It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just a few days away…2011 has flown by! As we all get ready to celebrate with family and friends, we want to share a few of our favorite things about Christmas. Christmas is one of the few times where we all slow down and pay attention to every little detail. Just another reason why we love the holidays so much!

When it comes to the Christmas tree, it’s the small details that make a grand masterpiece. And when it comes to the details, we have a little obsession with ornaments! We’ve narrowed down our favorites.

1) Rachel Roy designed ornament – Macy’s (part of the proceeds benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation) 2) Cotton Candy Machine ornament – Nordstrom 3) Glitter Football ornament – Macy’s 4) LOVE ornament – Urban Outfitters 5) Macaroon ornament – Sur la Table 6) Fireside Feelings ornament – Anthropologie 7) Double Decker London Bus ornament – Harrod’s 8 ) Dachshund ornament – Z Gallerie

If you haven’t broken down and gotten a real tree this year, or if you need some extra Christmas scents, we love stovetop potpourri. It’s an easy way to pull items you likely already have at home and fill your home with fragrant goodness!

Stovetop Potpourri Recipe

Ingredients:

• One whole orange or orange peel
• ½ cup of fresh cranberries
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 3 sticks of cinnamon

Directions:

Slice the orange into quarters and place into a saucepan with the rest of your ingredients. Fill the pan with water and place on the smallest burner. Heat on the lowest setting and refill the water as necessary.

You can certainly increase the recipe and add additional ingredients like nutmeg. And if you need a last minute gift or gifs for neighbors and co-workers, package the ingredients in a cellophane bag, add a bow (you can even add a tag with the instructions) and give the gift of a gorgeous-smelling home!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Kelli & Lisa

With the holidays upon us, it’s time for good cheer, family fun, celebration, and… house guests. It’s not unusual to have a house full of people during December. It can often be a challenge to entertain and feed guests, especially when you’re busy with the craziness of Christmas.

When I’ve got a lot of people to feed for breakfast or brunch, I like to make this easy and delicious egg and sausage casserole. It’s simple to make and delicious, and it’s something the kids can help out with, too. You can also vary the ingredients depending on what you have on hand or what sounds good to you. I’ve made it successfully using diced smoked ham and chicken apple sausages, and you can even leave out the meat for a vegetarian version.

Prepare the casserole the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. (While you can make it and cook it immediately, it really turns out much better if it sits overnight.) The great thing about this is all you need to do is pop it in the oven in the morning! This dish is great as part of a holiday brunch buffet. It’s rich and filling, and a little bit goes a long way.

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• Half a 1-pound loaf of sourdough bread, cubed or torn into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound breakfast sausage, removed from casings, crumbled, and cooked
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Note: Kids can help tear the bread into pieces, mix the ingredients, and beat the eggs and milk.

Lightly butter a large (10–12-inch) casserole dish. In a large bowl combine bread pieces, sausage, and half the cheese. I used sharp cheddar cheese because that’s what we had in the refrigerator, but gouda, Monterey jack, and fontina are all equally good substitutes. I always use leftover sourdough bread, but any kind of sturdy white bread can be used. Stale bread is perfectly OK to use, too.

Pour bread mixture into prepared casserole dish.  In another bowl, whisk eggs and milk together in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over the ingredients in the casserole dish. Make sure all bread is moistened. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and put it in the refrigerator to rest until the morning.

When you’re ready for breakfast, remove the casserole from the refrigerator and uncover and preheat the oven to 350º. Bake casserole for 30–45 minutes or until top is golden and bubbly and eggs are set. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut into squares and serve.

This casserole reheats pretty well, too, but you probably won’t have any left over! Happy holidays!

While it’s natural for dads to have holiday traditions like cutting down the Christmas tree at the tree farm and standing up on a ladder stringing miles of colored lights on the house, I also have one that’s a little bit more domestic: sugar cookies.

Our tradition began a few years ago when I was desperately looking for gifts to bring to work for my colleagues. I didn’t want something very expensive, but I also wanted something festive and distinctive. That weekend, when the kids were bugging mom about wanting to make Christmas cookies, a tradition was born: I’d make cookies, wrap them up nicely, and give them as gifts—with help from the kids, of course.

It’s really a win-win situation. The kids get to spend some quality time with dad, my wife gets a break, and the cookie bakers get to eat as much raw cookie dough as they want without mommy getting mad. From-scratch sugar cookie dough isn’t hard to make, and they’re tasty cookies that can be decorated pretty much any way you want.

The kids love to roll out the dough and cut shapes with our holiday cookie cutters, and of course they really like to go nuts with the frosting and candy sprinkles when the cookies come out of the oven.

Many of my co-workers are either young singles or older professionals with grown children, so they love getting these little packages of homey cookies as Christmas gifts. And I know they like them because very few cookies actually make it home from the office.

