Hello friends!
I don’t know how December can even be here, and the first week is already gone!
**Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. We appreciate your support. (disclosure policy)
How are preparations for the holidays coming?
We’ve been busy decorating, shopping, and fitting in fun seasonal activities!
November left behind a trail of cherished memories and several important celebrations!
Let’s look back on the months’ highlights and share what made it so special.
What we did behind the scenes in November
30th Wedding Anniversary Celebration
It seems impossible, but Rich and I have been married for 30 years!!
We wanted to do something special to celebrate and decided to go on our first-ever cruise!
We honeymooned in Disney World and have been fans ever since, so we opted for a Disney Very Merrytime cruise on the Wish!
The ship had gorgeous holiday decor, themed entertainment, and special activities!
Our first stop was Nassau! We could not get over how beautiful the color of the water is there!
We went on a land and sea excursion to explore more of the island!
The second stop was Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. It’s a tropical paradise!
The staff did a fabulous job dealing with my gluten and dairy food restrictions!
We had a wonderful time and can’t wait to set sail again!
Last Day at Food and Wine Festival
Our youngest son is home for the holidays, and he arrived just in time to enjoy the last day of the Food & Wine Festival!
We had a cold front come through, bringing a high that day in the 60s and lows in the 40s!
Please don’t laugh but when it hits 40 I pull out my lightweight winter coat!
Our son is a foodie and he enjoys Asian cuisine!
Here are a couple of his favorite dishes he tried!
Crispy Duck Bao Bun with hoisin sauce, Pan-fried Chicken Dumplings with house-made sweet-and-spicy sauce, and Shanghai Scallion Noodles with shrimp.
Celebrated Thanksgiving
We have traveled so much this year that we stayed home for Thanksgiving!
The day started with cooking while watching the Macy’s parade, enjoying a yummy meal, and finishing off with a family game night!
Decorated the Family Tree
Over the weekend we decorated our family tree!
Each of us gets to open the first gift of the season, an ornament symbolizing something we did or enjoyed during the year!
Christmas Tree Stroll & Shopping
We started Christmas shopping and completed half of the Christmas Tree Stroll at Disney Springs.
Can you see the fake snow falling in the background? It’s not as magical as the real thing but it’s still fun!
What we Did on the blog in November
Did you see all of our posts in November? If not, here’s your chance to catch up!
Decor
- See how we embraced the beauty of autumn indoors during our fall home tour!
- This year’s Thanksgiving tablescape was one of my favorites!
DIY
- I can’t wait to use these Fall charger plates in my decor next year!
- If you enjoy making ornaments try these DIY gold leaf Christmas ornaments!
- Check out this DIY Christmas wall decor, you’ll never look at gift bags the same way!
- Do you love a good upcycle project? See how we transformed a lampshade into a DIY Christmas tree collar!
Organize
- This post featuring our Thanksgiving Planner is a must if you host this special holiday!
- To prepare for the holidays we shared how to organize and style a china cabinet.
- Take the stress out of December and use our Four-Week Countdown to Christmas Checklist and Planner
Gift Guide
- Here are this year’s Holiday Gift Guides we put together to help make your life easier!
Inspiration from around the web
Today we’re sharing five of our favorite posts we discovered online this month to inspire you during the holidays!
- Don’t miss the most unique and inspiring tree stands I’ve ever seen!
- If you’re looking for a way to elevate your holidays you need these elegant Christmas decor ideas!
- You’re going to thank me when you see these yummy holiday morning make-ahead treats!
- Looking for a simple DIY present? Learn to make a gift jar that can be filled with small treasures now and used differently later. It’s like 2 gifts in 1!
- Learn to create a holiday show stopper with this DIY faux marshmallow tree!
Favorite Seasonal Finds
Sharing some of our favorite last-minute holiday decor ideas from Target!
Click the blue links for more information on the items in the picture!
Glittered House Village Building | Light Brown Fabric Christmas Tree | Santa Face Mug
Ornament Set | Scalloped Ceramic Tree | Wreath with Red Berries
Faux Spruce Tree | Deer Set | Beige Fabric Village Building
Village Building with Trees | Beige Fabric Christmas Tree | Paper Honeycomb Tree Set
Did you know when you click on one of our shoppable links in this post and make a purchase, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you? Even if you buy a different item than we’ve linked, we earn a commission because you went there from our blog!
Your support means the world to us, and we are genuinely thankful when you shop through our links.
Home Organization Challenge Weekly Task
To help keep everyone motivated to organize throughout the year, here are weekly suggestions you can tackle!
You can organize one week of the year or all 52!!
- Week 49- Christmas Decorating
- Week 50- Christmas Cards and Wrapping
- Week 51- Prepare for and Enjoy Christmas
- Week 52- Plan for New Year and Store Christmas Decor
Posts You Might Like From Our Archives
If you’re new here or would like a refresher, check out these older posts relevant to this season!
Decorating
Want to add some holiday cheer to your kitchen but not sure how? You won’t have to sacrifice function for a festive feel with our best gingerbread Christmas kitchen decor ideas!
DIY
Do you love a great upcycle project? Last year, after our dining room makeover, we saved the scrap trim pieces and made these DIY adorable wood Christmas trees!
Organization
We typically leave our Christmas decor up through New Year’s Day but some people take theirs down right after Christmas.
So I decided to share this post now because it might be too late to wait until next month’s newsletter.
Here are our best tips to organize Christmas decor!
Conclusion
Thanks for spending a few minutes of your day here with us!
We’ve been sharing our monthly rewind newsletter on the first Saturday of the month but we’re going to change things up in 2025.
Look for our next newsletter on the last day of the month instead.
We’ll see you back here on December 31st for our Seasonal Sentiments Rewind Newsletter!
Blessings, Donna and Rich
**Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. We appreciate your support. (disclosure policy)
I loved catching up on everything you’ve been up to! My husband and I honeymooned in Nassau so this makes me a little jealous. We want to go back so bad. It was absolutely beautiful there! I love your home organization weekly tasks. I’ll admit, I’ve been slacking with mine since Thanksgiving, but I’m so ready to start up again with Christmas on the way. I am definitely going to need to read through your other posts for Christmas decorating tips. Thanks so much for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoy our newsletters! Yes, Nassau was so beautiful and now we want to go on another cruise someday! Thanks for letting me know our organization tips are helping you out! I take a break from organizing the house at this time of year because there is so much to do for the holidays! I always look forward to jumping back in during the new year! Thanks for your support and have happy holidays!
So many fun things, Donna! Your cruise looks amazing…what pretty, sunny places 🙂 Enjoy the time with your sons!
Thanks Rachel! I was nervous about going on a cruise but we loved it and now can’t wait to do it again some day!
It’s always so much fun to see what you guys have been up to each month, Donna. I love all the memories you made as a family and how you celebrated your anniversary on a Disney cruise. That tree is beautiful in the background is beautiful and I know it felt like an extra special way to celebrate. Can’t wait to follow along on your adventures in December too! Hugs, CoCo
Thanks CoCo! We had such a wonderful month and are so thankful for all of our experiences. Thanks for stopping by and happy December!
One more thing – thank you so much for sharing my gift jar idea! I really appreciate it! Big hugs, CoCo
You are very welcome! It is such a cute idea!