*affiliate links used

Merry Christmas Eve! Kids are finally out of school (finals are done – yea!) and we are ready to party! And by party I mean lay around watching Christmas movies together and eating chocolate. Just what the dr. ordered at this stage of the game, right!? :) I’m so ready to spend some quality, uninterrupted time with these 3 teens of mine. They are on the go with friends and school and activities non stop and this time of year is about the only time I can cage them. ;)

Catching up today on a few things I’ve been loving and then some pics of my home I never shared! I got so behind this month. I’ll probably pop in soon after Christmas with more home pics that I never had time to post.

{cozy fleece zip hoodie/cozy fleece mega sweatpant/hoff sneakers}

Absolutely loving these sweats! Talk about cozy. They are lined with fleece, so comfortable and a great fit. The brand is Aritzia and it’s actually a brand/store my girls have been obsessed with. I tried out a few things and now I’m loving their clothes too.. especially their sweatsuits and coats! They have so many different styles and fits to choose from. I bought the regular in these sweat pants and can roll them up at the waist once (which I like for sweats!) but if you’re on the short side and don’t want to roll them up definitely get the short length. They come in tall sizes too. You can see all of their cute sweatsuits here. They all just went on sale! The cute green cargo pants are calling my name. :)

{the super puff bag}

I love their fun bags too!

{the super puff shorty}

And their cute coats. I got this super puff shorty for our Utah/cold weather trips. Their coats are legit! They are so stylish and keep you so warm and I love the cuffs with thumbholes.

{aritzia puffers/super puff bag}

Hello winter! I am ready for you.

And since we don’t get much of a winter in San Diego this has become my new grocery store outfit! I swear they keep our grocery store colder than the coldest arctic tundra.

Layered and ready to get my thin sliced turkey. Ha.

{joy spirits pjs/ugg slippers}

When I’m not wearing my cute sweats I’ll be living in Christmas pjs! At least for the next few weeks before I switch to hearts for Valentine’s Day. Tis the season to be comfy. :)

{cozy vibes pjs/ugg slippers}

So many cute pjs coming in and fun options that are on sale right now too!

{maya ruched cowl-neck dress}

We had lots of dressy events this month (probably another reason I’m dying to put on sweats/pjs and not take them off!) and this was my favorite dress. It’s beautiful and so comfortable and also on sale. I wanted to share in case you need something for New Year’s Eve! On our way to Kenny’s office party.

It was such a fun night!

{fringe earrings}

We’ve made so many close friends through his job and have all been together now for around 20 years! Which makes me feel really old. :) Kenny gave such a good speech/toast at the party (I always get so nervous for him when he has to do stuff like that even though it doesn’t phase him!). He loves his firm and the people there so much. It was a special night and I left feeling really proud of him and grateful for the people in our lives.

{12 games of Christmas}

Our little elf left this surprise gift the other day! The games look so fun to play over the break.

Have the best holiday with your loved ones! I’m so grateful for you all! And grateful for another year of celebrating the little things that make us happy. :) Here are some home pics I never shared. (I linked items at the end of the post.. let me know if I’m missing something!)

Wish my house was this clean right now. If only our elf did more than leave fun games for the kids. I need to get that spunky little guy working for me next year. :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

{SOURCES}

*affiliate links used

{tree sources}

One week until Christmas! How are you holding up!? Exhaustion is definitely hitting for me! Ha. Very excited for some down time with my family. I’m bummed I haven’t had time to share more of my holiday decor here on the blog! It has been such a busy month (honestly probably our craziest December yet!) so I’ve been sharing more on IG lately because I can do that faster (you can see a little video home tour here!). I’ll still try to get more Christmas decor pics taken this week and I have a few things to share today, but I want to tell you about a fun party that I did with some friends this year that you might want to do too!

