This one is not Christmas related but something that I have been wanting to try for so long! There are a lot of ways the internet says you can do this, but in true Aby fashion, I am going to wing it. I thought that Christmas would be a good time to share this since it could be a great gift idea. Whether something for your in laws or a stocking stuffer, we love our beeswax wraps. They are a product most people know about but might not try them out for themselves. Well, now they get to!

I love all the fun gift ideas when it comes to spoiling your mail carrier & amazon driver. The treats at the front door during the holidays is such a special way to make them feel as such. They spoil you with service all year long, why not spoil them back. Christmas, however, brings pressure & long, long lists so overwhelm can hit quick. In this blog post I wrote about this overwhelm, my heart for Christmas & what I would like it to look like. In addition I included 5 simple gift ideas so that you can lend a present to more people that have impacted you this year without adding to the craze.

Nothing puts you more in the mood for movies than the month of December. While we are finishing up some tv show series that we have been watching, I am having a hard time find new shows that are actually fulfilling. We all know that no a days entertainment is polluted. Although this doesn’t matter for some & I will say it hasn’t really bothered me until recently, I would personally like to start watching more wholesome content when watching tv. Here is our solution & why it qualifies for a Christmas DIY series like this!

A Christmas project that is good for all ages. With so much room for creative movement, these Salt Dough Ornaments are meant to be a holiday tradition. Here I share exactly what I used & did for these cute, imperfectly perfect decorations. I share different things you can do to make them special & just how to make them last for years to come. This is going on the tradition list for sure!

One of my absolute favorites is a table filled with charm. Each season brings new inspiration for ways to fill this space. Although we rarely have 6 visitors to help fill this table, my prayer is that decorating it encourages me to change that. This season I used a color scheme that is sprinkled through out our home & a few natural elements. This is how the rest of the decor is for Christmas, so keeping things consistent has been key. Also, no links for this one! These items are thrifted, dollar store, collections from the years & treasures that just cannot be duplicated easily. The charm comes from the uniqueness & I challenge you to start/build your own collections from treasures found & acquired.

A fun summer activity my in law family started doing is making zucchini relish & salsa with everyones garden — one that we have yet to contribute to but that is okay because we have plenty of farm stands around us. Canning for the coming months means lots of empty jars, jars that take up space in the cub bard. I like to sprinkle in some Christmas in each room, doesn’t have to be anything too crazy. These now empty jars are the perfect thing to fill to reach this cheerful decor. Whether you have your own collection of empty mason jars searching for a purpose, or need to make a thrift store run for some in expensive glass, these snow globes are just the trick to fill that holiday activity time.

Mrs. Sentimental over here has a story for you. Actually, I feel like our entire Christmas Tree is a story. I have come to fall in love with the memorable tales our tree can hold. Things to look back at each year as our ornament collection grows. With keep holiday storage limited, filling a tree could be tricky. Getting creative & crafty helps & I share all of that here. Most importantly, our tree holds so much sentimental value from the basket at the base to the sweater star on top — for now. This is a story I will love sharing & adding to each year.

Dried oranges have been a long time Christmas tradition — a newer tradition for us. Not only are the inexpensive, they are simple to make, smell delicious & add a festive touch to almost anything. I share my love for this century old tradition, some history behind it, how you can make your own & a few ways you can use them for yourself. I can fully say that this is something I look forward to doing each year & something I cannot see myself stopping. I tend to work my entire holiday scheme around these oranges & that won’t be going anywhere.

Now that we are living in our (hopeful) forever home, I think it’s about time to make friends with our neighbors. We have always known our neighbors at our other houses, but were never super neighborly. One time we helped a man on crutches shovel his driveway! However, there’s more we could do. We have received cute plates of cookies from the house across the street & are so excited to finally give back! These stovetop potpourri holiday jars were not only relatively inexpensive, they were super easy to make a large batch of. Here’s how we made 12 jars of holiday goodness for our friends & neighbors!