Ready to ring in the New Year in style? I’ve put together a quick tutorial on the Denver Style Magazine Blog [sadly no longer a website as for 1/2021] for how you can make your own designer look-alike champagne glasses in time for the big night!
How will you be celebrating the start of 2016?
Christmas stockings are one of my favorite things about Christmas morning. It was the one present that I was allowed to open before any of the adults were up and always included a formula of surprises that my Mom knew would keep me occupied for at least a short amount of time [at least until 7:30 am].
Our stockings always included a ‘foot’ made of a banana, orange and an apple – intended to tide us over until we had breakfast later that day. Last year Drew and I celebrated our first married Christmas, and the first tradition we started was crafting the perfect stockings for each other – and I wanted to bring a bit of that holiday memory into our new family.
When I was looking for the perfect filler, I wanted to select something that would create that ‘foot’ in the bottom of the stocking but would be something my husband would enjoy. As a stocking stuffer, I wanted the items to be memorable and range around $25 for the completed stocking. When I came across the Hickory Farms Beef Hickory Sampler I knew I had found perfect foundation to starting to fill the stocking.
Rogue clearly wants to know where her stocking is.
Instead of a selection of fruit to build the foot, I’m using sweet hot mustard as the toe, golden toasted crackers as the arch and beef summer sausage and cheese as the heel and ankle. This collection comes packaged in a gift box and is perfect right price point to be included as a stocking stuffer item.
To fill out the rest of the stocking I included a bag of Peanut Brittle Popcorn, a couple of lego sets and scratch tickets (which is one of Drew’s family traditions). It has been so much fun starting our own traditions and finding creative ways to merge our personalities and memories into a new family unit.
How does your family fill stockings and what are the traditions that surround them in your household? Do the grown-ups in your home receive different stocking presents from the kiddos?
Disclaimer: This post was brought to you by Hickory Farms. All opinions, ideas and writing are my own. I was compensated and received a product sample as inspiration for this post.
As we inch closer to Christmas Eve every day quickly becomes full of holiday parties, family gatherings and work celebrations. As fun as spending time out on the town can be after several full days I need to take a break and relax at home. Sitting down to enjoy a movie as a couple is a great way to reconnect no matter how busy the rest of the week has been.
My favorite date nights ideas include treats from Hickory Farms and this stay-in celebration is the perfect occasion for enjoying some of their seasonal favorites. I’ve put together a few tips on how couples can enjoy a low key night at home during the holiday season.
Celebrate your favorite Holiday Movies
Set aside some time to talk about what your favorite holiday movies are, you might be surprised how different your answers are. I was shocked to learn that Die Hard is considered a Christmas movie (and I still kinda disagree).
Embrace downtime
It’s hard to not fill your evenings up, especially when there are household chores or a growing holiday to do list running in the back of your mind. Put away your phones, turn up the lights on the Christmas Tree and focus on being together enjoying each other’s company.
Enjoy holiday treats
I recommend selecting a treat based on the movie you plan to watch and Hickory Farms has an assortment of options ready to create the perfect ambiance for your evening.
Rudolph:
Hot Cocoa and White & Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark
This combination is the perfect way to remember how much fun Christmas was as a kid and recreate those warm fuzzy memories as an adult.
The Grinch:
Peanut Brittle Popcorn and Fat Tire Beer
This sweet and savory combination is guaranteed to make your heart grow three sizes in one night.
Die Hard:
Beef Summer Sausage and Jalapeno & Cheddar Cheese
The ultimate guy’s holiday movie requires an ultimate guy’s snack.
What other tips do you have for enjoying a low-key night at home during the holiday season? Are there any other pairings you would add to this list?
Disclaimer: This post was brought to you by Hickory Farms. All opinions, ideas and writing are my own. I was compensated and received a product sample as inspiration for this post.
Brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things.
Just like the song says, kraft paper wrapped packages are one of my favorite things. The simplicity and beauty of brown wrapping paper leaves room for a lot of creative ways to decorate your holiday gifts. You can pick up a roll of kraft paper in the office supply section of Target (near the packing tape and envelopes). It is a bit more expensive then a roll of wrapping paper but I can promise you that there is ALOT more on the roll.
I picked up some bells at the Joanne Fabrics and added them to a lot of the packages. The sound made it fun to hand out the gifts and were the perfect addition to to the fabric ribbon that tied them all up.
Earlier this month I received the opportunity to test out Darby Smart’s new gift wrap kit and when I heard it was going to include kraft paper I knew I needed to give it a go. The package arrived in just a few days and I wrapped up a small gift to give it ago.
My favorite part of this kit is the designer created tags. Each one has a different look and style making it the perfect tool for personalizing each package to match its recipient. It also included a roll of twine, washi tape, a silver pen, and a few wooden tags. It was a fun kit to receive, but honestly you can buy all the same items a lot less at the store.
If you want to check it out – these Darby Smart Sets are available at Gap now through the holidays.
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. I received a product to test and all opinions are my own.
Welcome to My Bliss
