Looking Back on 2016

It is only fitting with today being New Years Eve to look back on this past year. It has been up of ups and downs, but luckily for me it contains mostly ups. I applied to college, survived junior year, and had a great with my family and friends. I went on several trips that took me to the city and to the beach. Here are some of my favorite moments from 2016....

Boston // Over spring break I got to go to Boston. I spent the beginning of the year planning for the trip and it may have been my favorite part of the year. It was so fun to see family and spend time in the city. Boston is definitely my favorite city to be in. 

College Tours // I also spent a large part of my spring touring colleges. I toured 5 in total: Tufts (in above picture), Boston College, Northeastern, Northwestern, and UChicago. I really liked most of them and ended up applying to 4 of them. 

Florida // Going to Florida is always so relaxing. Since we go the same place every year, it always feels like home. I love the beach and the sun. Going in the begining of the summer was a great way to kick off summer break. 

Door County // I probably used too much gas going to Door County too many times but oh well. It is really my favorite place to be in the world. It is relaxing and full of memories. I got to spend time their with a variety of people. Thanks to Door County, I was never home on my days off of work. 

 Chicago // This year was the first time I could ever go on a trip with just my mom and it was so nice. We went to Chicago and shopped all day. It was great to have time with just her. Chicago was such a fun trip and I hope to do it again before college. 

 Senior Year  // As much as I am not someone who loves high school, the start of senior year has sure been fun. I have been able to spend time with so many of my friends. We have had brunches and dinners together and have spent more time together than before. 

 College Tours (again) // Instead of touring colleges this fall with my parents, I went and stayed with some friends at Marquette and  UW Madison It was totally different, but so much fun. It made me realized how close I am to going to college and I am so excited. 

 Family // This year it felt like I spent a lot more time enjoying being with my family than before. I was able to do a lot of special things with them such a trips and special lunches. I will miss them a lot next year, but I am so thankful for this past year. 

2016 was a pretty good year. I know that 2017 will be a year with a lot of change, the biggest of which is going to college. This upcoming year will be a year of lasts and a year of many firsts and I am so excited to see what will happen. Now on to 2017!

xoxo,

Maddie

Top 5 of Christmas

This was a busy week. Almost everything I did revolved around Christmas so I decided that instead of writing a Thursday Three post I would share my top five moments of Christmas. This was a great Christmas and I know I keep saying that so here are the top five of this past Christmas! 

1. I got to see almost all of my family this year. On Christmas Eve I saw my entire side of my dad's family and on the 26th I saw my mom's parents. It was great to see everyone when I normally see them only a couple times a year.

2. My friends and I did a secret Santa and it was a bunch of fun. We all meet up after Christmas to go out to dinner and exchange gifts. It was a fantastic time and it always reminds me of what great friends I have. 

3. I gave my mom a cape from Vineyard Vines (with help from Dad) and it was the highlight of opening presents. She had no idea that I would get her that! I love surprising people with their gift and I really did well with hers. 

4. I got a parka for Christmas and I am so excited about it! My parents had been keeping it a secret for over half the year. They were so happy to give it to me since I had been really wanting one. It is probably the gift I will use more than anything else. 

5. On the 23rd I was planning on helping my grandma bake for Christmas Eve and wrap presents. I went to her house and went out to lunch together. It ended up snowing a ton so I had to leave without doing anything. I love spending time with her and it was probably my favorite part of this break.

Have a great week!

xoxo,

Maddie

What I Got for Christmas

| Pullover Sweater | Socks | Flannel | Vest | Shampoo | Mug | Coat | Travel Mug | 

     The main reason I like giving and getting gifts during Christmastime is because it is a great way for people to show their appreciation for others. I really love getting gifts because I love seeing what other people think I would like. This is true especially for my siblings and my Aunts. 

