Kendra's Kampfire

Friday, November 6, 2015

Friday Favorites

We maaaaaade it!! Happy First Friday of November friends! Today I am linking up with Narci, Andrea, and Erika for Friday Favorites!

You know it is officially Holiday Season when…wait for it…STARBUCKS RED CUPS ARE BAAAAACK! And friends, this girl is going to indulge in all those festive holiday drinks as much as I can.

I mean seriously, not many things make this lady grin like that at 7am. But Starbucks Red Cups can.

It got down in the 50's this week, and friends I am rejoicing! You know what that means…Boots and Scarves and Boots and Scarves! I am loving bundling up with my cozy scarves and strutting around in my boots. Fall weather makes this girl a happy camper.

Scarf

Cozy tunic highlighted by Sheaffer the other day!

Blanket Scarf

I am absolutely in love with this scarf! It is so cozy and warm, and just makes me feel as if I'm embracing this holiday season.

Something that makes me very happy is when my kids earn some free time and we go out on the playground and get to just play. It's great that they get to let off some steam and run around, and I love being able to engage in that with them. It's so funny, all over the play structure I hear "Mrs. P!" "Mrs. P! Look what I can do!" "No look what I can do!" Even though it's exhausting running around watching them do their tricks, it warms my heart that they want to show me what they're up to. Those kids just warm my heart.

I did a post yesterday on prayer. Inspired by Shay's post on something similar, I wanted to create a page where those who need prayer could post their prayer requests so I could pray for them. I have a few people close to me that I've really been praying for this week, so I wanted to extend that to my blogging family as well. So if you need prayer, please visit my post and comment your prayer request and I would love to pray for you!

Sunday Morning, 1 day after Halloween, this girl started listening to my very.favorite.pandora.station.ever.

Need I say more? This needs no introduction.

Tuesdays I have a prep period while the kiddos are in computers, so I got some work done, with Michael Buble Holiday on Pandora. This makes for a happy Mrs. P.

The hubs and I are taking our Holiday Card photos this weekend and I am so excited! First holiday season as a married couple?! I still can't believe it. We are going to try to recreate one of these adorable ideas…any guesses on which one?!

Can you tell this girl is excited for the Holidays?! Be prepared for many more of these Holiday themed posts in the future…but I have a feeling I'm not alone in this…

Happy Friday friends! Have a fantastic weekend!

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Prayer Warriors

Kendra Petrellese 4:00 AM 0 Comments

So let me tell you. I love blogging. I love all of the wonderful things that come from blogging everyday. I love being able to look back at our life through old posts. I love being able to connect with other bloggers and learn from them. And most of all, I love the supportive blogging community and all of the amazing ways it has enriched my life.

So that brings me to todays post. One of the most inspiring things I have encountered through blogging is the power of prayer. Throughout life we all go through tough times, and sometimes we just need a little extra help. Let's face it, that's life, it's inevitable. But we can get through anything with prayer.

I'm really trying to actively pray more for others and I want to pray for you too. I know there are a lot of people who are angry. I know there are a lot of people who are hurting. I know there are a lot of people who are lonely, or stressed, or confused. I want to pray for you. I want to pray for all of you. I want to pray over all of you who are struggling, and I invite you to do it with me.

If you are struggling with anything, big or small, please let me pray for you. Please post your prayer requests below and I promise I will pray over you every day this month. And for those of you who are Christ lovers and love to pray for others, please join in and pray for those who post below. Sometimes we may not know how to pray for ourselves or how to put it into words, that's the beauty of having others put your prayer into their own words. The power of prayer is such a wondrous thing, and I know that it can give root to some amazing miracles.

So friends, please post any prayer requests you may have, and I am so happy to pray for you. I pray that we can use this community as a safe place for encouragement, inspiration, support, and will pray continuously to lift others up. So friends, lets all pray together and see God's amazing work.

PS If you aren't comfortable posting your prayer request below, please feel free to email me and I will gladly pray for you :)

kendrapetrellese@gmail.com

XOXO!

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

November Goals

Kendra Petrellese 3:00 AM 4 Comments

Hey ya'll! So today I'm sharing my November Goals with you! (Can you believe we're already into November?!) It blows my mind. But first, let's recap my October Goals!

1. Invite one family over for dinner

Check! We were finally able to have my aunt and uncle over and I made homemade chicken pot pie. It was so nice to have them come over for a couple hours-they only live 10 minutes away, that should really happen more often!

