A Little Holiday Catch-Up

Hi, you guys! I'm back from my extended holiday break and I wanted to catch you up on what I've been doing.  I have to say, this year was a little wonky. It was our first Christmas as a married couple and we haven't really figured out how to divide our time yet. To add to that, Josh was suffering from some ferocious GERD that had him out of commission a great deal. We did our best to make the most of it, but it was tough. Everything was kept to a minimum, but I was able to do some baking. That was good and the pumpkin bread I made was one of the few things Josh could keep down.

Before Christmas, I was dying to share some gifts I was giving, but I couldn't because it would've blown my secrets. These are my two favorite things that I gave this year.

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies // A Vintage Recipe

You guys, I don't know if I should even consider this  recipe "vintage". It's more of an antique. This is the recipe for the cookies that my Mom and I bake together every Christmas. It was my great GREAT Grandma Robinson's recipe. (My 86 year old Grandma's Grandma) They don't have your regular cut-out cookie flavor. I think they're more like scones or biscuits. Anyway, give them a shot and let me know what you think. They're definitely a taste of history and a family favorite.

Snapshots ~ Christmas Pajama Edition

It's been so busy around here lately, that I haven't taken a lot of pictures. So, the snapshots I'm sharing today are from Christmases past. I'm calling this one "Christmas Pajama Edition".

It all started in 2005, when my Mom got my eldest niece and me matching flannel pajamas. How could anyone resist the chance to wear ducks on skis?

Fave Five Friday 12.6.13

Do you guys have movies that you just have to watch around the holidays? You know, movies that aren't actually Christmas movies; but they still put you in the holiday spirit. That's what these movies are to me.

Edward Scissorhands came out at Christmas time, but it doesn't take place just in the winter. Still, the ice sculptures get me in the holiday mood every time! (and the DVD is on sale at Amazon for $4.99, just click the link)

My Top 10 Non-Traditional Christmas Songs

You guys, I'm a Christmas music fanatic. I've been playing my holiday tunes since October and I have A LOT of favorites. Today, I thought I'd share 10 of my favorite non-traditional Christmas songs with you. Even some of you Christmas music haters out there will enjoy these!

If the playlist doesn't load, for whatever reason, you can listen here.

These songs are in no particular order & yes, I did bring Barry Manilow into the mix. Happy Listening! And for fun, you should check out this video too. Enjoy!