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printable letter to santa
now that arlo’s at the age he can write, i thought it would be so cute to make a little printable letter to santa for him to fill in — and your kids too! i kept it simple but fun and lots of prompts to make it personalized. i hope you enjoy 🙂
(and to be clear, he’s only 4 so i spelled out the words for him haha)
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air fryer lazy latkes
hanukkah is right around the corner and i just realized i’d never shared this mind blowing latke method on the blog! so yes, i know the significance of the miracle of oil is sorta lost with this method – but i used LOTS of oil spray so that should count for something.
i have made latkes the proper way and while they were amazing, these are almost just as good and take less than 30 minutes! if you love latkes, but you’re way too lazy to spend all the time and grating energy, i highly recommend trying this way! your spotless stovetop will thank you.
instead of grating the potatoes, i just use a bag of shredded hash browns – no standing on your potatoes in the sink to get all the water out necessary! this method could not be simpler or more lowkey! the grated potatoes i buy are “simply potatoes” but i’ve seen a few different brands at the grocery store.
air fryer lazy latkes
i know this sort of defeats the miracle of oil but they taste amazing and take so little time!Ingredients
- 1 bag of shredded hash brown potatoes
- 2-3 shallots, grated or 1 large onion
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp coarse kosher salt (or 1 tsp fine sea salt) plus more for sprinkling
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
- good olive oil spray
Instructions
- preheat your air fryer at 400℉ as you make your potato mixture and liberally spray the grates of your air fryer with a nice olive oil spray
- grate the onion and mix with a bag of shredded hash browns
- mix in 2 beaten eggs, ½ cup flour, tsp coarse kosher salt, tsp baking powder, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- spoon four latke piles down and using the back of your spoon, press them down flat, spray them again!
- cook at 400° for about 6-8 minutes until golden on one side. flip with a spatula and spray and cook the other side until perfectly golden on both sides!
- serve immediately but if you can't, crisp back up to serve in your air fryer! garnish with chives and/or a little salt.
happy hanukkah!
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holiday gift guides for everyone on your list
in case you want one big list of all the gift guides we created this year, here it is — hope you find lots of special gifts for your loved ones!
click on the guide you want to shop
for the entertainers
always one of my favorite gift guides to make because i loooove pretty hosting things even when i barely host anyone at all! lots of different easy gifts for the host or hostess in your lives!
for the in-laws
i feel like in-laws are especially hard to shop for because you may not be comfortable asking them what they’d actually want, or maybe you don’t want to spend a ton of money but still want to give them something meaningful — so i found lots of different types of gifts at different price points!
for the cook
for all your loved ones who are always in the kitchen, i gathered a bunch of unique, stylish finds in all different price points that would make such good gifts if i do say so myself.
for him
this is always the hardest gift guide for me! i try to find things that aren’t all cliche “guy stuff” but still be… guy stuff ?! i think i found lots of cool things that i know my husband and brother would for sure like!
for her
i made sure for this gift guide for her that i would only choose things that i would want, so i hope you like it too!! lots of different price points for gifts for your sister, wife, mom, aunt, girlfriends … anyone, really!
for the little kids
all kinds of adorable play things for the little ones!
for the big kids
for the older kids! i even made an effort to include some tween gifts!
for the babies
babies don’t need much — but a little special something is always fun because who doesn’t like cute baby things!!?!
stocking stuffers
lots of ideas for grownups and for kids!
gifts under $25
here are some gift ideas for your white elephants, co-workers, neighbors — anyone you’re not trying to spend too much on but you still want to give them something they’ll love!
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my favorite cozy christmas movies to watch a million times
this list is probably somewhat predictable, but i love love pretty much exclusively watching holiday movies in december, so i thought it was time for my personal list.
as much as i like a mildly cheesy one, i’m not super into the hallmark-y ones, i can only take so much cheese i guess! here is my current list but i do plan on adding to this as i watch and enjoy new ones (hopefully!!)
the holiday
(streaming on hulu and amazon)
i find jack black terribly annoying in this movie (so much so that he almost ruined it for me), but otherwise i love it!
the family stone
(streaming on hulu)
the coziest of all! i’ve watched it 50000000 times now.
holidate
(streaming on netflix)
definitely dirtier than most of the movies on the list, but actually sweet too and i thought their chemistry was good!
