Tag: Christmas

December Traditions

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I love kicking off every December with a to-do list. It might seem like an odd way to welcome the holiday season, but with so much packed into one month, a little planning goes a long way. Organizing my schedule helps ensure there’s actually time to slow down—time to sit by the decorated tree and watch Christmas movies. A few years ago, I realized that when I’m intentional about how I spend my days, I can create all the Christmas magic and enjoy the season without feeling overwhelmed. Everyone’s December looks different, and that’s perfectly okay!

Decorate your home, one space at a time. Don’t put pressure on yourself to do the whole thing overnight! I like to pick a space to decorate after work and just do a little bit at a time.

Wear those Christmas pajamas. There is just something cozy about wearing my Christmas red and plaid in December.

Christmas movies. We try to watch one a night, even if it’s on the TV in the background.

Christmas cards. We order a batch from minted.com to send to our families, but I also hand out cute Christmas cards to coworkers and friends!

Christmas Village. Every year, Philly shows off during December with the Christmas Village and the tree in Rittenhouse Park. After work, we will walk around the city, and it feels like a Hallmark movie.

Bake cookies. Each year, I bake a ton of cookies and give them to coworkers. I start to get cookie requests in November, and it’s something we all look forward to!

Volunteer. This year, we donated food to a neighborhood food pantry, and it’s an easy way to give back. We volunteer at a toy drive every year, and it’s so rewarding.

Christmas sheets. It’s something new I have been doing lately, and it totally gets me into the Christmas mood!

Tree in the bedroom. Last year, I put a tree in our bedroom with just lights on and now I love crawling into bed with the tree on at night.

Our Christmas Cards 2024

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Sending out our Christmas cards every year was one of my favorite traditions growing up. It was always a process though… get dressed up in coordinating outfits with my brother, find the perfect location, take photos, get cards ordered, write a personalized message on each card, address cards, seal ’em, and put a stamp on it before dropping them off at the Post Office. Did I mention, that my mom did all of this while working a full-time job and she got them out in early December??? Now as I sit down to order our Christmas cards, write a personalized message on each card, and go to the Post Office to buy stamps because who has them these days to then address them and bring them back to the Post Office to mail out — I have a lot more appreciation for what my mom did for decades to get these cards out on time!

A lot of hard work went on behind the scenes to get these cards delivered, but the looks on people’s faces when they got one, were worth every minute I stayed up past midnight to write on each card. Let this be a reminder to bring Christmas cards back because they are a part of the Christmas magic that makes the holiday season so special.

PS – Ordering cards from Minted was the easiest part of this process. Finding time to write on them and get them out was because I needed to plan better LOL

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My Christmas Cookie Tradition

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Baking around Christmas is my favorite tradition! There’s just something magical about making batches of cookies and making the whole house smell like a gingerbread house. Over the years, I started to pack up cookies and give them to friends and family. What began as a few cookies in a plastic ziplock bag, has turned into a very large production that takes hours of baking and taking over the dining room to turn it into a cookie assembly and distribution center.

This year is busier than most and I was thinking of not baking this year or at least not going as big as I usually did. Until people started asking when the cookies were coming and making sure their Snickerdoodle cookies would be included this year. I realized that one long (very long) night on my end where I’m up until the early morning baking, is a small price to pay for the joy when someone receives a cookie package.

If you have a small budget or are looking to spread Christmas cheer to your friends or coworkers, maybe a cookie package is the right gift for you. Below is my list of cookies and sweets that make the list every year. This year I’m being kind to my body and breaking up the baking in two days so be sure to plan ahead! I like to get cute boxes and packaging at Homegoods or TJ Maxx to make the cookie packages a little more special. Or if you want to keep it simple, I have put cookies in a ziplock bag with a cute holiday cocktail napkin.

Cookies and Sweets

  • Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Peanut Butter Cookies with Hershey Kisses
  • Sugar Cookies with sprinkles
  • Snickerdoodle Cookies
  • Gingerbread Cookies
  • Pretzels dipped in chocolate with sprinkles
  • Grinch themed Hershey Kisses

Happy baking!

gift guide for the girls

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Here’s a list you will want to check twice to find the perfect gift for your girl friends. From coworkers, sisters, or best friends, here are some gifts she will be excited to unwrap this Christmas!

Paris Hilton Memoir // I love to gift my friends who love watching reality TV a book written by a TV personality. It’s usually something they would never get for themselves, so it’s always an appreciated gift!

Uggs // If you need a big gift, you can’t go wrong with a new pair of Uggs. I love these because of the cute bow details!

Makeup Bag // Grab a cute makeup bag and fill it with her favorite things! I love this pink one with the red bows!

