Merry Christmas Eve everyone! The best day. I have a random picture dump of some holiday decor in my home I never got around to posting but before I do I just wanted to say hi. Hi and thank you. :) Thank you for your endless support this year! Thank you for being here. Thank you for reading and commenting and loving my family and encouraging and supporting me and all that I share. Some of you have been with me for years (many years!). You’ve watched my 3 kids grow up and my style evolve. You’ve seen me organize way too many drawers and you’ve seen me go through way too many throw pillows. ;) It truly means so much to me that you spend precious time here. This blog is my happy place and you are the reason it’s so fun for me to be here. I’m incredibly grateful for this community and feel very fortunate to have so many friends out there reading. I feel a close connection to you all.. even if we’ve never met or really talked in real life. You are my Sunny Side Up family and I love you. :) Thank you for everything!

A few pics of my entry this holiday season! It’s simple and neutral.. and green. :)

I brought my faux eucalyptus trees I used on my Fall porch inside and have loved having one in my entry. It’s breathing some life into this space!

{Christmas tree loop pillow/Cable Knit Fur pillow}

Two favorite pillows on my bench.

{similar table here & here/green trees (large and medium on this table) – large – medium – small/faux snow/chunky knit pom blanket/fa-la-la banner}

And a handful of favorite trees on my table. Oh! And my fa-la-la banner of course. :) The fake snow was a fun touch that I won’t add on this entry table ever again. Ha. Looks pretty (hands down my favorite faux snow!), but every time my door opens it blows a little on my floor. We have a lot of teens in and out of our house each day. And a lot of Amazon deliveries. That makes for a lot of fake snow on the ground I’m sweeping up.

I don’t see an end to the teens coming over or to the Amazon deliveries in the near future so the snow has to go. ;)

{ENTRY SOURCES}

My living room is on the other side and the view from this entry. Come in come in! Open the door and blow fake snow all over the floor! It’s all good. We’re happy to have you. :)

{Christmas Living Room sources}

I decorated a tree in my formal dining room this year. I did this last year too (not sure if I ever got around to sharing it?). It’s this flocked green pine and it’s tricky to photograph against this window but it’s a beautiful tree.

I kept things mostly green in this room too. Just simple ball ornaments on my tree in different shades of green and my jeweled snowflakes. They never show up as well in photographs but are beautiful in person!

{chunky wool jute rug}

I shared this table in my recent pajama party post but here is a closer look without people and food. :)

{jute chargers/plaid plates/red rimmed plates/gold flatware/merry plates/red flatware stocking}

{battery operated candles/mercury votive holders/candle holders/table runner/similar snowflake napkin holders}

This pretty gold runner added some elegance to my table and I placed snowflake napkin holders throughout the garland for a fun touch to match the snowflakes on my tree.

My battery operated candles are one of my favorites this holiday season! I love clicking them on and off with my remote and I love that I don’t have to worry about starting the house on fire every time I want candlelight on our dinging room table.

It’s the little things. :)

{DINING ROOM SOURCES}

Last space today is my powder bathroom. It always has a similar look each holiday season. I just can’t quit the red in this room!

It’s pretty hard to have a bad day when your bathroom rug and towel say MERRY on them.

{BATHROOM SOURCES}

We do love Santa at our house and can’t wait for him to stop by! Enjoy the magic with your family! l’m sending all of my love and wishing each one of you the BEST holiday season. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! :)

The only thing better than having friends over for a night of food and laughing is having friends over in pajamas for a night of food and laughing. :) I was so excited to host my holiday pajama party this year! I went with a “self care” theme because more than anything I just wanted my friends to be able to take a night off from shuttling kids and cooking and homework and housework and all the WORK of motherhood and life. A night to have fun with friends and eat good food and share fun gift ideas and catch up and laugh until we cried.

And we did just that. :)

{kitchen, table & dish sources are in this post}

When I’m hosting a party I’m always a little pre-occupied with getting my house and everything ready so I’m terrible at snapping pics and documenting! I took some of these pics and the rest are from friends. The salads and cheese and crackers and charcuterie board were all catered by a local market and then my close friend Katy made her potato soup! One of my favorites. It ended up raining the night of my party and I was thrilled. A perfect night to be inside in cozy pjs eating soup with friends. :)

I pre-ordered the most delicious cookies and cake for dessert from a bakery in our area that is to die for. Honestly they tasted better than they looked which is saying a lot because how cute are these holiday cookies!?

{details on 3-tier stand for cookies here}

This beautiful tree board arrived the morning of my party – a gift from ETU home. I guess they’ve heard I’m a fan of their boards. ;) It was perfect to display the cake! It will also be perfect to pair with this fun tree board of theirs that I’ve had and loved for years.

{my pj joggers/cozy slipper Uggs}

My party assistants. So grateful for these 3! They were at the party early to help set up and were the last 3 to leave after loading/washing the last dish. Honestly so many of my other friends who came offered to do the same but these 3 were on it and had it covered. I’m so very grateful for all of my friends! They are all just the BEST people. We called Addison down to snap our picture before the party started and got this one and then the doorbell rang. None of us liked this picture (the lighting is horrible next to the TV) so we were going to take another one but you know how that goes. So here we are! A little blurred but happy. :)

Come in come in!

TV was on because Michael Buble was also invited to the party. Funny sidenote.. Kole played a holiday music game in his 6th grade class today and he said his team won because he knew so many Christmas songs. He told them “my mom makes me listen to Michael Buble for months!” Ha ha.. Truth! And I’m proud of it. Good job buddy. ;)

I also loved seeing everyones pjs! So cute! I wore my tried and true red stripe sleep joggers I’ve had for years. Target came out with some that are almost identical! I bought them too.. in red (here) and green (here). (I’ll show you the green at the end of this post!)

