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I love this fruit salad recipe. Of all the things that I remember and enjoyed throughout the holidays, I love the fruit salad my mom makes every year.     I can’t wait to share this holiday tradition with my kids. Mostly, I love this fruit salad because it’s more than yummy-it’s fantastic. It makes …

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Netflix Christmas movies are something special. They’re like something straight out of a Harlequin romance novel. (Like, for real– some of these are actually based on romance novels.) The campy acting, super-cute heroines and all-too-hunky guys might seem a little bit overdone, but let’s be honest, WE ARE TOTALLY OKAY WITH THAT. It’s Christmas for …

Read More about The Best Guide To All of Netflix’s 2018 Christmas Movies

I never tasted a kolache until I moved to Texas. Before the move, breakfast was all about donuts, or the occasional sausage gravy over biscuits. Both amazing options, don’t get me wrong, but nothing compared to a delicious kolache. See, kolaches make you feel as if you’re both getting a treat, and eating a somewhat …

Read More about Totally Cravable Apricot Kolaches Are A Winter ‘Must Bake’

Winter is filled with to-do lists. Between shopping, baking, holiday parties, kid recitals, school parties, and a dozen other things you won’t know about until last minute, sometimes it feels like winter is trying to kill you. Not only is there a ton to do, but almost every stop involves you making or bringing some …

Read More about 25 Super Easy Last-Minute Cookie Recipes!

Cranberry lovers know that while the holiday season is our Super Bowl, our games go all year. Anyone who loves that sweet, tangy, tart burst of cranberry on their tongue craves amazing cranberry recipes year round, and even if Thanksgiving and Christmas are the big show, these 25 tart and tangy cranberry recipes will truly …

Read More about 25 Tart And Tangy Cranberry Recipes That’ll Make Them Say YUM!

Yes, Christmas is for kids. Blah, blah. It’s a holiday of hope, and peace, and cheer. But, for those of us with truly geeky hearts, that doesn’t mean we can’t geek out just a little bit when it comes to decorating our trees. In fact, what kind of fans would we be if we didn’t …

Read More about 25 Fandom Christmas Ornaments Your Geeky Heart Will Love!

Seriously, when someone mentioned this yesterday I was torn between hoping and dreading. I mean, if you were around for the Great LuLaRoe Halloween Rush of 2016, you know what I’m talking about. How fast all those uh-mazing prints went. And then I saw the pictures… Oh. My. God. I want candy cane legs! These …

Read More about LuLaRoe Christmas Prints Are Coming!!!

It’s the end of Summer now. Time to wake up early, shove those kiddos into their brand new clothes and hand them their backpacks full of glue sticks and yellow plastic folders. You wave a tearful goodbye as they board the school bus. As you close the door, you weep. Not because your baby has …

Read More about You Need To Start Halloween Shopping Before You Miss Your Chance!

I literally counted down the hours until Christmas was finally over because I was on the verge of a complete breakdown. Like full on Dionne in Clueless type breakdown! Now That Christmas Is Over, Can I Please Have My Mental Breakdown? I did have a meltdown the day after Christmas and it was pretty ugly. I …

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In the last few years Santa Claus’ darker half, Krampus, has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. The delightful half goat, half demon punishes where Santa Claus rewards. But he’s not the only other Christmas time folklore figure that kids can look forward to a visit from this holiday season. The History Of Krampus’s Gal-Pal, Frau …

Read More about The History Of Krampus’s Gal-Pal, Frau Perchta: The Belly-Slitter

You might not know this, but blogs aren’t always written in order. You might get a kick butt Arbor Day blog idea, but Bastille Day is just around the corner. What are you suppose to do? Post one holiday’s blog the same time as another? That would be stupid. Plus, I hate how Big Arbor …

Read More about It’s Okay To Not Hate Your Weird Relatives This Christmas

When I was little, we couldn’t even go to the mall after Thanksgiving. The department stores were okay, Mom tells me, but as soon as we approached the main mall where SANTA CLAUS was, I’d start screaming like I was being murdered. Now that Santa shows up around Halloween, I can’t let it dominate my …

Read More about Santa Is Creepier Than The Creepiest Clown

If you’re like me, you’ve probably forgotten to get someone a gift. It can be hard to be thoughtful when you’re scrambling at the last minute to put together a present so someone doesn’t feel forgotten. I’ve come up with a solution that is one part unique gift, one part cleaning out your closet: The …

