Tag: holiday

A Christmas Eve Tradition

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It’s no secret from my family and friends that I love traditions. For me, traditions create memories that last a lifetime, and also brings families and friends together to celebrate, reminisce or experience a certain thing. Traditions are a memory, a moment of reflection on the family members before you who created this ritual, but also a glimpse at the future and the excitement that you can pass on these moments to future generations. 

Unfortunately, in today’s day in age, traditions do come and go. Families separate, new families form, and life gets too busy or in the way and we lose track of those moments that were once so important to us. Coming from a divorced family, many of my childhood traditions disappeared. And I won’t lie – it was heartbreaking. But as I got older, new traditions formed and the dream of passing down family traditions to my future family kept my spirit alive. In my 24 years of living, there is one family tradition that never faded. There was one magical tradition that my mom kept alive, and passed on to my friends and boyfriends as I got older. Whether we were together on Christmas Eve or not, my mom never let me down with my longstanding family tradition: Christmas Eve Pajamas. 

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DIY Advent Calendar

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Advent calendars have always been a special part of my holiday season ever since I was a little girl. And no, I’m not referring to those chocolate advent boxes you can buy at the grocery store. I’m talking authentic, homemade advent calendar that is a true countdown to Christmas.

Growing up, my advent calendar was special to our family. It was a handmade fabric calendar my mom made in a previous, crafty life of hers that featured a Christmas tree with a decoration for each day of the month. Each day was a small wooden ornament that I was always so eager to place on the tree (and see what the surprise was that day!) I didn’t need chocolate and my favorite cartoon characters to countdown the holiday. I just needed the spirit of Christmas.

When I studied abroad in Denmark, I was fortunate to stay with an incredible family who took me in as their own daughter for the five months. My host mom was both compassionate and crafty, and gifted me my very own custom made advent calendar that she and her husband designed for me.

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Holiday Gift Guide for Him

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Why are guys so difficult to shop for? The truth: They don’t even know what they want! If you have a man in your life who actually provides you gift suggestions, never let him go! Whether it’s your dad, brother, boyfriend, husband, or even just a guy friend, it’s hard to find them a meaningful gift they will love and use instead of the gift cards that they ask for year after year. 

Over the years, I’ve gotten creative and sneaky with my holiday gifts for Nick, taking hints on what he shops throughout the year, what his friends are getting for birthdays and anniversaries and other random, unique items I know he’ll love just based on our hobbies. My advice for anyone shopping for the man in their life is to think about their passions – sports, comics, video games, food, beer and spirits – and create a customized gift for him. Customized gifts do go a long way and even if they don’t say it, guys do appreciate the extra step you took to make his gift extra special. 

I’ve gathered up a few tangible gifts under $200 that the men in my family have loved over the years, that I am sure the man in your life will love too. 

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#ADULTING Holiday Gift Guide

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#ADULTING

Can you believe the holidays are around the corner? I’ve been trying my hardest to keep our fall decorations and pumpkins out for as long as possible, but the recent snow storm and the 24/7 streaming of Hallmark Christmas movies have made it very difficult. Once Thanksgiving is over, all bets are off and the our house will look like winter wonderland! 

So many of the bloggers I follow create these beautiful gift guides each year, and I’ve always found them helpful when looking for unique gifts for my friends and family. Since I am promoting a domesticated life, I wanted to gather some of my favorite items and gifts that I have received that have helped my #adulting transition from slumming it in college dorms to decorating and hosting in my first home! Whether you know someone who is moving into their first apartment or home, or looking for the perfect gift for the millennial in your life, these gifts and gadgets will be winners this holiday season and spread cheer all year long. 

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