Trimming My Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree is without a doubt my favorite aspect of holiday decorating.  I kid you not, I get so excited every year to pick out our christmas tree and then spend the weekend decorating it.  The smell of a real tree in my home sings holiday season and I love the elegant (and slightly whimsical) touch it brings to my living room. 

My tree decor theme has evolved over the years.  Originally it was a traditional red, green, gold and tartan tree with an assortment of fun and very classic ornaments (i.e. a whole lot of Santa Claus on my tree).  Over the years, my taste/style has evolved first to a rustic chic and finally into it's current theme: "Woodland Chic."  

What the heck is "Woodland Chic?!"  Well to make a long story short, it is essentially rustic chic (pinecones, acorns, burlap and gold) with the addition of a few forrest animals (Moose, Owls, Snow Foxes, etc…).  I love the way this tree has come together over the years.  It certainly speaks to my style (elegant and rustic with a splash of fun) and of course I love that my tall ceilings can support a whopper sized tree (which I most definitely take advantage of).  Below is a breakdown of how I go about setting up, decorating and maintaining my christmas tree throughout the holiday season.  

Prepping Your Tree

1. Lay a trash bag followed by a towel on top of the floor where you intend to have your tree stand placed
2. Place the tree stand on top of the towel
3. While the tree is still wrapped, place it in the stand.  Have one person hold it and the other person can stand back to assess if its standing straight and then screw the tree into place. 
4. Once the tree is secured, fill the stand with water
5. Cut the net off the tree and help to gently pull the branches down 
6. If you have a tight space for your tree- use either Friskars or Wire Cutters (unconventional, but they work) to trim off the extraneous branches to help the tree fit the space.  (*Note- If you plan on making your own garland and/or wreath, save those tree trimmings!)

Decorating Tips

• Add a little tradition- trees tend to evolve over time into a large collection of memories.  Even if you prefer a more designer-esqe tree, theres no reason why you can't incorporate small touches of meaningful memorabilia.  Since my husband has German heritage, we include a pickle ornament every year.  In addition, you all know how crazy we are about our dog Dolly, so a bulldog ornament is an absolute must for our family Christmas tree. 
• Use Wire- green floral wire is a decorating essential during the holiday season, especially when it comes to decorating my tree.  I use green wire to help hold up the ribbons of burlap, adjust branches to fill in holes, support my tree topper (which weighs 10lbs..not really, but it is heavy) and even as a tether for anchoring my tree to the wall (safety first everyone!). 
• Lights - I love a well illuminated tree, so I tend to have a heavy hand when it comes to tree lights.  Among my favorite types of lights are garland-style lights (unfortunately not the easiest lights to find in stores).  They have three bulbs per stop, which really helps to give your tree a beautiful and very bright look.  Just make sure to buy light strands with a wattage of 100 or less.  I made the mistake of buying strands this year that had 125 watts and ended up having the lights on my tree go out three times (it was awful). 
• Water- There is nothing worse than having a crunchy tree.  Be sure to check your tree's stand water daily or at the very least every other day.  Most homes around this time of year are running their heating systems, which causes the tree to drink even more water.  A major part of keeping your tree looking its best revolves around proper hydration.

Details on my Woodland Chic Tree

• Gold Bulbs- Target
• Glitter Gold Pinecones - Target
• Shatterproof Pinecones - Target
• Burlap Ribbon - Home Goods (similar here)
• Burlap Tree Skirt- Home Goods (similar here)
• Glitter Moose Ornaments - Martha Stewart Home Depot (similar here)
• Mirror Star Tree Topper - Pottery Barn (similar here)
• Glass Acorns- Home Goods (similar here)
• Snow Fox Ornaments- Martha Stewart Home Depot
• Shatterproof Owls- Target
• Natural Wired Pinecones- Target

Homemade Peppermint Bark Recipe

This peppermint bark recipe is something I used to make when I was in high school for all of my friends at Christmas time.  It is a really easy recipe that has actually gotten even easier over the years.  I am sure you are wondering how a recipe with only 2 ingredients could possibly get any easier.   WELL, back in the day I used to have to melt the white chocolate chips in a double boiler (which took forever) to prevent the chocolate from separating.  I'm not sure if Nestle chocolate chips have always been microwave safe or if this is a new feature, but recently I discovered that I no longer needed to use the double boiler to make this deliciously minty holiday confection (JOY!).   My peppermint bark recipe is great to make with kids, less expensive than most store bought equivalents and makes for an excellent homemade holiday gift.  A definite fixture in my house around this time of year and in my opinion a must try!

