One Festive Sweater

Sing that title to the tune of the Twelve Days of Christmas… and now it’s stuck in your head! My apologies for starting your week off like that, but at least it’s Christmas time. Therefore it’s fitting, don’t you agree? We’re closing in fast on Christmas. Hopefully everyone has either made good progress on their shopping to-dos or is already finished!

I can’t say I’ve been able to finish up finding gifts yet. That’s the perk of having one last weekend to complete all the odds and ends with Christmas Eve falling on a Monday. My husband and I just went away this last weekend for our fourth wedding anniversary. It’s actually really nice that our anniversary is close to Christmas. The busiest time of the year usually rushes by, but we get to stop and celebrate. We get to take time and slow down for a moment or a weekend. It helps push pause on rushing around frantically in the name of the holidays.

Tim and I went up north to my parent’s lake home, and just enjoyed the peace and quiet. We also got to spend some time with my Grandma, who lives up there on the same lake. Wisconsin is known for their supper clubs, so we took her to a nice dinner one night. Dinner was lovely and slow paced. I’m truly grateful to be able take a step back and enjoy the season.

Once we got back in town, Caitlin and I spent yesterday afternoon making some homemade Baileys. Our mom has always gifted them out to friends and family. We loved it so much, we adopted doing it as well! It was a cozy afternoon with some festive holiday tunes playing in the background as we measured and poured.

We’d love to know if y’all have any special treats you make for the Christmas season for yourself, or that you like to gift. One of my favorites to receive is our Aunt Susan’s special toffee/caramel with mixed nuts. I’m probably butchering what it’s actually called, but I can never get enough of it! I was just asking Caitlin if she’s planning to make any cookies, and she wasn’t sure yet. Traditionally we haven’t made them ourselves since we moved away from home.

Our family used to make spritz cookies with the different shaped molds, as a night together. We’ve definitely all pared back, as we’re trying not to overindulge too much this season. There are always too many reasons to overindulge at work and parties, without baking more in your own house!

Speaking of overindulgence, after a weekend of eating more than I should, I made a big batch of a Thai Peanut Salad I found on Pinterest. It has quinoa, kale, bell peppers, carrots, and red cabbage in it, and we added some chicken for extra protein. Nothing like coming into the week feeling prepared!

As for this outfit, it’s an easy go-to especially around the holidays. It’s a fun festive color to wear throughout all of winter. Plus it is over-sized, if you accidentally indulge in too many treats during the season. I love that the neckline is wider for that slouchy look. Plus it plays off the over-sized look better as well.

I’ve had this pair of Old Navy denim for awhile now. I think a lighter wash is a necessary part of a rounded wardrobe. The light distressing is clutch as well. I last wore this pair in this post, for another look with different colors to wear with lighter washes. Old Navy has some great cheaper denim and most of the time they are long enough. You’ll be pretty safe choosing Skinny jeans.

I linked similar sweater options and jean options below. Also, the booties attached to the widget do come in size 13! As always, thank you for clicking the links for our widgets. They help us make a small amount back and encourage us that we’re on the right track. So let us know below, what are some of your food traditions for Christmas preparations?