrate such a special time of year when there are people who are missing. But this year, let's change our perspective.
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2018 has flown by for me - I can't believe it's almost the holidays already! My family has a few holiday traditions, but one of them is really special.

Every year on December 23rd, the night before Christmas Eve, we pick a restaurant and go out to dinner. The catch? No matter how good or bad our service is, we give our server a 100 percent tip.

Yep, you read that right. 100%. So if our dinner comes out to $50, we pay $100 - $50 for our meal and $50 to tip our server.

A big part of the excitement is that our server has no clue the holiday gift we're planning to leave for them. As kids, we used to drop hints when they would come by to check on our table. "We have a BIG surprise for you," we'd say between giggles. I'm sure they thought we stuck gum under the table, so this probably was a pleasant surprise.

It was important to my mom that our good deed had one single rule: We must tip 100% regardless of the quality of service we receive.

Over the years, we've been to many different restaurants to celebrate the holiday tradition, but there's one I will never forget.

I sat down at the table across from my mom and sister, the three of us were already grinning as the waiter introduced himself.

A few minutes later, he headed back over with waters for us while we read over the menu. Except, we never got a chance to drink them.

To this day, we're still not sure exactly what happened. Maybe he tripped, maybe the floor was slippery, maybe it was divine intervention. But on 100% tip night, our waiter dropped an entire tray of ice waters directly into my lap. 

Yep, you read that right. He dropped the tray directly into my lap, which spilled cold water allllll over me. Let's not forget that this was also in late-December! Needless to say, I was furious. I wanted to go home. I'm cold, I'm cranky, I'm not even hungry anymore. And there's no way in hell this guy is getting a good tip after that.

My sister started to reach for her jacket when my mom finally spoke. "No, we're not leaving. It's 100 percent tip night." 

I was stunned. I couldn't believe she wanted to stay and eat dinner here, let alone tip the waiter at all. But, our tradition only has one rule. We must tip 100% regardless of the quality of service we receive.

In hindsight, I'm sure our waiter was just as shocked as I was that we left him such a nice tip. But our worst 100% tip night also left me with something: an important life lesson on gratitude. 

It's easy to be grateful for the things we have on the good days. It's easy to be grateful for the sunshine, for your Christmas gifts, for your new iPhone.

It's harder to be grateful for the things we have on the bad days. It's harder, after a waiter dumps ice water on ya, to be grateful for a meal with your family, that you have more clothes at home, that you can afford to give a 100% tip.

I think this is one of those lessons that we can't learn from a self-help book, life coach, or inspirational quote. It's one that we have to learn through action, and I'm grateful for that tray of ice waters for bringing me that a-ha moment.

One of our close family friends recently gave me this Gratitude Journal for my birthday and I use it every day! On the bad days, it's a perfect reminder of the things I still have to be grateful for. Things like clean drinking water, an incredible support system, a bed, a working car, money to buy gifts for the ones I love.

After all, isn't that what the holidays are really about? Being grateful for another year spent with the people who mean the most to us, while spreading a little joy a long the way.