2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Food Lovers

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With only three weeks left until Christmas, I'm starting to feel the holiday crunch. We have our Christmas tree, but it only has lights on it right now. Boxes of our holiday decorations are up from the basement, but we haven't put anything out yet.

While I've started Christmas shopping, I'm torn. Deep down, I want to keep things simple. The kids don't need a ton of new toys that they'll only play with a few times before abandoning. And I know the Christmas lists Stephen and I are keeping skew toward the items that are more practical. Less is more, right?

Then there are times -- like Christmas -- when more is more. And a part of me that thinks I/we should do more this year. More decorations, more lights, more presents under the tree. The kids won't be this young forever, and now is the time to build up the magic of the season.

But how much is too much?

I know I'm going to continue wavering back and forth on this right up until Christmas Eve... I just have to find the right balance for our family. While I do that, why don't you check out the Holiday Gift Guide for Food Lovers that I put together for 2019? You know... In case you're still looking for gift ideas for the foodies -- and future foodies -- in your life. 😉

What's for Dinner: December 1 - December 7

Looking for dinner inspiration? Here's what I've planned for dinner at our house this week!

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Hello, December.

On the very first day of the month, we're bracing for the first major snowstorm of the season. Our little corner of the state is expecting up to 13 inches of snow and sleet between now and Tuesday morning. Add on around one-tenth of an inch of ice on top of that and... well, good times.

Because of the weather, we got a lot done yesterday, including a bunch of errands and a trip to the grocery store. (But I didn't bother picking up bread and milk... We actually have plenty at home already.) We also headed over to our church to pick out the Rittler family Christmas tree. With any luck, we'll have some time tonight to at least put lights on it.

For now, Stephen and I are enjoying a peaceful house while the kids take their naps. I'm going to think about making another pot of coffee... or pouring a glass of wine. While I do that, go ahead and check out what I've planned for dinner at our house this week.

Modern Holiday Cards from Basic Invite

Spread a little Christmas cheer this year with modern holiday cards from Basic Invite!

This post is sponsored by Basic Invite.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I'm ready to focus on Christmas. I thought I'd feel more frantic right now, but I actually think I'm in a good place.

I have lists of gift ideas for the kids. Stephen's brought our holiday decorations up from the basement. And we're planning on getting our Christmas tree after church on Sunday. (We'll need something to do that night while as our little corner of Connecticut gets hit by a snowstorm...)

Even more impressive than all that? I used Basic Invite to choose, customize, and order our holiday card for this year!

Basic Invite offers more than 1,000 modern holiday cards on their website. And their watercolor Christmas cards are perfect for sending holiday messages. But do you know what sets Basic Invite apart from other online stationery stores? The fact that they provide almost unlimited color options with instant previews online.

Once you choose a design, you can change the color of each element on the card. With more than 180 color options, your holiday cards will look exactly the way you want them to. Have your eye on a foil card? You can choose flat or raised foil on all Basic Invite foil designs. You can even specify the color of your envelopes, choosing from over 40 different colors. This allows you to match your envelopes with your cards... or even your company Christmas party invitations.

Here are some more ways Basic Invite makes the process of sending holiday cards even easier:

• they have an address-capturing service... they'll provide a link you can share on social media to collect addresses from family and friends
• they offer recipient address printing at no cost on all card orders
• all envelopes are peel-and-stick so no licking! 

Knowing that I could customize any design made choosing a card much more enjoyable. I didn't have to settle for a design that was close enough. The card I picked looks exactly the way I want it to and I can't wait to send it out in a few weeks!

With that said, though, Basic Invite has so many great choices that I wanted to order them all. I can't tell you which one I chose -- I have to keep it a surprise until our cards go out! -- but I will share ten of my favorite designs with you. Keep reading to see which modern holiday cards caught my eye!

What's for Dinner: November 24 - November 30

Looking for dinner inspiration? Here's what I've planned for dinner at our house this week!

This week's menu plan is coming at you a little late. We were out of town over the weekend, and I didn't have time to sit down to write after we got home yesterday.

Ever since then, I've been having an internal debate with myself about skipping this week. The perfectionist in me thinks there's no point in sharing because I'm already a day behind. But then another part of me says "better late than never".

So in the spirit of "better late than never"... here's what I have planned for dinner at our house this week... including what I have planned for Thanksgiving on Thursday!