Twenty days till Christmas?? How in the world did this happen? We are in full swing around here for the holidays and I am excited about it. Welcome to my Festive Friday Favorites a hodge podge of all the things that brought me joy in the last week or so.
Festive Friday Favorites
Other than decorating my house, it sure doesn’t feel like Christmas since our weather is so warm. So I have decided to make the most out of every opportunity to be festive! If I hear about a tree lighting I want to attend. A cute pop up? I’m in. Luckily my husband is a willing participant.
Last weekend he and I drove to one of our favorite little towns in central Florida, Winter Garden. We enjoyed the decor, the boutiques, and of course some treats at a French cafe that was decked out for the season. I had the most delicious latte (white chocolate coconut). The place reminded me of a Hallmark movie!
Since I work from home, specifically in my family room, my Christmas decor surrounds me. I am so lucky! Each day I enjoy the lights and ornaments. This year we have a new to us tree (formerly my mother’s) and it has a spinner. The tree turns slowly and I love seeing all of the ornaments.
I am determined to maintain a festive spirit no matter what. Part of that requires letting go of pre-conceived notions of what makes the holidays special. Time honored traditions may end, people may disappoint me, I may disappoint them, but I am going to accept and embrace these things. For the second year in a row, our older son will not be coming home for Christmas. Of course I wish he would be here but I understand. He and his gf (soon to be fiance) just moved to Maine. She just started a new job, and taking a trip to FL with a quick turn around doesn’t sound enjoyable to anyone. We will get together when we can. Not only do I protect my peace, but I encourage my children to do the same. So when we talked about it I let our son know that it was completely fine. In case it’s not obvious I did not say, “We understand but we’re disappointed.” Guilt is not something I gift.
They sent us photos of snow angels they made on Wednesday! They are enjoying Maine so far, thank goodness Emma grew up in NJ and is no stranger to cold weather, ice, and snow.
I am thinking of gifts I’ll be buying too – that is a part of being festive, right? A joyful gift giver is the best kind. In November I was very blessed to get to work with Boarderie and True Nature Meats. Both would make terrific gifts for adults. Boarderie is based here in FL and they create gourmet boards that are completely prepared (no assembly required) that ship overnight. They are delivered to your door fresh! You can check them out here – they ship free all over the US. My family and I decided this will be the gift we send for holidays as well as bereavement (rather than flowers). I recently completed two campaigns with them – one for Christmas and one for New Year’s – they are delicious! The boards come in different sizes so they really do make the perfect gift.
True Nature Meats is another great idea! You can use my code THISBLONDESSHOPPINGBAG15 between now and December 24th to get $35 off your order. Here’s more about True Nature:
True Nature Meats was born from a billion-dollar global sourcing company with over 30 years of experience supplying the world’s finest meats to premier restaurants and culinary institutions. With deep roots in regions like Argentina’s Pampas, Brazil’s Cerrados, and the American West, decades have been spent finding the best—and learning from the best. Along the way, we tasted the world’s most unforgettable recipes and built relationships with top chefs. Now, we’re bringing it all to you. True Nature Meats blends sourcing expertise with chef-crafted recipes to create ready-to-eat meats made from real, clean ingredients—no shortcuts, no fluff. Just meat, made right. Come discover true flavor, true value, true convenience, and rediscover true mealtime joy.
Take a look at True Nature here and use my code THISBLONDESSHOPPINGBAG15 to get $35 off your order. I just ordered Traditional Sunday Roast and Strip Steaks. Once you defrost them you simply heat them in a skillet for about 4 minutes total. They are already seasoned. They make for a fast and delicious dinner.
I am always down for pretty jewelry and I’ve got a few pretty pieces to share. This first is one I won on an Instagram Giveaway my friend Jenn hosted. You can find it on Amazon – isn’t it stunning? She also shared this one on a post and I had to buy it immediately. It comes in other colors but the red is perfect for this time of year – so festive!
I realized I don’t own a lot of Christmas specific clothing – so when I want to dress festively, I combine colors and sparkles! Here is one of my outfits – I wore it on Tuesday with the sweater draped around my shoulders but plan to wear it to an evening tree lighting. I’ll put the sweater on for that one since it will be cooler. Note about the denim – I am almost 5’4″ and the length is perfect for wearing flat shoes or sneakers. They also have crystals on them but it’s done so subtly – they really are terrific!
Thanks so much for stopping by today, I appreciate you being here. Please consider signing up to receive my posts by email and following me on Instagram and Pinterest.
- Festive Friday Favorites
- Seasonal Styles at JCrew Factory
- Enjoying the Season
- Grateful, Thankful & Blessed
- Friday Favorites – What I am Loving Right Now