2. Carve Pumpkins

Check! We had the Juarez's and Nicole over and we carved pumpkins and ate some pumpkin pie. It was a great night! BUT! Yes, there is a but. Those dang pumpkins rotted in 4 days! Yes FOUR DAYS!! I knew that they wouldn't last until Halloween since we caved them a bit prematurely, but I was so bummed it only took 4 days for them to start to mold and cave in-gross. Alas, despite the rotten pumpkins, we were able to check this off our list!

Proof! Go Us!

3. Get all our wedding gifts put away

Ha. I was really ambitious with this goal. Let's just say those wedding gifts haven't been touched. I gotta get on that.

4. Print out wedding photos and hang in the house

Yeah, this didn't happen either. I really do want to get this done before the holidays, but we shall see!

5. Sort and Donate Clothes

This sort of got done. I didn't make a huge dent in our closets, but I was able to donate a few things which helped!

So 2.5 outta 5 ain't too shabby! Considering how busy we were, I'd call that a win!

Alright, on to November Goals!

So I know we have this little holiday in between Halloween and Christmas called Thanksgiving, but even so, this girl is currently listening to Christmas music while writing this post. I saw one of my friends post this and thought this was so spot on!

I mean, yes please!

1. Get all of my holiday shopping done

I know this is ambitious, especially considering we have 2 sets of families to buy for, but I really want to make this happen! December always seems to fly by so quickly, and I would hate to miss out on all of the Christmas cheer because I am braving the masses trying to get all the shopping done. I'd much rather have everything done by the end of November so I can spend December sipping Gingerbread Lattes and lounging in my Christmas PJS while I watch The Holiday.

2. Have our Holiday Cards in the mail

The hubs and I are taking photos for our first Holiday Card as a married couple (eeek!) this week and I want to have those printed, addressed and in the mail by the end of the month! I'll post a preview of our card sometime next week ;)

3. Start decorating the house for Christmas

Mike officially gave me the OK last night-you heard it hear people and will be my witness!-that I could officially start decorating the house for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving! Yes!!!!

4. Make more of an effort to work out

This has reeeeeally fallen by the wayside because we've been so busy. But I really need to get my butt back to the gym, or even just walk around the neighborhood so I get some exercise. But let's be real, running around after 4th graders all day burns calories, doesn't it?!

5. Just Enjoy this Season

These next 2 months are my absolute favorite, and I always feel like they go by so quickly. But I really want to just enjoy this time and savor all I can. And that includes realizing how blessed I am and to continually give thanks!

So that's it! I'd love to hear if you set goals for yourself, and if so, what are your November Goals?! I would love to cheer you on and encourage you to get after it!

Happy November!

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Tasty Tuesday

Kendra Petrellese 7:22 AM 4 Comments

Happy Tuesday Friends! I hope ya'll survived Monday! This girl was dragging her feet a bit, and if were that way too, I have the perfect pick me up! Does Cream Cheese Brownies strike your taste bud fancy? If you are in as desperate need of a sugar high as I am right now, then fear no more! Check out this awesome recipe!

Shopping List:

Cream Cheese Layer:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

5 tbsp butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp vanilla

Brownie Layer:

1 box brownie mix

1 egg

1/3 to 1/2 cup water, depending on your brownie mix

1/3 cup vegetable oil

12 oz bag chocolate chips (I used mini)

Cream Cheese Layer:

Mix cream cheese and butter with electric mixer. Add sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla. Set aside

Brownie Layer:

Mix brownie mix, egg, water, oil. Stir in the chocolate chips. The dough will be thick.

Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Spread half of the cream cheese mixture in the bottom of the pan. Spread out to cover the pan. Then spread half of the brownie mixture over the top of the cream cheese mixture-cover the surface best you can.

Pour and spread remaining cream cheese mixture over top of brownie layer, and then remaining brownie mixture.

Using a wooden spoon or knife, swirl through all the layers. Don't overdo it, but make sure you swirl the batter in 2 or 3 inch swirls throughout the pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 42 minutes. Test center with a toothpick.

Serve and enjoy! I made this for our Spooktacular Halloween Dinner, and I think they were a hit! Something oozy, gooey and chocolately, need I say more?

Have a great day!

Monday, November 2, 2015

Weekend Shenanigans

Kendra Petrellese 7:12 AM 6 Comments

How is it Monday already?! Is it just me or did this weekend just totally fly by? I swear, time just seems to be ticking away quicker and quicker and I wish it would slow down! This weekend was filled with so much fun-it was just what a Halloween weekend should be!