love hard
(streaming on netflix)
this one is actually funny and pretty sweet. my brother thought the musical scene was dumb, but i loved it!
something from tiffany’s
(streaming on netflix)
ok this might be my favorite new addition to the rotation!
zoey deutch is so charming and they have such good chemistry. i also love that she’s jewish because we don’t usually get to be in christmas movies!!
love actually
do i have problems with the movie? yes. but do i want to not watch it? no i’ll probably still watch it we only have so many high quality christmas romance movies !!
our little secret
(streaming on netflix)
ok this was surprisingly entertaining – was not expecting to enjoy it as much as i did lol.
round and round
(not seeing it streaming free anywhere ugh)
it’s rare we get a hanukkah romcom, especially one that’s actually pretty good!!! this is a fun groundhog day type movie and i think bryan greenberg is just so cute.
dash and lily
(streaming on netflix)
this one is a mini series that takes place on christmas – a teenage romcom series that i binged in one night and really loved. super cute!!!
while you were sleeping
(streaming on disney+)
is she a total freak? yes but i really love a young bill pullman.
happiest season
(streaming on hulu)
the first time i watched this i thought it was kind of dumb, but then i watched it again and was like you know what, i’ll take it!! haha. it’s cute enough to be on the list!
honorable mentions (aka holiday movies i like that i don’t find necessarily “cozy”)
scrooged
(streaming on hulu, prime and paramount+)
the christmas movie i watched most as a kid behind a christmas story. the best!
trading places
(streaming on prime and paramount+)
most people say coming to america is the best eddie murphy movie but i honestly think trading places is so much funnier.
why him?
(streaming on hulu and disney+)
lol my mom loved this movie and i thought it was a little stupid but i really love that my mom loves it, so it stays!!!
die hard
(streaming on hulu and tubi)
you can’t make a christmas movie list without die hard, can you?
obviously i left some out because i can’t go on forever, but i will add more movies as i watch or think of them, please let me know if there’s any that i should add!!
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festive holiday cocktail ice cubes
if you’re hosting a holiday party, these gorgeous ice cubes are so much easier than making individual cocktails for your guests! you just freeze the ingredients and plop the cubes into your glass, add your alcohol and you have a totally fancy and festive cocktail!
i made a more cold weather alternative to an aperol spritz, but you could totally do this with any cocktail or alcohol you want.
festive holiday cocktail ice cubes
you can make these for any sort of cocktail of your choosing, it makes the process of bartending so much easier if you're hosting guests!Ingredients
- cranberries
- cinnamon sticks
- fresh rosemary
- star anise
- orange slices
- ginger beer or juice of your choice
- aperol
- prosecco
Instructions
- in your ice cube mold, stick your largest ingredients in first – orange slices/cinnamon sticks if you're using
- throw in your cranberries, star anise, rosemary sprigs if you're using
- pour in the ginger beer or juice and i added some sparkling water even though i know you can't really freeze it, but it waters it down!
- carefully freeze (ice cubes typically need 2-4 hours to freeze properly)
- when ready to serve, remove cube from the mold and add to your glass. pour the alcohol in, i did equal parts aperol and prosecco.
sources:
ice cube mold / champagne coupes / ribbon drink marker DIY / my dress / tablecloth
photos by marie buck
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things i love from wayfair’s cyber monday sale
this post is sponsored by Wayfair
with all the sales everywhere in your face all weekend – i know it can be oooooverwhelming to say the least. Wayfair has so much amazing stuff on sale (up to 80% off and free shipping!!), so i thought it would be really helpful to put together one master list of great deals i’ve seen scouring their site, so you don’t have to!
i hope this post makes your cyber monday shopping a little easier (and more fun)!!!
click on the section you want to jump to
furniture + home
boucle upholstered bed
my new bed! and i am OBSESSED!
kitchen + dining
appliances
baby + kids
holiday decor
SO MANY GOOD THINGS ON SALE! i hope you found something you love.
