Meet the Shaneyfelts

Archives for November 2014

Five on Friday

This is post is just a little late…….oops!  It’s been a busy day!

1. I came home Tuesday afternoon to a wedding package from my wonderful college minister!  She had such a great influence on my college years and because of that, she knows me so well!
(apron from Anthropologie)

2. I did LOTS of cooking for our multiple Thanksgivings that we attended (and wore my new apron!).  This is the Diabetic Pecan Pie that I made.  Dustin said it tasted great, but I didn’t think so 🙁

3. I got up early this morning and shopped by myself for 5.5 hours and only bought myself two very small items!! (They were needs and on sale….can’t pass that up!)  I did, however, go into Anthropologie while they had their big Black Friday sale and not buy myself one single item.  That was huge for me because I saw about a million things that I really, really need!  (hint hint Dust!!)

4. I also played a round of disc golf with my dad after I finished shopping!  I realized I’m a little rusty with my disc throwing, so I’ll need to keep practicing before any sponsors start calling me ha!

5. Tomorrow is a BIG day in Alabama–the IRON BOWL!!!  I went to college at Alabama, but I’ve been a fan since birth!  The game is being played in Tuscaloosa, and we’re having a few people over to eat and watch the game.  I’m thinking of cooking this.

 I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!!!

Christmas Gift Ideas

I asked a few of my friends and family members for gift suggestions for this Christmas.  If you’re anything like me, you have a hard time thinking of things that you want or thinking of special gifts for loved ones.  Below are the gift ideas that everyone came up with, and I can’t wait to share them with you!



1. I think this “special dates” print from cbrannendesign on etsy is a sweet, sentimental, and unique gift. I got this for my mom and and mother-in-law for Christmas. It has the birthday of both spouses, their wedding date, and the birthdays of all of their children, listed chronologically in beautiful calligraphy. At the bottom it says, “What a difference a day makes!” You can also choose from a variety of paper and ink colors, and they are very affordable! Once they’re placed in a beautiful frame, they will make the perfect Christmas gift, especially for a mom or grandmother!  (from Sarah Rice)

2. If I could choose one item I really would love to get this year, it would have to be the Erin Condren Life Planner. As chaotic as life is, I like to have an organized schedule of my day to day activities. Not only can you personalize each and every page, it is also customizable to your entire family! This bright, fun and personalized life planner would be a great tool to have to help keep you and you family organized.  (from Kristi Long)

3. I love anything to do with Bath and Body Works. From the 3 wick candles and wallflower scents, to the signature body cream and aromatherapy collection, I feel like anything from Bath and Body Works is a perfect gift to give because everyone loves being pampered! Another reason it’s great to give is because there is always a good deal going on! They also give out coupons in your bag once you purchase and even email coupons and daily/weekly deals (plus you can google online coupons and find free shipping, $10 off, etc). You can only use one coupon per purchase, so make small purchases! You can always come back for more later. Gift certificates, lotions, candles, and soap, all are perfect to give this holiday season!  (from Rachel Howard)

4. Some years money is tight for gifts so one of my favorite things to do is make a huge batch of hot chocolate mix, buy a simple coffee mug, and a $5.00 movie. Get a cute little goodie bag and fill it with the hot chocolate mix. Put it in the mug along with the movie and put a bow on it. It’s easy, budget friendly, and who doesn’t love hot chocolate! (from Lela Tyler)

5. Okay, I guess as I get older, my list gets shorter and the things I want cannot be bought.  Sound familiar?  I read this the other day and someone hit the nail on the head.  After living half a century (sounds old, doesn’t it?), I have realized that “things” bought with money either get lost, go out of style, or after you get it, you realize you didn’t really want it that bad.  I can go on and on and on. 


Last night, I sat down to read my favorite Southern Living.  I can across the story “Giving Presence.”  In it, there was a story of a mother who stopped giving presents that could be wrapped.  BINGO!!!!!  Guess what?  I’m going to suggest to my family that we do the same. They can choose an experience for their single Christmas present. This could be a concert, a road trip–anything that can’t be tied up with a bow.

Last Christmas, I gave both of my daughters a “Book of Advice,” that I have written things I thought they should know.  There are tips, recipes, and advice from raising babies to taking food to folks when they are sick or if there is a death in a family.  They will be around a lot longer than me, so I wanted them to know I’d be giving them advice long after I’m gone.  What a better way to always be in someone’s heart.  I still have these books and will give them back to them at Christmas this year.  As I think of stuff to write in their book, I will take a mini-vacation to their house and write away!  I may even require them to bring them back home once a month when we have a cooking lesson on some item I think they need to know how to prepare.  This will be our Girls Night Out!  (from Barb Helton)

6.  I’ve been wanting an activity wristband for a long time now, but I could never commit to one.  I’ve researched everything that’s out there and compared them all–from the Fitbit, to the Jawbone UP, to the Nike wristband.  None of them had exactly everything that I wanted. I think it would be neat to keep count of all of my steps throughout the day, but what about if I did an exercise class or did the elliptical one night?  Fitbit recently announced a new wristband:  Fitbit Charge HR.  Not only does this band keep track of your daily steps, but it also tracks other activities, heart rate, has a GPS for running, and a caller ID and watch.  Even though this won’t be out in time for a Christmas present, it will be released in January 2015, so it could be bought with Christmas money!  I can’t wait to get mine!

Hopefully you were able to find a helpful gift idea for this Christmas season!

A Few Thanksgiving Recipes

This Thanksgiving will be our FIRST married holiday!  I am beyond excited only because we don’t have to worry about meeting up to ride together or both of us leaving to go to our separate homes.  This year we’re both going back to the same home!!!!!  And this year I’ll be  legitimately cooking and responsible for bringing food to family gatherings.  We have 4 (yes, FOUR!!!) Thanksgivings to attend starting Thanksgiving Eve night to Thanksgiving night.  We are going to be so stuffed!!!

I’ve been Pinteresting like crazy since we got married, and I have a few boards just for food.  I’ll be making some of the “regular” Thanksgiving food and trying out a new Pinterest recipe…..or two.  I’ve listed some of the things I’ll be making this year and taking to family functions!

1. Deviled Eggs–You can’t ever go wrong with deviled eggs!  These are such a southern staple that I’ll have to make a couple dozen!

(Source: SouthernLiving.com)

2. Diabetic Pecan Pie–My husband LOVES pecan pie, and I want him to be able to eat one without over doing it on his sugar.  I actually made this last year, and I think he only had one piece while everyone else ate the rest!  It’s pretty good for sugar free!!

3. Crockpot Mac and Cheese–This is a total Pinterest recipe!!!  I’ll be trying it out for the first time for Thanksgiving–hope it works!  I’ve pinned two different recipes for this, but the link is the one I’ve decided to make.  I’ll let y’all know how it goes!  Eeek!!

(Source: Pinterest)

4. Jiffy Corn Casserole–This is a fantastic recipe that is tried and true!  So, so easy and I actually think you can substitute non-fat plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream.  I won’t be doing this for Thanksgiving, but if I were to make it for us for supper one night, I would definitely substitute that along with a few other things.