Happy Monday, friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I’m sitting here at my desk this morning, with my cup of coffee. I’m still waiting on my holiday Nespresso order to arrive because I tried some of their new holiday flavors. Our weekend was filled with a good mix of busy – and some relaxation. So, why don’t I get right into it?
Nutcracker Market
I took Friday off to partake in one of my favorite ways to kick off the holiday season: The Nutcracker Market. This has been a years-long tradition with one of my besties. We try to go on Friday (because Saturday can get really crazy) and make it an all-day affair.
Here is a close-up of my festive outfit. You have to choose wisely because it’s a lot of walking, so I went with a mix of comfort – and festiveness. I thought it would be fun to share some of my haul. Because I’m hosting Thanksgiving at my house this year, I knew I needed to pick up some hosting items. I also wanted to buy some items for my god-kids so I could get their Christmas package ready to send.
That was our haul. I went with two of my friends!
Holiballs
I knew that I wanted to purchase some Holiballs while I was there. A lot of my neighbors decorated with these last year, and I loved them. They are a bit pricey, but they were running a special at the Nutcracker Market, so it was a great time to buy. I went with the classic colors, and we will give them a try this year. If I like them, I plan on picking up another trio next year. They are easy to store – but make a big impact!
Hosting Items
There is a cup store that I buy from every year for various events. Sassy Cups are so cute to have on hand for football parties, birthday parties and holiday get togethers. I figured they would make a fun addition to my Thanksgiving table, so I grabbed the Gather, Gobble, Wobble styrofoam cups and…..
I also picked up some good ol’ Thanksgiving Waterford plastic cups as well. I love that these have a sense of humor. They have some really funny cups too, but my grandma is coming over – so I had to keep it relatively clean this year!
I also picked up some jars of deliciousness from the Jalapeño Gold company. I plan to use the Raspberry Chipotle in an appetizer. I’m thinking my baked brie bites. I’m also going to serve the Jalapeño Gold over a block of cream cheese with some crackers for my guests. If you’ve never tried this stuff, it’s so delicious, and it makes for a super simple appetizer that is a crowd favorite. The jalapeño mustard is something my husband and I use on sandwiches during the year. It’s also delicious.
Kid Gifts
With Christmas right around the corner, I needed to stock up on some items for my godkids. I always send a Christmas box, but I’ve got a work conference in December – and a wedding – so I really need to get moving on this. I found a couple of things that I’ll stick in their box like these hot chocolate bombs. The kids will love them.
I also grabbed this cape that they were able to customize on site.
Needless to say, we walked away with some good items this year. By the time we were leaving, the cold front had rolled into Houston, and it was pouring down rain – an exciting end to the day to say the least. By the time I dropped my friends off – and made it back home, it was almost 6:30, and I was exhausted. Aaron and I called it a verrrrry early night (I am growing a human after all) with some tex-mex delivery and some quality time on the couch.
Saturday and Sunday
I let myself sleep in on Saturday. But, because I had gone to bed so early the night before, I was up by 8 a.m. I needed to gather my house together. A lot of items had accumulated on the counters. I also needed to take stock of my guest bedrooms for my guests, and I put together a list of items I needed. You know – like some new pillows, some Thanksgiving wreaths for my front doors, a new shower curtain liner (I can’t be the only one that thinks of things like this for overnight guests). I headed out to Bed, Bath and Beyond to pick up my items – and Aaron and I were off to see a movie later that evening.
And on Sunday, we finally sat down to plan out our Thanksgiving menu. That cookbook was given to me after my aunt Claudia – or “Moosie” as we affectionately called her – passed away. It’s a compilation of her favorite recipes, and I try to make one or two items to serve during the holidays in her honor. This year, I’ve got a Turducken on my menu. We will also serve Moosie’s potatoes, a holiday salad, a corn casserole of some sort and a broccoli, rice and cheese dish (one of my husband’s favorites).
Sunday
We capped off our Sunday by going to look at some nursery furniture (so many options) and of course, with the Yellowstone season premier.
Happy Monday, friends!