     One of my favorite gifts this year was the parka. My parents had always told me that I would get one once I decided of where I am going to college. After visiting UW Madison this fall, I knew that I would definitely need one. I wasn't expecting to get a parka, but I am so excited that I did! My other favorite gift would be the vest. I have been wanting a vest from J Crew for so long and I finally got one! I would say the sweetest gift that I got was from my brother and he got me the shampoo. This was one of the first years he tried to get me something I liked. I am so excited to use it since I had been wanting nice shampoo, but I forgot to ask for it!

    This Christmas was such a great year in terms of giving gifts. I manged to surprise everyone and it seemed like they all liked their gifts. Christmas this year was a great one, and I hope you had a good one too!

Happy Holidays!

xoxo,

Maddie

Christmas Eve Outfit

| Shirt (similar) | Skirt (similar) | Boots | Earrings |

    My family hasn't dressed up for holidays since I was a little girl wearing a puffy dress. Even though there is no need to figure out what would look nice, I can't help myself from doing so! This outfit is probably what I would wear. I love the plaid and it looks pretty good with the black skirt. The skirt I got a while ago from Top Shop, but I have have never worn it. I forgot that in the summer I would never wear black, but in the winter my family doesn't go out nearly as much. Overall, this outfit is great because it so pretty comfortable, but still looks classy for being with family. 

     This year for Christmas Eve, my family is going over to my grandparents and everyone will be watching the Packer game. It's going to be like a big, fancy tailgate, but indoors and with better food. This is always my favorite part of the holidays and I cannot wait to enjoy it!

Happy Christmas Eve!

xoxo,

Maddie

Thursday Three

This week was a pretty good one. There was a snowstorm, an almost cancelled day of school since it was so cold, a relaxing weekend and a bunch of excitement for Christmas. This week of school has been dragging along, but at least today is the last day before break! Here is what happened this week:

|1|

From Friday to Saturday there was a pretty big snow storm. We got about 9 inches of snow. I love taking walks after snow storms since it is so pretty and peaceful outside. The only disappointment about this storm is that I would have had a snow day if it occurred on a school night.

|2|

The decorations around my house make me so happy. I love sitting by the tree and be reading a book or doing homework. It is so pretty and it looks even better with all of the gifts around it. I have been reading a book that contains of bunch of short Christmas stories and it is super cute. This is the perfect way to end a day. 

|3|

This past weekend was really cold. It never got over zero degrees for a couple of days. I found that on those days my camp socks and sitting by the fire was the way to keep warm. Sitting by the fire is something I really enjoy, whether it is a bonfire or in the fire place, they all are amazing! 

Have a great Christmas weekend!

xoxo,

Maddie

The Best Christmas Movies

| The Bishop's Wife | It's a Wonderful Life | Miracle on 34th Street | Elf | A Year Without a Santa Claus |

Christmas break is right around the corner. I always try to watch as many Christmas movies as I can that week. My all time favorite one is The Bishop's Wife. It is such a great story, and let's be real, Cary Grant was pretty good looking. As much as the old Christmas movies will always be my favorite, there are a couple newer ones I like as well. Elf is always amusing, and The Year Without a Santa Claus has some of the funniest songs. Christmas movies are a great way to spend some quality time with friends and family! 

What is your favorite Holiday movie?

xoxo,

Maddie

Snow Day

| Shirt | Vest (similar) | Leggings | Socks (similar)| Boots |

     This past week has been crazy in regards to the weather. Earlier on, the wind chill was around -20 for  the week. Now this weekend there is a snow storm, and we are supposed to get almost a foot of snow! 

     The need to wear warm clothes this week has been evident. I loved being able to wear my LL Bean flannel. It is so much warmer than any other brand I have tried. Honestly, LL Bean has been killing it.  my bean boots have been my go to shoe now that there is snow on the ground, and it is socially acceptable to wear winter boots on a daily basis. Pretty much, if you need any thing for colder weather, LL Bean is the place to shop. 

Stay Warm!

xoxo,

Maddie