{black pendants/counter stools}

Love them all. :)

{dining room mirrors/wool jute rug/jute chargers/plaid plates/red rimmed plates/gold flatware/battery operated candles/mercury votive holders/candle holders/table runner}

I had my two tables set up but there were more people at the party than I had chairs for so one group sat in my formal dining room, another group sat at my breakfast nook table and another group sat in my family room on the couch. I thought about setting up a 3rd table (maybe in the hallway) but I honestly like this party to feel casual (I’m really not a formal person at all!). Despite my seasonal tablescapes that are so fun for me to create, I’m a lot more of an ‘eat takeout on the couch while watching Netflix’ person than I am a formal dining room person. Ha. So the couch won as the 3rd seating option. :)

{dining nook rug}

After we ate we all piled in the family room. I talked for a few minutes.. told a recent story about my friend Darci saving my life by buying the last Coke Zeros on the planet for me at Target. Seriously Coke Zero has NOT been in grocery stores around here lately and it is my life line! I sent out a panicky SOS text to some of my friends a few weeks ago after not finding any in 3 different grocery stores and they were all on the hunt. (Can’t go without it in December! Ha.) I talked about how I can never leave San Diego because I have friends here like Darci who hunt down and bring me Coke Zero in my time of need and how I know that every single person at this party would do the same. And yes.. after I laughed about it I teared up talking about how much they all mean to me. They all know I’m emotional so no surprise there. :) I’m so grateful for my friends that it brings me to tears sometimes.

Also.. there’s no Coke Zero in all of San Diego. That brings me to tears sometimes too.

After my rambling we shared gifts! I had each person bring one gift around $25 that represents how they take care of themselves. It could be favorite bubble bath or skin care or something they use when they exercise.. anything related to a hobby they love. Whatever they do to unwind that brings them happiness. There were so many fun items! I haven’t had time to round them all up to share so I’ll try to do that after Christmas. I brought my favorite travel make-up bag with clear bottles for products and talked about how much I love to organize. :) I was really stressed one night a few months ago and stayed up late putting labels on all of my clear travel bottles and it calmed me right down. Organizing is hands down my favorite form of therapy and self care! I said I’d label the bottles for whoever got my gift. Ha. (We all put our names in a bowl and after I shared my gift I drew a name.. that person got my gift and then came up to tell about their gift and so on.) Some of the gifts were funny and we all got laughing so hard! Gift exchanges always bring the party to the party. :)

Half way through passing these out I remembered to stop and take a picture! I always give out my favorite cozy butter socks at this party. I have them in every color! The polka dots too. :) They are SO soft.

I attached this little note to the socks it and if you download my holiday planner each year you’ll recognize this seasonal self care list! I’ll be taking some of my own advice the week after Christmas and checking each item off this list. Can’t wait. :)

It was such a fun night. I’m so grateful for all of the good friends I have in my life. That includes so many of you too! I’ve always wished I could throw a party for my blog/IG friends. Wouldn’t we all have the best time!? I have no doubt that we would. :)

The following week my cute friend Michelle hosted a pj Favorite Things party (Favorite Things party #3 this month.. I’ll have to round up those fun party gifts after Christmas too!).

My pj bottoms sold out.. Uggs are linked here.

She sent me this pic of everyone at her party.. propped her phone up on the fireplace to take it! Such a fun group. I knew half of the people there and had so much fun meeting and getting to know the other half!

I found this group pic from my friend Ann’s party I shared earlier.

I also found this group shot from her party the year or two before. I never included it in a blog post so I’m documenting it here. Good times with good friends. One of the best parts of December!

Almost as good as Michael Buble’s Christmas album. ;)

{snowflake pajamas/cozy slipper Uggs}

While we’re talking pjs I have to share this cute pair I’ve been loving! They will be my wardrobe through all of January and February no doubt. They are crazy soft and so comfortable!

{striped cozy lounge joggers in red and green/striped cozy lounge sweatshirt/cozy slipper Uggs}

These are the Target pjs that are almost identical to my favorite Abercrombie pj pants. So soft and such a cute fit! They come in red too and after I tried them on I couldn’t resist getting both colors (I have more pjs than actual clothes at this point and I’m not at all upset about it.) Fun for the holidays but I will wear these all year!

{thermal pjs/cozy slipper Uggs}

This is another cozy/cute pair I’ve loved this month and the present pattern sold out so quickly! But they have this same set in other prints and the others are better for after the holidays. Not that you can’t wear present pjs in January, but it just doesn’t quite feel the same. Ha.

All three of the pjs above have been worn and tested and come highly recommended by yours truly. The pajama maven.

I can think of worse things to be called. ;)

I can’t believe we are so close to Christmas! I’m hoping to pop in one more time quick before Saturday but we’ll have to see how the wrapping is going. (Are any of you done!?) I’m not off to a great start and still have so much to do. This has been a strange Christmas week because my girls are in school and have finals through Thursday! Usually by now my kids are out of school and we are watching movies and going on drives to see lights and enjoying Christmas plays like The Grinch and Christmas Carol.. all the holiday things! We aren’t going to have much time for that before Christmas (they’ve been so busy with school activities and studying this week) so we’ll be soaking up all the fun holiday things after the big day. I can’t wait for some down time with my crew. I’m wishing the same for all of you this year! Take care of YOU! Pick a few things (or all things!) off of my seasonal self care list and relax and enjoy some down time. My wish for all of you this season!

*affiliate links used

Happy Saturday! I’m sharing a few pics of my Christmas kitchen today! But first.. a change. My Christmas present arrived early! Some of you might remember me mentioning a while ago that I wanted to replace my kitchen pendants. I started feeling like the silver pendants looked a little lost in my mostly white kitchen. I wanted something bolder that would add some contrast. Plus one light was loose at the top and slightly broken. Plus after 8 years I was just ready for a change. :)

Finding new pendants for this kitchen wasn’t easy because my coffered ceiling (while I love it so) really limits me with pendant size.. which in turn limits me with style.  It was a long search to find lights that were the right size and the right style. Lights that would work in my kitchen and most importantly, lights that I love.

