christmas Archives | A Thought and a Half | Southern Food & Lifestyle Blog

25 Things That Always Happen Every Christmas

December 14, 2015 By Kate 8 Comments

Christmas time is here!

Once I’ve seen A Charlie Brown Christmas on TV, it’s officially Christmas season in my world. None of this “Christmas music on the radio before Thanksgiving” business. With my birthday at the end of November, Christmas doesn’t start until after that, at least in my family.

With Christmastime comes a unique set of events and routines that just don’t happen at other times of the year. Or if they do, it’s not the same then as they are at Christmas. Do y’all ever feel that way? That some things are just better or more fun this time of year?

Holiday Home Tour: Our Christmas Tree & Fireplace/Mantle

December 12, 2014 By Kate Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, y’all! Let me tell you that I am so glad to be home for a couple weeks. Life is slower and although I have this nagging feeling in my head that I’m missing something (thanks, grad school), I’m not, and it’s great.
Anyway, one of my favorite things about Christmas and the holidays is decorating and all the decor that we use. We’ve had many of our decorations since I was little, and some are even from when my parents were first married. Our Christmas collections have grown over the years to include some of my favorite ornaments and decorations.

So today, I’m taking y’all on a holiday home tour to show off my family’s Christmas decor! Let’s start with the main attraction, our tree. We’ve had an artificial tree for as long as I can remember. It just works better for us. But we still make it look pretty beautiful, if I do say so myself. I’ll write more on the real/fake contention later this month.

We got this tree a few years after moving to Pennsylvania. It’s the first tree with white lights we’ve ever had; I was always a fan of the colored lights when I was younger. But I really love how our ornaments really sparkle against the white lights now. Hanging the ornaments is one of my favorite parts of decorating, and I’m sad I’ve missed it the last few years being away at school. I’ll have a post on my favorite ornaments next week!

Now on to the fireplace and mantle. We’ve got four stockings: Mom, me, Dad, and the kitty (left to right). We got the kitty’s stocking way back when I was in elementary school for the cat we had at that time, and we’ve just kept it for all of our cats. We like to include our pets on Christmas morning, so Bows will get a little surprise in her stocking to play with, too.
Speaking of the kitty…she wanted to get in on my pictures, too.

Next week, I’ll share some of my favorite Christmas tree ornaments, and show y’all some of our other decorations. I love sharing the holiday spirit with my readers!

My Favorite Things: Gift Guide for Family & Friends {Part 3}

December 2, 2014 By Kate Leave a Comment

First of all, my blog has a Facebook page! Give it a like and spread the word, please and thank you!Happy holidays, everyone! It’s December, so it’s officially acceptable to blast Christmas music and admire my decorations (even though I’ve been doing the latter for two weeks already). I really love the Christmas season, so be prepared for lots of holiday spirit on the blog.

In the third and final installment of the My Favorite Things linkup with April, Elise, Katie, and Zelle, I’ve got a gift guide for your friends and family. These are gifts that will fit (almost) anyone on your shopping list. They’ll at least spark some ideas if you’re struggling to think of nice gifts to give (at least I hope they do!).

{1} Scarves – Insert my usual “I love scarves” talk here; scarves really are great for everyone. Even guys can pull them off if they’re worn the right way, with the right coat. There’s a scarf out there for everyone. And best of all, scarves are affordable.

{2} Wine & wine accessories – If you can’t find a nice bottle of wine, or don’t know what kind to buy for the recipient, there are tons of fancy accessories to choose from, like openers or bottle stoppers. A good bottle opener can really go a long way.

{3} Slippers – Everyone loves to slide their feet into warm, soft and fuzzy shoes at night. My and my mom’s personal favorites are the L.L. Bean “wicked good” slippers. All department stores carry a variety slippers and house shoes, so you’ll have plenty to choose from for your friends.

{4} Blankets – Keep your friends and family warm this winter with a soft, warm blanket. Handmade blankets are even better. I especially love the tied, no-sew fringed blankets made from fleece. Those are usually affordable to make, and with all the patterns, colors and prints available in fleece, you can make a really special blanket for almost anyone. And they’re easy.

{5} Mix CD – Okay, perhaps a little dated and “old” at this point, but I really love making meaningful mix CDs for my friends. I guess now this could be done as a sharable playlist, but that’s not as fun. I guess holding the physical CD is what makes it special, too.

{6} Ornaments – Simple, easy and good for anyone who has a Christmas tree. My family has collected Lenox ornaments for as long as I can remember, and we’re really proud of our collection. We’ve given ornaments to friends in the past, usually ones that resonate with an inside joke or a shared memory.

What’s on your holiday gift guide?

My Favorite Things Link-Up {Part 1}

November 18, 2014 By Kate Leave a Comment

I love a good link-up, and this one, hosted by April, Elise, Katie and Zelle is just perfect for the holiday season. Not to mention the title is a reference to my favorite movie of all time, ever, The Sound of Music.

This week’s topic is: Your Christmas Wish List!

{1} Little Black Dress: I recently realized that I do not own a little black dress! It’s a major fashion staple because of its versatility. Good for all seasons, except maybe the super hot months of summer, and can be dressed up with a pop of color and appropriate accessories.

{2} Blanket Scarf: Looping back to my obsession with scarves…blanket scarves are extra soft and warm, and easy to wear with almost any cool-weather item in my closet. There’s a really cute one from Bourbon & Boots, and I have a coupon… Christmas present to myself?

{3} iPad: The software has changed so much on iPads since I started using my dad’s old first-generation one. I can’t even run updates on it anymore because the apps are too new and the software is too old! Plus, if I want to go into media and PR work, it’d be nice to have one for organizing apps and keeping up with news on the go and when traveling, aside from my phone. And really, iPads are fun to play with, and much lighter than my laptop.

{4} Measuring Cups: It sounds silly, but a good set of measuring cups can go a long way! The $4 set I bought at Target when I moved has already broken. There are some really cool and nice silicone cups that collapse and flatten for easier storage. Is everything silicone these days?

{5} Mana-Tea Infuser: Stocking stuffer, maybe? I love my Tea Duckie infuser, and this would make a great companion. The fact that it hooks to the rim of the cup is awesome. My duck just floats and topples. Also, how can I say no to the great built-in pun? Manatee…mana-tea…get it?

What’s on your Christmas list this year?

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