Tuesday Things.
1. This weekend I did a huge closet declutter! The kids stuff, my stuff – it feels so good. I often do it in the spring but held back because most donation places were closed with the pandemic. Now that most donations are open, I’ve been in full declutter mode.
2. Oh my word. Brownie shortbread! What!
3. My saving grave since I’ve had kids and otherwise lost my memory and brain, is to keep notes on everyday holiday (or vacation, etc). This is HUGE and so, so helpful! I keep mine in a google doc. I note things we did this year, when certain tickets go on sale, what to register for if needed, things that didn’t work, our holiday meal (like I have separate Thanksgiving notes docs too) and all that. I’ve done it for years! I cannot recommend it enough.
4. 7 things to do if you’re feeling sad about this weird holiday season.
5. I had never seen these gorgeous advent calendars until Rachel started sharing hers on IG. I’m going to get one for our family next year!
6. TV things!! Um, guys, I rewatched Virgin River again because it just makes me so happy and is the escape I need! The Grey’s surprised was cool but man.. I’m having a hard time reliving that all. And I’m also having a hard time getting into a Million Little Things, which has been my absolute fave for the last two years! What is up with that?!
7. Speaking of, I know I had asked about new christmas traditions a few weeks ago, but I’m specifically trying to find a good one for christmas eve this year! At first I thought I was just going to cook our regular meal for us (christmas eve is huuuuge with our family), but then the more I thought about it, I’m like, that’s ridiculous. I want it to be effortless and fun and still delicious!
8. Create a more spacious life. I LOVE this.
9. Emilia sings herself to sleep everyday and these days, she belts out jingle bell rock. It’s literally the highlight of our night hearing her on the monitor!
28 Comments on “Tuesday Things.”
I’m with you on the holiday notes! I write down gifts we gave, recipes we used, what went well/didn’t, ideas that we didn’t actually use (and could save for the future). Such a lifesaver!!
Hey Jess!
My family always has a fun and unique food for Christmas Eve since we have the traditional meal for Christmas dinner. Sometimes we eat something from a Christmas movie! One year we went with burgers, fries and shakes (from All I Want for Christmas). This year I’m planning to do Chinese food (also from All I Want for Christmas).
I did a post all about new Christmas traditions that are safe to do during the pandemic! You might like it: https://sugarsaltgrace.com/how-to-make-your-christmas-not-suck-in-2020/
My favorite Christmas tradition is Christmas Eve where we just make all of our favorite appetizers and snack all night long!! We do a mix of new/fun apps and old standbys—you know, veggie pizza, buffalo chicken dip, tons and tons of cookies, big cheese tray. So fun! Most can be prepped ahead of time, then you just lay it all out and go to town ;)
We do this too!! It’s easy, fun, the kids LOVE LOVE LOVE it, and makes for easy lunch/apps on Xmas and days after.Â
My husband says his family used to do this when he was growing up! He’s wanted to do it in our house, but we usually go to see my extended family Christmas Eve, so we’ve never done it. Obviously, we’re not going anywhere or seeing anyone this Christmas, so…this year is the year!! He’s so excited. I’m kinda excited, too. A Christmas feast that doesn’t mean hours cooking in the kitchen for just 15 minutes of eating?? SIGN. ME. UP. I don’t know why I resisted so long, haha.
Could you share more sometime on how you keep your notes. Â I always want to do this but never do.
truly it’s nothing fancy! i just open a document on my computer and jot notes down – you could do this in a notebook took.
it’s things like “sent out christmas cards Dec 10” – “max’s christmas concert was dec 12 last year” – etc! just random notes of things so i can remember dates if we are trying to schedule things, etc. obviously this doesn’t apply so much with dates and events this year with covid, but i also keep notes on recipes we make, how i decorate the tree or mantel, etc!
I’ve always wanted to do a “Jewish Christmas” meal and order Chinese food on Christmas! My boring ass eating family (outside of my husband) has always been horrified by the thought but I think this is our year!!
We always make chicken and dumplings! It’s a comfort food from my youth, so appropriating it to be a Christmas memory is just wonderful. Plus it’s easy enough that we can go do other fun Christmas Eve things.