I finally found the ones! But while I can measure everything 10 times and visualize how they will look, until they are hanging and l can really see them in my space it’s a little bit of a shot in the dark. (Anyone else feel this way with big home purchases!?)

The day my electricians showed up I was a little nervous. I really love the lights so I wanted to love them in my kitchen. I know my electricians well.. they installed all of the lights in our house when we built. They know me well too which is why they said upon arrival “We love you Erin! But after you show us exactly how you want these lights you have to leave the room and not come back until we’re done and it’s too late to change anything.”

Ha.

I tend to stress and over analyze (just a tad!) when it comes to light fixtures. They were hands down one of the hardest parts of building for me. I was so confident and quick with other decisions but lights always threw me for a loop. (Wait.. is that too high? Now it’s too low. Is that for sure where I want it? Turn it a half of a half inch to the left. Does this color work in this room? Oh my word.. I love the contrast. Wait. Do I still even like these lights!? Move them a half inch up and let me think for a minute.. ok. I love them! But they need to be a tiny bit lower..) 

Yeah.. my sweet electricians have been through a lot with me. Thankfully they are very patient. :) Also you can see why Kenny doesn’t get involved with this stuff anymore. Soon after we got married I had him hang some art work for me and by the end of that experience we both knew it couldn’t happen again or our happy marriage would take a dark turn.

Ha. I kid! Kind of. ;)

Two lights to go! I knew I loved these pendants but I also knew they were larger and bold and would change the look/feel of my kitchen. Which is what I wanted. But scary too! Good scary. :)

Change of any kind usually is right?

No turning back now!

{barstools}

BEFORE  (Fall kitchen a couple years back.)

and AFTER. (Christmas kitchen today.)

Ahhhh! I DO love them. I hope you love the change too! But I also know they aren’t everyones cup of tea and I’m ok with that. They are very much my cup of tea. :) I love the style and I love the black! I feel like they ground my kitchen a little more if that makes sense. They also pull out my dark counters and are a nice contrast to the white which I felt like I really needed in this space.

They are the Hanover Pendants from House of Jade. I went with the large size (another decision I questioned!). The small size was closer to the size of my previous pendants, but I always felt like my kitchen could handle bigger lights because it’s a large space. I don’t have much space in-between each light (in fact according to “design rules” my lights are way too close together!) but like I mentioned, my coffered ceiling limits me. I’m fine with it because I think it works visually with the way my kitchen is laid out and the size of my islands. Really at the end of the day all that matters in your home is that you like it. That’s it! Rules are helpful but not always necessary. You just have to love how something looks. If you do.. it’s right.

My two cents anyway. :)

Enough talk about the lights! Here are some Christmas decor details. (All sources are linked at the end of the post!)

More details on my window display (and night pics!) in this post. I have to say that I’ve been really happy with these basic neutral washable rugs! I bought them for Fall and wasn’t sure if I’d love them but I do! It has been nice to have a neutral rug with all of the holiday decor happening. Plus they wash SO well. I tossed them in the washer last week (laid them out to dry) and they look brand new!

I used my faux cedar garland (sold out) and this eucalyptus garland over my stove. Always a favorite combo!

I was half way through my little photoshoot when Kenny waltz in to wash his hands. He was taking forever just to give me a hard time (knew I was in a hurry and didn’t have long to get these pics!) so I snapped this picture of him. If you aren’t going to get out of the way of my photoshoot, you’re going to be featured in the photoshoot. My kids know this by now which is why they are nowhere to be seen. Ha. :)

Serving boards make me happy. I love serving food on them and I love layering them in my kitchen for decor.. especially when one of them is a Christmas tree!

These favorite white jars are always fun to display in the kitchen. I love putting greenery or faux flowers in one and leaving the other one with the lid on. Add a little brush tree and set them on a board and done! So festive. :)

Nice and clean! It sure doesn’t last long does it!? I feel like my kitchen is a mess and then cleaned up 8-12 times a day!

I’ve had my dining room table set since my pj party!

I kept it really simple with my wood chargers and favorite plaid plates.

{similar placemat/similar wood charger here & here/gold flatware/plaid plate/merry plate/stocking}

My formal dining room tablescape looks very similar with these cute merry salad plates on top!

I set greenery, trees and candles in the middle. My little red stockings that hold flatware are a favorite this time of year! The tall candles are the coolest because they click on with a remote! Battery operated and they give off such a nice glow. I shared them for the first time in this post (bought them for Halloween). The small gold candles come in a set of 3 and would make a great gift!

That’s it for my Christmas kitchen! It has been a fun spot to enjoy and host friends the past month.

Can you believe it’s already the 18th!? I wish we had another month before Christmas! It always goes by way too quickly for me. Don’t be surprised if my kitchen still looks like this in January. I am in no rush to take down the greenery. Or my tree board. Or the pendants!

Pendants are staying put for sure. My electricians need a nice long break before they see me again. ;)

{POST SOURCES & SIMILAR OPTIONS}

{maroon square pillow/velvet sherpa tree pillow}

Favorite Things Party Two! I wanted to share details on this party last week but got too busy planning mine. I’m a little behind with posting so I’m combining two posts into one! Party details and then a round-up of lots of fun gift ideas if you are still shopping like I am! It doesn’t matter how prepared I try to be or how early I start, I’m always still ordering a few last minute gifts/stocking stuffers the week before Christmas! I guess that’s part of the fun right? :) I did get my Christmas cards out early this year so I’m celebrating that win. It felt so good to drop them in the mail the first week of December!

My friend Ann has been throwing this Favorite Things party since 2010! Some of you have been with me long enough to remember lots of past posts on it. :) This pic of the two of us was actually from this party a few years ago. We didn’t document things as well this year as we usually do! Most of you know the drill with a Favorite Things party but if not I explained it in this recent post. For Ann’s party we each brought two of the same favorite item that cost around $25 each. (Although a lot of us tend to go over the limit!)