We usually either put them on colorful holiday paper plates, or tie them up with ribbon in holiday-themed plastic baggies. Either way, they’re always a welcome gift.

Here’s our family sugar cookie recipe that I’ve perfected over the last few years. It’s the juice and zest from fresh Meyer lemons that really give these a unique flavor.

• 4 cups all-purpose flour (you’ll need a little more for dusting your work surface, too)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice and grated zest of 1 lemon

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.

In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ones in the large bowl along with the lemon juice and zest and mix together on low speed until they’re combined.

At this point you can wrap the dough in some plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour. This makes the dough easier to roll and shape.

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Roll the dough out on a floured surface until 1/8 inch thick, then cut into shapes and bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 8–10 minutes or until they start to turn a little brown on the edges.

Cool on a wire rack, and then decorate.

That’s right, now that most of your shopping is complete (hopefully!); it’s time to get wrapping.  This holiday we are all about bows, the perfect presentation for your gifts!  We love picking a theme for our gift wrap… this year it’s all about red & white peppermint stripe, and of course great bows!

(Gift Accents: Whirly Pop from the Candy Store, Jingle Wine Wreath from Pottery Barn, Winter Candy Apple lip gloss from Bath & Body Works)

DIY Bows

1) Bow napkin: lay napkin flat, fold lengthwise twice to form long, ribbon-like shape.  Fold short ends in so they meet in the center and cinch in the middle with a napkin ring. (Lenox napkin- Macy’s, Chilewich gold dahlia placemat- Sur la Table)

2) Tuxedo bow: fold the ends of a piece of ribbon in towards the center and secure with glue/tape.  Wrap a second piece of ribbon around the center and secure in the back.  Cut a piece of ribbon 1 ½ inches longer than the bow and cut notches on each end.  Secure the bow to the top.

Bows aren’t just for wrapping! Finish off your holiday looks with some of these bows. And in case you get hungry from shopping, we’ve shared our favorite bow tie pasta recipe. It’s the perfect festive dish!

1) Delias chain bow necklace 2) Reiss knit silk bow tie (we’re inspired by Brad Goreski!) 3) French Connection bow felt fedora 4) LOFT bow v-neck shell 5) Rebecca Minkoff sweetie bow clutch

Bow Tie Pesto Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:

Pasta:
1 pound (16 oz) bow tie pasta (cooked)

Pesto Sauce:
1 cup packed fresh basil (1 1/3 oz)
4 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Other Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken chopped*
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes (drained and chopped)
1/2 cup pine nuts

Directions:

1. Cook pasta and drain.
2. Wash and pat basil dry.
3. In food processor (or blender), mix basil, garlic and walnuts. Add olive oil and process again. Add cheese, salt, and pepper and process again.
4. Combine 2 tbsp of hot water with heavy cream. Stir cream mixture into pesto.
5. Reserve 12 pieces of pasta, then pour pesto sauce over pasta and stir until well coated.
6. Add chicken, sundried tomatoes, and pine nuts.

That’s a wrap for us!  Happy wrapping and gifting!

Kelli & Lisa

I don’t think I’m revealing any great secret when I say that the holidays can be a busy, fun, exciting, but often stressful time of year, especially for parents. Over the years, I’ve put together a list of tips and tricks for making my holiday experience less about being overwhelmed and more about enjoyment.

With most of our family—including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins—living nearby, we’ve learned to be prepared and organized for visitors and family events and gatherings.

Here’s my list of tips for getting organized for a calmer, more enjoyable holiday season. If you have some of your own, feel free to share them in the comments.

1. Don’t over-schedule. It can be tempting to want to attend every festive holiday event and concert. It can also be overwhelming. My rule of thumb: pick one very special event and make it a time to remember. Our tradition is to see the Nutcracker at the ballet every December.
2. Get rid of the clutter. Make way for the new toys by getting rid of the old. If you’re not going to donate old toys, at least put them in a box or bin and store them in anticipation of that spring garage sale.
3. Clean up and restock. Go through your pantry and refrigerator and toss out all the old food, especially those bottles and jars of in your refrigerator door. I always get fresh baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and flour for making holiday treats.
4. Make Christmas lists. Have the kids write out their Christmas lists, in order of importance. If they can’t write, sit down and find out what they want. Circling items in the toy catalog works, too. This gets to the heart of what they want, and helps save time and money. Figure out what you’ll be buying, and then share the list with grandparents and other family gift givers.
5. Stock up on and organize wrapping supplies early. There’s nothing worse than running out of tape or ribbons on Christmas Eve. Organize wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, and boxes in a bin so everything is at your fingertips when you need it.
6. Keep the kids busy. Little ones get super excited during the holidays. I keep them occupied with a special holiday craft bin filled with supplies to make holiday decorations like paper chains, cards, ornaments, and more. This is especially useful to bring out during play dates and family get-togethers.

