We are in the home stretch for holiday preparations (I need to start wrapping gifts!) and I thought it would be the perfect time to share some easy ideas for a simple Christmas dinner! On Christmas Eve my family usually spends the afternoon at a family friends house for an annual party. When we arrive back home there is a short window to prep dinner, so I’m always thinking of creative ways to make items ahead of time and use some shortcuts to speed up the time in the kitchen. My friends at The Honey Baked Ham Company shared some of their delicious products with me, and I used them to design a tasty Christmas menu.
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We went to our first holiday party this weekend and it got me quite into the holiday spirit. I also enjoyed the festively stocked bar that was full of holiday spirits so I’m moving a little slower than usual today. But sitting by the fireplace, holiday tunes playing, while looking at my twinkly Christmas tree — that’s a pretty lovely place to be recovering from seasonal celebrations! Sharing a little holiday edition of my download — with entertaining and DIY ideas, stocking stuffers, some holiday looks, and a few books I’m reading now! 
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It’s barely the middle of December and we’ve already had two snowstorms, and I’ve been brainstorming fun ideas for Jane and I do together while we’re stuck inside. She is currently obsessed with snowman — we’ve built a real one with this fun snowman set, she’s constantly wear her snowman sweatshirt, and since she just learned how to draw circles we’ve been drawing a lot of them too. So I thought we’d make a sweet snowman treat together for the holidays using fluffy white marshmallows!
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I have a pretty strong track record of being super organized around the holidays, especially when it comes to gift giving. Some years I’ve started a “gift idea” list on my phone as early as June. This year though, we’re doing a little bit less gift-giving with our family and instead focusing more on experiences, so my to-do-list looks a little bit different this time around. I’m still trying to keep everything in order though, marking things off the list one day at a time to make the most of the holiday season. My friends at AAA Northeast shared a fun, quick online quiz with me to help me find my holiday saving personality and use my #AAADiscounts to save this season as I tackle my holiday errands!
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One of my best memories as a kid at the holidays was heading to our family-friend’s house for their annual Christmas Eve party, and seeing at the back of the dining room a lavish display of cookies and sweets. They were set out on a buffet table on beautiful platters and tiered serving stands, and I would pluck one off the display every time I walked by it. By the end of the party I was so full of linzer tarts and rainbow cookies, it’s a miracle I didn’t get mistaken for Santa himself. I love the idea of these lush cookie displays, full of everyone’s favorite treats, but I just don’t have the stamina for that level of baking-commitment! My solution is a bit of a fake-it-til-you-make it take on the holiday cookie display, using some of my favorite Chinet®brand products!
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Tis the season for getting the house looking festive! I’ve rounded up some of my favorite holiday decor, tabletop, and entertaining pieces for the season — many of which you’ll see in my holiday content over the next few weeks! Scroll down for more, and don’t forget to check out my gift guide for her, for him, and for the kids!
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This kids gift guide is focused on the toddler-stage since that’s where we’re at right now with Jane. I included a few of our current favorites like the cutest rainbow colored pencils, an ice cream puzzle, a doggie matching game, and books like High Five and Cookies, an interactive cookie-making book. And on Jane’s wishlist this year is a “real” camera, a fun Peppa the Pig watch, and an umbrella — she’s a practical kid! My husband and I were thinking we would also get some old school board games like Connect 4 and Candy Land that are fun for the whole family! Scroll down for more, and don’t forget to check out my gift guide for her, for him, and for the home! read more
This is always an easy list to put together because it’s typically my very own wishlist, and a few of my tried and true favorites. My top gift recommendations are things that I own and love: the coziest pajamas, my favorite spice sets, the trendy hair dryer brush (it’s a game changer), and always a few good cookbooks (I love the new Half Baked Harvest Super Simple, and New England Invite makes a great gift too!). On my own wishlist, a new slim wallet from Dagne Dover, a monogramed travel jewelry case, and a fun sequin jacket to ring in the new year! Scroll down for more, and don’t forget to check out my gift guide for him, for kids, and for the home! read more
Men are SO hard to shop for, and I always feel like gift guides for “him” tend to be the most helpful ones I see this time of year. I polled my husband for some of his favorite things when I was working on this, like his cozy LL Bean pullover, a durable duffle bag, his yeti travel mug, and his smoker (which we all benefit from — yum!). I also included some practical items — bean boots and garment bags, fun ideas — like artisanal caramels, lawn games, and a few tech-faves — like speakers, AirPod cases, and a wireless grilling thermometer! Scroll down for more, and don’t forget to check out my gift guide for her, for kids, and for the home! read more
Please note: This post was created in collaboration with Chase Freedom Unlimited. All opinions, images and content are my own.
I have been working on my “be a better baker challenge” in collaboration with my friends at Chase Freedom Unlimited for several months now, and I’m winding down the official challenge but still baking away! This month I decided to tackle an apple pie, for a few reasons. First, I used my cash back credit card to stock up on the most beautiful, seasonal farm stand apples and I needed to make something with them! And second, apple pie is one of the few baked goods that I always felt really comfortable baking. It felt like the perfect time to come full circle, back to the basics, and see how far I’ve come over the past few months with a dish that’s tried and true.
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