Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Valentine’s Day is near and it just so happens to be one of our favorite days to celebrate together as a family! Gift giving is my love language so I enjoy showering Peter, Reins, and Addison with EXTRA love and affection on this day and of course a few gifts too!

Thanks to Walmart’s Walmart+ membership, I’ve gotten a head start on my Valentine’s Day shopping! We have been using Walmart+ for several months now and we LOVE it!

Christmas Wreath Charcuterie Cheese Board

It's that time of year where many of us are tired of cooking yet we are also meal planning for the New Year. Sigh. I enjoy cooking yet have felt the need to take a break as of late because I know I will be cooking more in the New Year...more healthy meals as a whole. So this is my break from cooking and it comes in the form of a Wreath Charcuterie Cheese Board...YUM!

Our Christmas Home

Today I'm excited to share Our Christmas Home with you. I've always strived to create a home that feels warm, welcoming, and comfortable...a home that our children love being in and a home that all who visit feel the love and warmth that we put into it. I decorated nearly every corner of our home this year for Christmas...it brought me so much joy! We've captured much of our home in a Christmas photo journal and I'm sharing that with you today.

Mixed Berry Overnight Breakfast Casserole

Christmas morning breakfast is always a production around here! We wake up early, open presents from Santa, take a break to enjoy breakfast together, and then head right back to the living room to open more presents. There is nothing more special than Christmas morning!

Our normal tradition is to have this Blackberry Overnight French Toast Casserole, but this year we are trying something a little different…this delicious Mixed Berry Overnight Breakfast Casserole!

Gingerbread Martini

Christmas is near and our house is abuzz…no pun intended! Each year we make a signature Christmas cocktail and this year, we decided upon a Gingerbread Martini! This dessert martini is not only DELICIOUS but it is also a lot of fun to make.

From chocolate syrup, to vanilla ice cream, to crumbled gingerbread cookies…this is such a treat in a martini glass!

Walmart Fashion Gift Ideas

Have you finished all of your Christmas shopping and have you checked your list twice?! If you are anything like me, I shop right up until Christmas and although I have the majority of my shopping done, there are still a few to check off of my list.

This is when I lean on Walmart as my go-to destination for any last minute gifts! They have such a great selection and their prices are incredible!

Walmart Holiday Home Decor

Home is where it’s at this holiday season! With our home decorated for Christmas, our Christmas trees twinkling, and our favorite Christmas movies playing, we have found ourselves cozying up at home as much as possible. I personally have been nesting at home even more now and we have all enjoyed a slower pace this holiday season.

Creating a cozy, warm, holiday retreat in our sunroom was possible with Walmart’s affordable holiday home decor.

Christmas Tablescape

Aurora…a small quaint snowy New York village on the short of Cayuga Lake. A village with a colorful past, rich in history and historical landmarks. Aurora, a place with old town charm, historic homes and buildings, tranquil open spaces, breathtaking views, the comforts of a small town community, and a slower pace of life. Trees covered in blankets of snow, warm lights shining from within beautiful homes, and a cup of hot cocoa by the fireplace.

This is Aurora…a place that evokes feelings of home and the comforts that come along with small town charm

Chocolate Chip Cookies

What is your favorite type of cookie?! Ours…the classic Chocolate Chip Cookie! It has always been a favorite of mine and the kiddos love them too! Over the years, I’ve tried many chocolate chip cookies…from homemade to store bought and everything in between.

Although I don’t think there will ever be a bad chocolate chip cookie, I do believe not all cookies are created equal. We’ve taste tested many and I think I’ve finally have a recipe to share that is worthy of you bookmarking to make yourself!

Tide Turner Rum Cocktail

We may not find ourselves vacationing in a tropical destination this holiday season but you can still bring the tropics to you! We should all be able to kick our feet up and daydream about our next tropical vacation with a delicious Tide Turner Rum Cocktail in hand!

This cocktail just happens to be one of our favorites. We were introduced to the Tide Turner, also called a Pain Killer, at the start of this year when we vacationed in St. John for New Year and ever since then, we have enjoyed making this DELICIOUS tropical cocktail at home.

Hot Cocoa Bar

It’s hot cocoa season and if you are anything like us, we have a permanent cup of hot cocoa in our hands at all times! There is just something so special about drinking hot chocolate at Christmastime especially when there is a winter chill in the air! We love to have a permanent hot cocoa bar set us as well.

Plus, hot chocolate immediately takes us right into the hot chocolate scene in The Polar Express, which just so happens to be one of our absolute favorite Christmas movies to watch as a family. I can hear you singing now…”Hot! Hot! Ooh, we got it! Hot! Hot! Hey, we got it! Hot! Hot! Say, we got it! Hot chocolate”!

Christmas Caprese Salad

Caprese salad is a family favorite…we enjoy it as an appetizer, snack, and salad before a delicious Italian family meal. There is always an occasion to enjoy a fresh Caprese salad and this time of year, make it a Christmas Caprese Salad.

With Christmas nearing, elevate your Caprese salad by arranging it into the shape of a candy cane on a platter or cheese board as I’ve done here.

Creamy Mushroom Chicken and Potato Soup

Ever wonder what to do with leftover chicken or turkey from Thanksgiving Day?! Well I have you covered. This Creamy Mushroom Chicken and Potato Soup is the perfect post Thanksgiving Day meal and its so incredibly delicious, flavorful, and comforting. Its like a huge hug in a bowl…a soup you will find yourself enjoying all winter season long.

I typically make this soup with rotisserie chicken, however, considering I know we will have leftover turkey…I will sub the chicken for turkey when I make this soup this weekend. It is just as delicious with turkey!

Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Muffins

Thanksgiving day is near and often times we are so focused on prepping and serving Thanksgiving lunch and dinner that we forget a little something for breakfast. These Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Muffins are divine and perfect to hold everyone over for the big feast. They are even more delicious the next day and the next.

You and your family (and guests if you are hosting others this year) will love these! They are the perfect mix of sweet apples, cinnamon, and a sweet cream cheese filling that is the perfect little surprise inside. Trust me when I say…it will be hard to eat just one!