I did snap this picture of her beautiful outdoor space as people were starting to arrive.

I also snapped a picture of the favorites! I have to say that in all the years we’ve had this party this is the first year that I loved every single gift that was brought.

I usually have my eye on a few things that I can’t wait to order, but this year I seriously wanted one of everything! The gifts were SO good.

Wondering what favorite thing I brought to this year’s party? My gift wrap organizer. :)  LOVE this thing. I ordered it after Christmas last year in a desperate attempt to keep my Christmas wrapping paper from taking over my house! I wanted it separate from my regular wrapping paper and I wanted to store it in my attic with my holiday decor so that it was tucked away all year but easy to access in December.

Mission accomplished! This organizer has a place to store your wrapping paper rolls (long or short), clear pockets for sacks and tissue AND a cute little side box for smaller items like tape and ribbon.  Perfection right!?

I keep extra Christmas ribbon and bows in clear ziploc bags and then set these on top of the wrapping paper. Everything zips up nice and tidy!

Along with the wrapping paper organizers I also gave out little gift sacks full of wrapping supplies. My favorite among the favorites. :)

Getting totally off point here (sorry.. once I get started talking about organization it’s hard to stop!) but if you’re looking for other great holiday decor organizers these are favorites!

For those of you who like to think ahead. ;)

1 –  Holiday Plate Box  2 – Christmas Wreath Bag  3 – Storage Bags

4 – Ornament Storage Box  5 – Similar container with lid here and here 6 – Clear Storage Box (6 pack)

7 – Christmas Tree Storage Bag  8 – Similar Underbed Ornament Storage Box  9 – Gift Wrap Organizer

Ok. Back to the party! I included all of the favorite things our friends brought in the two collages below. So many good gift ideas! I promptly came home and ordered most of these items for my girls, family, friends and a few things for myself. :)

1- microfiber hair towel  2- thrive liquid mascara  3- mineral sunscreen 

4- wrap organizer   5- letter pouches   & gel pens

6- persuasion novel   7- nude eyeshadow palette   8- table topics game 

9- strivectin  SD advanced   10- breast pillow   11- bonacure moisture spray  12- bronzing bundle

I’ve seen lots of towel wraps before but this one takes the cake! Can’t wait to try the sunscreen and gel pens. I came home with the eyeshadow palette and love it! The table topics game is such a fun gift idea.. topics to start fun conversations. I can’t wait to use them with family over the holidays. I ordered the pens my friend Kristen swears by (already own and love the letter pouches). Ann swears by the small pillow although I know I wouldn’t be disciplined enough to sleep with it (keeps your chest from getting wrinkles!). I also came home with the Coco & Eve tanning spray and mit and can’t wait to try it!

1- Baker & Olive   2- extender chain   3- ankle socks

4- dry volume blast  5- olaplex no5 & no4   6- cozy plush wrap 

7- clear purse   8- olaplaex no3   9- sun kissed & fairy string lights

10- vitamin C & zinc supplement   energy supplement   facial & body mask

More favorites included a necklace extender, the best olive oil & balsamic vinegar (love Baker & Olive!), Olaplex (my favorite thing at the last party.. it’s everyone’s favorite!), the best socks and dry volume blast (my friend Katy swears by this for hair volume!), a cozy plush wrap, the cutest clear purse for stadiums/concerts, string lights, a beloved mask and some supplements that help prevent colds, etc. So many fun things if you are looking for last minute gift ideas!

Below are a few other fun collages I put together! These are all items I have and love or things I bought this year for gifts. I hope it helps with any last minute shopping you need to do! I’ve included gifts for HER, gifts for HIM and just a few fun items that are on sale right now.

1-under eye mask   2- tula under eye treatment   3- makeup bag

4- T-3 Curling iron   5- makeup brush cleaner   6- face roller skin care tool

I have and love every item here other than the brush cleaner and I’m hoping Santa brings that for the girls in our house this year. ;) You can see more details on my favorite makeup bag and other favorite travel bags in this post. Fun gifts for anyone who loves to travel!

1- neutrogena moisturizer   2- mitt  & tan mousse   3- hair dryer 

4- makeup mirror   5- Dead Sea mud mask   6- similar brush set

All beloved items at our house! Along with some fun make-up brushes because they always make a great gift!

1- journal   2- silk pillowcase   3- slippers

4- measuring spoons   5- jewelry case   6-keychain

More favorites! I ordered the keychain as a little stocking stuff to me from me this year. :) I love wrist keychains! Also that cute bestie book comes in other versions. So fun to personalize for kids or anyone in your family!

1- watch & bracelet set   2- luggage   3- pajamas

4- beats headphones   5- strainer   6- vaccine & passport holder

More fun items that might pop up under our tree this year! The pjs come with great reviews (lots of patterns!) and look so cozy.

1- jacket   2- gloves   3- backpack

4- leather wallet   5- old skool sneaker   6- hybrid shorts

The collage above and below are some of Kenny’s favorites along with a few things he’ll see under the tree this year. :)

1- beanie   2- sweater   3- skin saviors set

4- spice bomb fragrance    5- slipper   6- tech t-shirt

1- wood gallery frames   2- large serving bowl

3- comforter   4- bean bag chair

A few fun things on sale! My comforter (you can see it in my master bedroom here) and a favorite serving bowl I use often. You can’t go wrong with frames and beanbags for gifts! Items everyone can use.

1-flannel pajamas   2- hydro flask

3- olaplex no. 5   4- faux fur slipper

1- benefit mascara   2- flowerbomb   3- wreath 

4- Cole Haan jacket   5- boot   6- olaplex bonding oil

These last two collages include more favorites on sale that would all make great gifts!

HAPPY SHOPPING! And hopefully soon.. HAPPY WRAPPING!