Ingredients

• 2- 12oz pkgs Nestle Toll House White Chocolate Chips
• 24 Peppermint Candy Canes
  • **Both White Chocolate Chips and Candy Canes are significantly cheaper to purchase at your local grocery store.  The links provided are simply for your convenience. 

Instructions

1. Remove wrappers from candy canes and place them in a gallon Ziploc bag
2. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal, then place the candy cane Ziploc in a second gallon Ziploc bag, squeeze the air out and seal.
3. Place bag on a cutting board and begin to smash candy canes with a rolling pin (or equivalent) 
4. Once candy canes have been sufficiently crushed into small pieces, set bag aside
5. In a microwave safe bowl, heat white chocolate chips in 45 second increments, stirring between heating segment
6. Once chocolate is melted, add bag of crushed candy cane pieces and stir until well incorporated
7. Using a scraper/spatula pour contents of bowl onto either a Silpat or piece of parchment paper and spread to a thin layer
8. Allow to cool until hardened (about 2hrs)
9. Break apart sheet of chocolate peppermint with your hands to create rustic pieces
10. Place in a bowl to serve or wrap in treat bags to create holiday gifts. 

DIY Project: Ornament Garland

One holiday DIY project I absolutely love and honestly look forward to every year is making my own garland.   I actually love making a variety of garlands both traditional and non-traditional.  Today's garland project is one that I came up with last year.  At its core, this garland project is reminiscent of beading jewelry (very easy), and I absolutely adore the luster these shatter-proof metallic ornaments add to my staircase railing.  You can make this garland in a variety of colors and styles, so it's a great decor idea for almost any home.   Of course the best part is that once you make this garland you will have it for years to come so long as it's carefully stored throughout the year.  Here is how I make this beautifully festive holiday decor:

What you will need:

• Shatterproof Ornament Bulbs (both Small and Medium Size)
• Twine
• Wreaths (*I found these wreaths at Whole Foods, but also love Trader Joe's)
• Paddle Wire
• Holiday Bows (Store Bought or DIY Homemade Using this Ribbon)
• Hammer and Nails (optional)

Instructions

1. Using your twine, loosely measure the space you wish to outfit with a single stand of garland
2. Add an additional 16 inches to the loose total measured and cut your piece of twine
3. Take your twine and tie a double (or even triple) knot approximately 8 inches from one of the ends
4. On the open end begin to string ornaments onto the twine, in groups of 3 (ex.  3 medium, then 3 small ornaments and so forth).  
5. Make sure to push the ornaments together as you string them but be careful to not pack the ornaments too tightly as you will need a little give in the strand of garland to create the loosely draped look when hung. 
6. When you have strung enough ornaments to leave only 8 inches of twine uncovered, tie another double (or triple) knot to close off the open end
7. Personally, I am fine using small nails on the back side of my railing to anchor the garland.   However, if you are not ok using nails on your own bannister, you can use additional twine to secure the garland.  Just make sure to always tie bows when securing so that it's easy to adjust this garland when you are decorating.
8. You can use large holiday bows, fresh wreaths or a combination of both to accent your garland display.  
9. When it's time to take down the garland, I label each strand in ascending order so that I know where each one goes when I decorate my bannister next year. 

Nothing like a little garland paired with a few wreaths to really get me in the holiday spirit!  I've got a busy weekend of decorating and holiday to-do's ahead of me, but at least I can feel somewhat accomplished having my staircase decked out and ready for the holiday season.  Next week I will finally be revealing our family christmas tree!  I have literally been counting down the days in anticipation for christmas tree shopping.  You really can't beat the smell of a fresh tree and oh how I love the tree lights!  Anyway, stay tuned more to come!

December Kitchen Tools

The holidays are officially in full swing, which means baking and lots of it!  This month's kitchen tools are three pieces that I cannot live without during this baking marathon month.  By no means are these tools that I am sharing today new or cutting edge, but they are all MVPs in my kitchen (especially during this "most wonderful time of the year!"). 

Silpats

In my opinion, the Silpat is a baking staple.  I can remember watching an episode of Martha Stewart Living way back when and hearing her give cookie baking instructions that usually included "and don't forget to use your Silpats!"  If you aren't familiar with this product, a Silpat is a reusable silicone non-stick baking sheet that comes in a variety of sizes.  It's perfect for baking cookies, rolling out dough and even roasting vegetables.  To clean these sheets, you need only to wipe them down with a damp cloth and a little mild dish detergent.  Plus, they roll up for easy and compact storage.  Silpats are also a great way to cut down on the amount of parchment paper and aluminum foil typically used for baking, saving you money and helping the environment (double win!).  