Emilia singing herself to sleep…my heart is bursting.
It would be my highlight as well.
Does she have favorite tunes she sings on a regular basis?
Some things we’ve done in the past: a prime rib with a light salad, fondue (my favorite!), soup and special bread shipped in from San Fran. Always ‘relish’ plates and snacks around. An night cap is a must like a hot buttered rum.
For Christmas Eve, we usually do something that can be made ahead of time and then cooked while we do other things, so basically a lasagne with garlic bread and salad and lots of wine and cocktails.
Then after dinner we play “reindeer games,” which has included pictionary, charades, pin the tail on the reindeer, uno, exploding kittens, and farkle.
So much fun .
I totally agree about Million Little Things so far this season, it’s missing something for me. Part of me feels like they jumped the shark a bit with Eddie’s accident and the introduction of that whole storyline with his friend who drowned -seemingly to just have it be that her father was the one who hit Eddie? seems very forced to me, but I’ll keep watching lol.
i totally agree!! i also think it’s because they had that whole eddie storyline go down before covid – and it’s just such a dark and sad storyline during such a dark and sad time now?!
OMG, I didn’t read your comment before posting mine and YES.
So far I’ve only watched the first episode of this season of A Million Little Things and I feel like it kind of jumped the shark? But I’m hoping it gets better. The whole Eddie story line just seems ridiculous to me.
Hahah. Great minds! Glad to see I’m not alone!
For New Year’s Eve, we always do a flashlight candy cane hunt. Hide a bunch of candy canes, turn off the lights and have them find them with their flashlight. So simple and cheap but our kids look forward to it.
Hi Jess,Â
Okay, I must know where did you get those adorable stockings?! I ordered some from pottery barn kids this year and am really disappointed with the quality, so I’m looking for more. Thanks!
they are actually from pottery barn kids!! i don’t know if they have them anymore. i got them in 2017 once emilia was born!
Ha! Okay. They screwed up my personalizations for the stockings 3 times now and I’m just over it. Oh well! Thanks and Merry Christmas. Long time fan here — love your blog!
When our children were little we would spend some time on Christmas Eve day making treats for animals (popcorn and cranberries, peanut butter and bird seed on pine cones, oranges on string, nuts, etc.) and then at night we would go outside and hang them up on trees and scatter the nuts on the ground. We live on a farm and would put out little paper bag luminarias along the path up into the field. We were inspired by Eve Buntings book “Night Tree” which I just love. It was a tradition that we really enjoyed and getting outside in the quiet night was such a lovely part of the evening. I hope you have a wonderful holiday.
We decided to break out our fondue set for Christmas this year. My kids are 6 and 4 so I think they’ll love an earlier cheese fondue dinner and then chocolate fondue for dessert :)Â
Christmas traditions are the best! Every year my parents gifted us an ornament and a Christmas book on Christmas Eve. I’m 30 now and my parents still buy me an ornament and book every year. I have all the books with the year and a note written in them, and my parents started a handwritten list, starting with my first Christmas, of the ornaments I got every year. I still have that list and add to it annually. It was a fun way to be able to open a small gift on Christmas Eve and we got to read our books together before bed. It’s something I plan to do with my kids someday.
I struggled for years with finding a Christmas Eve meal tradition, thinking that the photos I saw on the pages of Southern Living were what it meant. I finally thought back to what my mom did – soup on Christmas Eve before church. So for the last couple years I have made gumbo – often using leftover (frozen) turkey from Thanksgiving (and the stock made from the carcass). It’s something I can do ahead (roux even a week or more!) and it is in the fridge, ready to be heated up and fit into any schedule. Add a salad, bread, and plenty of wine — and it’s a win/win. I’m giving your Pretty Dish cookbook to my SIL for her birthday this year – I know she will love it!
#7 My family had shrimp baked with butter and citrus slices (oranges, lemons, and limes) with rice and a veggie. Easy if you get the shrimp already deveined and peeled. It was always one of my favorite meals.
Christmas Eve = Chinese food and a great Christmas movie! No dishes, no cooking :)
Can you expand on everyday holiday? Is it an app or website?