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As always, this month is going by way too fast! It feels even faster this year with multiple back-and-forth trips to New York for different work events. It’s been so busy, but I feel so very happy and excited. This season really brings out the best in me. As cheesy as this is, I love it so much! And I love that my mom and Asher also share my excitement for this time of year!
Even though it’s busy, we’re still embracing everything Christmas. Watching all the holiday movies (I haven’t watched any that I’ve loved, however – any recommendations?), baking all the cookies, attempting to Christmas shop and find special gifts for everyone on my list, and sharing fun holiday recipes. I love when there is so much happening! But we need more Christmas over the next two weeks for sure!
I’m in New York today for our holiday cocktail party at Williams-Sonoma tonight. It will be such a fun event! I flew in just for tonight, and then I’ll be back in New York for a few nights later this week. It’s a crazy schedule, but honestly, it’s exciting! After my next trip, I’ll be home for good and with my family through New Year’s. So I’m really looking forward to all things Christmas with my fam!
Speaking of my family, they’ve been busy traveling a bit too. This weekend, they’re spending time in Edmonton, Alberta, CA. They’re there to watch my younger brother Red compete in Style Experience, a Big Air snowboarding competition. They’re staying at the JW Marriott there and loving it. They return home today and will be staying put in Colorado through New Year’s!
My brothers and cousins will slowly begin arriving for the holidays over the next two weeks. My younger brother, Red, arrives today with his girlfriend, Hailey. Malachi (Kai), my brother closest in age to me, arrives tomorrow. Both will be here through New Year’s (there is another Big Air at Copper next weekend). It’s going to be so nice having them around!
Let’s see, what else? Last week, we kicked off our December holiday giveaways with the first stand mixer giveaway; I had fun shooting this. I love creating a festive scene. We have another giveaway going up tonight, so watch for it; it’s a good one!
I shared our 2023 Christmas Cookie Box on Friday! This one was my favorite boxes to put together. I wish I had more time to play around with it, but I still love how it turned out! What’s your favorite Christmas cookie this year?
I think that’s it for this week! I have some fun links, a holiday dinner party playlist, and so many gift ideas below! Hope you enjoy them! Have a festive December Sunday!
1. Things i’m loving, wanting, and excited to try.
loving…holiday nails. These are so fun and festive!
burning…the Gingerbread Smash! OF COURSE. We’re offering free shipping this weekend as well as 30% off now through December 14th using code SMASH30. Stock up on candles for your holiday gifts to all!
everything in my cart (low)…these cotton wideleg sweatpants I ordered from Mango. Perfect for a cozy holiday travel look.
listening to…2024 Glow Up Series, Part 3: Tips for Starting a Business, Creating Boundaries, Cultivating Community, Social Strategy & More. Loving Siffat’s Glow Up series. Make sure you listen to Part 1 and Part 2 as well. Each episode provides so much value, especially for anyone building a business. But it’s also great for life in general.
holiday shopping…everything White + Warren. I ordered a wonderful box of cashmere pieces for my mom and me. Everyone, these are some of the coziest cashmere knits. I especially love their beanies. They’re my all-time favorite luxury splurge. And all of their cashmere sweaters and pants are perfect. Oh, and their cozy blankets. I didn’t get these, but I need to…nothing cozier. You can use the code, HBH20 for 20%of your holiday orders.
ordering…the Dagne Dover Landon Large Carryall Bag. So perfect for traveling and on sale this week for 25% off via Shopbop!
dreaming of going…The 11 Most Beautiful Christmas Light Decorations Around the World. I’m going to walk 5th Avenue tonight! Excited!! And then, I would love to visit. Luci d’Artista (Salerno, Italy).
reading…Taylor Swift Is TIME’s 2023 Person of the Year. Excited to read this on the plane.
shopping…festive holiday gift wrap and ribbon. My obsession this time of year.
loving…Christmas pajamas. I’m such a sucker for a cozy pair of cheesy PJs. Just found all of these festive pairs and think they’re so cute. I love J Crew’s PJs too. I might order this EberJey set for my mom, Asher, and me!
shopping…winter essentials. It’s officially COLD outside.
everything in my cart (beauty)…the Sephora sale through December 10th.
Here are the best beauty gift sets for gifting!
reading…What To Read This Holiday Season, No Matter What You’re in the Mood For. SO many holiday books! So fun!
drinking…this week’s Naughty Nice Margarita (with mocktail). So fun for holiday parties.
loving…these gingerbread house ideas. Oh my goodness, so cute. Some are a bit too fancy for my style, but I think #18 and #20 are my favorites. I actually shared this post last year, but I’m still finding inspiration here!
shopping…Target for the best gifts and gift wrap! See below for more ideas. This pottery wheel would be fun for both young kids and crafty adults! And then, I want to order this knitted throw in grey. Wow, so cozy. Oh, and I love this planner for 2024 organization!