Traditional Flour Sifter

I would have to say that sifting dry ingredients through a sieve is probably one of my least favorite baking tasks.  The bowl shape of the mesh on the sieve never fails to have my dry ingredients flying out of the mixing bowl and I usually have to use a utensil of some sort to help push all of the dry ingredients through the sieve.  Sifting is an extremely important step in baking and definitely does make a difference with the final product, but the sieve method is less than ideal.

Throughout both college and grad school I would babysit on a regular basis.  I really enjoyed it and of course it was nice to have a little extra spending money.  One day while babysitting, I had decided to make cookies with the kids.  It was then that I came across the traditional flour sifter and OMG can I just say, LIFE CHANGING!!  Simply place the dry ingredients in the canister, turn the crank and you will have perfectly sifted dry ingredients in seconds with no mess!  I was so ecstatic with the discovery of this kitchen tool.  So practical and made the baking process infinitely more enjoyable.  I'm sure you can only guess what I received under the tree that year for Christmas.  

9" Springform Pan

I think the springform pan often goes overlooked. Most people think that round baking pans serve the same purpose, so why create redundancies in your kitchen?  Well, let me just say that there certainly is not a redundancy by adding a springform pan to your collection of baking equipment.  The most common use for the springform pan is to make a classic cheesecake, but what has really sold me on the springform pan has been using it to bake coffee cakes!  How many times have you gone to remove a coffee cake from a pan, flipped it over and lost 90 percent of the crumble topping in the process.  Crumble is the best part of the coffee cake and seeing it go to waste is a tragedy!  It wasn't until I tried my hand at making this Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake, that I learned about the brilliance of using a springform pan for coffee cake making.  When the cake is done baking in the oven, allow to cool for 30 minutes and then pop the lock on the springform pan and gently remove the ring.  All crumble still in tact means coffee cake perfection!  This pan is a great investment and an essential for any kitchen.   

Home Decor Accents for the Holidays

Thanksgiving is over and I have finished cleaning up/putting away the last of the decorations and tablescape pieces (whew!).  While Christmas preparations are the obvious next step (today is Cyber Monday after all!), we are technically still in the month of November, so I wanted to share some initial holiday decor pieces that have helped to create a festive space without going full blown "Merry Christmas" just yet.  

Fur Throw Blanket

I love creating a warm and cozy space during the cold winter months.   I have had my eye on these fabulous luxe fur throw blankets from Restoration Hardware for some time now and over the weekend (thanks to Black Friday) finally pulled the trigger and bought one for my living room.  OMG so worth it and am kicking myself that I didn't get this furry piece of heaven sooner!  This throw blanket comes in an assortment of colors and is the perfect cozy addition to any space during the winter months.  

Nest Fragrances Birchwood Pine Candle

Nothing beats the smell of pine at Christmas!  Since we aren't getting our tree until next weekend, I am filling my pine void at the moment with this Birchwood Pine candle by Nest Fragrances (*Currently on sale at Bloomingdales today for $30!).  This candle is almost a dead ringer for that delicious pine tree smell and definitely the best pine fragrance I have found on the market.  A current obsession of mine and a must try for anyone who loves the smell of winter pine. 

Poinsettia

Poinsettias are the quintessential holiday plant and a staple decor  item in my home every Christmas.  I am dreaming of the day when we have an outdoor space and I can flank my front door with giant planters filled with poinsettias, but until that day my window sill will do just fine.  I found this poinsettia at Safeway for $3 and outfitted it in my CB2 Bennie Low Vase Planter.  Home Depot also has a great selection of Poinsettias for sale and here are a few additional planter options I happen to love (option 1 and option 2).  **Tip- if your plant is too small for your planter, you can place aluminum foil in the base of the planter to help your plant fit the space.  

Wreaths

There are so many types of pre-made wreaths available right now, making it extremely difficult to pick just one.  For a traditional pre-made wreath, I go to Costco.  They are large, fresh, fragrant and cost $15.99.  If you are in the market for a boxwood wreath, like the one pictured above, Trader Joe's has boxwood wreaths for $9.99.  I chose to embellish my boxwood wreath with a few gold berry picks and a homemade red bow.  If you haven't tried making your own bows, I strongly encourage you to give it a whirl.  They are actually super easy to make and I think they look 10-times better than the store bought equivalents.  More to come on holiday bow making in an upcoming post so stay tuned! 

In all honesty, we are going to get our tree this coming weekend and I am counting down the minutes.  I love the look and smell of a fresh Christmas tree during the holidays and waiting hasn't been easy!  While these festive touches have certainly helped to bring that bit of holiday cheer into my home, I am ready to get rolling with some serious holiday decorating!