Thoughtful and easy Christmas gift for teachers, neighbors, friends, etc.

My son has multiple preschool teachers and caregivers that I wanted to give a little gift for the holidays to show our appreciation.  I wanted to give something that is practical and useful but just a plain old gift card sometimes seems a little thoughtless to me.  But, at the end of the day, they are all working hard and sometimes a gift card so they can purchase exactly what they want is a nice gesture. 

This year, we got them a Starbuck's gift card (they have the cutest cards this year in the shape of ornaments!). 

In order to make the gift a little more thoughtful, I got these mugs from Anthropologie with their first initial, filled them with some sweet treats and affixed the gift card to the gift as the tag.  They were a big hit!

Tuesday Tip: Wrangling your Paperwhites

I love bulbs in the winter.  It's fresh flowers for your house in the cold months that will last much longer than cut flowers.  Paperwhites and amaryllis are the two most popular that you will find.  I love the scent of paperwhites.  I also love watching them grow because it happens pretty quickly.  This year the kids have had so much fun watching the green stems come out of the bulbs and get higher and higher each morning when they wake up.  Paperwhites are also neat because you can grow them in a variety of ways - in water, in soil and in rocks to name a few.  I got a big bag of paperwhite bulbs from Home Depot this year and put them in a variety of different planters.  This year I did all of mine in soil but you don't need to bury the bulbs down deep.  In just a couple of weeks, you'll have fragrant white flowers that will last until the holidays are well over.

One issue I've always had is that the higher they get, the more unruly their stems become and they frequently topple over.  The OCD person in me has trouble with that natural, unruly look.  My mom always tied them up with some string but I think a nice ribbon does the trick and looks a little prettier too!  A red ribbon adds a festive touch during the holidays:

Shopping Site for the Hard to Gift People in Your Life

Phew, things have been busy.  My husband still travels for work all week every week so I'm at home with a 3 year old and a 17 month old - I couldn't be happier but finding time to blog and do things for myself is a rare occurrence.  We are finally feeling a little more settled in our new house in Raleigh, NC and now that everyone is getting a little more sleep, the boxes are all unpacked and life has settled into a routine, I'm really starting to get my groove back.  I struggled for a while with the transition from working to stay at home mom, living in a new place and adjusting to life with a husband on the road and two VERY active children to care for.   But, in the end, I do think the big move was the right thing for our family.  I feel like my blood pressure has dropped significantly not having to fight traffic and rush hour every day and just having a slower, simpler pace of life.

I have so many things I want to blog about and so new ideas for things to come (if I can wrangle the time to get to it) but for now, I wanted to share a new-to-me website that I came across in case any of you are struggling for any hard-to-buy-for friends or family members.

I am so, so, so, SO excited that the holiday season is upon us and as usual, it is flying by much too quickly!  I don't even know how Halloween and Thanksgiving are already over.  I usually pride myself on starting Christmas shopping VERY early so that I am mostly done come December.  I do have a head start this year but the difference is that I am not out and about shopping as much as I used to be since I always have at least one kid in tow.  So, like many of us who are busy working, watching kids, or just want to avoid crowded places and too many people, I have become an avid online shopper.  I truly can't imagine what life was like prior to Amazon Prime.  I digress.

Anyway, I am feeling okay about my Christmas shopping so far but there are a couple of people on my shopping list (namely my husband) who are extremely difficult to buy for.  If you ask my husband what he wants, he'll just tell you a BestBuy gift card.  I mean, fine, but how BORING is that to open on Christmas morning.  Not to mention, I want him to be a little surprised.  I pride myself on not just buying gifts for people just out of obligatory Christmas duty - I truly love giving the perfect gift and being excited about watching the recipient open it up.

I recently came across a foodie's paradise of a website, Food52.  As many of you know, my husband has become the chef around here these days and has really gotten into cooking.  But this site has so many beautiful and unique gifts that you don't need to be an avid food-lover to enjoy it.  Here are a few of my favorite picks:

Vintage French Decanters: So elegantly beautiful yet practical.  These would be lovely displayed empty or containing a tasty beverage.

Vintage French Ice Buckets: And if liquors aren't your thing, these Vintage French Ice Buckets are just as beautiful as the decanters (above) and would be a great gift to anyone who entertains on the regular.

Sculptural Throw Pillows: These handwoven pillows are so neutral so they are easy to give regardless of the color scheme the recipient may have.  The texture just works SO well.  And I love the shape which adds another element to spice up the neutrality of these.

Plant and Flower Cookbooks: Part cookbook, part coffee table book.  Two beautiful gifts in one.  Even someone who doesn't love to cook can appreciate the beauty of these.  Oh and did I mention they are signed copies?  Something even more special. 

Morrocan Wine Glasses: A little masculine and again very practical - no stems to break off in the dishwasher and very comfortable to hold.  I love entertaining with this type of glass.  It's also versatile enough to serve water or another cocktail.  Looks great on many different styles of table settings and a range of seasons.

Cast Iron Tomato Cocotte: Another practical and gorgeous gift.  This is a pot so beautiful that you can leave on your stove top year-round.  And what a stunner!

Gold Dipped Pink Pinch Bowls: Even non-cooks could find a practical purpose in these delicate little pinch bowls.  Would be perfect to hold jewelery or other trinkets as well as spices.  And if pink isn't your thing, there are some other beautiful colors available as well.

Animal Magnets and Card Holders: Super cute to hold up kids artwork or photos on the fridge but these also handily double as card holders for meal placecards, cheese trays or buffets.  And I'll bet the guests won't soon forget them!