My friends and I have always joked and laughed about the state of our stockings on Christmas morning (they are usually flat unless we fill them for ourselves!) so we really loved SNL’s Christmas Morning skit when it came out!  (If you haven’ seen it yet look it up on YouTube!). It’s the one where everyone gets fun gifts for Christmas and the mom just gets a robe. She burns her hand on the oven and her stocking is flat and even the dog gets a robe. It’s hilarious and the reason it’s hilarious is because it’s so true! Often it’s the mom doing everything to make the magic happen on Christmas morning and she doesn’t get much in return. I have been joking with my friends for years that we should be filling each others stockings! Well this year two of my cute friends ran with that idea and took charge and planned a stocking party! They sent out a little survey about our favorite colors/stores/gifts and then they drew names and assigned each of us one person to buy/fill a stocking for. We had a nice budget so we were able to really spoil each other! (You can obviously decide on any budget for this.) Then we had a beautiful lunch together to celebrate and we each went home with a stocking full of personalized gifts that we get to open on Christmas morning. So much fun! I wanted to share that idea here if it’s something you want to do with your friends this year! Or just a fun idea to plan for next year. :) We’ve done pajama parties and favorite things parities and lots of fun get togethers but this was our first official “stocking for mom” party and we loved it. :)

Pic from the lunch!

My friend made this gorgeous flower arrangement for the table.

{satin shirtdress/over the knee boots/teardrop earrings/initial necklace/rings are all pictured below}

Not the whole group but the 5 of us snapped this on our way out. Grateful for good friends this year! I wasn’t able to throw my holiday party (boo.. just didn’t have the time for it!) but it has been so much fun celebrating with different friends throughout the month. I was chatting about this party idea on IG stories right after the lunch and got lots of outfit questions so I linked it all here (including the rings I’ve been wearing this year!). My dress is on sale and comes in black too. :)

{ruffled turtleneck top/AG bootcut jeans/similar booties}

Also on a sidenote while we’re talking clothes.. my favorite jeans just went on major sale! 40% off! I’ve shared these so many times. They are so flattering! Especially if you are curvy! I’m almost 5’4 and they are long on me so I have to wear them with a higher boot heel. They are my go-to’s and I love them so much! My cute striped top is on sale too and comes in lots of colors.

You can see the cute ruffle sleeve of my top in this pic with my girls!

Which led to this pic.

Which led to this pic and then we tipped over.. ha. They keep me young!

{Christmas cards}

If you need some cute last minute cards to pair with a little gift this holiday season this set is my favorite! I love the patterns so much! It’s a nice set of cards for the price. We send out holiday cards with our family picture, but I always feel like I need some blank cards to write a little note on for friends/teachers that week before Christmas!

{detangling brush/dry shampoo texture spray/ponytail holders (we love & use these too!)/woven jewelry box/laneige lip sleeping mask}

{similar pine branches here/here/here/lighted brown branches/black serving board/white ceramic vase/gold glitter trees}

I did some wrapping yesterday and snapped a pic of a few things my girls are getting! Their favorite elastics, this cute jewelry case, my dry shampoo (this one is also a texture spray and I am LOVING it), some brushes for wet hair and then this lip mask my friend gave me last month and I love it so much I bought it for my girls too. :) I also realized I had more Christmas gifts for my girls than I do for Kole (I’m always worried about making it even for my kids.. you too!?) so I found some cute things for him on Amazon. I linked a few things I bought and other fun ideas at the end of this post if you are also shopping for teen boys. He has hands down been the hardest for me to shop for this year!

I’m also giving these cute pom sherpa throws to a few people this year! Bought several because they are on sale. I love the look of them draped over a chair and they are SO soft to curl up in.

{black & natural wood blanket ladder /bobble knit throw blanket/faux fur throw blanket/knit tree throw}

Did I ever share this cute blanket ladder!? I’m loving it in this corner of our family room! It’s black and wood and has a modern look. Perfect to hold extra throws and it doubles as cute decor.

{7 foot wooden bead garland/4 foot wooden bead garland/faux cedar garland/eucalyptus garland}

Ok.. I have to share this fun idea for Christmas cards! I have always loved hanging our past Christmas cards from garland on our stairs and in previous years I have used ribbon to hold them. I went to my photographers house this year to pick out our Christmas card picture and she was using this cute wooden bead garland to hold her Christmas cards. I looked at it and said “oh I do this too but what a fun idea to add the little clothes pins to this bead garland!” and she said “that bead garland came with the clothespins and I got it on Amazon!” Then I of course said “no way.. I need that link ASAP!” Ha. GENIUS!