I need to get moving on that. :)

Well.. last week was a blur! Hands down our busiest of the month. Lots of fun – parties and performances and ALL the holiday activities. I had my pj party Thursday and it was so much fun (will share pics soon!). We have a few things going on this week but it’s not quite so crazy and I’m getting excited to get my kids out of school! I love it when we hit that time of the month when things start slowing down and we can fit in lots of family time doing some of our favorite Christmas traditions.

I still have lots of fun Christmas decor to share with you all and we’re kicking off the week with my living room! So hard to photograph from this hallway because of the lighting pouring in through my french doors.. the hallway really isn’t so dark. :) But I wanted to show my fun wreaths on the lights! I ordered two of these 28″ hoop wreaths last year and then picked up two more this year. They sold out quickly so next year I’ll be sure to let you all know when they are back in stock. I love them because aside from the beautiful look/style they are lightweight so perfect to hang on lights or cabinet hardware (I have two more in my formal dining room).

Come on in!

{roll arm sofa/red & green plaid/similar velvet green/fa-la-la pillow/similar red pom throw}

Nothing like traditional Christmas colors. :) I finally got my Christmas pictures up on the wall!

Some of you might remember my O Holy Night sign I’ve had for years that never seems to get put away after the holidays. Christmas lives on forever in this corner at our house. Ha.

My fa-la-la pillow is on sale! So many cute PB holiday items are marked down right now and still get here in time for Christmas! Some would make great gifts too. Like this cute serveware, these cozy handknit throws, and this fun charcuterie board you can personalize. I’ll link a few more gift ideas on sale at the end of this post! I have so many rounded up and just haven’t had time to share them.

{glitter garland/wood bead garland/similar red bead garland/sherpa reindeer/fa-la-la white ball ornaments}

Details on my fa-la-la tree are in this post.

{similar rattan tray/decorative wood chain link/similar vase/similar berry picks}

Simple coffee table decor with random finds around my home!

{green velvet pillows & I linked some fun similar red snowflake pillow options below!}

I also added a basket of favorite Christmas books next to the fireplace for easy story time. My kids are older but still love the classics. :)

I always just add greenery and ornaments to spruce up my shelves for the season. I have faux green picks I always use that are easy to slide onto shelves behind books and objects. They are very similar to these!

{similar red stockings (on sale! They come in cream too.)/similar red bead garland/snowflake wood bead garland/fa-la-la garland}

Cozy fireplace with my faux cedar garland (sold out soon after Halloween!) and layers of fun garlands below.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of my fa-la-la room! Below are some pictures I took of it at night (always the coziest isn’t it!?). Kenny set all of my Christmas trees to click on around 5 pm using an app on our phones. I don’t know if he has ever spoken my love language more! Ha. Well done babe. It always makes me so happy when they come on each night.

I’ll add room sources and a few fun holiday items/gifts on sale at the end of this post. I’m hoping to be back with another post ASAP (I still have so much to share!) but regardless I wanted to wish you all the BEST week! Lots to do but I hope we are all able to enjoy some of the magic happening this time of year too. :)

*Quick tip – use battery operated lights (these are my favorites!) to place inside your trays on tables and shelves. It adds such a cozy touch! They work great on mantel greenery too.

{POST SOURCES & similar options}

{HOLIDAY SALE/GIFTS}

*This post is sponsored by Walmart. All product selections and opinions are my own!

I have 4 posts that are mostly finished but not quite done at the moment! So much to share this month and the days are flying by so quickly. I’m hosting a pajama party at my house tomorrow night so I have been busy this week getting my house and ALL the things ready. I’m so excited for a fun night with friends over! Then I wish I could take a long winter’s nap! But that’s not in the cards until January. Ha. This weekend is booked solid. I’m sure you’re feeling the wonderful madness that is December too!

I have a friend who always helps me with my charcuterie boards when I entertain because (like all food related items) they intimidate me! So you could say that I was beyond thrilled when I stumbled across this beautiful cheese board/knife set from Walmart on-line when I was ordering groceries. (I linked lots of similar boards below too!) I ordered it along with my food and when everything arrived it was so simple to put this board together. It’s like paint with numbers because everything has a place! Creativity is not necessary on this one. I’ll take it! :) I also wanted to share these beautiful red rimmed dishes I’ve had for a while. This set is so cute for the holidays and a great price! They come in lots of fun colors.

This board has cute little cut outs for nuts, round dishes for sauces and dips, a beautiful set of knives and a separate round tray for fruit! I made this for my crew in 10 minutes and it looks beautiful with very little effort on my part. WIN. It would make such a perfect holiday gift for a friend/neighbor/teacher also. Something everyone can use! It works well whether you are entertaining large crowds or just throwing something together for your kids. I know this fruit tray will be a weekly staple at our house! It’s just the right size for healthy after school snacks. :)

I recently shared a few other items I love to use when I’m hosting a party or fixing holidays snacks for the kids. I really do love that I can order all of my food right along with cute serve-ware from Walmart and be done! A lifesaver for this busy stage of life.

I’ll be using a lot of this again for my party tomorrow night! (Recipe for the Oatmeal Carmelitas is at the end of this post.)

I also ordered a few fun groceries for my Christmas tree board to make with the kids (hopefully this weekend if we have time!). They loved this so much last year and decided it’s a new Christmas movie snack tradition. :)

Of course I can’t talk about holiday snacks without mentioning our stand-by forever favorite – Christmas Pretzel Hugs. I ordered the groceries for these too! My kids’ friends all get excited and start asking when the hugs are coming. I love that. Aren’t holiday traditions the best? We all need things to look forward to in life. Pretzel Hugs from a friend are always a good thing to look forward to. :)

This is how to make them if you are new here!

Every December I link our favorite holiday cookie recipe.(Recipe for our applesauce cookies HERE.) Really it’s not a holiday recipe, but I make them every December because they bring back the best childhood memories AND they make our house smell amazing! Plus they just look so cute on red plates. :) We love taking these to neighbors and friends too.

