Holiday Favorites

How can one time of year be the best and the most stressful all at the same time? The holidays are exciting and meant to be spent with family and good friends. *Warm fuzzies everywhere* But all too often we get caught up in the long to-do and shopping lists, the crowded stores, conflicting family schedules, and the weather that can make travel a complete nightmare. So I thought I'd share the few things that I indulge in to keep the spirit bright;

Yankee Candle's Mistletoe is one of my favorites and Julie Jackson introduced me to Marshmallow Fireside from Bath & Body Works which will now be a future staple scent.

I got this one as a gift at work this year. It crackles when lit which I love. What I don't love is this particular scent, Santa's Cookies. Granted, my sniffer is slightly dysfunctional (should call it broken) so sometimes I'm really off on scents, but even Nate did not enjoy this one.

I'm hooked on these candle warmers that my cousin Jessica gave me as a gift years ago.

Nate's mom gave us this Scentsy warmer which is great too because it operates off of a light bulb so it's safer and can act as a nightlight too. Thank you Cheryl!

My mom always did this when I was growing up so of course I'm keeping the tradition going. Just bring cinnamon water to a boil then let simmer to enjoy its perfection. If you want to be really silly like my mom and I, walk it around the house and into each room for maximum enjoyment. 

Cinnamon scented pinecones - oh thank you Michael's! Adds the festive decor and scent all in one, brilliant!

Meet my new favorite hot chocolate from Trader Joe's! Topped with marshmallows or added to morning coffee, it's delish!!

Torrey Smith - I FOUND IT (ok, Nate did)!! Best.Popcorn.Ever. Only comes out during the holiday season. Torrey brought this over last year and I immediately felt like a crackhead, I could NOT stop eating it and wondered where it went when the bag was empty. It was really hard to find last year, but Nate randomly found it at Safeway this past weekend. Maybe, just maybe it's becoming more main stream!

Since we have a house now I should probably learn to bake at some point, but until then I can't get enough of my favorite cinnamon rolls - good ole Pillsbury!

 

To my mother's defense, she's an amazing cook and can bake like a champ. She tried to teach me, but much like everything else if you don't practice, you lose it. I will attempt to get into baking holiday treats and cooking traditional dishes this year, I promise! I'm sure it will be quite the adventure. Let us not forget I almost lit the turkey on fire this Thanksgiving...

So as we head into the final weeks of the holiday season, remember this;

"As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by December's bad weather, it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation, and people to whom we are worth the same." ~Author Unknown

Make sure to take the time to indulge in your favorite holiday traditions, breathe, relax, and make the season bright!