On Friday, all the kiddos wore their costumes to school and it was so much fun! I swear, these kids are so creative when it comes to their costumes, I was blown away by how much effort they put into it, it was awesome! (Side-note, I would totally post all of the photos I paparazzied of them, but I can't because of student confidentiality issues, doh!) The last half hour of school we had a parade around the block and families were dispersed around the campus to snap photos of everyone, it was a total blast!

Did you know Batman was in my class?!

Some of those masks scare the heck outta me!

I love my teaching team!

On our parade route!

Now that we're old and married, we wanted to take it easy this Halloween. Our house is right in the middle of a HUGE hill, and we don't usually have many trick or treaters, so we decided to go over to our friends house for dinner and to pass out candy. And folks, my friend Luciana can host a dinner party. She set such an awesome, spooktacular, if you will, table and made such an awesome dinner for us! We had so much fun eating dinner and passing out candy to the trick or treaters!

I mean, how awesome is that table setting?!

Perfect Halloween creepiness

Spider Deviled Eggs, how perfect!

She had crows on the men's plates and owls on ours :)

Pumpkin Curry Deviled Eggs, I mean this girl is on point

And what's Halloween night without a scary movie, am I right?! And Luciana's fiancé knew just what movie would ~~scare the beejeezus outta me~~ be a fun one! So completely putting my trust in him, I let him choose, and folks, I don't think I've ever been so tense during a movie. Let's just say I didn't get much sleep on Saturday night-thank goodness for Daylight Savings that gave me a little more extra sleep! But it was such a fun night, a quintessential Halloween!

The two kitty cats

Sunday the hubs tailgated the Raider Game and I had a jewelry show for one of my girls, which was the perfect way to round out the weekend! A weekend filled with lots of good company, just as a weekend should be!

Tell me, what were you up to this weekend?! Hope ya'll had a Happy Halloween! Now it is officially Christmas season-Game On. I may or may not have started listening to Michael Buble Christmas Pandora…

Have a fantastic week!

Friday, October 30, 2015

Friday Favorites

Kendra Petrellese 6:52 AM 6 Comments

Whew. We made it! I don't know about you, but I was even MORE excited for Friday this week (if that's even possible), so I am so glad it is finally here! Today I'm linking up with Narci, Andrea and Erika to share our Friday Favorites!

I am a sucker for Fall and Winter Fashion, and when I say sucker, I mean I pretty much buy anything that Shaeffer highlights on her blog. Whoopsie. Hey, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do to stay warm and look cute doing it. Amiright?

So my new Fall and Winter staples are definitely my favorite.

Scarf // Shirt // Jacket // Booties

Tunic // Booties // Necklace

This next favorite deserves its own spotlight…Friends, I give to you…the Baby Blardigan…I'll give you a second to let that soak in…Yes, if you told me it was at all possible to come out with an article of clothing that this chica loves more than the original blardigan, I would have told you that you've had one too many pumpkin spice lattes…But alas, IT'S TRUE!

Nordstrom has truly outdone themselves. They have created a sweater that is just as cozy, just as comfy as the original, but is even more functional because it is a bit shorter, and get this…wait for it…IT HAS POCKETS. So if you haven't invested in this yet, go, run, shop online like you've never shopped before!! This is one Winter staple that is a must for your closet! And I know that some of you might die a little inside when you see the price, but trust me, if you are going to spoil yourself at all this holiday season, let it be with the blardigan. #yourhusbandwillunderstand

See the pockets?! I die

So yes, I will admit that I am a tad obsessed with this cozy sweater of wonderfulness, but trust me, once you have this wrapped around your body, you will be too. I mean, who has ever turned down an opportunity to pretty much wear a blanket out in public and have it be socially acceptable? #notthisgirl

Mike usually falls asleep before me, I'm a night owl, what can I say. So as I was getting ready to put down my book for the night, I looked over and saw this:

I mean, is that not the cutest thing you've ever seen? Yep, that is my hubby and my puppy, cozily cuddled up in bed with each other. And yes, we let our Bubs sleep in bed with us…and I am not ashamed! He was a rescue, is super tiny, and is just the best cuddler, so it is almost impossible for me to deny that little nugget of snuggle time. I'm in trouble once we have kids…

What's Up Wednesday with Mel, Shay and Sheaffer was my first Link Up ever, and it was an absolute BLAST!! I loved being able to really connect with other bloggers out there, and chatting with some of them honestly made my day! Everyone has been so supportive and sweet, and it was really so much fun for me to chat with some super fun ladies! So Linking Up with such awesome ladies this week was my favorite, and I'm so excited to continue to do it in the future!