A typical scene at my house in December. :)

These Ritz reindeer treats are Kenny and Kole’s favorites. :)  It’s just peanut butter on a Ritz cracker and then add chocolate chips, pretzels for the antlers and a red m&m for the nose. So easy and festive!

I also love making these cute Santa hats.  Just Ritz crackers, cream cheese, strawberries and marshmallows!  Quick tip with these.. eat them soon after you make them or the crackers get soggy!

You all know popcorn is my love language. :) In December I toss holiday m&ms and pretzels in with our popcorn for movie nights.  So simple and it makes it feel like a special Christmas treat. These Grinch Santas are also adorable and so easy. They are just fruit on a toothpick with a marshmallow on top!

EASY holiday snacks. The very best kind! See you at our weekend Christmas movie night. Next up? White Christmas! I’m making Kenny watch it with me.

Again

:)

{POST SOURCES}

*affiliate links used

What a jam packed week! December is officially here and I’m feeling it. You!? I always wish December lasted a few months and we could just sort of spread things out. I love all of the parties and activities! But it’s a lot to fit in and well.. it’s only Dec. 3rd and I’m tired. Ha. ;)

The good news is that I have a fun place to retreat this month when I can find a minute to rest! My master bedroom is decked for Christmas and I can’t wait to be lounging on this bed with my girls watching Christmas movies. This is always our spot this time of year when the boys are watching football and I love making it extra cozy for us. :)

You might remember that last year I decked our master bedroom in pink!

After going with a mostly green theme for my Fall porch and then my Christmas porch this year I decided I’d keep that train rolling and use darker tones and more greens in this space too. Green is my all time favorite color and I have to say that this room makes me smile every time I walk in.

Mission accomplished. :)

Let’s talk details! You know I love white comforters! They work beautifully in every season and you can have a whole new look by just switching out pillows and throws. I bought this beautiful white comforter/sham set last summer and we have loved it. It’s not too light or too heavy. Perfect for us in the winter.

I bought this olive green quilt set a couple of months ago and love the addition of the green shams and folded quilt at the bottom. I was thinking I would just use it for the holidays but I love it so much I’ll probably keep it on through winter and maybe spring too. The green is so cozy! I layered this natural chunky knit blanket on top of the green quilt and it added so much texture. It’s also soft to wrap up in for movies! Perfect blanket for the foot of a bed. Two velvet forest green pillows and a favorite neutral Christmas tree pillow complete the look!

This Christmas Lane winter print is the same art I used above my bed last year. It surprised me how it took on a whole new look with this new bedding and new lamps! You can’t tell as much in pictures but last year the pink really pulled out the light/white colors and this year the greens pull out the greens/blacks in the photo making it appear a lot more moody. Kind of cool. :)

I added this cute tree throw for my bench at the food of the bed. This throw comes in 4 colors and I have 3 of them! Ha. I’m using the red (more of a maroon) in my family room, the green in my living room and this cream in the bedroom. I love that it’s a solid color but has the tree prints and tassels to add some texture and fun for the holidays. (I often get asked about this bench and it was a custom item I had made, but I linked some fun similar options at the end of my post!)

The decor that made the biggest change in this bedroom is the new mirrors and lamps!

Ahhhh! Could NOT be more excited about these simple new additions! I found them both on Amazon and am in love! These black terracotta lamps aren’t in stock anymore but I’m crossing my fingers they come back. I would actually love a set for my upstairs console table too. They are really large and just beautiful. (I’ll share the news here and on IG if I see them back in stock for anyone interested!) These brushed metal wall mirrors were out of stock for a while and just came back! I bought the bronze color – they look 100% black and are a smooth finish. I added two of my small pine trees to our nightstands (my obsession with these trees runs deep!) and this large black zinc reindeer since this is Kenny’s side of the bed. A little more masculine for him than last year. Ha. ;)

*Funny side story. Last year Kenny was in a client meeting for work and his client said “How’s the pink Christmas bedroom? My wife follows your wife on Instagram and loves it!” Kenny’s response.. “is our bedroom pink right now?”

Ha ha.. I laughed for 20 minutes when he told me that! It was towards the end of December and our room had been pink for months! Seriously my husband. I guess we’re a good pair since I notice every detail in a room and he notices NOTHING. It’s probably my fault. I switch things up so much around here he just stopped paying attention and trying to figure out what things look like long ago. ;)

My previous mirrors and lamps. Nothing was wrong with them but I’ve had them for years and these mirrors always felt a little too tall for me. I didn’t like how they towered above my headboard. Also because of the style of them I couldn’t pair them with more modern lamps I’ve been loving.

It was time for a change!

I kept my blanket ladder in this corner and add this cozy green cable knit throw (beautiful in person!) and some cream stockings (similar here) and bells. (Similar blanket ladder here & lots of options here.)

This is the same green pine flocked Christmas tree I had in this space last year and I can’t imagine ever getting tired of it. It’s so beautiful on its own that it really doesn’t need much! I kept it simple with just some ball ornaments – textured rizzo ornaments that sold out and these ball ornaments in moss green. I have these same ball ornaments in different colors in other rooms throughout my home and love them!  They are really nice, large, good quality ornaments and I love the green twine on them to hang the ornaments on the tree! I would definitely recommend them in any color.

{bedroom rug/similar spindle leg chairs – here/here/here/here/here/similar pom pom throw}

This year..

and last year. Which is your favorite? :)

I didn’t do much on my mantel. I put up my garland and added these favorite twinkle lights and just loved the simplicity of it! (My faux cedar garland sold out around Halloween! It always goes fast. I linked a few similar options you could use at the end of this post.)

My pre-lit faux snowy pine trees were perfect for the hearth and make this room magical at night.

I love having cozy pillows on the built-in benches next to our fireplace.  I put three pillows on each bench.. these cute green plaid windowpane pillows, my cable knit fur pillows..

and these cream cable knit pillows. (They come in lots of fun colors and are a great neutral in the winter months!)

