Favorite Holiday Traditions
source: the effortless chic
I'll be the first to admit I used to be a bit of a scrooge when it came to the holidays. Christmas was always fun as a kid, but as life became more complicated, it was less about holiday cheer and more about creating a harmonious schedule of house hopping between parents and families. I'm sure you other divorce kids know what I mean. When I first met Jim, I was still in my jaded "I-hate-Christmas" phase, but making new traditions as a couple has helped to melt my cold, Grinch heart. I also think growing up helps — the cooking, baking, boozing, and family gatherings just seem so much more fun as an adult. I love seeing friends and family visit from out of town, and dare I say, I even enjoy a good snowfall here and there (okay but after January, it's so not cool). I look forward to this time of year now more than ever, and it's mostly because of the way our celebrations have evolved. Here are some of my favorite traditions of the season:
Baking kolaches
My paternal grandma was Czech, and had her own yearly Christmas tradition of baking kolaches, which are an old-world Czech cookie. The dough is a true labor of love – it's a yeasted sour cream dough that takes over a day to rise, and then rolling/cutting/filling the dough with fruit preserves takes its own extra effort. When my grandma became too old to continue baking, my sister and I took over the kolaches to keep our family in full stock. My dad looks forward to these every year, so we can't miss a beat! We usually get together on Christmas Eve and have a beer, roll up our sleeves, and get to work. The whole process takes a few hours, but the reward is ever so sweet — and the process really keeps our grandma's spirit alive. I should also mention that if you're in the Cleveland area and want to try a kolache — call me. I haven't found a bakery around here that comes even close to the goodness of this recipe (and my dad agrees).
The tree (of course)!
After tolerating our old fake tree from our apartment days, Jim and I finally sprung for a new artificial tree that better fits our space. It's a big, glorious fir that's full of lights. I always enjoy decorating our tree, but this year was even more exciting for that reason. It's so much bigger, I had to go out and buy more ornaments to fill it up! However, most of our ornaments were gifts to each other, or represent a vacation, milestone, or joke that we have. I love to open up the box of ornaments and unwrap them, one at a time, and enjoy the memories of when we got it, or what it represents.
The Murray Family Christmas Party (#MFCP)
One of my best friend's families has been hosting a Christmas party for as long as I can remember. They do it up right — killer food with Italian flair, Kevin's oatmeal cookies, overflowing bowls of punch, and the outdoor ice luge brings a new meaning to "vodka on the rocks." Although our group of friends are now spread out across the country, sometimes a few of us are lucky enough to reunite at the party. It's also the place where my mom and stepdad met, 15 years ago, but that's a story for another day ;)
Christmas Eve
Both of our families have annual Christmas Eve gatherings, and no matter which one we go to, I have a great time visiting with our extended families. We are both blessed with lots of wonderful aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins and I love any excuse to see them. Their parties are always full of holiday appetizers, festive cocktails, hugs and laughs. It sounds incredible cheesy but I truly feel the warmth of the season when we all get together. I enjoy it just as much as Christmas day!
Gifting with Jim
Once all of our family time is finished, Jim and I make time for our Christmas — usually that night, once we're home and settled in. We light a fire, make a cheese board, enjoy a bottle of bubbly and exchange gifts. It's quiet and relaxed and we can take our time without having anywhere else to be. It's the perfect way to end the day.
I would love to know what you guys do for Christmas, or if you have made any new traditions. Every family and culture is different and I think that's what makes the holidays so interesting — it's just about celebrating what's important in whatever way that works for you.
Recipe: Cranberry Gin + Ginger Cocktail
Ah, the holidays. The time of year when booze flows like water, and rightfully so. There's nothing like a little buzz to make all the family gatherings better (or you can just rely on Adele to fix everything). Luckily, I don't have any crazy relatives to dodge, so a good holiday cocktail is more of a pleasure than a remedy.
I tend to be a wine-with-dinner kind of girl, but starting off a party with a festive cocktail makes everything feel more special. This little drink has a pretty presentation that really says Christmas, and would look beautiful set up on a bar cart for a night of entertaining. I love the addition of the sugared cranberries – they look snow-covered and totally holiday ready. They are also really tasty on their own, so you can set out any extras in a little dish for people to snack on. This recipe is super easy and you can scale up the recipe depending on your number of guests (or if it's just you...ain't no shame in that game).
INGREDIENTS: (YIELDS ONE COCKTAIL)
4 oz cranberry juice
2 oz ginger ale
Splash of apple juice
1 oz gin of choice (I use Bombay)
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Sugared cranberries for garnish (recipe below)
DIRECTIONS:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in cranberry juice, apple juice, and gin and shake to mix. Pour into rocks glass with ice, and add your ginger ale. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and sugared cranberries – you can place them loose into the drink, or line them up on a toothpick or cocktail pick.
SUGARED CRANBERRIES:
1 cup cranberries
1 cup water
1 1/2 cup sugar
In a small saucepan, combine cranberries, water, and 1 cup of the sugar. Heat on high until the water begins to boil, then remove from the heat. Let them stand for about 5 minutes – you want the cranberries to be whole, and not split open (a few of mine did anyway).
Once they're ready, drain the liquid and transfer the cranberries to a plate to cool for a few minutes. On another small plate, place the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and roll the cranberries in the sugar, a few at a time. Place them on another plate or prep board to cool and dry for 10-15 minutes before inserting cocktail picks for garnish.
And that's it! You're on your way to holiday cocktail party bliss.
Free Printable Valentines
Happy 2014!
I don't make resolutions for the year, per se, but I do take time to set some goals that are achievable on a daily or weekly basis. I've found that those small promises are easier to keep and lead to more long-term lifestyle changes, which are really more effective in the long run. For example, I had a vague goal last year to get in shape (who doesn't) and I promised myself I would hit up a class once a week. When I started, I ended up loving my new routine so much that I couldn't live without several yoga or barre classes per week. It just became a part of me and I didn't feel healthy and "me" without it. That's when I knew this change was for good. I'm proud of how my lifestyle has improved and am excited to keep it up, and reach even higher, this upcoming year.
I would love to know if you have your own secrets about fulfilling resolutions. Did you make some this year, and how do you plan on tackling them?
Christmas Card Outtakes
Holiday Ornaments
Have you started shopping and decorating yet? Are you totally feeling the holiday love this year?
Made in the 216 Holiday Shoppe
The ever-fabulous Made in the 216 Holiday Shoppe launches with a bang this Friday, the 29th and runs until Christmas Eve. If you're interested in more local-focused Black Friday shopping, then head to Room Service for some handmade goods, a hot toddy, and some sweets!
I'm thrilled to have some prints and handmade ornaments in this year's shoppe. This event is not to be missed!
More details below - hope to see you all there!
Target Holiday: Cozy Luxe
Happy Halloween
Happy Halloween everyone! I'm looking forward to a night of hard cider and Trick-or-Treating at the house. All of our neighbors come out and I love seeing all of the kids' cute costumes. I seriously look forward to Halloween all year! I'm a dork.
Hope you all have something fun planned, or at least have some treats to enjoy tonight. I've been eating so much candy corn lately that it's showing up in my doodles—so I went ahead and channeled my craving into this pattern.
Happy haunting!
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