So excited about this! The bead garland comes in 4 feet or 7 feet and I’m using two of the 7 foot strands to hold our family Christmas cards this year. The clothespins make it so easy to hang cards! (Ignore the garland in this pic.. I was still attaching things when I snapped this!)

I love seeing our family pictures/holiday cards through the years.

Especially long time favorite pics like this one when Kole would NOT stop screaming and trying to run away during the photoshoot so we just snapped the picture and rolled with the “better not cry, better not pout” theme. Ha! Good times. :)

Last 4 years. My kids are growing up! {tear}

These are cell phone pics at night so not the best lighting but my little tree turned out so cute on my shiplap wall! It sold out quickly this year. (It was from grandinroad.)

Especially fun at night. :)

But my favorite part of this little hallway off our mudroom is the tree I made with our Santa pics. You knew they would pop up somewhere! :)

I just used painters tape to attach them all to the wall and then hung this cute star ornament with a little command hook. We need to get our 2023 Santa pic taken this week! My kids are always good sports because they know it’s a non negotiable. If they want to live here rent free they are getting a pic with Santa every December. ;)

{kitchen sources/rib crewneck top/khaki velvet ribbon}

I added these cute little wreaths all over my house this year! They sold out so I’ll try to share them early next year when they are back in stock. I tied little bows with my favorite velvet ribbon and then ended up just using a glue gun to hold the ribbon. Just a tiny dot and then they will be easy to pull off if I want to switch the ribbon next year.

So cute! They make me happy. :)

{command hooks/counter stools}

These clear command hooks are my favorite for small items like wreaths during the holidays.

I put them on all of my barstools and chairs.

And then decided my hallways needed wreaths because why not?

So festive right!? I’ll take it. :)  (Sorry for all the poorly lit night shots.. they only time I’ve been home lately to take pics is at night!)

I also added wreaths to our mudroom lockers again like last year. You can never have too many wreaths in my opinion!

Below are a few last minute gift ideas that ship fast including teen boy ideas since that’s what I’ve been frantically ordering.

One more week! We’ve got this. :)

1- marc jacobs bag   2-tula eye balm   3- sleep set

4- monogram necklace   5-throw blanket   6- faux fur blanket   7- the softest throw

8-zip up hoodie   9-herschel dopp kit   10- sexy lips & lashes

1- portable charger   2- the driving book for teens   3-headphone stand

4-hooded sweatshirt   5- night light   6-  drum set pad   7- flying disc

1- slim wallet   2- adidas backpack   3- sherpa wearable blanket

4- champion hoodie   5-cell phone stand   6- trust the grind   7-sweatpants

*affiliate links used

{black wood cheese board here or here}

Happy Sunday! We are officially starting our family Christmas movie nights this week and I am so ready for it! At 8 pm there will be a Christmas movie on in the family room every night we are home from now through the holidays. If people need to be on their laptops during the movie finishing up work that’s fine! We’ve got a lot of movies to watch in a short period of time so it’s time to get serious. Ha. I asked my kids if they want to take turns picking out the movie OR if they want me to write all of our favorite Christmas movie titles on pieces of paper and put them in a jar so we can draw one out each night. They liked the jar idea! They also requested hot chocolate so I set up this cute little hot cocoa station. It’s simple but just right for the 5 of us and our family movie nights.

{hot chocolate bar sign}

I ordered this cute sign to set behind my hot chocolate station mostly to cover the plug outlet on this wall! I wish it was a little bigger but it will do for this year.

{large glass tree/small glass tree/snowflake marshmallows}

I set out a couple of my pretty glass trees and laid out some of these cute snowflake marshmallows. Aren’t they fun!? My kids loved them. I knew they would!