I have this mirrored console table to the left of our bed (used to be in my front entry!). This spot in my room needs some attention. I have a few ideas but never really prioritize knocking them out. 2022? Maybe. :)

For now I just kept it simple with greenery, some trees and a bowl full of these same ball ornaments I used on my tree.

That wraps up the tour of my cozy Christmas master bedroom! Bring on the Hallmark movies!

We are more than ready. :)

{POST SOURCES & similar options}

Happy Monday! I’m kicking the week off with my Cyber Monday picks and lots of fun gift ideas for everyone on your list! How is your holiday shopping going? I’m about half way done and hoping to make a little more progress today. I had big plans of finishing my on-line shopping over Thanksgiving weekend but I ended up spending time with family and wasn’t on my computer much. I don’t regret that decision at all :) but I’m happy the sales are still going strong today!

If you follow me on IG stories at all you’ve probably heard me rave about certain Vanity Planet products. Items like this face steamer are staples at our home! Addison and I both use it every week. We steam in front of the TV on our “spa nights.” Kenny is always laughing and rolling his eyes at us. Ha. We are firm believers in self care. ;) I reached out to VP to see if I could get some discounts for you all on my favorite items because they all make great gifts!

Head here to get a discount on all of my Vanity Planet favorites! They have bundle options available too that are perfect if you want to get a few different items or a few of the same item for gifts.  Perfect for girls/women of all ages!

These Kove speakers are also included in my VP round up and are my latest obsession! They connect to your phone/computer via bluetooth and have great sound quality.

You can keep them connected or separate them for full surround sound. I’ve been surprised how much I’ve used these in the past month! I turn them on when I clean, exercise, when we’re spending time outside. They are also perfect for teens in their bedroom, entertaining, lounging by the pool in the summer. Such a fun gift for anyone on your list!

{speaker & other VP favorites}

I took them to Utah and we loved having them on when everyone was playing basketball and hanging outside. My parents put this fun new sports court in their backyard for the kids/grandkids. So much fun!

Kenny and Shawn crack me up in this pic. None of us are basketball players but we like to pretend. Ha. :)

Colleen Rothschild products are all 30% off! I shared favorites in this post. You can also check out their best seller page. Great skin care products that would also be fun for gifts. I’ll be stocking up on the Extreme Recovery Cream! Love that stuff.

Last Spring I shared my favorites for travel and I thought I would share them again because they also make fun gifts.  This double layer make-up travel bag is my favorite!   It holds EVERYTHING.  I love that I can lay larger products in the middle and keep smaller bottles upright on the side.

There is also another zipper compartment on top for make-up brushes and other items. I love the transparent cover to keep make-up brushes clean too. Plus it has a strap and is easy to carry. WINNER!  This bag is still sitting in my bathroom with everything in it because I haven’t unpacked from our Utah trip yet. Which isn’t good because I’ve found that if I don’t unpack from a trip immediately after we get home I’m living out of my suitcase for at least another week. Ha. Anyone else!?

This electronic organizer is another favorite!  Perfect to hold all of your charging cords, camera items, pens, a mouse, your phone.. whatever you need. Would make a great gift!

If you prefer a good hanging bag this toiletry bag on the left is a great option.  It also holds a lot and has elastics that help keep products upright.  I also really like this travel make-up organizer.  Similar to my favorite bag with a separate spot for brushes on top.  It also has dividers that you can move and customize.

Everything open..

And closed.

These favorite travel bags are all linked below along with this jewelry organizer I also have and love.

1- travel bag with hanging hook    2- jewelry organizer travel case 

3- travel makeup organizer 

4- large cosmetic case   5- electronic organizer travel case 

{carry-on luggage/straw circle tote/travel make-up bag/duffel bag}

A few other favorite bags I always use when I travel. Calpak has great items for traveling and I love checking their site for fun gifts every year. They have a lot of fun items on sale too! Organized travel makes me happy.  :)

Ok.. on to my Cyber Monday picks! So many fun things on sale! I rounded up favorites from Nordstrom and Amazon for women, men and kids below! A lot of my teen girl gifts are on sale too!

1- olaplex  2- pajamas  3- throw blanket  4- initial necklace

5- mascara primer    6- nonstick fry pan set   7- eyeshadow palette

Love every item here! Major score on the barefoot dreams blankets. I gave one to Kenny for his birthday in August and he doesn’t let it out of his sight!

1- lip gloss set   2- large leather tote   3- bliss throw   4- backpack

5- kiehl’s set   6- hiker boot   7- pillow talk lip & eye set

I gave these BB lip gloss sets for gifts last year and they were a hit! Bliss throws on sale are always a good thing and I love the black bags!

1- vest   2- reserve body & hair cleanser   3- deluxe backpack

4- facial cleansing tool   5- old skool sneaker   6- slipper

All items my husband would love! Debating the Foreo for him. I know he would love it if he used it.. but could I make him remember to use it? Hmm. Doubtful. It would take great effort on my part.. ;)

1- long sleeve t-shirt   2- performance  t-shirt

3-  deodorant   4- wool chute   5- boxer briefs   6- sneaker

1- race tracks   2- fire tablet

3- travel activity kit   4- play kitchen   5- RC monster car

I so miss buying toys like these! My girls would have been in heaven with this pink play kitchen. Kole loved the race tracks when he was younger and the travel activity kit is genius for long car rides!

1- zingo bingo game   2- magnetic tiles kit

3- fire pro tablet   4- world map puzzle   5- barbie dreamhouse

Zingo, these magnetic tiles and the Barbie Dreamhouse were 3 of my kids’ favorites.  I bought Kole the world map this year. :)

1- hooded jacket   2- leaf blower   3- ice maker

 4- coasters   5- instant pot   6- bose earbuds   7- fire 10 tablet

I ordered this black coat! So cute right!? I’m going to try it and the J Crew black coat I ordered. Thinking I’ll keep one for me and give one to Ellie this year because she needs a new coat too. We have and love the ice maker – a Chirsmtas gift from my parents! It’s on sale for such a good price right now. The other items would all make great gifts too.

