Hello, friends! I am truly in disbelief that we are entering the final month of 2024.
How are we feeling? Everyone doing okay? These final few weeks are always fun and even a bit magical, but they can also be doozies. Sending lots of love to you in this season no matter where you fall on the Holiday Spirit Meter.
We hosted Thanksgiving this year (which was super fun and low-key) and now I’m preparing to decorate for Christmas! Even though I’m feeling anxious about what 2025 (and beyond!) will bring, I’m fully leaning into Christmas because I truly love this time of year — I’m personally thinking of it as a “last hurrah”. 🥴
Today’s Five Things are items that have piqued my interest or things that have been on my mind / going on in my life recently!
FRESH CUT TREE LOT
When we moved out of the city of Seattle we knew we’d have to find a new Christmas Tree Supplier for our family holiday tree and we stumbled upon Newcastle Fruit & Produce! It’s the cutest shop and we love supporting small businesses whenever we can.
They have lots of gorgeous Christmas trees in every size you can imagine, wreaths, garlands, hanging baskets, door swags, poinsettias and more! I highly recommend checking them out if you are local to the Seattle / Eastside area.
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“SPRITZ” BUTTER COOKIES
A traditional holiday cookie for our family, in a non-traditional style. They’re easy and deliciously addicting! You can find the recipe here.
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MOLASSES GINGERBREAD COOKIES
This recipe post isn’t a recent share, but these festive cookies are an annual tradition in our house so it felt worth re-posting for the season!
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“HOT COCOA” SENSORY PLAY BIN
I thought this would be a fun seasonal sensory bin for Sophie to play with! I gave her a few scoops and bowls along with a *real* Starbucks cup (which I asked a kind barista for) to use for transfer and dramatic play! She LOVED it!
I also chose to use chocolate Cheerios instead of Cocoa Puffs (which I’ve seen other parents use) because I knew we’d actually eat them afterward. Definitely recommend choosing the chocolate cereal that suits your family best!
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HOLIDAY CARD ALBUM
I have saved a holiday card / envelope from every year since we started sending them out to friends and family, but they’ve just been living in a random Ziploc bag in our stationary drawer… until now! I stumbled on this holiday card album and I knew it would be the perfect solution. Not only does it fit our home’s aesthetic so that it can be displayed, but I finally have an *official* place to keep our beloved annual cards — I absolutely love it!
We only have four installations so far, but I’m looking forward to seeing them over time and watching how the girls grow. 🥹 Aside from school pictures, this will be the perfect way to capture them over the years.
I’ve linked a couple of additional album options below:
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Wishing you a truly wonderful *official* start of the holiday season, friends!
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie
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