Hope this might give you a little inspiration for those hard to gift people in your life.  Cheers! xo

#food52 #holidaygiftideas #foodiegiftideas #christmasshopping

Tuesday Tip: Present Wrapping

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Hard to believe December is here and Christmas is just a few weeks away.  Have you finished your holiday shopping?  I'm getting there! 

Here's a great idea to get you geared up for all of your gift wrapping - wrap the larger presents first!  That way you have scraps left to wrap the smaller presents.  It'll help you waste less paper and save money! 

While we are on the topic of wrapping presents...need a good bow tutorial?  Check out my easy way to make an impressive bow here.

Happy wrapping everyone!

In Search of an Advent Calendar

Everyone who has met me for five minutes knows that Christmas is my favorite holiday.  I love everything about it but most of all the traditions that come along with it once a year.  Growing up we had this Rudolph Advent Calendar and you would move the little soft reindeer through the pockets until you reached Christmas Eve.  I loved it and the anticipation of Christmas.  Unfortunately, some how it has gone missing from all of my mom's Christmas stuff so I am in search of a new one for our family.  Since we just had a baby, I thought this was a good time to start looking for one.  It's a hard decision to make and so far I haven't seen one that feels like THE one.  So, if anyone has any fun ideas or suggestions, I'm all ears!

Here's what I've sourced so far:

Land of Nod 

Mark and Graham 

Garnet Hill 

Pottery Barn

 

I'd like to find something cute that engages my child (and/or future children) so I like the idea of moving something or a spot for little mini gifts or treats for them to get every day leading up to Christmas.  I've got my eyes peeled...

Creative Christmas Decorating Ideas

I'm pretty traditional when it comes to my holiday decor...see?

I think a lot of that is from how I grew up.  My mom needlepointed our Christmas stockings so I have the one I grew up with and made one for my husband (it took me aaaages!).  While I can appreciate colored lights, I'm a purist on my tree and really only like white.  We got these cool LED lights this year that you can switch from white to colored which is a nice compromise for my husband who likes the colored lights.

I like greenery, candles, holly, pinecones, all the traditional holiday elements.  I love the decorations that my mom used in our house growing up and I still put them out.  I can't really imagine my Christmas decor changing too much in the future since the tradition of everything I have is so meaningful to me.

But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate more creative, think-outside-of-the-box Christmas decor.  Here are a few of some createful ideas I've come across lately. (And yes, if you know me, createful is a word).

Snow Day!

Today we were blessed with our first (and hopefully not last!) snow day of the season.  While the amount of snow turned out to be a BIG disappointment, it still looked beautiful.  In honor of the snow day and Christmas (which is fast approaching!), here are some of my favorite snowy and Christmas-y scenes.

(did you happen to spy who is in the driver's seat in this one?!)

While our snow isn't quite so beautiful or quite so deep, I'm sitting here nestled up on my coach in front of a beautiful Christmas tree with two cuddly pups and a cup of hot tea.  Not too shabby if you ask me.

Links to all images from here.

Tuesday Tip: How to Make your House Smell like the Holidays!

Simmering potpourri over the stove top is something that my mom used to do all the time and I love doing this around the holidays to make the house smell so cozy and holiday-esque.  You can mix up the recipe depending on what you have on hand.

What You'll Need:
1 orange, halved
1-2 lemons, halved
3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
3-4 fresh cinnamon sticks
1 Tbsp of cloves
3 cups of apple cider
fresh cranberries (these don't really add any scent but I like the pop of color they lend)
water

What You'll Do:
In a large pot, add the citrus.

Add the other dry ingredients.

Add the cider.  Fill up the rest of the pot with water.

Simmer over low heat and add water as it evaporates.  Just remember, this is a potpurri - I don't recommend drinking this!  Don't forget to turn the stove off if you leave the house!!  This is a great thing to do before you have guests over - they will all comment on how great your house smells!

#adornedabode #christmas #christmassmells

Gin and Ginger Cranberry Fizz

The other day I made a tasty little number with vodka, cranberry juice and ginger ale.

Now, I am out of vodka.

Not a tragedy as I have now discovered these little Gin, Ginger and Cran numbers are even better! Substitute gin for vodka and sip away!

What You'll Need: 
1 jigger gin
equal parts cranberry juice and ginger ale
fresh cranberries for garnish

What You'll Do:
Add ingredients to a glass over ice.

Mix gently with a spoon.  Garnish with fresh cranberries.  Enjoy the holidays.

On My Christmas Wishlist

Today is Black Friday.  I don't do shopping on Black Friday cause I'm usually finishing up my shopping at this point.  Plus, me and crowds don't mix so well.  In honor of Black Friday, I'm sharing a few things on my Christmas wishlist.

I know, Christmas is about giving, not receiving.  And I truly believe that.  I much prefer giving gifts to getting them.  I love to shop for others and find the perfect gift.  And then I love to wrap them.

But, let's be honest, I'd definitely be a little sad if I didn't have anything to unwrap on Christmas.  My husband keeps asking me what I want for Christmas.  He has asked for me to set up a Pinterest page with some ideas for him.  So, because I'm such a good wife, I complied.  :)

 bag, Anthropologie

 earrings, Anthropologie

 ring, Banana Republic

 flats, Kate Spade

 necklaces, Etsy

 print, Lulie Wallace

 monogrammed jewelery box, C Wonder

 necklace, Stella and Dot

flats, Tory Burch

What are you wishing for?