'Tis the Season! Preparing For the Holidays Coffee Date

Hey everyone!

It's nearing about a month to Christmas, and I have un-officially decided that I'm kick starting the season  in my house. Christmas is my favorite, thanks to my Mom and late-Grandmother who are Christmas nuts! I like to have a solid month, if not more, of soaking up the splendor that is a fully decorated home. I come by it honestly, what can I say.

I started earnestly by just placing a few "wintry" decorations around, a few snowmen, a cute bear in a sled, but this past weekend I threw caution to the wind and dug out my boxes from storage (aka. my in law's basement, mini home probs)

Let's sit down and have a coffee date, and discuss Holiday decor!

Christmas decorating is always a family affair! Usually just after Remembrance Day, we gather at my Mom and Dad's to put up their lights. My parents' house is a big two story with a covered porch, and lighting it all up like my Mom likes usually takes some fancy footwork on the roof, which is the method behind our madness for putting them up so early... nobody wants to run around on a slippery roof! Roof crew used to consist of me and Dad, but since Eric's joined our family Dad's passed the torch on to him.. lucky Eric! It's always a fun day with hot chocolates, lots of laughs, and Mom usually cooks up a yummy dinner. Can't go wrong!

Eric and I since decided to piggyback off that idea and usually put our lights up the weekend after. It's not as big a family affair.. but within our little family we always have a good time. Our kitties, Oliver and Beatrice, were ready for the occasion and excited to lend a hand. 

I captured this sweet moment between the two of them while they were playing around in the yard, while we were getting everything set up. I swear they are best friends deep down!

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Beatrice was so excited she scurried up the ladder to help Eric with the hard part! Unraveling the lights and clipping them to the gutters! Just kidding, she just batted around wiggling light bulbs as Eric clipped them in place. But it was really cute, and made for some cute pictures!

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Our lights are so easy they usually only take us an hour or two, we were lucky enough to find a big long set that is 84 feet long! Our house is only 74 feet, so the lights fit perfectly, with only a few left over! They came on a spool too, so we just unwind, clip, and plug, and done! It makes for no headache, and lots of time to enjoy the afternoon. With all our spare time, we decided to take it a step further and set up our tree!

Our tree is artificial and pre-lit. We bought it with the gift cards we had gotten from our wedding. It's been through 3 Christmases so far with us and its still going strong!

I'd like to get a taller one, since this one was bought to fit the lower ceilings of our apartment, but it's just so nice and such a breeze to put together, that until it gets smelly (like some trees do once they are too old) or lights start going out, I'm going to keep it. I propped it up with some cute wooden crates, and covered those with my burlap tree skirt. It really goes with the rustic, country chic look I go for in my house, and gives more room for presents. Once it's packed in with gifts, you really can't tell anyways!

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I then spent the evenings this weekend tidying up my house for the guest-filled Christmas season. I put up the rest of my Holiday decor, and added a few fun new touches. One of which was this adorable birch branch window decoration. I found a beautiful, weathered looking branch from our birch tree out front, and hung it on the window with some ribbon and tape, and hung some ornaments off it! It looks so rustic and cute.

I'm going to tidy it up with some bows where the ribbons hang, and getting clear tape instead of my fancy masking tape to secure it to the panes, but it was too cute not to share right away!

A beautifully decorated home does not have to be expensive!

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Lastly, it was project guest-room this weekend at my home! I finally got the two rooms cleaned out and ready for Holiday guests. This room is my pride and joy. We painted the walls a sunny, pale yellow a few weeks back, and I finally got Eric's old bed situated inside. We outfitted it with quilt Eric's Nanny made for us, and I finally got some decor situated. I added Holly berries for a bit of Holiday cheer, because as you can see from the bed, this room has become Christmas HQ! Look for a room tour of this pretty room coming soon!

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Well that's it everyone! I was busy busy getting my home Holiday and winter season ready this weekend! Finally everything is pretty and cozy, and we're just waiting for a fresh blanket of snow... and of course... Santa!

Until next time,

xoxo - Court

Recipe Box: Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fall is one of my most favorite times to bake. All the warm aromas mixed with the chilly air, there's nothing better than coming in from outside when it's cold and the house smelling like cookies and spices. It's like a warm hug!

My husband and I are suckers for a good chocolate chip cookie, and I usually have our cookie bowl stocked year round. However, this Fall I was feeling festive, and though not ready to break out the Gingerbreads quite yet, I decided a more festive chocolate chipper was needed.

I was sneaky, I tweaked my regular standby, tried and true cookie recipe with a bit of pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice!

The pumpkin puree makes the cookies extra moist, and the flavor as well as the spices gives them a little kick perfect for cooler weather. Not to mention your house smells amazing when they are baking.

Short and sweet, but you can't go wrong! Read below for my super easy recipe!

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) margarine
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

Cook at 350 degrees for around 15-20 minutes, until edges begin to look golden brown.

So that's it everyone! Super easy!

Enjoy!

xoxo - Court

Being Thankful

Here in Canada, it was just Thanksgiving weekend!

In case you are unaware, the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday is more focused on being thankful, for our health, for the harvest, and for our families and friends. It doesn't have too much to do with any settlers or anything like that, just the day of, my favourite word, plenty. 

This thanksgiving was particularly exciting for me, all of my best friends who have scattered on up to the Fredericton area to start their lives, returned down home to my neck of the woods! My best friend Laura even stayed most of the weekend with me at my house! We had endless best friend nights watching movies, drinking wine, laughing our butts off watching movies and comedy skits. So refreshing, just what the soul needed. 

Thing I'm Thankful For: Best Friend Visits

On Saturday, we went for a hike with Kelsey. Hiking I've always loved, but with my recent health problems over the last three years, but are now, thankfully free and clear, I'm getting back into at the sides of two of my best girlfriends. We hiked out to a gorgeous waterfall a few towns away.

