*Warning: long post with pics*
Jason and I spent Christmas with my family this year. I was so excited to be going home to spend time with them and was secretly hoping that I would get a chance for snow sometime that weekend. We drove in on Friday morning and checked in to the hotel. Then on Friday night, I met up with some friends from high school to have dinner and catch up. After dinner, we went to a wine bar and invited our significant others along because we are nice like that =). I enjoyed so much getting to hang out these girls and hope we can do it again when we are all in town.


On Christmas Eve, Jason and I just lounged around my parents house and played with my niece and nephew. We went to Christmas Eve Service at my parent's church and then came home and opened one gift. Our Christmas pajamas! Ever since I can remember, we have always gotten new pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve. I look forward to it every year. I can't wait to start this tradition with my kids.





We woke up bright and early on Christmas morning to head over to my parent's house to open presents with everyone. On our way to the house, little flurries started to fall from the sky. I started getting excited that maybe I was going to get snow on Christmas! We opened presents from each other, from "Santa", and our stockings while we watched the snow fall outside. And yes, I'm in my 20's and we still do "Santa" at our house.

Jason surprised me with some stocking stuffers - a glass drinking bottle and a gift card to Charming Charlies. So sweet of him!





We got John the Indiana Jones movies on DVD. We used to watch those as kids at our grandparents house ALL the time.

When we finished eating, we took some photos outside with the beautiful snow! I even made a snow angel!!

The night before Christmas I dreamt that it snowed. I woke up on Christmas morning and little flakes were beginning to appear! Little snowflakes turned into big snowflakes and by then end of the day it looked like this:



5 inches of snow on Christmas day!! What a wonderful way to spend Christmas! I was so excited!!!!

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas with your families and enjoyed spending the day together.

I'll be back later with a detailed recap of the Christmas festivities!

This weekend I hosted my first cookie exchange party!!! I think it was a success, and I hope that next year I can do it again in our new bigger place =). I invited about 14 people this year because I didn't want it to get too crowded in our 2 bedroom apartment and 7 people came. A good turn out for it being the weekend before Christmas! I invited people about 2 1/2 weeks ago to give them time to check their calendars. I asked each guest to bring 3 dozen cookies for exchanging and to send me their recipes a couple days in advance so I could make sure there would be no duplicates and so that I could print out the recipes for each person to take home.

Sunday morning, I got up way early to make my cookies and to decorate the apartment for the cookie exchange. The party was from 2-4 and I was busy all morning! I made Double Chocolate Peppermint Surprise cookies. They are really yummy but tedious to make. They each have a mini individual peppermint patties inside of them.





I made BBQ chicken and bacon wraps, and a cranberry relish that goes over cream cheese that you eat with crackers. Trust me when I say that the cream cheese and cranberry dish is amazing! There was none left after the party. I also had chips and dip and a vegetable and cheese tray.


I also had a hot chocolate bar. I had marshmellows and peppermint sticks to put in the hot chocolate.


I bought these stickers to put on people's drinks at Target. I got a kick out of them for sure.


When everybody arrived, we put the cookies on my table and then mingled and talked for a bit!


When we were ready to exchange cookies, everyone introduced what cookie they had brought, and then each of us took about 4 cookies from each batch to put on our plate to take home.



After we exchanged cookies, we played a little game that I found on Pinterest. You had to guess the Christmas song by the picture. The person who won got a yummy smelling candle!


Before each person left, they got a Christmas towel and all of the recipes on cute cardstock that I put together so that they could make the cookies at home!


I can't wait til next year!! Thank you girls for coming and for bringing yummy cookies! I may have to run on a treadmill for months to come but they sure are worth it!!

I'm really tired tonight so my recap will be in a list of numbers. Here we go:

1. Friday night, a group of us met up at Fuddruckers for my friend Crystal's birthday and to see my best friend, Jacque, who was in town from Seattle. We had so much fun!!

2. On Saturday, Jason and I ran a lot of errands. We had to go grocery shopping and I had to pick up things for my cookie exchange party.

3. I mailed our Christmas cards this weekend. Latest I have ever mailed them out (hanging my head in shame)

4. I watched The Holiday while baking cookies last night. I just love Christmas time.

5. We finished ALL our Christmas shopping yesterday!! I am completely done. Yay!!


6. I hosted my first cookie exchange party today, and I think it was a success. A post to follow all about it!!

I'm so excited to share my Christmas decorations with all you out there. I absolutely love Christmas and I don't think you can ever have enough Christmas decorations!! This year I didn't get to put up all my decorations like I wanted because we are moving in a couple of weeks but I couldn't let the season go by without decorating. Welcome to my home!!!

Before you walk in, you'll be greeted with a lovely Christmas wreath that my good friend, Jessica, made for me a couple years back.



 I also have this little guy that sings O Christmas Tree and dances. I love it and makes me giggle every time I turn it on.


I have my photobook of my Christmas cards from previous years lying out on the console table. I'm excited to add the ones I got this year!