Monday, December 21, 2015

Christmas Eve PJs

Prepping for a cozy winter morning!


My handsome pup wanted in on the fun

Lounging in my favorite flannel PJs from VS! with my fav Starbucks mug :)




Christmas is right around the corner!! Is it just me, or did the weeks leading up to Christmas FLY by?? We can be very busy this time of year (I know I have been!), but I hope y'all have had a chance to slow down and just enjoy it all! 

With Christmas Eve just days away, let's talk about those cute PJs everyone wants to wear! A lot of families have traditions where they all get matching Christmas PJs on Christmas Eve to wear that night and Christmas morning! I love this, so I have rounded up some of my favorite Christmas-y PJs for you to run out and snag if you haven't already as you make the final preparations for CHRISTMAS! Seriously, I feel like we just celebrated Halloween...


Nordstrom PJ Salvage Thermal Knit Lounge Pants in Fuchsia Snowmen

Nordstrom PJ Salvage Thermal PJs

J. Crew Marled Camp Socks - 30% off
(need warm socks to go with the PJs)

J. Crew Fair Isle Leggings - 40% off



Gap Printed cotton leggings in snowflake holly berry


Target Nick and Nora in Winter Snowglobe - on sale!

Target Holiday PJ

Victoria's Secret Fireside Long Jane in Grey Fair Isle - on sale!

Victoria's Secret Dreamer Flannel PJ (what I'm wearing!)

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Christmas Gift Ideas

We are less than 2 weeks away from Christmas! Have you finished your Christmas shopping? Just now starting? No worries! There are TONS of great gift ideas out there, and if you follow a lot of blogs, everyone has their own version of a gift guide for everyone on your list!

One thing that pops up around Christmas that makes gift giving easier are gift sets! I think these take the guess work out of trying to find the perfect gift and they're a lot of fun! The packaging is great and often times various brands have "limited edition" sets that are only available this time of year! 

Here are some that I personally love (to give or receive!):

C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve Lip Balm Trio


Burt's Bees Holiday Gift Set - Tips and Toes

Drybar 'Escape Plan' Travel Set

Hanky Panky Original Rise Thong (3-pack)

Jo Malone Cologne Collection

Laura Mercier 'Little Indulgences' Hand and Creme Collection
L'Occitane 'Beautiful Hands'
Fresh 'Skincare Starters' set
philosophy 'candy cane' duo 

Volupsa 'Maison Holiday' Petite Decorative Candle Set 
Kiehl's 'Nourishing Essentials' set
 


What are you favorite go-to gifts?


Sunday, December 6, 2015

Christmas fun!

As I have mentioned before (and will continue to!) Christmas is my favorite. All of it, everything about it! The hubs (who loves Christmas as much as I do) and I wanted to host some of our family and have a fun Christmas get together with food and then going to see the Lights Before Christmas at the Riverbank Zoo. So, yesterday my parents came down and we did just that!

A yummy display of food!

We had so much fun, and it's always great to get to spend time with my parents. My dad and Jeffrey are like two peas in a pod trading jokes, and Aspen tried to play with Mia, my parents' 11 year-old Cavalier who could care less about anyone other than my mom, let alone a rambunctious puppy!


I made lots of finger food appetizers and desserts with a fun Christmas-y punch and stovetop hot chocolate to finish the night off! (Recipes and links at end)

Ham and Cheese Party Roll-ups
Mini Chicken and Waffles
Bacon-wrapped Lil' Smokies
Peppermint Marshmallows
Candy Cane Oreo Brownies


Posing by the giant Christmas tree at the Zoo

My adorable parents!
Here is a compilation of all of the recipes for the food, desserts, and drinks:

Savories
Bacon-wrapped Lil' Smokies (with a delicious brown sugar glaze! Sure to be a crowd pleaser)
Hot Ham & Cheese Roll-ups (my Dad's favorite)
Mini Chicken and Waffles - so simple! Just Mini Eggo waffles with a Chick-fil-A nugget sandwiched between with a toothpick! Serve with a drizzle of Maple Syrup.

Sweets
Puppy Chow
Gingerbread cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting - recipe from The Cupcake Diaries by the girls of Georgetown Cupcake! This cookbook started my cupcake craze!
Candy Cane Oreo Brownies (I couldn't find the candy cane type Oreos but the Mint ones worked perfectly!)
Pretzel "Kisses"(Linked recipe used Hugs, but again, couldn't find so Kisses it was!)

Drinks
Cranberry Punch
Stovetop Hot Chocolate (so fast and east and makes the perfect cup of hot chocolate)
Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows (a show-stopper for sure)



Christmas Tree Farm



I LOVE Christmas! It is my favorite time of the year and by far my favorite season. The lights, the decorations, the music, the yummy food! And let's not forget the reason we celebrate Christmas, or at least why I as a Christian celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus!

Growing up we always had a real tree that we decorated, never a fake one. Whether or not we went to the local tree farm, drove to the mountains of NC to get an authentic Frasier Fir or popped by the Piggly Wiggly to buy a pre-cut one, we always had a real, live Christmas tree. Now that I'm married and on my own, I want to continue the tradition! 

Last year at Penland

Jeffrey cutting down last year's tree!

Last year the hubs and I (fiancĂ© at the time) went to Penland Tree Farm in York, SC and had a great time! Free hot chocolate and rows and rows of beautiful trees! This year we went to one in Gilbert, SC now that we are living in Columbia. Hollow Creek Tree Farm
was a great little Christmas tree farm right outside of town. We brought Aspen and he had so much fun! He loved walking through the rows of trees and meeting everyone at the farm! So. Many. Belly. Rubs. 

If you ever get a chance, go visit your local Christmas Tree farm. There are so many beautiful varieties and there's something special about cutting down your own tree! South Carolina alone has more than a dozen tree farms! Go here to see where there is one nearest your home. 

My husband and I want to (and have!) start a tradition where we go to a tree farm the weekend after Thanksgiving to pick out our Christmas tree and then get started on the decorations at home! No better way to kick of the season :)

Aspen helping cut the tree down!

Getting so much attention
Family pic :)


Do you prefer a real or fake Christmas tree? Where is your favorite place to get a tree?