to Ontario + back in 4 days was a whirlwind experience. we had such a joyous time at home with family + friends and feel so lucky to be within driving distance this year so that we could be home for the holidays.
I am sure my holidays were similar to most of yours, lots of food, good laughs, gift giving + receiving, catching up with family + friends, board games, travel + a little bit of sleep. we even had a birthday celebration + engagement news when we got home! lots of excitement!
christmas decor at my mom + stepfathers
another reason christmas was so absolutely exciting was because the husband + I got to share some really really really wonderful news. I am PREGNANT!!! baby bell is due to arrive June 27th, 2012 and telling our family + friends over christmas was such a blessing! we are absolutely over the moon excited. keeping a secret for over 3 months is awful! ha! I am feeling really great so far + hope this continues throughout the rest of the pregnancy. this made for an extra special christmas.
as you can imagine, sharing this news was the highlight of my holidays. however, I truly enjoy giving gifts to the special people in my life. I was also spoiled this year so I wanted to share a few neat gifts that I received ….
homemade body scrub from a best friend. I believe she used sugar, olive oil, vanilla extract + cinnamon. and the packaging was so cute!
this is called the ‘fresh herb keeper’. add your herbs, a bit of water, place it in the fridge + you have fresh herbs for much longer. genius!
love this book of quote’s called ‘live good’. I’m a sucker for quotes.
and who can say no to grandma’s homemade treats! a stocking from my grandma + grandpa is a staple at every christmas. it includes homemade carmel popcorn, nuts + bolts, rice crispy square, toffee fudge + chocolate fudge! seriously delish!!
another favourite gift was some all-clad cookware that I got + I am so excited to start cooking with them!
obviously the holidays are about family + friends. I hope wherever you were you had a lovely time surrounded by some very special people! while I enjoyed my mini-vacation from cooking, I look forward to getting back in the kitchen!