Read More about Last Minute Gift Ideas: DIY T-Shirt Shadowbox

It’s hard to stay in the Christmas spirit. Between the shopping, and baking, and kids being home from school, and inlaws coming to visit (oh, good LORD, the inlaws), you can slip from “Merry Christmas To All” to “Get the Heck outta my kitchen before I deck your halls” pretty darn quick. Plus, with the …

Read More about You’ll Never Hear Jingle Bells The Same Way Again…

When I was a little kid, my Christmases were fairly predictable. My brother and I would fall asleep on Christmas Eve somewhere after 1 AM (we were, of course, in bed by 9 PM but Christmas morning excitement is a hell of a drug). As soon as it was light enough to see, we’d bolt …

Read More about Remembering Christmases Past And Missing My Family…

We all have groups of friends, co-workers, or other random people who want to give us presents at Christmas. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, ‘tis the season for White Elephant gift exchanges. White Elephant Gift Exchanges And Why We Suck At Them Everyone’s family has slightly different rules, but the general idea is that you …

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Disclosure: Post sponsored by Mirum but all opinions are my own. It’s the week of Christmas and all through the house are hidden toys waiting to be wrapped and given by Santa. We all know that stores are closed Christmas day so what are you going to do when your kids open those gifts without …

Read More about Don’t Forget The Batteries Or You’ll Ruin Christmas

I love giving gifts, but I hate shopping for them. I mean, HATE it. It isn’t that I’m indecisive. I know that when I see the right thing for somebody, I’ll know it. And by God, I’m going to keep looking until I find it. That’s why I cheat. I’m a Cheaty McCheaterson when it …

Read More about 9 Ways To Survive Christmas Without Driving Yourself (And Everyone Around You) Insane

When my dad was a kid, he and his brother got these barber-pole sized peppermint candy canes in their Christmas stockings. Being boys, and being presented with more candy than they probably saw all year—because it was the olden days, when he had to walk to school in a snowstorm, uphill both ways—they each ate …

Read More about What To Do When You’re Sick Of Santa (And Christmas In General)…

Working at Starbuck during the holiday season is its own type of pumpkin spice flavored hell, but you don’t think about those poor baristas stuck listening to the same songs for six to eight hours. Shuffled or not, it’s enough to make you want to drown yourself in the coffee urn. I swear if I had …

Read More about 10 Holiday Songs That You’re Probably Not Sick Of

I was young when my doctor told me I wouldn’t be able to conceive without help—medical help, I mean, not the usual two-to-tango type. It sucked, but infertility runs in my family and having drawn the short straw in my generation, at least I found out early. I had plenty of time to think about …

Read More about Christmas For Women Struggling With Fertility…

You read that right, we don’t have one Christmas tree. We have seven. Believe it or not, that’s our version of compromise. When two people move in together not all things are going to be wonderfully in synch. For as great as my boyfriend and I have combined our lives there are some things we …

Read More about Why We Have Not One…But Seven…Christmas Trees

When I was very young (around the age of 5 or whenever the hell it is you start having actual memories), I liked my December birthday.  It’s Christmas Eve. Being close to a holiday that my siblings and friends were excited about made me feel special.  My Mom used to jokingly call me ‘Kyle Christmas’ …

Read More about My ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ Moment And How It Changed My Life

Now, it may not seem like a habit that requires professional help, but shopping in December can be just as overwhelming as last minute Thanksgiving day shopping. Every single store is jam-packed with annoying people like me and it is always a fight to get to the section you need to (especially if you’re a …

Read More about The Stress Of Being A Christmas Procrastinator…

Since the first of this month, my mailbox fills every morning with the day’s ads, which is normal, plus all the extra ones because the holidays are looming, which is seasonal, and half of them say “It’s day 6 (or 7 or 8) of the 12 Days of Savings!” which is wrong. Okay. It’s not technically …

Read More about When Exactly Are The 12 Days Of Christmas, And What’s Up With All Those Birds?

