Jul 23, 20207 min read

christmas is in the air

hello ladies!

i'm back with a christmas article and i'm a little bit excited for this one because i had so much fun writing it and i looooovveeee christmas!

this article is all about the christmas spirit! i was really inspired for this article so i decided to gather all my ideas and write a BIG article on all kind of christmas topics like recipes, lists, tips and much more! enjoy girls!

i suggest you sit comfortably (maybe with a snack and drink) to read this article because it's a long one! haha

here we go....

CHRISTMAS TREATS

okk, there are a lot of things i enjoy about christmas, but i will admit that making christmas treats ranks pretty high on my list of best things about the season. the following recipes are not mine but, they're all recipes that i enjoy making (and eating, obviously)!

❄︎ gingerbread cookies

these are a classic but, they're easy to make, perfect for decorating and always so delicious!

ingredients

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup softened butter

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

how to make it

1. mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. set aside.

beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.

add molasses, egg and vanilla; mix well.

gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed.

press dough into a thick flat disk.

wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

2. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. cut out cookie shapes with your favorite cookie cutters and transfer to cookie sheet with metal spatula - approximately 1 inch apart.

simple icing (optional)

mix together powdered sugar with a few drops of water. stir until you get a creamy consistency. add more sugar or water if you need to. add food dye for color!

❄︎ confetti square

if you need a quick and easy dessert, confetti squares are the perfect thing. they are quick to put together and after a quick chill in the fridge, everyone will go crazy for them.

ingredients

cooking spray

2 cup chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter

4 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

pinch kosher salt

1 (10-oz.) bag mini rainbow marshmallows

how to make it

1. grease an 8”-x-8” baking pan with cooking spray. in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt chocolate chips, and peanut butter together. turn off heat and stir in vanilla and a pinch of salt. let cool to room temperature.

2. stir in marshmallows then pour into prepared pan. refrigerate until set, 2 hours.

❄︎ peppermint bark fudge

peppermint bark is a candy i cannot wait to get my hands on every holiday season.

ingredients

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 cup premium white chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (optional)

1/3 cup crushed candy canes divided. (about 5 regular-sized candy canes, crushed)

how to make it

1. line an 8x8 square pan with aluminum foil and lightly butter the sides and bottom of the foil. set aside.

2. divide condensed milk equally into two separate small/medium saucepans (just over 1/2 cup in each pan). add dark chocolate chips to one pan and white chocolate chips to the other.

3. melt chocolate chips over medium heat, stirring constantly until completely melted. once melted, remove dark chocolate mixture from heat and stir in vanilla extract. immediately spread evenly into prepared pan.

4. once white chocolate has melted, remove from heat and stir in mint extract (if using). stir in 1/4 cup crushed peppermint pieces and immediately spread evenly over chocolate layer.

5. immediately sprinkle with remaining crushed peppermint pieces.

6. allow fudge to harden completely before slicing and serving (about 4-6 hours at room temperature, or about 1-2 hours in refrigerator).

❄︎ sugar cookies

there’s something special about a simple, yet perfect, sugar cookie.

ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour measured then sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

3 sticks unsalted butter softened (1 1/2 cups)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar + extra for rolling

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

how to make it

1. preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. line several baking sheets with parchment paper. mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

2. place the softened butter and sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer. cream the butter and sugar together on high until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. (don't skimp on the time here.) then turn the mixer on low and add the eggs and vanilla extract. scrape the bowl. 3. with the mixer running on low, slowly add the flour mixture. scrape the bowl and beat again for 30 seconds.

4. pour some extra sugar into a bowl to coat the cookies. scoop the dough out and roll into 1 inch balls. the dough should be soft and delicate - don't over-handle. shake each ball in the sugar bowl to coat, then place on the cookie sheets 2 inches apart. use the bottom of a drinking glass to press down on each ball, until it's 1/3 - 1/2 inch thick.

5. bake each sheet of sugar cookies for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden and the centers are just barely set. cool completely on the cookie sheets.

CHRISTMAS MOVIE RECOMMENDATIONS

there is no better way to get into the christmas spirit by putting on a film by the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate. here's my top 5 christmas movies:

❄︎ home alone

a classic movie full of mischief, laughter and holiday spirit!

