{Happy Holidays!}

Hi friends!!

I just wanted to pop in for a quick hello…We have been spending every second soaking up the holidays with our family, and I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!  I'll be offline the next few days ringing in the New Year with my loved ones, but I'll see you all back here in 2014!

From my family to yours, we wish you a Happy Holiday and a Joyful New Year!!

Love Always…

xoxo,
Katherine

{Free Holiday Printables}

How would you like to add a little more holiday cheer and Christmas decor to your home?  Today is your lucky day!!  I have rounded up some fabulous {and free} printables from around the web just in time for you to spice up your holiday decor.  I know I always love putting special festive goodies throughout the house, and these are so easy to print and place in cute frames for an added touch of Christmas bliss! :)

{Download Free Printable Here}

{Download Free Printable Here}

{Download Free Printable Here}

{Download Free Printable Here}

{Download Free Printable Here}

{Download Free Printable Here}

{Download Free Printable Here}

So print away, and enjoy!!

xoxo,
Katherine

{Angel's Lullaby}

I had the TV on in the background as I cooked dinner the other night, and all of the sudden I heard this song playing.  I immediately stopped what I was doing, and I listened with tears in my eyes.  What a sweet song!!  I have always loved Reba McEntire, and these lyrics really touched my heart.

Click this link for video or view below.
The holiday season is always a time of reflection for me, and I feel so blessed as I look back on the past year.  With Christmas right around the corner, I realize that I have already received the greatest gift ever…My sweet little Kate.  She is our special angel, and hearing this song made me think of those wonderful evenings spent rocking her to sleep under the moonlight.

For all the parents and grandparents out there, I hope these sweet words touch your heart as much as they did mine. :)

Midnight moonlight shining through the curtain lace 
Paints a perfect picture on your perfect face 
One sweet angel sleeping in my arms 
You are the promise I knew God would keep 
You are the gift that makes my world complete 

And you'll never know how much I love you 
But I'll keep on telling you my whole life through 
Now I believe in miracles, and you're the reason why 
So dream on while I sing you my angel's lullaby

xoxo,
Katherine

{Christmas Tree Cupcakes}

Good morning, friends, and happy Monday!!  I hope you all had a great weekend and are enjoying the start to your week.  Can you believe that Christmas is only NINE days away?  Time sure does fly, and I better get a move on finishing my shopping!

If you are anything like us, you have holiday parties galore to attend and sweets and treats to prep for each of them.  The folks at Pottery Barn Kids posted this photo over the weekend, and I couldn't help but share it with you.  What a simple and cute treat to make with your kids that could serve as the perfect dessert tray at your parties.  Not only will they be delicious, but they could also double as precious decorations before they're gobbled up! :)

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Want to see a tutorial on how to make them?  Check out Just a Taste's step-by-step instructions.

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Have fun baking, and enjoy your day!

xoxo,
Katherine

{Five Favorites}

This was a sweet and special week around our house…We picked out our first tree as a family of three, we added a festive touch to our precious girl's nursery, we spent each night decorating our tree together, and we relaxed every evening by the twinkling lights with this scent filling the house.

Here are a few special moments that I'll cherish forever…

{Picking out Kate's first Christmas Tree.}

{Wine in hand, stockings hung, Christmas tree twinkling, and The Grinch on TV.}

{Kate's sweet face lights up whenever she sees her special tree in her nursery.}

{Seeing our three stockings makes me so happy.}

{Our tree's first night in it's new home.}

xoxo,
Katherine

{Holiday Photo Checklist}

I can't believe we are only two weeks away from celebrating our baby girl's very first Christmas.  Time really does fly when you have kids, and I want to capture every single special moment of Kate's first Christmas so I can cherish these memories forever.

I found this checklist on one of my favorite blogs, and I plan to use this as somewhat of a guide as I take all of my holiday photos this season.  What a great way to capture those sweet family moments each year, and I can't wait to look back on these pictures later to see how much our little one grows.

I hope you enjoy the checklist as well, and you can click here for the free download.

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Have a great day!

xoxo,
Katherine

{Personalized Video Messages for your Kids from Santa}

I'm always amazed at the awesome things I learn through the blogging world that I otherwise may have never discovered, and the talented bloggers out there continue to impress me on a daily basis.

One of my favorite bloggers is Ashley Paige, the talented author of I Love You More Than Carrots, and her blog posts and Instagram pictures always brighten my day.  Not only is she a great writer, she's also a mother of two precious boys with her third on the way in just a few months.  I love connecting with fellow mothers out there, and her blog has definitely been extremely helpful to me.

One of the many fabulous finds from AP is the Portable North Pole.  As I was perusing Instagram the other night, the sweetest picture of one of her sons caught my eye.  He was watching a personalized video from Santa tailored especially for him.  I saw that twinkle in his eye, and I just knew I had to check it out.  Thank goodness I discovered this website through AP's Instagram picture because it is such a neat concept.

{PNP}

I immediately made a video for Kate, and the process was so quick and simple.  I actually got a little teary when I watched her special video, and I can only imagine what the experience is like for little kiddos. You can watch Kate's video below, and if you have young kids, check this out to make a video of your own.  I bet they will find it as magical as I did! :)

xoxo,
Katherine

{Peppermint-Stick Pie}

We celebrated my sweet sister's birthday while I was in Columbia last week, and rather than baking her a traditional cake, my mom made delicious Peppermint-Stick Pie for the birthday girl.  Oh man it was sooooo good!!  I usually try to refrain from the desserts so I can keep those calories from going straight to my backside ;), but I can't ever turn down this Peppermint-Stick Pie.  It is so yummy, and I swear I felt an instant jolt of holiday spirit with my first bite.

