Banana taxi ride: One of my favorite memories of 2014 and what it taught me
I can count on one hand the number of days left in 2014, and that fact floors me. This year just flew by. It was full of big changes and hard work and happy moments and fun with family and friends. I get a little nostalgic around New Year’s and I was thinking back this […]
My favorite healthy holiday snack: The fruit tree
The holidays are a season of sugar and sweets. Healthy options don’t really get a lot of attention. Other than the “visions of sugarplums danced in their heads,” you don’t hear a whole lot about fruits, and even less about veggies. But we all know that kids will eventually suffer a sugar crash, and it’s […]
Win a free year of Netflix, a #StreamTeam Giveaway
Okay, friends, it is go time. As I write this, it is one week until Christmas Eve. ONE WEEK. Activate reindeer and suit up, Santa. Christmas is all around, as Billy Mack sing in Love Actually, my favorite movie (and inspiration for my blog’s name): It’s possible that means you need to do a few […]
Fun facts and trivia about The Nutcracker Ballet
The Nutcracker ballet is a beautiful holiday tradition featuring snowflakes and soldiers, party guests and a prince, and, of course, the Sugar Plum Fairy. If the delightful picture in my Facebook feed are any indication, many of you have attended or are planning to attend a performance of The Nutcracker featuring beautiful costumes, talented performers and […]
Growing real roots thanks to an artifical Christmas tree
Tonight, my family and I headed to a local outdoor shopping area for dinner and to see the 250,000 LED lights on a 60-foot tall artificial Christmas tree put on a show to the music of Mannheim Steamroller. This was our fourth year of doing exactly that, and it’s become a happy holiday tradition for […]
Angelic Devil’s Food Christmas Cookie Recipe
I like Christmas cookies, chocolate and easy recipes. So it’s no surprise that I love this fast and easy recipe for Angelic Devil’s Food Christmas Cookies. They are light and chewy and offer just the right amount of chocolate and sweetness, not too little and not too much. They’re like Goldilocks cookies that way. The […]
Quick and simple fudge recipe with just 3 ingredients
Fudge is fabulous. It is a decadent indulgence, it is special but not snobby, it makes a lovely gift. You knew all that but did you know that fudge is also incredible easy and quick to make? This quick and simple fudge recipe is one of my go-to recipes during the holidays. It takes just […]
Christmas craziness: I’m turning into Clark W. Griswold
It’s a fact that the holidays bring a lot – a lot of joy, a lot of cheer, a lot of memories to cherish for a life time. They also bring a lot of running around, a lot of “to do’s” and a lot of stress. This weekend I’ve been feeling a bit more of […]
DIY glitter ornaments: Easy to make, beautiful enough to give
When we visited my parents for Thanksgiving, we put up their Christmas tree and I got to revisit some of the ornaments my daughter has made for them in the past. It’s become an annual tradition that she craft something for their tree and she’s been doing so for nearly a decade now. We started […]
7 Christmas tree facts
Although families have been divided by the debates between a real or artificial tree, and white or multicolored lights, the Christmas tree tradition is a fun one. Take time between decking the halls and trimming the tree for this Christmas tree trivia quiz. How tall is the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree? The Norway spruce that […]