Our Christmas Gift Exchange 2014

As I mentioned here Jameson and I like to switch things up every year when it comes to what we do for gifts. This year we decided that the Friday before Christmas we would go to the mall to divide and conquer.
The rules:
1. We had exactly 1 hour to do our shopping
2. A $50 budget for each of us
3. Have fun!
I have to be honest and say that both Jameson and I went slightly over our set budget but we both agreed our gifts were perfect and totally worth the slight splurge! We try very hard during the year to stick to our set family budget so it is always nice to indulge every once in awhile and buy things for each other that are just treats!

John Varvatos Cologne  |  Le Creuset Kettle

HIS GIFT: The morning before our shopping trip Jameson was getting around in the bathroom and as he was spraying his cologne he said that cologne reminds him of Christmas. It's something he wears almost every day but never buys for himself. In the past it has always been a gift from me, his mom, or sister. So after he said that I just knew that I would have to get him some again this year. With the idea that I wanted to get him a new scent this year I wandered into Nordstrom and smelled half of their collection before a sweet sales woman walked up to me and said "You have to smell this, it is my absolute favorite." I smelled the stick she handed to me and knew this was the perfect one! The lady at Nordstrom told me that this cologne sells out every year and I was happy to snag the last one! Not only does it smell great but John Varvatos is also a designer from Detroit who is opening up a store downtown this Spring. Jameson loves supporting local Detroit businesses so this was just the icing on top of the cake!

HER GIFT: While we were eating our favorite Chinese food at the mall prior to shopping Jameson admitted to me that he had absolutely no idea what he was getting but not to be alarmed because he works well under pressure. And I have to admit he came through on his promise and totally nailed my gift! I had been using our Keurig for hot water when I make tea and I have been wanting a legit tea kettle for months. Needless to say I felt totally spoiled when he got me this Le Creuset kettle. The yellow matches other accent  pieces we have in our kitchen and William-Sonoma had it for 20% off which was an added bonus! He told me he spent 30 minutes chatting with the sales lady in the store learning about all things kitchen related then spent the last 30 minutes sitting in a massage chair in Brookstone. Silly boy.

It was such a special evening exchanging gifts and spending some quality time as just the two of us before the crazy Christmas activities begin. We will be spending the holidays with my family and I absolutely cannot wait to see all of them. My parents, sister, brother-in-law, grandparents, great aunt...needless to say it will be a full house! But spending time with the ones I love fill my heart with so much joy and is hands down the best part about Christmas!!

Peanut Butter Cups

This week I attended a cookie exchange with one of my coworkers and a fun group of ladies she has done cookie exchanges with for over 10 years. We had dinner at a local Italian restaurant and had our own private room with such a cozy ambiance. The room was complete with stone walls and a warm fire place which created a perfect environment for an enjoyable girls night. We spent a lovely evening chatting, drinking red wine and of course eating cookies! I made a couple of different kinds but one of my favorites (and easiest) recipes is for Peanut Butter Cups. Growing up I always made this with my mom to give our teachers and her coworkers during the holiday season. These treats are so delicious and could not be any easier to make!

Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients:

9oz white baking chocolate

1 1/2 cups of creamy peanut butter

8oz semi sweet baking chocolate

1/2 cup lightly salted peanuts (chopped)

Directions:

1. Arrange 50 miniature (1 inch) baking cups on a baking sheet

2. Heat white chocolate and 3/4 cups of peanut butter over low heat until melted and combined

3. Spoon mixture into baking cups

4. Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes or until hardened

5.  Heat semi sweet chocolate and remaining peanut butter over low heat until melted and combined

6. Spoon mixture into hardened baking cups and top with chopped peanuts

7. Refrigerate again until hardened then enjoy!

Christmas Gift Traditions

Jameson and I will be celebrating our second Christmas as husband and wife this year and we are doing something a little different as far as gifts go this year. Friday we are going to our local mall to divide and conquer. We will have 1 hour and a set budget then be set free in the mall to go shopping for one another. After an hour is up we will head home and exchange our gifts. We thought this would be a fun way to do gifts this year and create special memories together!

When it comes to the 5 Love Languages receiving gifts is not high on either of our lists. We both would prefer spending quality time together at a local coffee shop over getting a gift any day. That being said we don't want to completely skip over Christmas gifts all together so we try and find creative ways to exchange . Last year we only did stocking stuffers and we had 4 categories we had to buy gifts for: something you want, something you need, something to eat, and something to read. This was a fun way to keep the gift spending at a minimum but still create a special first Christmas together! Here is what I got him last year:

want: cologne | eat: starbucks gift card | 

need: undershirts | read: Car Guys vs. Bean Counters

Every year we will probably continue to switch up what we do for Christmas gifts just to keep things interesting. I would love to hear if you have any fun Christmas gift traditions. Do you go all out? Or keep things simple?

Linking up today with Lisa and the girls

Thanksgiving 2014

We spent turkey day this year in Pennsylvania spending quality time with both sides of our family. We got into town Tuesday night in order the beat the snow then spent most of Wednesday cuddled inside watching the snow come down and prepping some food for the big day.

This year I was in charge of the pecan pie, homemade rolls, and some roasted vegetables. I turned to the trusty Pioneer Woman for both recipes and they did not disappoint. I also love her step by step instructions with pictures, it gives me more confidence to try new things because I can make sure it looks right every step of the way.  The rolls were a labor of love considering they had to sit and rise for multiple hours, but they turned out delicious! This Georgia girl also represented well with a pecan pie, but beware this pie is not for the faint of heart when it comes to sugar. There is lots of it! But perhaps that is why it is so yummy.

This year Jameson's sister hosted and I love going over to her house for the holidays because she has such perfect decor and this year she did not disappoint! Isn't her chalkboard adorable?

Friday morning we packed up for a quick trip to my grandparents house to spend some time with my aunts, cousins, parents, and of course grandma and grandpa! We enjoyed (another) big, yummy meal and spent the night engaged in a rather intense game of Phase 10. I am so grateful to have been able to spend time with them! Saturday we headed back to State College so the boys could go to the last football game of the season. All in all we had such a wonderful time with all our family and returned back to Michigan on Sunday with full stomach's and even fuller hearts!