{Christmas spoons/stirring spoons/similar glass}

Another fun addition are these adorable Christmas spoons I ordered. They have little Christmas pendants on the end of them and are  just right for stirring hot chocolate. Another hit with the kids!

{set of 5 glass kitchen canisters}

Because I don’t have a lot of space on this counter I knew I needed skinny jars for the toppings. I found this cute set of 5 glass kitchen canisters on-line and they are perfect! I love the sealed lids too. Hot cocoa mix, marshmallows, candy canes, chocolate chips and crushed peppermint. Our family favorites for hot chocolate. :)

This is going to be a busy spot for the next few weeks! I’m not mad about it. :)

{cozy vibes pjs/ugg slippers/Christmas movie mug}

I’m also not mad about the fact that when I’m home I’m in Christmas pjs. Love this cozy vibes set! Brand is PJ salvage so a little more pricey but they are so soft and comfy. I especially love that they are cute for the holidays but will also work through the winter months after Christmas too.

Got my Christmas movie mug, pjs, and hot chocolate. I am SET. If you need me you know where I’ll be. :)

{mama wants a silent night mug}

A few more mugs I love! Speaking all sorts of truth here. :)

{mama claus mug}

{bite me mug}

This one just made me smile. Ha. :)

I’ve been chipping away at my holiday shopping and thought I’d share some cute things I’m seeing and loving for my teens! My girls are so easy to shop for. I can basically just pick out things I love! The items below are all things they have and use or items on their wish list for this year. Kole is another story. Teen boys are HARD to buy for aren’t they!? I rounded up some of the items I’m debating/ordering for Kole. If you have a teen boy and know of some other fun gift ideas please share! It’s a tricky stage for gift giving. I hope these gift ideas help!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Off to make a Christmas movie jar. :)

1- portable charger   2- black hair ties

3-pouch wristlet   4- hoop earrings   5-aquaphor

1-instant camera   2- 12 games of christmas   3- vibrant shoelaces

4- mad libs   5- ninja multitool   6-apple airtag

7-candy filled canes   8- styling paste   9-football   10- mint tins

1- bose headphones   2-poloroid camera   3- arm warmers

4-vanity mirror   5- gold under eye patches   6- desk pencil holder

7- silk pillow case   8-sunset lamp   9- everywhere belt bag   10- facial cleansing brush

1-flying disc   2-light up baseball   3-puzzle game

4-bose headphones   5- pop sensory fidget toy   6-hooded jacket

7-inflatable blow movie projector   8- slammo game set

9-ugg slipper   10- GPS tracker for kids

1-bath wrap   2- sherpa robe   3-jewelry box   4- heart pillow

5- faux fur round chair   6-travel pouch   7 –jewelry tower

1-ombre basketball hoop   2- faux fur backrest   3- beanbag toss game

4- photo holder   5-bean bag chair   6- pom pom string lights

1-light up shelf   2-basketball hoop   3- iPad stand   4- hook rack

5- football field pillow   6- star light up pillow   7- mario block alarm clock

1-NFL wallet   2-basketball bean bag toss

3- mountain art   4- faux leather lounger   5- gaming chair

 6- dartboard   7-body pillow   8-football LED light

*affiliate links used

Cruising through December! Tis the season for joy and fun and cheer and stress! Ha. I hope you’re hanging in there and not too overwhelmed at this point in the game. Days and evenings are so busy this time of year. I’m constantly reminding myself to pause on the never ending to-do list and focus on enjoying the season! My kids are a big help with that. :) Addison really wanted her room decorated for the holidays this year and requested traditional red and green. She has been so busy and usually gets home around 7 every night and then has hours of homework. She wanted to help me decorate but we couldn’t find a time so a few days ago I surprised her and added a little Christmas to her bedroom. To say she was excited when she saw her room is an understatement! I wish I would have filmed her sweet reaction. Priceless. :) It made me so happy to see her so happy!

{faux fur round chair (similar)/similar santa pillow/plaid pillow (similar)/similar tree/bead garland here & here/clip-on candles/similar snowflakes/similar house ornaments}

The tree is a little crowded in this corner but Ad loves her chair (that she stole from Ellie!) so I knew she would want that to stay. Both the girls love to sit in it to read, study, talk on the phone. I added a couple of cute pillows that are long time favorites!