My family has a tendency to over-do Christmas. My Mom especially liked to give everyone lots of presents. It’s how she showed her love and it’s how I tend to show mine. Since she passed a few years ago, Christmas has taken on even more meaning since it was so much her holiday. The days …

Read More about What To Get For The Hoarder Who Has Everything

The day after Halloween my coworker put up her Christmas tree. I was like, “Ha ha, what a weirdo.” In my head. I’m not a butthole. Then another coworker chimed in that she’d put hers up, too. AND she was going over to her mother’s house that night to help HER put up her tree. …

Read More about Premature Christmas Decorating Killed My Christmas Spirit

“You know Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer, and Vixen…Comet, and Cupid, and Donner, and Blitzen…but do you recall the most famous reindeer of all?” So let’s just take a moment and talk about this, the absolute worst of all the Christmas songs. First, I get that you may not agree with me. You might have …

Read More about Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer Is The WORST Christmas Song EVER!

I’m a serious, die-hard Christmas’er. Maybe because I’m a December baby, but I go all in. Like, seriously all in. Just about every room in our house has a Christmas tree. I’ve got wreathes of Christmas cards. I used to be That Person who sent personalized letters every year. One of our biggest goals was …

Read More about Stop Telling People How To Celebrate The Holidays

My boyfriend and I are on year three of living together, and we still don’t have a real plan for how to split or manage the holidays. Add to it my birthday is in December, and, well…the season is always a marathon of family, parties and too much peopling. For one, he has a large, …

Read More about How Do You Split The Holidays Without Disappointing Everyone?

I’ll never forget our first Christmas together…because it was an emotional disaster. We’d just settled down after years of dating, bought a house and it just so happened that we were going to have the children. Due to other circumstances the kids had never gotten the chance to have a truly festive holiday with their …

Read More about The Year Everyone Got A Present…Except Me…

I’ve been married to my wonderful husband for 14 years. He knows me better than I know myself, in most ways. However, for holiday gift-giving, it’s always hit or miss… and, that’s okay. I love him no matter what. I get just-because gifts throughout the year and I don’t hang on hopes of something extravagant …

Read More about Spouse Gift-Giving Is NOT A Contest (You REALLY Shouldn’t Have)

I know I know – before you all throw me under a bus for being an ungrateful scrooge, hear me out. I am kind and thoughtful.  I am appreciative.  I have experienced both the haves and the have nots. We do practice gratitude and being thankful for what we have.  While we don’t necessarily revel …

Read More about 5 Things We Don’t Want For Christmas

Yet another year has zipped on by, leaving us all in much the same position we were 365 days ago:  wondering if it’s technically a “regift” if you only touched the packaging twice, hovering over our bank balance like a hawk, and dreading the inevitable racist comments from Grandma.  But we tolerate it, because the …

Read More about A Tactical Guide to Surviving the Holidays

Grab some eggnog, and a loved one, the Hallmark Channel just announced their 2016 Christmas Movies schedule! All movies will be shown at 8/7c, and it looks like we’re in for another great year! Enjoy! Hallmark Channel’s 2016 Christmas Movies Schedule! October 29 – A Wish For Christmas Sara Shaw is the type of woman …

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There are some things I forget about every single year when it comes to Christmas, but I’m determined to remember them for next year. I’m pretty sure they’re universal, too. Like that we all have someone in our family who tells inappropriate jokes around children. Or that grandma’s don’t always understand your sense of humor. …

Read More about 50 Things To Keep In Mind For Next Christmas…

Hallecake is back with another awesome video on her YouTube Channel–this time with a Christmas treat idea. I’m not sure where my daughter comes up with all this genius-ness. She’s AMAZING! And with a little recipe idea from Imperial Sugar, she makes the most awesome Reindeer Ho Ho Snacks for Christmas Treats! We had so much fun …

Read More about Reindeer Ho Ho Snacks ~ Christmas Treats

Every year from when I was little until even now, I’ve always gotten a stocking for Christmas from my parents. It had candy, of course, and some little toy (or usually a gift card now), and an orange. When I was younger the orange would always roll away (or be nudged with a petulant toe) …

Read More about Did You Ever Wonder Why We Put Oranges In Christmas Stockings?

