favorite things swap

The worst part about Oprah being off the air is that we have to live without Oprah's Favorite Things.  ("You get a baby humpback whale!  And YOU get a baby humpback whale!")  So, in order to deal with this, we created the Favorite Things swap.  It's part Oprah and part White Elephant, so grab your Gayles and have fun!

Here's how it goes:

• Everyone buys and wraps one of their favorite things.  It should cost around $15-$25 (You can choose the price range).  
• Bring that gift to the exchange, and proceed with the White Elephant.
• Choose numbers, or pick names out of a bowl to determine the order.
• The first person unwraps a gift.  The second person can steal the first gift, or open a new gift.  The third person can steal one of the first two gifts, or open a new gift, etc.
• Items can be "stolen" twice during the game.  There are no take-backs, and once it's been stolen twice, it's locked and cannot be stolen again.
• At the end of the game, everyone can go around and say what they brought, and why it's one of their favorite things.

This year I brought a Kate Spade cosmetics case which was on super sale, and left with these adorable bowls from Anthropologie.  Or, as Oprah would say, "CUTE BOOOOOOWWWWWLSSS!"

tied with a bow

Wrapping gifts is one of my favorite things.  This year I had a little wrapping station with paper, ribbons, scissors, tape, tissue, gift tags, and a pen.  I would light my balsam candles, turn on the Christmas tree lights, light a fire, and go to town on some gifts.  Oh man, it was the best.

Here are a few gift wrapping tips:

Use real ribbon.  The holidays are not a time for curling ribbon or peel-and-stick bows!  I use grosgrain or satin ribbon and make sure each gift has a bow.  I tie my bows like this.

Use gift wrap tape.  This tape has a satin finish and disappears on most gift wrap.  I always use this when I wrap gifts in brown paper because regular tape makes it look too industrial.

Tuck a little gift into the bow.  I love when there are little trinkets attached to bows.  What's better than a gift?  More gifts!  I like attaching little ornaments, chocolates wrapped in cello, or mini bottles of booze.

fresh balsam candles

I'm not a huge scented candle fan, but around the holidays, I always pick up this candle from Bath and Body Works.

It's the 3-wick Fresh Balsam candle by Slatkin and Co. and it is a-mah-zing.  It smells exactly like a fresh Christmas tree, and nothing like a pine tree air freshener.  I light it as often as I can before Christmas, because after the 25th, I don't want anything to do with the holidays.  I'm so fickle/interesting like that.

Fresh balsam candle, Bath and Body Works, $20

living christmas trees

Living Christmas is a great company in Southern California that allows you to rent a living Christmas tree!  Instead of having your tree chopped down, hauled to a tree lot, and then getting it home, you can use Living Christmas to have a LIVE tree delivered to you!

They don't chop down the tree, instead they deliver a live tree in a pot.  You decorate it, water it, and enjoy it.  When the holiday is over, they pick up the tree and it goes back to the farm to grow another year.  You can even request the same tree year after year, so you can see it grow.  

The trees are kind of pricey (not including delivery) and you have to reserve super early.  I missed out this year, but I'm definitely getting one next year, and the year after that, and the year after that.

personalized stockings

I can't wait to deck my halls this year.  It's my first year in an apartment with a mantle and a fireplace, so it has to be special.

I ordered these velvet stockings with ivory cuffs from Pottery Barn and had them personalized in red thread, so Santa knows which one belongs to who.  I can't wait to hang them by our non-existent chimney with care.

Velvet stockings, Pottery Barn, $19 (+7 for monogram)