My favorite sheets are on sale! I gave these to so many people for Christmas last year and they were such a hit! The BEST sheets. I still have them on all of our beds and love them.

1- string lights   2- sheet set   3- handheld steamer   4- mixing bowls

5- handheld vacuum   6-serving bowls   7- luggage

My sheets are linked here with other long time favorites like my handheld vacuum and steamer. The string lights are my favorites for holiday decorating!

I shared the collage below on Prime Day but thought I’d post it again because they are all fun gift ideas and some of them are on sale. (I bought the vanity mirror for Ellie last year for Christmas and she uses it everyday for her make-up and loves it!)  Maybe ignore the swimsuit.. ha. But I’ll take one of everything else right now! ;)

1- jade roller. 2- crest whitestrips   3- curling iron

4- beauty sponge set  5- backpack. 6- elta sunscreen 

7- straw hat   8- crossover swimsuit   9- mario badescu glow facial spray 

10- adidas sneakers  11- short sleeve romper   12- vanity mirror

I hope this post gave you more fun gift ideas! It’s always such a nice feeling to find that perfect gift for someone you love. It’s also such a nice feeling to have holiday shopping DONE! To those of you who achieve that before December even hits.. you are my heroes! I’ll be happy if I’m done by Dec. 20th.

I like to set expectations low.. makes it easier to feel proud of myself.

#sunnysideuplifelesson#6,472

;)

*This post is sponsored by Walmart. All product selections and opinions are my own!

Happy almost December! I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving! We spent a few days in Utah with family and it was exactly what we all needed. (My dad snapped this pic right before we ate). :)

I wish we could have stayed another week! So much fun. We are always a little sad to say good-bye to grandparents and cousins after time spent in Utah so I cheered my crew up with a happy reminder that we were heading home to our house in San Diego decked for the holidays with a fun month ahead!

First up on the agenda? A Christmas movie party of course! I’ve never in my life waited until after Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas.. or to start listening to Christmas music (I’m ready in early October!) but I DO hold off on the Christmas movies. We have so many favorites and love spending the month of December watching as many as we possibly can. December is a busy month and with kids in high school schedules get tricky so we try to schedule set family movie nights ahead of time to prioritize some time together.

Christmas movies are best with pjs and fuzzy Christmas socks by the way. In case you didn’t know. :)

(*more fun sock options here)

Oh.. and with food. LOTS of food! One of my favorite ways to make December feel special is by making fun treats for our Christmas movie nights!

I get a lot of our groceries from Walmart and order ahead to pick up or have them shipped to our home. They make it so easy and when it comes to groceries/food they have everything you need for the holidays! When I ordered some groceries for our movie party I couldn’t resist getting this fun new 4 piece serving set. It’s perfect to hold a few different types of candy/treats!

I bought this cute red dinnerware set in the summer for 4th of July get togethers and it works great for Christmas parties too! The mugs will be perfect for hot chocolate. :)  (Speaking of hot chocolate, that 4 piece serving set above will also be ideal for holding hot chocolate toppings!)

I got everything ready in the kitchen and then moved it to our family room for the movie. We love to snack in this room when we’re watching movies. That’s why a rug that hides everything and a couch with slipcovers I can wash is crucial. :)

I’ve always found that the snacks themselves don’t have to be fancy with my crew. When I display snacks with fun dishes and have at least one thing that everyone loves it’s a hit and feels extra special. (The popcorn is my must have. In case you didn’t know.) :)

This 3-tier serving tray set is another favorite for movie night or hosting parties with family/friends. You can easily separate a few things you are serving and it always looks beautiful! I tossed  a few fruits/veggies in there to keep us healthy. ;)

These white porcelain serving platters are also ideal for entertaining and I reach for them all the time for our every day dinners too. The treats in the first platter are called Oatmeal Carmelitas and you guys.. they are to die for! SO delicious! My friend’s daughter made them for a party and as soon as I ate one I knew I had to have her make some for me and send the recipe! I added it at the bottom of this post for anyone interested. Seriously.. they are so good! If you make them and love them too let me know! I didn’t add calories because that would spoil the fun pretty quick so just serve some carrots next to your Oatmeal Carmelitas and all will be well. ;)

Ad and Kole couldn’t wait to get this party started. :)

I couldn’t wait to join them! They were so good to hold off and not eat anything until Kenny snapped a few pictures for me. My sweet family.. blogging is a family effort a lot of the time! Ha. They didn’t seem to mind one bit once I put the camera away and said “enjoy!” I see LOTS of family movie parties in our future. And LOTS of oatmeal carmelitas.

I love this time of year.

In case you didn’t know. :)

{POST SOURCES}

Oatmeal Carmelitas

{Ingredients}

Crust:

• 2 cups All Purpose or Unbleached Flour 
• 2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats 
• 1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• 1 ¼ cups margarine or butter, softened 

Filling:

• 1 (12.5-oz.) jar (1 cup) caramel ice cream topping 
• 3 tablespoons All Purpose or Unbleached Flour 
• 1 (6-oz.) pkg. (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips 
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Steps:

•  Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13×9-inch pan. Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup; level off. In a large bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix at low speed until crumbly. Reserve half of the crumb mixture (about 3 cups) for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture in bottom of greased pan. Bake at 350°F. for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine caramel topping and 3 tablespoons flour; blend well.
• Remove partially baked crust from the oven; sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Drizzle evenly with caramel mixture; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
• Return to the oven; bake an additional 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 hour or until completely cooled. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until filling is set. Cut into bars.

Notes: 

*For the caramel topping I used one package of Kraft caramel bits and melted them over the stove then added the flour 

*I also used both milk chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips (about half a 6oz package of each to have an even balance for taste)

*Feel free to throw in nuts too. I didn’t because Ad is allergic. :)