I decorated her tree with a bead garland, snowflakes, white houses and red ball ornaments.

I also added these fun clip-on candles I put on our family room tree. Did I mention that they change colors!?

{family room tree sources}

I keep them on the warm white setting for our main tree.

But for Ad’s room she is loving the colorful setting. They turn red, green, purple, blue.. all the colors.

So cute for a teen bedroom! The candles are half off right now so I picked up more for Kole’s bedroom next year. :)  (I used one set of 20 on each tree.)

{let it snow sign (similar)/natural wrap lamp (similar)/ nightstand}

My Let It Snow sign landed on her nightstand next to the cute lamps we found about a year ago.. love the natural wrap base!

{upholstered bed/waves comforter/natural bench (simlar)/merry lumbar pillow/similar pom throw/rug}

A fun wreath is always a win over the bed! And you all know my merry pillow makes an appearance every December somewhere in my house. I bought that pillow when the girls were little!

{ceiling fan/floor mirror (similar)}

I ordered this floor mirror about six months ago (was looking for one for this room for over a year!) and we love it so much. It’s HUGE and makes her room feel a lot larger than it is. It’s on major sale this weekend too!

Village Stocking Holder

I kept her shelves simple and just added a few things with lights.

It looks so cute lit up at night!

I hope you enjoyed the tour of Ad’s room! So simple but it doesn’t take much to add some Christmas cheer to a space. :) I really need to photograph the rest of my house. I had plans to take more room pictures this week but December has a way of laughing in the face of plans right? Hopefully coming soon!

Before I sign off I thought I’d share a quick dose of real life. Ready to see the other side of Ad’s room?

{similar photo frame}

Hello Peaches. Ha! Nothing like a Bearded Dragon in a huge cage to kill the mood. ;)

Check out the side eye she gives me. She knows I’m not a fan of lizards. The two of us aren’t exactly tight, but we manage to stay cordial for Addison’s sake.

I’m sure she appreciates her new view. ;)

Below are a few favorites on sale and I’ll be back soon with more to share. Happy Saturday!

{WEEKEND SALES/GIFT IDEAS}

*affiliate links used

Thanksgiving is almost here! Remember this cute little guy? I made this last year and it was so easy and such a hit! The perfect snack for kids (and adults!) while you’re waiting for the turkey to cook. Use any snacks you want! Thought I would share it again because I’ll definitely be making one again. I’m ready to resume my role as the table setter, kid entertainer and snack maker while the rest of my family tackles the serious cooking. We’re all in roles where we shine! I just don’t shine close to the oven. ;)

{CANDLES}

Black Friday sales are live and I’ve rounded up so many fun gift ideas for us all! The deals are so good right now.. it’s a very dangerous time to be on-line..ha. But I’m so excited to knock out a lot of my holiday shopping! Feels good to get it done from the comfort of my couch. In stretchy pants. I might need to order another pair. While they are on sale. :)

I took a little stroll through Anthro a few days ago (definitely a happy place!) and snapped pics of a few of my favorite gifts to give. Their candles are an obvious choice.. always a hit! They have so many fun options right now.. snow globes and cupcakes and hats.. just CUTE and they smell amazing and are all on sale.

{TREES}

They also have so many adorable trees! These glass trees are beautiful. It looks like they are sold out on-line but they aren’t.. just backordered a bit. Fun for an early holiday or hostess gift!

{MONOGRAM LETTERS}

These monogram letters are darling and light up! So cute for a kid/teen space.

Or spell a fun word on your mantel!

{HEADBANDS}

Hands down my favorite spot for headbands. They have so many cute styles!

{SLINGBAGS}

And of course my favorite sling bags. They now have so many different styles to choose from!

{liberty sling bag}

I use mine every week. It’s so handy when you don’t want to carry a purse!

I hinted to Kenny and my girls that I wouldn’t mind another one (black or brown) if they need a gift idea for me.