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black friday sales you should know about
sooo many sales happening, as i always say i know it’s overwhelming. i feel the same way, so i put together some of my favorites on sale to browse casually through ’em.
if i shop on black friday, i usually go through lists of things i’ve actually needed or just do my holiday gift shopping today. i reaaally want a wagon for the kids (and a new fridge but i’m gonna hold off on that)
frame tv
we all know the frame tv is $$$$ so the time to buy one is when they’re on sale! honestly i love mine so much and could never go back to a big black rectangle on the wall.
buy on samsung site
buy on amazon
merit
20% off sitewide
my favorite makeup ever! so many staples i use now – my favorites are: the minimalist stick (i use the linen color) and brush no.1, great skin moisturizer, and flush balm! i really love everything they make and appreciate that it has totally changed my non knowing how to wear makeup game.
pehr
30% off sitewide
one of my all time favorite kids shops – i love love their sweet clothing, but my most important staple from them is totally their sleep sacks! izzy has been sleeping in one most of her life. they’re so cozy and so beautiful.
eyebuydirect
50% off lenses and 30% off frames
my go-to for prescription glasses. i wear both eyeglasses and sunglasses from here and they have so many cute styles but also let you return if you don’t like them on! the ones i wear most these days are the moonglade
heather taylor home
30% off select items
the most gorgeous table linens that elevate even your fast food dinners!
madewell
50% off
some current favorites linked here
doen
up to 65% off
the most gorgeous dresses and blouses ever! they rarely have sales so now is the time to stock up! i’m so excited i finally snagged an anthia pointelle tee and a cilla tee
schoolhouse
20%-25% off everything, 30% off bedding
the cutest homewares! i pretty much want everything on the entire site.
lulu & georgia
up to 30% off sitewide
my go-to for furniture shopping! so many gorgeousssss things on sale. some faves linked here.
rugsusa
30% off sitewide
obsessed with so many styles they have right now!! faves linked here.
magnolia
25% off sitewide
obsessed with so many items and their prices are already super reasonable but when they’re on sale – what a steaaaal. i want that spoon rest and the pie dish is one of my favorite things! faves linked here.
amazon
so many favorites on sale!
my storefront is here!!! lots of good deals.
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holiday gift guide : gifts under $25
here are some gift ideas for your white elephants, co-workers, neighbors — anyone you’re not trying to spend too much on but you still want to give them something they’ll love!
i found lots of inexpensive gifts that i still think are fun / useful / cute!
amazon
kitchenaid flex edge beater
for the cooks who own kitchenaid mixers, this attachment is so superior to the standard one without the rubber!
amazon
personal popcorn maker
because microwave popcorn is actually terrible for you! throw in a bag of kernels and you have a really sweet gift.
amazon
personal library kit – cookbook edition
for anyone who lends out their cookbooks, their own personal library kit! (and here’s a non cookbook version)
amazon
beaded ceramic bowl
just a cute little bowl for snacks. bonus points if you fill it with said snacks!
amazon
fluorescent colored pencils
gid has neon colored pencils and they are actually so fun to enhance your drawings.
amazon
graza finishing olive oil
i’ve gifted this drizzle oil many times before, it’s such a good finishing oil for pizzas, pastas, salads etc.
amazon
everiday sambal chili
everyone is all about the chili crunch these days, but sambal is such a good spicy cooking staple!
amazon
cherry disco ball light
this one i chose with coworkers in mind — wouldn’t this be a fun gift for their desk!!?
i hope these ideas helped you!!
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holiday gift guide : stocking stuffers for kids and adults
i always find the stocking stuffer gift guides to be the hardest because i have too many ideas and i can’t stay focused on any of them haha — but here it is! lots of ideas for grownups and for kids! hope this helps you!
click on the section you want to jump to
stocking stuffers for kids
amazon
japanese candy kit
we loooove these japanese candy kits. they are the most fun. the burger is by far our favorite!
amazon
shark chopsticks
the cutest shark chopsticks (that are so easy to use) for kids — arlo loves his!!
amazon
yoto story cards
i love little gifts that add to a collection — that’s why i love the yoto player because we can continue to gift him story cards to go with it! (we have the regular yoto but i think the mini seems better because the regular one is kinda huge)
amazon
candylab hot dog van
we love all of our candylab trucks and these are tiny and make the perfect size for a stocking or advent calendar!
amazon
lcd writing tablet
we have one of these drawing boards and arlo loves it so much, not sure if it would fit in a stocking but still!!