In the spirit of Halloween, I'm sharing my very favorite Halloween Movie ever. I mean, it's a classic. It needs no introduction.

This movie brings me back to my childhood, and I have no doubt that I will be showing it to my kids in future Octobers to come.

So with that my friends, I bid you farewell. I hope you have a FANTASTIC Halloween with your families, stay safe and have some fun! Can't wait to see all those adorable photos next week!!

Happy Friday Friends!

# Friday Favorites

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Boy Meets Girl

Kendra Petrellese 6:57 AM 6 Comments

So I just realized something. I realize I talk about my hubby all of the time, but I haven't told the story of how we met. So because this is the season where our relationship began to grow into something serious, I thought it would be the perfect time to tell it! (Plus, who doesn't love a good love story on a dreary Fall day?!) So with that, I give you the tale on how the Petrellese's came to be…

It was the 4th of July and the smell of BBQ hot dogs filled the air. My dad and I were driving to the Delta to meet up with our old family friends that we hadn't seen in 10 years.

*Side-note: Growing up, my family use to go camping multiple times a summer. We usually took a weeklong trip with a bunch of weekend trips sprinkled in, and we always went with the Roque Family. They had two boys, one who is a year older than me, and one a year younger than me and a year older than my brother, so we were all very close in age. There isn't one camping trip I have taken that doesn't involve them*

So my Dad and I show up and it is like those 10 years of not seeing each other never happened, we fell right into where things left off which was pretty cool. It was going to be a great day on the water with old friends! (Matt, the youngest brother brought along his girlfriend, and Justin, the older brother brought along his best friend…can you see where this is going to go?) So we spent the day bbqing, wake boarding, and just enjoying each others company. But that was it, no sparks flew, it was just a perfect day spent on the water.

Fast forward a month and that's where the real story starts. We had all decided to take a camping trip, so after packing up the trucks with tents and firewood, we were off! There is something so refreshing about being out in the wilderness, unplugged from the cell phones and distractions of every day life, it really gives you the chance to spend quality time with the people you're with, and that is such a beautiful thing. So there we were, up in the forest for 4 days, no cell phones, no computers, just boats, bbqs, and campfires.

Over the course of the next couple days, we really got to know each other deep down in our cores. Despite me being sunburned, my hair a hot frizzy mess, and not an ounce of makeup on, Mike really got to know me for who I was on the inside, no questions asked.

The turning point really came on our second night there. There was a meteor shower going on that night, so our group decided to go down to the docks by the lake and watch it. The rest of our group wanted to drive the truck down, but Mike and I opted to walk as it was warm enough to head down in shorts and tank tops. On that walk down to the lake, we went straight for the deep stuff, relationships, career, family. There were no questions, no topic off limits, and even though I had just met him, I felt as if I had known him for years. I felt incredibly safe around him, that I could tell him anything, and he just made me feel completely like myself, which is something I had been missing with the other guys I had been dating.

Once we got down to the docks, we laid down on our backs, and looked up at the sky, and it was full of stars and meteors that looked like shooting stars. I mean, come on, how can you not fall in love with a setting like that?! That moment in time made me feel as if this was the start of something much greater than myself, and it was such a comforting feeling.

He's the hunk in the black with no hat :)

After that camping trip ended, we went back to the craziness of our busy lives (I was working at a hotel as an event planner and he was heading up a huge shut down at his refinery) and didn't talk for a few days. Then I got a text from him asking me on a date…And while I was really excited, I was also a bit skeptical…You see….He had been in a long term relationship that had just recently ended. And while I knew in my heart how strong our connection was, I really didn't want to turn out to be that rebound girl. So I kept giving him the brush off, telling him he needed time to himself to really make sure I was what he wanted…basically was trying to ignore him so I wouldn't get hurt, because of how deep my feelings were, I knew how easily that could happen.

But folks, this man was relentless. And when I say relentless, that is really a nice way of saying HE WOULDN'T LEAVE ME ALONE! It finally got to the point that he wore me down so much, I said yes just so he would get off my back about it. And friends, it was the best thing I've ever said yes to (apart from his marriage proposal). We went on one date, (which was amazing and is definitely worthy of its own post), and the rest is history.

One camping trip changed my life. And I am so grateful for the way we met. I know in my heart of hearts that he fell for who I was on the inside, no gimmicks of my hair, or outfits, or makeup, he got to know the real me, and that created such a solid foundation that I don't think we would have had otherwise.