I’m helpful like that. :)

{sherpa crossbody}

Another cute option!

{fiona beaded bag}

How gorgeous are these for a holiday party!? Just beautiful. Speaking of holiday party..

{maya ruched cowl-neck dress}

I came home with this stunning dress for Kenny’s firm holiday party this year. It’s beautiful and so flattering! I usually don’t love bodycon dresses on me to be honest, but this is such a great fit and the high collar gives it such a glamours vibe. 10/10! I ordered one other color to try also. One thing Anthro does (that I love!) is they sell certain items in a variety of looks. This same style of dress comes so many different ways (you can see them all here). The cool thing about that is when you find something that fits you just right you have lots of options! For example.. I have so many different pairs of their Colette pants. They fit so well and are really flattering so it’s easy to order a new pair on-line. Even if the color or pattern or material or length is different, the fit is always the same. Well played Anthro. I’m a fan. :)

1-liberty sling bag   2-sherpa crossbody   3-capri blue candle

4- marble tree serving board   5- knot headband  6- bubble headband

7-glass tree   8- green glass tree   9-fiona beaded bag   10- wonderland monogram

CUTE gifts. Thanks for shopping with me! That was fun. :)  (Sidenote: the marble tree sold out but they have this cute option that I love even more because it’s so unique!) This is a fun marble tree board if you are looking for one! Here is another cute option.

Below are more Black Friday gift ideas form Target and Amazon! I also found some cute coats and holiday dresses on sale. Also a lot of the fun gift ideas I shared in this post are also on sale. I hope these round-ups are helpful! I’ll share a few more things I’m seeing and loving after I do my shopping this weekend and I’ll be back soon with more Christmas decor.

Enjoy Thanksgiving everyone! XO

1-merry & bright sweatshirt   2- team holiday spirit

3-red plaid flannel set   4-green flannel set   5-ski scene pajamas

6- oh what fun pajama set   7- striped pajama set

1- faux shearling coat   2-tweed coat   3- puffer jacket

4- long puffer coat   5-faux fur jacket   6- plaid long coat

1- sweater dress   2- satin dress   3- sequin jumpsuit

4-v-neck dress   5-sequin dress   6- red sweater dress   7-mock sheath dress

1-duvet cover set   2- ottoman   3-cream chair

4- sheet set   5-bath towels   6-arched mirror   7-ficus tree

8-tv stand   9-round dining table   10- dining chair

1- body wash   2- face mask set   3-eye cosmetic gift set

4- brush gift set   5- hair gift set   6- makeup sponge set  7- skincare gift set