amazon
glow in the dark groovy stress ball
my kid and husband love this ball so much, it’s squishy enough to be a sensory ball but also fun to throw around
amazon
viewfinder with custom reel
you know why i like this — a viewfinder in white!! but this one comes with a custom reel, which could be so cute of family photos!!
amazon
welly bandages
cute bandaids are always a good stocking stuffer because they need them and you can get them something they’re into!
amazon
doll family
we love “guys” in our house and have hundreds, but if you don’t — i love these guys! very cute little wood family and they have flexible arms
amazon
3-in-1 card deck
the most beautifully designed deck of cards for kids by oliver jeffers — go fish, concentration and snap!
amazon
farting poop pen
i mean what has happened to me — you know i love beautiful things but i just know a farting poop pen would make my child happy too hahaha wow i’ve changed
amazon
voice changer
arlo loves this thing! it’s basically his own little talk boy (i just wish you could have a whole tape of recordings)
amazon
why i’m grateful for you book
a book to fill out with reasons you’re grateful for them, so sweet
amazon
dabble & dollop bath bombs
these bath bombs come in the cutest colors and smell really good too
amazon
yumearth candy canes
you can’t have a stocking without candy canes inside and i feel like these slightly “better for you” ones can be tough to find in the store
amazon
wavy glass straws
these glass straws would be so fun for older kids but adults are allowed to use them too
stocking stuffers for adults
amazon
gradient post it notes
ok i am obsessed with these post it notes — i love them and use them all the time and yes it may be a boring gift but boring in a good way!!!
amazon
mechanical pencils
i have MISSED mechanical pencils since i was a kid, they’re not .05 like i loved, but they’re .07 and they’re pretty too!!
amazon
slim portable charger
am i a broken record about these slim power banks yet?! they are the best ever — every cord you need built in and you charge it in the wall so you don’t need to deal with any cords!
amazon
apple tv remote cover
if i haven’t already persuaded you in the past to buy one of these apple tv remote covers, buy them! they make finding the remote actually possible and they make it a lot easier to hold too, way less slippery and they have a wrist strap!
etsy
done parenting today shower steamers
for the overworked parent — these shower steamers sound great
amazon
multi-tool pen
i think a pen multi-tool set would be a great gift for all the gadgety people in your life
amazon
light magic trick set
no you’re not confused this is on the adult section lol. gid has these magic fingertip lights and loves them a looot.
amazon
usb lighter
this lighter is the best!!! it’s long enough to fit into candles, and instead of butane it’s electric, so you just charge it and it works forever! i love it a lot
etsy
sun and moon ornament
a nice ornament is always a good gift and i love this cute sun and moon one
amazon
maldon sea salt flakes
i’ll probably never stop including these sea salt flakes on gift guides because it’s such an easy gift everyone would use
amazon
bachan’s japanese barbecue sauce
i freaking love this japanese barbecue sauce and use it all the time — it’s like a teriyaki soy sauce kind of taste, i love it and sometimes i just put it on a rotisserie chicken
amazon
the good hurt fuego hot sauce set
if they like hot sauce, here’s a great mini hot sauce pack!
amazon
herbes of provence
this little herbes of provence + crock would make a great stocking stuffer for any cooks you know, my favorite spice forever!
amazon
gourmet caramels
it is my firm belief that no stocking is complete without some kind of candy inside
amazon
zitsticka patches
what grown-up wouldn’t want zit patches?! these work soooo well. they’re expensive but they WORK. i will say the packaging seems super excessive and i wish they would change that
amazon
oil-absorbing face roller
gid has oily skin so i got him this and he uses it all the time! so much better than the sheets
amazon
olio e osso lip + cheek balm
i am obsessed with these cheek/lip balms — they are perfect for travel/throwing in your bag and i just use them all the time
amazon
malin + goetz hand treatment
this is one of my favorite hand lotions, i keep one in my purse!
amazon
twice whitening pen
i love twice toothpaste, this whitening pen would make a great stocking stuffer
amazon
tatcha the serum stick
a serum stick for smoothing fine lines and brightening the face — love all things tatcha!
amazon
foot file
for the first time in my whole life, when i get pedicures now they don’t suggest i need extra callous removal because i use this foot file, i mean!!!
amazon
rain or shine sunscreen
i love practical gifts for stocking stuffers that they’ll actually use — we love this sunblock. it’s high SPF and goes on really thin, no white cast!
amazon
necessaire gel deodorant
another great practical gift — this deodorant has been working well for me! this one is the eucalyptus scent but you can also get fragrance-free
amazon
deodorant wipes
and these deodorant wipes are so great for traveling or just to throw in your bag
hope that helps! and btw — i’m always adding stocking stuffer ideas to my amazon favorites list as well!