Here are a few perks about this scrumptious pie...It only takes 10 minutes to prepare, it's a perfect post-dinner treat to serve over the holidays, and it's also a great pie to tote to your Christmas parties (just be sure to keep it in the freezer until you're ready to serve).

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I hope you make it soon because I just know you're going to love it!! :)

Ingredients:

• 3 pints (1 1/2 quarts) peppermint ice cream
• 1 chocolate-flavored crumb pie shell
• 1 12-ounce jar fudge ice cream topping
• Coarsely crushed candy or striped round peppermint candies (optional)

Directions:

1. In a chilled bowl, stir ice cream until softened.
2. Spoon ice cream onto pie shell, spreading evenly. Return to freezer for at least 4 hours.
3. To serve, warm the fudge topping in the microwave oven according to directions on jar.  Let pie stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before slicing.  Serve with warmed topping.  If desired, sprinkle with crushed candies.  Makes 8 servings.

Enjoy!

xoxo,
Katherine

{Five Favorites}

Happy Friday, sweet friends!! How was your week?

We spent our week getting into the Christmas spirit around here, and we have lots of holiday fun planned for the weekend…We're getting our very first Christmas tree as a family of 3, we're heading out to see the lights, and we may even take Kate to meet Santa Claus!!

I'm signing off for the weekend, but here are a few of my happy moments from the past few days...

{Holiday coffee creamer is a weakness of mine, and this one is so good!!}

{Kate loved being with her Nounas (Godmothers) over the Thanksgiving holiday.}

{Two of my sweet friends welcomed baby boys into the world today…One had twins and the other had triplets!!}

{Kate loves her Santa book from Yia Yia and Papou!}

{I can't wait to make these cuties!}

xoxo,
Katherine

{Cookie Trees…Easy as 1,2,3}

'Tis the season for holiday parties, and I know we all love coming up with cute treats that are festive, fun, and easy to make.  I came across these adorable cookie trees, and I can't wait to make them for my holiday gatherings this season.  Not only are they easy to assemble, they are perfect for people of all ages.  Pop them on a pretty platter for your holiday cocktail party with friends or stick them in treat bags as goodies for your children's classmates and teachers.

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They are so simple and sure to be a hit!! :)

Ingredients:

- Lemon Tea Shortbread Cookies

- Snickerdoodles

- Golden Oreos

- Nilla Wafers

- Nutter Butter Bites

- Green Sparkle Gel Icing

- White Sugar Pearl Sprinkles
- White Chocolate Chips

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Directions:

1. Organize your cookies according to size.
2. Place your shortbread cookie on your “cooking” surface. Squeeze a ring of gel icing on the outer top edge of the cookie.
3. Press down the next cookie.
4. Squeeze another ring and add your next cookie.
5. Repeat until you get to the top.
6. Top with a white chocolate chip as your star and let the icing set for a few minutes.
7. Repeat with as many trees as you like.
8. Now it’s time to add your ornaments. Wilton’s Sugar Pearl sprinkles are great because they really do look like little pearls. These show two rows of ornaments on the outer edge of the trees.
9. You can also add red sparkle gel icing for additional color.

Enjoy!!

xoxo,
Katherine

{Activities Advent Calendar}

This season is so special, and I love everything about it…The twinkling lights that line the streets, the joyful sounds of the Bing Crosby Christmas albums, the sweet smell of the Frasier Fir trees, the classic Christmas Specials that play on TV, but most importantly, I love the wonderful family traditions that remain so true and strong year after year.  My parents always made Christmas so magical, and every time the holidays roll around, I get so sentimental thinking about how perfect and thoughtful every detail was about Christmas with my family.

Now that we have a little one of our own, I plan on instilling the same traditions into her life and making Christmas as magical for her as it was for me.  I'm sure we'll be starting a few new traditions, but I can't wait to build on the beautiful foundation from my childhood.

One of the many things I remember about the month of December was the Advent Calendar that was always hanging in my house.  I got so excited when my parents would put it up, and I just loved pulling my little piece of chocolate out with each passing day.  It's really the little things that mean so much and make a lasting impact on someone, so I definitely want to continue that tradition with my little Kate.

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She's a little too young for one this Christmas, but I saw this great idea and wanted to pass it along to all of you.  It's not too late to display an Advent Calendar in your house, and this one filled with activities would be such a fun holiday tradition.

Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!!

xoxo,
Katherine

{Five Favorites}

Happy Tuesday, friends!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying your start to December!  This is one of my favorite months of the year, and I'm so excited to get all the Christmas festivities underway!!  I'm getting back into the swing of things following a busy week, but I can't help but reflect on the past few days.
We had such a wonderful time last week, and our Thanksgiving was just perfect...Any time I get to spend with my family is always so special, and I'm so happy to have been with them over the holiday.  I always like to cherish those moments, and here are a few others that put smiles on my face last week…

{Working on some handmade holiday decor.}

{My girl loves balloons, and I love seeing her smile at them. Good thing she can't read yet! ;)}

{Kate's festive Pom Pom socks are just too cute.}

{Holiday craft with my sweet girl.  I think it's just perfect!}

{Perfect ending to a perfect week…Gamecocks win!!!}

Have a great day!

xoxo,
Katherine