1- bangle bracelets   2- pullover sweater   3-cable mock turtleneck

4- sweatpants   5- earrings   6-cable sweater

7-headband      8- crewneck sweater     9- pajama set

1-airpods pro   2-apple iPad   3-amazon echo dot

4- beats earbuds   5-ring video doorbell   6-hp laptop

1- kitchenaid mixer   2- instant pot pressure cooker   3-ninja blender

4- belgium waffle maker   5-toaster oven   6-electric griddle

1-lego harry potter   2-hedbanz   3-lego city fire

4-scooter   5-hot wheels shark trackset

6- barbie vacation house   7- lego friends vet building

1-norfolk pine branches   2- decorative bells

3- gold tree figurine   4- lighted brown branches   5- ceramic christmas trees

1- fitbit tracker   2-ice maker   3- mini stepper

4- columbia fleece   5-yoga pants   6- dry shampoo

7- stanley tumbler   8- slippers   9- face scrub

1-t-shirt   2-snow jacket   3- massager

4- foot massager mat   5- dumbbells set

 6-leaf blower   7- men’s workboot  8- tool kit

1- sports bra   2- makeup set spray   3- lip sleeping mask

4- oversized sweatshirt   5-recipe tin box   6- olaplex shampoo

7- layered necklace   8-travel cosmetic bag

9- kendra Scott necklace   10-half zip sweatshirt   11-holiday candle

1- water bottle   2-nike hat   3-ping pong set

4- men’s v-neck sweater   5-nike shorts   6- duffel bag

7-toiletry bag   8-leather belt   9-earbuds   10- face mask

1-intial jewelry box   2- ny hat   3- scarf   4- gold bracelet

5- bath bombs   6- vanity mirror   7-makeup bag

8- gold eye mask   9- small ring dish   10- belt bag   11- fuzzy slippers

1-workout gloves   2- camping gear multitool   3- sweatshirt

4- LED beanie   5- grooming kit   6- beanie

7- hair pomade   8-wallet   9-athletic socks   10- flannel pajamas

*affiliate links used

{faux cedar garland/similar faux cedar garland/leafy glam garland/team holiday spirit sweatshirt}

Happy Thanksgiving week to you all! Kids are out of school and we are ready to kick off the holidays! You too!? Bring on the stretchy pants. :)

I’m sharing my holiday mantel today! I’m calling it a holiday mantel instead of a Christmas mantel because it has a bit of a Thanksgiving vibe this year! See.. we DO celebrate Thanksgiving around here. ;) Also it was a team effort! I got to work on my garland (I layered and layered and layered some more).

Then Kenny hung my star ornaments for me. I have been wanting to hang something from the thin molding at the top this mantel for years! I told Kenny this was the year and he wouldn’t let me get on our tall ladder. I quickly reminded him that I live on tall ladders in October and November and then he quickly reminded me of how many minor injuries I’ve accumulated from various house projects and then we agreed that he should get on the tall ladder. :) This was a screenshot from a video I shared in IG stories. I asked him to explain what he was doing and he answered “laddering, measuring, penciling and hammering.” Thanks for the helpful tutorial babe. Some husbands just aren’t meant for Instagram tutorials.. mine would be one of them. Ha. But very sweet of him to help me with this.. he was definitely speaking my love language helping with holiday decor!

{lit wooden star ornament/natural wood garland/gold bead garland}

These are the stars I had him hang. They have little battery packs that include a timer and light up so beautiful! I have them on my Christmas tree this year too.

{large lit glass tree/small lit glass tree}

I also included these beautiful lit glass trees on my mantel this year.. they are all over my house and light up so beautiful! (They can also be set to turn on with a timer!)

{faux cedar garland/eucalyptus garland/arched mirror}

This his how it turned out! Christmas with a nod to Thanksgiving because of the colors and the fall leaves. I’ll probably swap the fall branches out for something more wintery in a few weeks, but it is JUST now starting to feel like fall in San Diego so this feels very appropriate for us!

{belgian linen throw pillow/oversized embroidered striped lumbar throw pillow}

I know you all know that I struggle decorating this mantel because of its large size. I had to layer a lot of my faux cedar garland to get it this thick! Basically I have none left for the rest of the house.. ha. ;) I also wove some of my tried and true eucalyptus garland in. I’ll never get tired of this combo of greenery! I decided not to add my leafy glam garland like I had planned because it looked so pretty with just the two garlands.

Layering my faux cedar garland until my fingers were green was worth it. I love the big full swoop. :)

Next to my fall branches I added the pretty lit glass trees, my favorite birch trees and a few of these favorite candles.

{similar stockings/bells/ribbon/jeweled snowflake ornament}

I also added stockings and ribbon and bells and a pretty snowflake ornament on the left and called it complete!

{woven vase/similar woven vase/faux fall branches}

{lit birch trees/battery operated candles/faux cedar garland/eucalyptus garland}

I snapped this with my phone at night and it’s not the best night photography! I really can’t capture how pretty it looks when all of the lights click on. I think I’ll add some twinkle lights to my mantel garland at some point too. Never enough lights! In my opinion anyway. :)

And a few phone pics at night with the lights turned on..

Feeling cozy around here! My mantel works well with my Christmas tree in this room and I’ll share that soon too! I have so much to share and wish December was a hundred days long! I’ll be back soon with more decor and my favorites for Black Friday. Happy Thanksgiving prep everyone! If you are traveling be safe and enjoy this week with loved ones! So grateful for each one of you.

And for helpful husbands and trees that turn on with a timer.

;)