2. Popular Easy Holiday Appetizers.
Baked Gruyère in Pastry with Rosemary and Garlic
Whipped Goat Cheese with Warm Candied Bacon and Dates
Cranberry Brie Pull Apart Bread
Mom’s Secret Christmas Eve Chex Mix (such an oldie, but we make this every year)
Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Twists
Goat Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates with Rosemary Honey
Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Soft Pretzels
Prosciutto Wrapped Baked Brie in Pastry
3. Holiday Kitchen essentials.
4. Homemade Holidays.
Some of you may recall when I used to do “homemade holidays” in December. I shared these more crafty posts each Sunday in December before I started writing the Nine Favorite Things posts. I really loved creating these posts, and I want to bring some of that content back to life! Sharing some of my favorite Homemade Holiday ideas below.
Fun fact, my Christmas Potpourri post is one of my top most viewed posts of all time. So crazy! I shared this post so long ago (2014), and it’s still one of my favorites to this day!
(I LOVE wrapping a beautiful gift)
Make the House Smell Like Christmas
(one of my favorite Christmas crafts to date)
Glittered Gingerbread Christmas Tree Ornaments
(I make these every year and gift them; they’re the cutest)
Coziest Homemade Hot Toddy Kit
(I’m going to share an updated kit soon!)
Holiday Gifting: Homemade Simple Syrups
(a gift for the friend who loves to mix a cocktail)
The Gift of a Christmas Scent (Homemade Holiday Potpourri)
(a great hostess gift)
Snowy, Sparkly Pine Cone Ornaments
(these are so fun! I need to make them with Asher and Oslo)
5. Spreading Christmas Cheer + Christmas Movies.
Send this to anyone who could use some holiday cheer today! It is sure to brighten their day!
*Our HBH team Christmas movie List*
-The Grinch
-The Santa Clause Series
-Elf
-Home Alone
-Christmas Vacation
-The Polar Express
-Eloise at Christmastime
-White Christmas
-A Christmas Carol
-Miracle on 34th Street
-It’s a Wonderful Life
-The Holiday
-Christmas with the Kranks
-Noelle
-While You Were Sleeping
-Jingle All the Way
-Klaus
-The Family Stone
-Love Actually
-Holidate
-The Princess Switch
-Holidate
-Last Christmas
-A Christmas Prince
6. A holiday playlist for your dinner parties.
Your holiday parties are not complete without the perfect holiday playlist. Here is my favorite playlist for a fun and festive night!
7. Favorite links i’m loving.
10 Things to Do in New York During the Holidays…adding a few of these to my schedule!
Home at Last With Tan France: Dream Closet…a beautiful home.
People Are Taping Their Mouth While Sleeping for Health Benefits…has anyone tested this out?
America Hates These Christmas Candies…what is your least favortie?
Trader Joe’s Holiday Items…here’s how they ranked.
30 Delightfully Cheesy Holiday Movies to Stream Tonight
How to Split Time Between Families During the Holidays…without feeling guilty.
How to Reconnect With Your Partner When Holiday Stressors Become Too Much…some cute ideas.
What To Read This Holiday Season, No Matter What You’re in the Mood For…I am so into a good holiday book.
Taylor Swift’s Person of the Year Interview Is Full of Lessons We’ll Remember for Life…agree.
Taylor Swift’s Diet and Fitness Routine on Tour
8. Holiday styles – Tis’ the season!
holiday party looks
cozy holiday travel looks
Nordstrom looks
9. This week’s dinners + weekend eats.
Monday: Crockpot Spicy Queso Beef Chili
Tuesday: Garlic Butter Chicken Marsala Meatballs
Wednesday: Easy Spicy Baked Potato Soup
Thursday: 30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken
Friday: Beef Tenderloin Crostini with Parmesan Wine Cream Sauce
Saturday: Naughty Nice Margarita (with mocktail)
Do you know when your podcast with Martha Stewart will be released?
I will definitely let you know when it will be posted! 🙂 xT
Thanks for your Spotify Christmas Playlist, listening right now! Pinned quite a few recipes for later. My Christmas cookies and Christmas apps/dinner will all be from you! Merry Merry <3
So glad you’re enjoying the playlist! Have an amazing Christmas! 🙂 xT
Mouth taping is a must for me. I was hesitant, I am not someone that snores so I didn’t think I really needed it. Then someone gave me some free samples of tape and advised me to get ready “for the best sleep of my life”. She was accurate! That was 5 months ago. I haven’t slept a night without it since.
