I have Lily and Val to thank for our third day of Christmas giveaways!
“If we are honest, food and drink are some of the best parts of the holiday season! From grandma’s cooking to gingerbread cookies, the tastes and smells of the kitchen warm the soul. Set your table with merry sentiment as you sit down with friends and family to celebrate the kinship we share during the happiest time of year. Our book of 25 tear-out placemats brings a rustic charm to every holiday table setting and makes a great hostess gift, too!” You know the routine by now. 😉  Enter the rafflecopter below and be sure to click on some of my holiday recipes!
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me: two turtle doves. Two turtle doves sound sweet but I think a Christmas pillow cover sounds a little more enticing. And that’s exactly what one lucky winner is going to get on day two! 😉 I had so much fun seeing everyone enter on the first day! I can’t wait to see what today brings. 🙂
I adore the shop, with lavender and grace and I’m also a big fan of holiday pillows. This pillow cover is the perfect clean and classic touch for the holidays! One winner will receive the pillow pictured below! You have exactly one week to enter starting…now! Enter in the rafflecopter below. 🙂
What better timing than today to talk about Christmas decor with Andrea? Pillows and all things snuggly are high on my list for the Christmas season. In addition, I linked some of my favorites below that make each day in December a little more cozy and warm in our home. 🙂
My staple is to fill glass containers like this, or the gold bowl with Christmas balls. It’s an easy, festive touch that hasn’t faded. However, I’m thinking of adding more greenery around the house and some simple whites and golds. Let’s be honest, it may not happen this year but I’ll be ahead for next year! 😉
If you missed the first giveaway, be sure to enter here!
Christmas is T-20 days away! I’m so excited! This week I’m giving away some of my favorite things each day as a thank you for everyone following along and loving on my blog! Each day there will be a new giveaway. Each giveaway will be open for a week and the winner will be announced the following week! Tag your friends and family and spread the love!
Today I’m giving away a blanket scarf to one lucky winner thanks to Blooms and Linen! I love a good blanket scarf and Blooms and Linen. 🙂 This is perfect for yourself, a friend, or any Christmas gift! It’s warm, cozy, and can be mixed and matched with so many outfits! Be sure to enter the rafflecopter below!
Also, if you’re searching for an easy holiday appetizer for a party or even for Christmas Day, look no further! My Spinach Dip and Soda Bread is perfect for this time of year!Be sure to check back tomorrow for another giveaway! Happy Monday!
Thank the Lord for Fridays! As always I’m sharing some of my favorites from the week!
 One.I love Sally Hansen’s Pat on the Black nail polish! It’s goes on dark, which is so fun for this time of year.
Two.
I have kind of been obsessed with Green Mountain’s Hazelnut coffee. Ever since I stopped using creamer in my coffee regularly, I love a good flavored coffee. I bought a variety pack at Costco and keep going back to this one.
Three.
My sister-in-law and I spent last weekend watching Gilmore Girls. Coffee in hand, we were loving every second except I did not see the ending coming…at all! 😉
Four.The last few years I have made my Grandma’s Sweet Potato Dish for Thanksgiving. This year was no exception! I cherish this recipe and wrote it in my Keepsake Kitchen Diary to always have on hand. This is not just a recipe for Turkey Day, it’s a recipe you will want to make throughout the year!
 Ingredients:
2 lbs sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed )
1 to 1.5 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
What to do:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Fill a large pot with water and cook sweet potatoes until soft. Mash. Place in a mixer and add other ingredients. Pile lightly into greased 1.5 qt. casserole dish. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake 20-30 minutes or until bubbling.
*I triple the recipe for Thanksgiving and use this casserole dish.*
Five.Speaking of mixer’s…I have been using my KitchenAid mixer a ton lately and still love it as much as the day I bought it.
Six.Black Friday sucked me in and I treated myself to this! Eeeek! 🙂
Seven.
Monday starts a week of giveaways as a huge thank you to everyone for reading and following along! Make sure you check each day next week for a new giveaway! Follow me on Instagram, Bloglovin, and Pinterest to be ready to enter!
It’s all about Christmas traditions today. I’ve realized I want to be really intentional about traditions but I also want to strike a balance of letting them form on their own.
I grew up with a few Christmas traditions and loved it. My favorite one was that after our church Christmas Eve service, we could pick one gift to open while we had hot chocolate and watched a movie. 🙂 After Eric and I started dating, we have spent the last few Christmas Eve’s at his parents and then Christmas day at my parents. That being said, that older tradition has gone by the wayside and Eric and I have created a few over the years. I love thinking back on our Christmas’ together. Our first Christmas, we were dating for a month. Our second Christmas together, we were engaged. Our third Christmas together, we were married. Here we are at our fourth Christmas, 1.5 years into marriage and slowly creating things we might call/ continue to call traditions in the years to come.
One. Each year we have watched Home Alone 2 together.
Two. We stop at least once during the holiday season and get a drink from Starbucks. Of course they come in the festive red cups. 🙂 Three. We read the Christmas story together.
Four. This isn’t necessarily a tradition but it’s something I have made for several years and love! I make my homemade peppermint bark to give as gifts or for our families. 🙂Five. We don’t exchange gifts. Here’s the thing. Like I mentioned, our first Christmas together, we were dating for a month and exchanged gifts. It was so fun to see what each other picked out, especially so early on.I bought Eric a watch and Eric bought me a blue and white striped blanket because I have an obsession with blue and white stripes. I also love a cozy, soft blanket to sleep with, sit on the couch with, or really just cuddle up with. He would spray it with his cologne before he left to head home since we lived two hours apart. It was extremely sweet and as I type this post, I’m cozied up with it. He also wrapped it in peppermint wrapping paper because I love all things peppermint. I basically knew I would marry him at that point. 😉
Our second Christmas, we were saving up for our wedding. Our third Christmas we decided to just go out to dinner or do something nice together. This Christmas, we still aren’t exchanging gifts. We like to randomly buy each other things throughout the year or treat ourselves to an extra date night instead of Christmas gifts. I think that tradition will definitely stick. 😉
I can’t wait to read about everyone’s traditions and maybe try some new Christmas things out this year!
I’m praying that your Monday is filled with a lot of coffee, Jesus, and peppermint bark. 😉