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cute holiday advent calendars and what to fill them with
i never had an advent calendar (being a jewish kid), but since we got one for arlo a few years ago i’m so into it now! they are really fun and i just love doing something festive every single day leading up to christmas. i made printable cards so that our calendar was filled with more activities than stuff, but i also have to include STUFF.
i have this beautiful advent calendar from gathre. the one we used before had such tiny pockets, i wasn’t really able to fit much besides paper in there — having the pocket space is crucial!
without further ado here are a bunch of beautiful advent calendars and some easy ideas for things to throw in them too!
cute advent calendars
gathre
advent calendar
i have this one in the ivory color but i also really love this newer fern color!!
lumens
star narrow advent calendar
this ferm living advent calendar is such a perfect size for a small space or hallway where you might not want to dedicate a big piece of wall to the calendar — plus it’s pretty. again i love the green but it comes in a white color too!
anthropologie
nutcracker advent calendar
so cute and it has a little nutcracker doll you count down with
maisonette
felt advent calendar
this is another adorable small-space option and also comes with holiday activity cards!
target
meri meri fairy mushroom advent calendar
this one is so fun — it’s a mini suitcase that comes with pieces to create a little forest scene as you count down to christmas
west elm
wood light-up advent calendar
the little houses are so cute and how fun that this one lights up
crate & barrel
wooden forest holiday advent calendar
this one is so special and doubles as really pretty holiday decor
cute things to put in your advent calendar
1. printable advent calendar activities
the activities i designed are always really fun for us, it’s a nice way to check all those bucket list items off your list too!
2. candy
i’m gonna put a couple little festive candies inside but keep it limited! there are so many fun christmas themed candies arlo would go nuts for (i linked to reeses shaped like nutcrackers above!! WHAT. lol)
3. snacks
i also got a bag of cashews because he loves nuts haha. any little bags of their favorite snacks would be perfect!
4. inexpensive toys
if you’re trying to not fill your whole house with cheap crap, this isn’t that easy. i was able to find some random cute little things he’d like at our local hardware store (i got a whoopie cushion, two little dinosaur toys, a rubber snake and a little wind up chicken). here is a really helpful product (it’s sold out now but i found on ebay) if you want to keep it simple! last year i found some cute squishy snowmen and a santa that arlo still plays with to this day.
5. ornaments
i got a few ornaments that i knew arlo would love, so i decided to include them in the advent calendar versus presenting them when we first decorated our tree! this way it’ll hopefully make each one more special.
6. stickers
i filled a lot of days last year with a couple of stickers on the days i didn’t have anything else. arlo wasn’t the most excited because it was the same ones over and over haha — but it was something to do!
7. art supplies
a little watercolor palette, new markers, new crayons, all perfect things to include!
8. temporary tattoos
easy and cute.
9. holiday crafts
i always love to grab a few craft kits for the holidays so now that i have large pockets i can stick them in here!
10. figurine sets
i will never forget the hanukkah that my mom got me all of the 90210 barbie dolls and gave me one each night. it was a great thrill of my life hahah– that would be such a fun idea. arlo already has 8000 “guys” but if your kid loves a show or movie and doesn’t have the figurines, would be fun to purchase them and spread them out so they collect them over the month!!!
11. cars or dinosaurs or mini stuffed animals
anything they’re into but we have always had a soft spot for the metal toy cars at cvs so if i can make it there i will prob have to grab one for his calendar!
12. band-aids
fun AND useful. i included some cute welly ones but you could also just get a pack of mickey or elmo or paw patrol or whoever they love.
13. dollhouse accessories
i wanted to get arlo a christmas tree for the dollhouse but i haven’t gotten to it yet — was thinking it would also be fun to get him some new food items or a laptop. if you have a dollhouse this is the perfect excuse to add some new accessories!
ok i hope these ideas helped!!! and ps. i am always adding more advent calendars and fillers to my amazon storefront here