For a lot of reasons that are the fault of so many different people, I am not on speaking terms with my family. Most of them have unfriended me on Facebook, I don’t get birthday wishes on my wall or cards in the mail anymore from them. This is my life, and there isn’t anything …

Read More about I Won’t See My Family This Christmas, And That’s Okay

Isn’t it funny how the holidays have a certain smell? You know — gingerbread cooking, evergreen trees, cinnamon flavored candies — all my favorite things. Now you can get all the scents of the holiday season in a bottle with Christmas Spirit Essential Oil from Young Living. This is my favorite oil EVER! We made …

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Okay, folks. We are down to the wire. Christmas is literally around the corner and if you’re starting to feel that panic of realizing you left one of the men in your life off your Christmas list, don’t worry! We’ve got your back. With Amazon Prime you’ve Still Got Time. So, take a deep breath, …

Read More about 100 Last Minute Christmas Gifts For Men…

Rudolph was always my favorite reindeer. While the other reindeer always seemed a bit snooty (they wouldn’t let him play their games, c’mon!) Rudolph used his bright red nose to guide Santa through fog and make sure all kids get presents. What an amazing guy! That’s why instead of making any ol’ boring reindeer candle, …

Read More about DIY Gift Idea: Rudolph Candle & Printable Gift Tag

My daughter is in the fifth grade, so she’s known the truth about the whole SANTA thing for a while. But, when it came up I was completely unprepared. We were getting our nails done right before Easter, and she leaned over to me across her pedicure chair. “Mom, tell it to me straight– there’s …

Read More about How To Tell Your Kids The Truth About Santa

Growing up, there were certain situations that were always harder for me than for my brothers. I’d shrink away from loud parties, or start crying the second certain commercials came on, or basically have an emotional breakdown anytime I thought I disappointed anyone…and we (my family) just chocked it up to my personality. As an …

Read More about How To Help Your Sensitive Child Deal During The Holidays

Have you ever wondered how good ol’ St. Nick unwinds after a long night of flying all over the world, risking life and limb stuffing himself down chimneys and braving the winter elements with nothing but a fur-trimmed suit, a wooden sleigh, and a bunch of rowdy reindeer? Well, this Kris Kringle Screwdriver might have something …

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Even if you don’t have time to stand in front of a hot stove, stirring an even hotter pot, you can still make chocolaty goodness in your own home. These 25 Slow Cooker Chocolate Candy Recipes will make great gifts for friends, snacks for late night movie watching, and desserts that can be enjoyed year …

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As the weather turns colder, visits become longer and this Red Snow Drift Cocktail is a great way to surprise those visitors with a wonderful winter drink that they won’t soon forget. Fruity, warm, spicy, and delicious, this drink will relax those winter blues, usher in welcome conversations, and warm tummies before anyone has to …

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Some people love Christmas, but we’ve all got that one friend who REALLY LOVES CHRISTMAS. That one perky person in our lives whose eyes are bright and shiny year round and their optimism could brighten a funeral… When Christmas rolls around, it’s like GO TIME for that person. And while some of us drag out …

Read More about We All Have That One Friend Who Is Like Buddy The Elf…

The holiday season is a time of joyous celebration, of giving, and of time spent with family. It reminds us all what it means to put others before ourselves. There is nothing more rewarding than to see the look on a child’s face on Christmas morning as the wrapping paper flies across the room, or the smiles …

Read More about 8 Times Christmas is Actually the Worst

It should be noted that despite it’s name, butterbeer has only a very slight alcohol content. It’s been known to get house elves drunk, but only because their bodies are so tiny and they have no tolerance whatsoever on account they rarely drink the stuff. For wizards and muggles, butterbeer merely has a delicious flavor …

Read More about Madam Rosmerta’s Butterbeer Fudge

This Christmas while you’re decking the halls and planning for a visit from Ol’ Saint Nick, you should plan some time for yourself, too! I know, I know, you’re thinking there’s no way to have ‘me’ time during the holidays, but you’re wrong! In fact, this printable Christmas planner is everything you’ll need to plan …

Read More about This Printable Christmas Planner Is Everything You’ll Need This Year

Too many Christmas Parties? Too much F-U-N this holiday season? Well, have no fear, friends. These 25 Un-Christmas Grinch Treats will be sure to keep your Christmas spirit simmering on low! (Just kidding-I can’t help myself!) There’s no way I get through the holiday season without watching the Grinch. Every time I do, I think …

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Okay, some of you have the sad great fortune of knowing me in person. If you do, then you know I don’t really do stress. I pretty much never worry about stuff, and most of the time I’m all whatevs… That sounds all good and well, right? No stress? What’s that like you ask. Total …

Read More about I Will Not Get Overwhelmed!