❄︎ fred claus

this is one of my all-time faves and a must christmas movie for me and my family throughout december!

❄︎ a christmas prince

this one is a must christmas movie!

❄︎ the princess switch

although this is a relatively new movie that came out this year, i recently watched it mainly because it had vanessa hudgens which made my childhood high school musical heart die a little. it’s a really good movie which has quite predictable plot but it’s very funny.

❄︎ how the grinch stole christmas

i absolutely love this movie to bits, if you havent seen it yet then, you need to!

LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS GIFTS IDEAS

only a few days till christmas! since it's the final countdown, you may need to get that final gift shopping done. so here is a helpful guide to help save time and money on gifts!

❄︎ personal collage

this one is easy! you need a frame and cute photos or concert tickets or other memories, you put all the stuff together and you decorate it with stickers, drawings and glitter!

❄︎ vacation or other experience

making reservation ont he internet is super easy and all you have to do is print out a voucher. bungee jumping for the adventurous type, dinner for foodies, spa day for the potatoes or concert tickets for anybody i guess!

❄︎ candies

you can't really go wrong with candy, because who doesn't like it? & there are so many creative ways to give candies!

❄︎ home made coupons

these are the cutest! coupons for free breakfast in bed, free cup of coffee, free movie night, free foot rub...

❄︎ handmade cookies

when i think of christmas, i think christmas tree (obviously!) and... cookies! i highly recommend you to bake them yourself, it tastes way better (normally) and you can decorate them yourself!

❄︎ candles

candles are in amazing gift to gave and get because they can always be used. getting someone a festive vance is an amazing gift for christmas time. i would recommend getting Bath and Body Works candles or even candles from Walmart because they are cheaper but still really nice.

❄︎ self care kit

you can make or buy this one! just gather up some lotions, face masks, scents, soup, etc and set it up neatly in a box or bag with some cute wrapping paper and it'll be the perfect gift! you can also add nail polish or makeup to the kit!

❄︎ themed boxes

this is a great gift because you can personalize it according to the receiver's interests! here's a few ideas: winter box, sunshine box, movie night box, spa in a box, ice cream sundae box, tea party in a box...

SELF-CARE DURING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON

christmas is the season of giving back and celebrating with our loved ones. however, we often tend to forget that we deserve to be treated just as we treat the people we love. in addition, i think it is safe to say that the holiday season can get pretty stressful and overwhelming.

celebrate the magic of christmas by focussing on what’s really important

self-love and self-care are really important all year round but, being almost the end of 2018, i believe that we should invest some time every day in ourselves to start off 2019 in the best way possible!

i wanted to share with you 6 ideas and activities of self-care you can do during the christmas season to be ready to enjoy your time with your family and friends, but also to enjoy yourself! see these ideas and activities as a little christmas gift for yourself!

❄︎ take a 20-30 minutes nap

... or even take it to the next level and don't set an alarm and just rest! december is a stressful time. finals season, gift buying, trying to catch up with your family and friends for the holidays... some days we feel like we just need to stop for a moment. in those cases, why not take a well-deserved nap? i personally usually don't take naps, so when I do, it's really like a gift to myself haha

❄︎ have a netflix/ movie day

take it easy and relax for a day! (would be a great day to watch christmas movies!)

❄︎ start a new book

wrap yourself up in a cozy blanket and sip a cup of hot tea while reading a book. how much more perfect can that get?

❄︎ unplug from social media for an hour

focus on you and only you, not about what other people are doing and posting on the internet. take some time off for yourself and listen to your own thoughts. maybe it's the first hour right after you wake up, maybe it's an hour before bed. your choice. but, make sure to have moments when it's only you and yourself.

❄︎ give yourself a long bubble bath

i don't think this one needs an explanation! haha

❄︎ watch the sun rise or sunset

i personally love sunrises and sunsets! they are so beautiful to watch and a special moment to share with someone. the sun goes up and down every single day, and we tend to take that for granted and forget how beautiful the sky looks with all the different colors!

CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST

i think music is an essential part of Christmas so I've created a playlist with all of my personal favourites so that you can listen and enjoy during the holidays

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgVmLpIPDpVNkHWNRGbDt-ida425ewXzk