Customized Tote Bag // This is on my wish list this year! They come in lots of sizes and color selections to fit her personality.

Slippers // The best way to get cozy is a new pair of slippers! I love these and the price is great to grab a few pairs to gift to all of your friends! Or splurge and get her some new Uggs!

Summer Fridays // For your cousin who is cooler than you and you don’t know what to get her, a lip balm from Sunday Fridays will make you the cool gift giver this year.

Perfume Set // I get so many compliments when I wear this perfume and it’s always on sale this time of year, making it a great affordable gift!

Tarte Eyeshadow Pallettes // I LOVE LOVE LOVE these eyeshadow palettes and they are a part of my everyday makeup favorites.

Hair Bow // For your bow-obsessed friend (like me!), these hair bows are a must!

Pajama Set // One year for Christmas, I gave my best friends cute pajama sets and they are still talking about them!  These have a buttery feel and the perfect amount of stretch. I have them in almost every color and can’t wait to buy these red ones for myself this year!

gift guide for the moms

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It’s time!!!!! Here are some thoughtful gifts she actually wants this holiday season. Our moms deserve the best things in life and in their homes.

Hand Soap and Lotion Set // This is always my go-to gift for when I need to get someone a nice gift or a hosting gift. My mom loves having this set by her kitchen sink and still gets excited when I gift her another scent.

Hand Towels Set // When you have a small budget but want to get them something nice for the home they will actually use. If I need to buy for multiple people, I can buy the towel set and break the towels up or gift the towel set with the hand soap set in a basket.

Martha Stewart Cookbook // If you grew up with your mom reading Martha Stewart magazines or always had her head in a cookbook, you must get her Martha’s new book!

Tote Bag // My mom loves going to the farmer’s market on Saturday mornings and this tote bag is the perfect bag to hold all her purchases! Also living in a city with a plastic bag ban, I may be buying myself one to use at the grocery store because of the pockets and storage.

Candle // A new scented candle for the holiday season is a must have! I end up buying a bunch in early November to have them on hand for easy gift giving.

Pearl Earrings // As a way to apologize to your mom for always stealing her earrings, be sure to get her a nice pair of (faux) pearl earrings this year. I wear my pearl earrings almost daily and my mom is always saying how much she likes them so this year, she gets her own pair!

Perfume // Make it a yearly tradition to treat your mom with a new scent for the year. I linked my favorite scent that I go back to again and again.

Basket // All moms want is a clean house….. so how about a chic basket to put things in to make their house look clean?

Collagen Face Masks // I purchased a pack of these for my wedding and handed them out left and right on my wedding morning because all the ladies wanted a lifted neck and defined chin! Great for a stocking stuffer she will actually use!

Magnolia Table Cookbook // If your favorite memories of your mom involve her being in the kitchen cooking, you need to get her this cookbook! Easy recipes for you and mom to cook together and make new memories.

Craft Organizer Bag // If your mom is a crafter, this bag is a must for keeping all of her most used craft supplies organized.

Friday Favorites 1.19

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If I’m honest I have to tell you I still read fairy tales and I like them best of all.

Audrey Hepburn

I am bundled up and enjoying the first snow day in years! With all of the snow and ice this week it’s nice to be able to stay home during this snowstorm and be able to enjoy it from home. It took me a few days to get ready for the new year, but I have finally settled into a routine.

  • Saltburn
  • Buccaneers
  • Real Housewives of Miami

I got a Blendjet for Christmas and it makes my mornings so much easier! I like to prep my smoothie at night and put it in the fridge so I can just grab and go in the morning. My one issue is that it doesn’t blend frozen fruit but I don’t mind prepping a smoothie with frozen fruit at night because by morning it’s melted enough to blend together.

One excited purchase I’m excited about is I signed up for the gym last weekend and I’ve been really committed to it.
Picked up these black leggings with gold buttons from Zara and I’m so excited to style these!
One great thing about January is the after Christmas sales! We picked up a few ornaments for our tree next year.

Last weekend I did a big grocery trip to set myself up for success this week. I’m back to eating healthy and that means meal prepping! I’ve been eating a salad for lunch and packing pretzelcrips, peppers with hummus. Instead of counting calories, I’m focusing more on healthy meals and healthy snacks during the day so I don’t eat junk food when I’m starving at the end of the day. For dinner, I made taco salads and rice bowls with protein this week and we enjoyed a nice pork tenderloin in the crockpot on Monday. I love using the crockpot but I always forget about it!

Starting to swap out my Christmas decor for hearts and pink! 

Finally sitting down and working on my posts about our London trip. It’s nice to go through photos and write about our trip, I’m already planning our next trip back!