Thing I'm Thankful For: Being Healthy and Able To Spend Time With My Best Friends in Nature

Now, I'm short and squat, not really built for hiking like my long legged skinny friends, but I make do. You're sensing the foreshadowing...aren't you?

Long story short, to get to the waterfall, you had to jump from the shore to a rock. I didn't make it.

Holding on to Kelsey's hand, i lept, and initially sunk the landing. Cheers! Except then my foot slipped off the rock, and the book bag I was wearing slipped to the side, throwing me off balance, and plunging me into the river!!!

Without hanging onto Kelsey, I totally would of fell a lot worse and been totally soaked! They were convinced I was hurt, but nope! Totally fine! Just a pulled arm muscle and a little scrape on my eye. I was lucky!

Thing I'm Thankful For: Kelsey Always Having My Back

They were so sweet, fawning over me, making sure I was ok and saying we could go home. I was now soaked, but totally laughing my butt off. Of COURSE me, the always uncoordinated one, would fall into the darn river. But I only face planted.... No way was I calling it quits, I wanted to see that waterfall! My fall was not going to bein vain!

I reach into my backpack (which wasn't too wet) to grab my phone to take a picture.... No phone.

Uh-oh.

We race back to where I fell, and Laura sees it, my less than a year old iPhone 6 laying at the bottom of the crossing where I fell. She saved it.

Thing I'm Thankful For: Laura Always Saving the Day!

After towelling it off, it was the moment of truth. Was it a goner? 

No. It wasn't. Full bars, full wifi connectivity, full sound, the only thing I lost was the touch screen! Totally fixable, people smash the screens out of their iPhones daily!

Thing I'm Thankful For: Apple Technology!

The rest of the day was awesome, and went off without a hitch. Except when my wet foot slipped and I fell AGAIN on the trail, but whatever. I was fine.

The purpose of this post is not only to make you laugh and share my misfortunes, but to illustrate the true meaning of the thanksgiving season. I fell, got soaked, broke a very expensive phone, yes. But I wasn't hurt. My friends were there for me. I laughed it off.

It's important to be positive. Everything in that situation could be fixed. I would dry off, my phone can be fixed. Those things were so minor. I was with. My two oldest, best friends witnessing something so beautiful. I wasn't hurt, nothing was broken, nothing was bleeding. Aside from a bruised ego, everything was right in my world.

This thanksgiving, don't take yourself too seriously. Laugh without abandon, enjoy the little things. Hug your family and friends close and put the phone down. It's refreshing to not have my iPhone for a while.

Photos courtesy of Kelsey

Wishing you all the best,

Xoxox Court

Post Thanksgiving Country Boil - Easy Stew

The problem is as age old as the holiday...

Too many Thanksgiving leftovers!!!

You have that big plate of Turkey or Chicken on Thanksgiving, then again and again...and again, in the days to follow. It gets repetitive and boring! We get Turkey-ed out!!

Well, to prevent getting Turkey-ed out,  I have a fool proof way to use the rest of that bird up, not be wasteful, and still have interesting, not to mention delicious dinners. It also stores incredibly easy, so you can freeze to save for when you're not so sick of Turkey!

The Country Boil

I call it the Country Boil because my sweet Grandmother used to always have us save the bones and leftovers from our Thanksgiving Turkeys to whip up into delicious soups and stews. She was the epitome of a "Country Woman" and could turn nothing into something with the snap of her finger.

The need to save the leftovers stemmed from her growing up with not very much in the heart of the country, and thus her family being very resourceful. Turning leftovers into a soup or stew was just smart; it allows for easier storage and less spoilage, and is a nice change of pace!

Frugal and creative.. It's a country thing!

Instructions

Start by placing what's left of your bird into the crock pot, bones, fat, any leftover clinging meat, all of it. If it doesn't fit, don't be afraid to break it up a bit, you won't use any of it, unless you feel ambitious enough to pick off the leftover meat. Boiling the bones is just for flavor to make your broth. Fill the pot up with just enough water to almost cover the bird, in my 4.5 quart crock pot, it was just about up to the rim of the pot, and add in a tablespoon of salt. Allow to simmer for at least 24 hours, mine was pretty much 48 hours by the time I had the time to get to it, the longer, the more flavorful, but I wouldn't leave it for any more than 3 days.

Once done, drain the water into a large stew pot. Be sure to filter with a mesh strainer to catch any bones and leftover bits. Add salt and spices to taste. I used just less of another tablespoon of salt, and a few shakes of Mrs. Dash Table Blend, Tarragon Leaves, and Pepper. That part is personal preference.

Take a hodgepodge of vegetables, I had a whole lot of corn and tiny potatoes left over from Thanksgiving Dinner, and the last bit of a bag of frozen veggies. I threw that into another pot, along with what was left of my Thanksgiving bird, and let it boil. If you don't have any leftovers, you can use fresh. I threw in a few extra carrots because there weren't a lot left, and my husband and I love lots of baby carrots in our stews.

While the veggies are boiling, you can start thickening the stew mixture. I whisked in just over a cup of flour over medium heat to thicken up my broth. This is again, personal preference, and every time will be different. Be loose with your measurements and be sure to test often. I personally, like a thick stew broth, but if you prefer more runny, dial back on the flour.

Once the veggies have softened, drain the water from the pot, and throw them into your broth, mixing until combined.

Enjoy!

I love to eat as stew, spread over toast, even fill a pot pie with it! The stew also freezes better, so you can keep on hand as a prepped meal, or just when you want something quick (a much nicer alternative to microwave dinners!)

xoxo - Court