Most of all, keep things simple and realistic, and take time to savor some of the season’s pleasures without getting too overwhelmed. Happy holidays!

All I want for Christmas is…

* Everything sequin * Navajo embroidered accessories * Gorgeously expensive bath products * Extra blingy costume jewelry *

Oh, and, for my significant other to think I’m the best girlfriend in the entire world. {Cue tolerable present ideas for men here}…

* Everything sequin * Navajo embroidered accessories * Gorgeously expensive bath products * Extra blingy costume jewelry *

Eek. I guess I’m really bad at sharing.

But, this holiday season I’m feeling recession-proof! Not just because of my array of lucrative freelance positions that I hold {most of which I’m paid in tweed skirts three sizes too big, costume rings that rust my fingers, and cashmere socks that I store in the “if I ever make it on that skiing trip” drawer.} Kidding. I’m feeling good, and I want my favorite friends in my life to look as good as I feel.

The ultimate Fashion-Friend’ly Gift Guide for everyone in your life who really matters…

For yourself, start with a fabulous heel that, for one time of year, you don’t have to just look, not touch… like this Jimmy Choo pair for $750. Add a colored denim pant, say JBrand, Rag & Bone, or Citizens of Humanity.

Oh, and throw in that must-have party dress {blame it on New Year’s Eve}! MICHAEL Michael Kors, $175

Now for the best friend, think STATEMENT! Anything leopard will do… like this MICHAEL Michael Kors tote, $598. For the blogger and fashion-obsessed friend, if she already doesn’t do the Lita…then she ain’t got nothin’ on style! (Fix it quick by getting her the newest and most lightweight {might I add fabulously comfortable} Jeffrey Campbell “Lita” boot, $145). And of course, no chic mom can be without comfort bling, like these STEVEN Steve Madden studded loafers, $145.

A spiritual friend should never leave home without a “well traveled” {lewk}, like this backpack reminiscent of a Turkish Grand Bazaar market find, or these prayer bead bracelets.

Co-worker time! LOVE HATE relationship? We all get it. Instead of filling his stocking with pricey coal, get him something that can enhance his inner cool-factor. Bond No. 9 perfume and cologne, $150 and up; Voluspa candles, $18 each;  Kiehl’s bath and body products, $60 gift set for men and women; Gucci coffee table book, $85

Fashionable best guy friend duties? Keep his mind-body-soul Los Angeles laid back in colored sock and TOMS shoes. Did you know, for every TOMS shoe purchased, a new pair of shoes is given to a child in need? Pump up that holiday spirit! $48 and up.

Blind gifting? Grab Bag? Can’t go wrong with the best hair-tie known to wo-men: elastic knots, 6 for $10; Hollywood Fashion emergency kit (filled with all women’s must-have-quick-fix’s like double stick tape, stain wipes, blister pads, more, $14.95, or quirky coasters that fit any home decor (or re-gifting pile), $6.95 each.

Happy shopping!

xoxo, elshane

When Thanksgiving ends and December draws near, the first thing my kids usually ask is “When are we going to the Christmas tree farm!” Our yearly excursion to the tree farm is definitely one of their favorite things to do during the holidays. I myself have fond childhood memories of our wintertime trips to the Christmas tree farm, and now that I have kids of my own, I’ve made sure to carry on this fun and festive tradition.

My kids love to look for the perfect Christmas tree and help my husband and me cut it down, lug it back to check out, and tie it to the top of the car for the trip home. The kids are so proud to show everybody “their” tree, especially after it’s decorated and lit in our living room window.

Sure, it’s more convenient to go to the corner tree lot or unpack the old standby artificial tree from its box in the garage, but it’s those tree farm visits that provide lasting holiday memories, not to mention great family photo ops. Tree farms are usually more expensive than buying an artificial tree, but your kids won’t fondly remember that shopping trip as much as they will those to the farm.

We often visit a few local Christmas tree farms to take in as much holiday cheer as possible each year. Many tree farms offer fun attractions and activities like horse-drawn carriage or tractor rides, petting zoos, pony rides, visits and photos with Santa Claus, bounce houses, arts and crafts, and more. You’ll also find goodies like free hot cider and candy canes, too.

And of course you can’t argue with the fact that a tree you cut down yourself is about the freshest you’re going to get. Our tree farm trees always seem to stay miraculously green and fresh throughout the holidays. Last year, we felt kind of bad taking our tree down, since it was so fresh and hardly shed any needles at all.

Here’s to loving your perfect tree, even if your kids choose something closer to a Charlie Brown Christmas tree!