Cozy, Comfort and Joy {And Candy Cane Hot Chocolate}
It’s here folks: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
And I’m not sure about you, but I’ve been looking forward to it since early March. In fact, if you follow along on Instagram you might recall we had not one, but two {much needed} impromptu “Christmas” celebrations earlier this year to lift our spirits during quarantine. Nothing like a little fir tree, red and green garland, matching family PJs and a Christmas puzzle to put a smile on your face.
And now, the real deal is here. And we couldn’t wait to deck the halls in our new home down south.
Typically, I like to give Thanksgiving the moment it deserves; but this year a few of our very favorite Christmas decorations came out as soon as the clock struck November 1 to add an extra dose of comfort and joy as we close out 2020.
Our kid’s craft corner, living room, and kitchen got an instant holiday glow up with a few festive touches, including stylish limited-edition, winter-themed boxes of Scotties’ Triple Soft Facial Tissue, designed by interior designer Genevieve Gorder.
Scroll down to see how we refreshed a few nooks in our new home, and for a yummy take on traditional hot chocolate:
The Kids’ Craft Corner
We recently created this little craft corner for the girls and I love how this table and chairs offer such a clean {and easily washable} slate to dress up each season. For the holidays, I chose to string some festive garland over a sweet sign with our favorite reindeer names {similar here}. This buffalo check basket is perfect to house all our favorite Christmas stories, and this pretty plaid tray {similar here} keeps all our crafting items in one place {for now}. For this corner, I added a fun tree-themed box of Scotties’ Triple Soft Facial Tissue to compliment our bottle brush trees. So far, its one of my favorite little corners of the house.
The living Room
For the living room, I wanted to add fresh accents that flirted with Christmas but weren’t overly festive yet. Because this garland will be up for months, I opted for artificial eucalyptus, and I couldn’t be happier with the look and quality. I used this garland for above the fireplace, and this batch of stems to fill this versatile holiday vase. For a pop of color, I filled a hurricane vase with some red jungle bells and placed on this red and wooden tray that we happen to use all year round. I added a black and white Scotties’ Triple Soft Facial Tissue box, and I love how the red, white and black work together to compliment the faux eucalyptus.
The Kitchen
For the kitchen, I created a little Hot Coco Nook- perfect for whipping up one of our favorite holiday treats: Candy Cane Hot Chocolate {recipe below}. For this nook, I added one of my favorite vintage galvanized signs from last year, similar to this one here. Our monogrammed plaid kitchen towels add a customized feel, and I love them paired with this sweet tree platter. For this little corner, I also added a knit-themed box of Scotties Triple Soft Facial Tissue, and I love how perfectly everything blends together for a cozy feel.
Candy Cane Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
- Hot Chocolate Mix - I'm all about that semi-homemade life
- Milk
- about 1/4 tsp Peppermint Extract
- about 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Whipped Cream, for Topping
- Crushed Candy Cane, for Topping
Instructions:
- Prepare Hot Chocolate according to box/bottle. We use milk instead of water for a creamier taste.
- Stir in extracts, adding more or less to taste/depending on how many servings you're making.
- Top with whipped cream.
- Finish with a sprinkle of crushed candy canes, to taste.
Thank you, Scotties for sponsoring this post. As always, opinions are 100% my own.
photos by SLK Photo