Nine Favorite Things.

Thanks for joining me for another Nine Favorite Things post.

Happy December first! The countdown to Christmas has officially begun. And with only twenty-four days until Christmas Eve it’s already full-on holiday craziness. I was looking back at last year’s favorites post and wishing that Thanksgiving wouldn’t have fallen so late this year. Suddenly it feels as though there is zero time to finish up loose ends and also celebrate this wonderful season. Anyone else feeling the same?

Even though time feels tight, I am still happier than ever that Christmas is here. As you all know, this is my favorite time of the year. It’s been snowing since Friday night. And there is nothing I love more than a snowy night filled with hot cocoa and decorating the tree. It’s the perfect scene straight out of a Hallmark movie. Hoping you all have been doing the same and enjoying a long slow weekend at home…snow or no snow. And if you don’t celebrate Christmas I hope you’re staying cozy inside this weekend. Hopefully, you’re baking up cookies or slow cooking dinners…because really, is there anything better this time of year?

Coming up…

I’m very much looking forward to the month ahead. Next week I’m off to NYC in a week for one last round of press and events to promote HBH Super Simple. Then it’s home for the rest of December. Hoping to cross a lot of my list this week before heading to the city (if anyone has hotel recommendations, I’m scrambling to find one…everything is sold out).

Coming up this week on the blog, I’ll be sharing a new salmon recipe that will be great for upcoming dinner parties. Then it’s on to our first Christmas cookie…a family favorite recipe…but done up! Next up we’ll be sharing the coziest slow-braised dinner for a delicious family meal. On Friday we’ll have a sweet holiday cake. And for Cocktail Saturday, of course, a festive holiday drink. Plus so much more on Instagram!

Question: What are you all hoping to see most this coming month? Would you love to see plenty of easy entertaining recipes? Dinners? Appetizers? Are you looking for holiday desserts? Lots of cookies? Or would you love to see more lifestyle posts like decorating ideas, tablescapes, and homemade Christmas gifts? Please let me know!!

Lastly, if you’re catching up on blog posts from the week, be sure to sign up for our daily newsletters. They’ll help you to stay up to date with everything that’s happening here, as well as fun content you’ll only get via email. And of course, if you’re meal planning today, don’t forget to check out my menu below (it’s #9 on the favorite’s list).

1. inspiring me this week…decking the halls.

I love scrolling through Pinterest for holiday decor and tablescape inspiration. Here is what I’m loving this year.

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2. the most popular recipes of November.

Most popular: creamy wild rice chicken soup with roasted mushrooms

Full disclosure, our 2019 Thanksgiving menu and guide was the most popular post of the month, BUT this soup was second in line and really deserves the top honors…it’s GOOD. One of my favorites I’ve shared in a while, and it’s the easiest dinner. Just throw everything into the slow cooker (OR instant pot OR make on the stove) and done. The soup is creamy, herby, a little cheesy, and the wild rice adds the perfect hearty bite…but then the mushrooms!?! Buttery, crispy and just a little garlicky too. All the good things.

Runner-up: bourbon sweet potato casserole with sweet ‘n’ savory bacon pecans

This was everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving side dish and it’s one of mine too…love this recipe so much! If you didn’t get a chance to make it, I’d highly recommend this as a side for any upcoming holiday dinners. It’s a touch sweet, savory, and a little spicy too. Nothing boring, just delicious.

Also have to mention: cranberry bourbon sour

Super festive, incredibly easy, so delicious, and a combination of my family’s favorites…homemade cranberry-orange syrup, warming bourbon, fresh citrus, and sweet candied rosemary.

3. my favorite cyber week kitchen/home finds…

items for in the kitchen…

for the table…

all the best candles…

4. favorite questions of the week.

q: What did you think of the Gilmore Girls revival and who do you think Rory’s baby daddy is?
a: I am the BIGGEST Gilmore Girls fan in the world…but I didn’t think the revival was that amazing. Please don’t get me wrong. I loved it, BUT I loved the previous seasons so much more. Anyone else? And I want the dad to be Logan!

q: Favorite holiday tradition??
a: Christmas movies with my mom and little sister, decorating the tree, baking Christmas cookies, cooking for my brothers, mixing up cocktails. And of course, Christmas Eve with the family…truly all of it.

q: Hosting a big Christmas brunch and looking for decadent, make-ahead recipes to feed many?
a: I have many…ham and cheese croissant bake, easiest overnight eggnog brioche cinnamon rolls, everything cheesy potato and egg breakfast casserole, extra sticky maple pecan sticky buns, baked cinnamon crème brûlée french toast, and snowflake pull-apart monkey bread. There are some great ones in the HBH Super Simple Cookbook too!

5. newest videos.

Shredded Brussels Sprout and Bacon Salad…the most popular salad of the year.

French Onion Gnocchi Soup…kind of hard to not love this soup.

6. All the Christmas Movies I’m Dying To Watch…

Hallmark Picks

1. Switched for Christmas
2. A Bride for Christmas
3. Christmas at the Palace
4. 12 Gifts of Christmas
5. Finding Santa
6. Christmas at Dollywood
7. The Christmas Club
8. Check Inn to Christmas
9. Christmas at the Plaza – must find time to watch this…because it’s The Plaza!

Read: I Watched a Week’s Worth of Hallmark Movies—Here’s What I Recommend

Netflix Picks

1. Let It Snow
2. The Knight Before Christmas
3. The Princess Switch – watched this last year…it’s cheesy, but you know I loved it.
4. The Holiday Calendar
5. A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding

Read: Netflix’s 2019 Holiday Movies, Reviewed and Ranked (via the NYT)

The Classics (which will forever be my favorites)

1. The Grinch
2. Miracle on 34th street
3. The Santa Clause (all of them)
4. Elf
5. Home Alone (all of them)
6. Eloise at Christmastime
7. The Polar Express
8. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Question: what are your favorite Christmas movies?

7. a few links i am loving…

15 charities to give back to this holiday season…’tis the season to give back.

7 instant pot soups that are the definition of comfort food…because it’s COLD out.

editors share their most effective productivity tips..to end the year strong.

10 ways to practice gratitude every day…especially good to keep in mind.

Kim Kardashian West on life as a brand and her political awakening…Sunday reading.

holiday pajamas you’ll want to live in…all month long.

10 beauty experts share their favorite clean beauty hacks…loved these tips.

an airy Madison Square Park abode…always love these NYC home tours.

the brow whisperer’s 5 steps to shape your brows at home…certainly good to know.

everything at Glossier is on sale right now…picking up my boy brow and also brow flick.

this designer goes all out for the holidays…peek inside his home.

the best deals from Nordstrom’s Black Friday sale…what are you buying?

Netflix saves New York’s iconic Paris Theater…pretty cool what Netflix is doing here.

13 enchanting holiday markets…ideally would love to visit them all.

how to make your apartment festive…when you can’t squeeze in a tree.

what Christmas song should you Listen to..what did you get? I got “baby, it’s cold outside”.

this Christmas movie quotes quiz is surprisingly hard…but it’s actually not.

8. my favorite cyber week style finds…

clothes…

jewelry…

9. this week’s dinners…

Monday: simple coconut quinoa and lentil curry

Tuesday: ham and cheese croissant bake (use up any of those remaining leftovers)

Wednesday: easy coq au riesling

Thursday: hot and spicy potstickers (recipe in HBH Super Simple)

Friday: slow cooker vodka bolognese pasta

Warming Sunday Cocoa: creamy coconut hot chocolate

Finally, check out all the past Nine Favorite Things posts here.