Hey Nancy! Wow this is awesome input! Thank you! xT
Just downloaded your playlist! Goin to try it out on the treadmill this am 😊🎄
Hi Sue! Hope you love this holiday playlist! 🙂 xT
I also mouth tape at night and have been doing it for over a year. The book Breathe explains the health benefits, but it’s especially helpful to keep your mouth from drying out overnight which is something I need to do for health reasons. It also helps prevent snoring, as someone else mentioned. My dentist recommended it to me and I buy my strips on Amazon.
Thank you so much Deb! 🙂 xT
LOVE the homemade gift ideas and the photos are stunning! (But please, people: don’t tape your mouth shut while sleeping..)
Thank you so much Christine! xT
Great NFT this week, loving all the holiday content. 😀 One of my favorite Christmas season films is Bridget Jones’s Diary. I love the humor, and never really tire of watching it year after year when it’s officially the holiday season. I may check out some of the ones on your list as well. Have a fantastic holiday with your family!
Thank you so much Aline! So glad you’re enjoying the holiday content, it really is such a special time of year! xT
Besides your mom, who is part of the HBH team?
Good morning and thanks for a great post T. I ordered the Snif Smash bundle on sale and really love the pumpkin smash, doesn’t smell much like pumpkin but does remind me of fall and is possibly one of the best scents I’ve ever had. The gingerbread smash didn’t have much of a scent, I can’t smell it much sadly. The candles arrived quickly and were beautifully packaged. They are pricey though so probably won’t order again. I’ve found candles like White Barn for $16 on sale often and have a good strong scent.
Thanks for sharing all your great crafty ideas this week! I love it and plan to make some ornaments with the kiddos this coming week 😊- pine cone and Christmas tree ones.
Have a great week!
Thank you so much Courtney! I’m so sorry you’re not loving the gingerbread candle, I appreciate the feedback! Have an awesome week as well! 🙂 xT
You’re right – Christmas movies seem to be lacking as far as ones I truly love! The only one I watch every year without fail is The Holiday.
One of your links was about mouth taping and you asked if anyone does this. Yes, I do. I use the Somnifix mouth tape. I’m a mouth breather when I sleep and I’d snore and wake up in the middle of the night with my mouth super dry. With mouth tape, I sleep much more soundly due to not snoring. Definite game changer. Good for your oral health, too. They take a few nights of getting used to but don’t give up!
I also LOVE The Holiday! Such a cozy and fun movie. Thank you for the recommendations about the mouth tape! xT
Fun read this morning. As always thanks for all your work on these posts full of fun links. We are hosting a family dinner next Sunday. Tenderloin, wild rice, spinach gratin and a buffet of treats including bread pudding, gingerbread cake with a dollop of stabilized mascarpone whipped cream (A MUST) and shortbread cookies. Then we are headed to London and the Cotswolds for Christmas. We are doing nothing but Christmas stuff. A holiday baking class, a few Christmas theater events, the markets and lights lights lights, I have always dreamed of a Christmas in Europe. I would have picked Central or Eastern Europe. London was a compromise but I am just giddy about it. Merry merry to you and your family. Peace in the NY.
Hey Cari! Thank you so much for reading! Sounds like that will be a delicious and beautiful dinner! 🙂 xT
Could you add bar cookie instructions to the Snickerdoodle recipe you mentioned in the cookie box?
My favorite movie is the original Miracle on 34th Street! God bless you all in your family Tieghan. Than you so much for sharing your talents with us.
Merry Christmas.
I love that movie! Have a wonderful Christmas! 🙂 xT
I would love to know how you decorated the Grinch cookies – what kind of food coloring did you use? Would love to achieve the same color green that you did, thanks!
Hey Liz! I used McCormick food coloring! Hope you enjoy the cookies! 🙂 xT
Happy Sunday! We’re expecting monsoonal rain here in northern Jersey, and I plan on making one of Tieghan’s delicious soup recipes. So many to choose from. A favorite Christmas movie when our girls were young is “Jack Frost” with Michael Keaton. I think it came out around 1988. Very heartwarming.
Sharon, thank you for reminding me about the movie Jack Frost! I haven’t watched it in quite a few years but remember loving it. Michael Keaton and Kelly Preston!
Yes glad we both enjoyed it! Happy holidays!
Hi Sharon! Oooh yes that’s a fun movie! Thanks for sharing!