In 2013, I was a little over zealous with the Christmas exchanges, so much so that I became on a first name basis with the postal workers. This year, I decided to pick one and go all in. I can't thank Elizabeth and Samantha enough for all of the work they put into organizing The Great Christmas Exchange.

I drew Kindle who blogs over at Willow White, who is way more crafty than I could ever be (seriously, I have the scar from a run-in with a hot glue gun to prove it). As I was scrolling through her wishlist, I came across a quote print from one of my favorite hymns, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing and knew that one of us had to have it. What better way than to start the new year off right than with motivation and comfort? And also, who doesn't need a Sugar Paper for Target planner? 

My secret santa is still a secret. If you are reading this post, thank you so much for the Starbucks tumbler! I literally take it with me everywhere  and it keeps the ice in my drink cold from morning until lunch and then again until I go home. You summed me up in a nutshell in your sweet note: "Harness your inner Loreli Gilmore and soak up as much coffee this Christmas as you can!"

I love blogging secret santas because I not only get to shop for Christmas gifts, but I get to know fellow bloggers so well (and put my sleuthing skills to good use finding the perfect gifts.)

Merry Christmas from Dixie and me! May your day be filled with laughter, joy, family, friends and (in your fur baby's case) lots of treats from the table. Enjoy!

The official countdown to Christmas has begun. The week is filled with driving around looking at Christmas lights, drinking warm drinks sitting next to a twinkling tree. There is an obscene amount of baking going on and the house will have a permanent smell of cinnamon for weeks to come. If, like me, you are enjoying these last few days before the holiday in the office, then the break room is filled with everyone's favorite snacks and Christmas cards are constantly being circulated through inter-office mail. 

Say what you will about the hyper-commercialism of the season, but still at the heart of the it is spending time with those who matter most. Whether you are in the office, driving, braving the crowded airport terminals or sitting by a fire, enjoy this Christmas mix in the background. It's full of all of my favorite classics, 90s hits and folksy tunes.

Did anyone else read Skipping Christmas by John Grisham? (You might also know it's movie counterpart, Christmas with the Kranks, but trust me, the book is much better.) While I would never go to the lengths that they did to avoid all of the holiday's traditions, buying a tree from the Boy Scouts' annual sale, sending cards, decorating the house and spending time with family and friends, sometimes we tend to get wrapped up in the material side of the holiday and end up more stressed out than if we had ignored it altogether. 

Sometimes it might be nice to get away on a Christmas vacation away from a relative's house so no one feels obligated to clean, cook dinner every night and the number of guests to bathroom ratio is much more manageable.

Photo via Stowe Mountain Lodge

If I were to skip Christmas, I would pack my bags and head to Stowe, Vermont to be guaranteed a white Christmas with no chance of wearing shorts while eating Christmas brunch, which is very likely in South Georgia or Florida. Stowe's Mount Mansfield is the highest peak in Vermont and is a draw for winter sports lovers. However, the charming town is also where the von Trapp family made their home after leaving Austria, which is much more appealing to me than a dozen feet of fresh powdered snow. 

I would stay at the Stowe Mountain Lodge, perfect for everyone in the family from the most avid skier to the spa connoisseur. It has ski-in/ski-out access, breathtaking mountain views, day spa, two restaurants and excursions to Montreal and guided Stowe tours of Stowe, in case you get bored on the mountain. 

If you were to "skip Christmas" where would you be off to?

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I'm so excited to be co-hosting the Week's End link-up with Elizabeth of Oak & Oats! Every Monday, Elizabeth hosts a link up called Week's End! It is a place for you to link up your favorite post from the week and meet new bloggers. It's all about community and what we can all learn from each other! 

If you are wanting to join the co-host line up, you can sign up here and use code: WEEKSEND for 25% off any Oak + Oats packages.

Hi I'm Jess from Stamp in my Passport! A 20-something doxie lover who spends her time in search of the perfect latte. When I'm not downloading my favorite fonts, I am planning out my next great adventure.

RULES!!!!!

1. Link up ANY POST from last week!

2. Make sure it is a POST and not your BLOG URL. We love your blog but we want you to share a post.

3. Click on one, two, three, or more posts and LEAVE ENCOURAGING COMMENTS. The whole point of this is to find new blogs, make new friends, and all that good stuff! You MUST read the post right before yours and comment.

4. Follow Oak + Oats and Stamp in My Passport

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Christmas is one of the few times left in the year that everyone remembers how to stuff an envelope, address said envelope and seal it before walking to the end of the driveway to put their bundle of letters to be sent to friends and family near and far. 

Whether you put a photo of your family, your cat or opt for hand lettering, I hope this is a trend that doesn't die down anytime soon. It's the one time of the year that an email, a text, or an e-card simply won't do. 

Merry Christmas!

As I'm writing this, Sufjan's 

Christmas album is on repeat for the fourth time. 

Dixie is curled up on my houserobe,

dreaming of the jumbones

she hopes Santa will leave in her stocking.

I hope you all are enjoying time with family and friends, 

drinking too much egg nog (you can have mine too),

and taking too many photos. 

In conclusion, I'm going to leave you with the 

Publix Christmas commercial. 

I think it perfectly sums up the holiday.

You may remember making these in elementry school. 

You may also remember wanting to desperately eat them

because they so closely resemble gingerbread cookies. 

But after that first bite, you would have been

sadly mistaken and secretly wished 

that your teacher would have had the class 

bake cookies instead.

Fast forward many years, 

and it's still not too late to recreate this childhood memory. 

Especially if you have little ones in your house 

who are anxious for a man to shimmy down their chimney 

tonight.

You might remember these that I sent to my 

merry mail group. 

If you plan on mailing these, 

pack them ever so carefully 

so they do not turn into cinnamon potpourri.  

Recipe from Katy Elliott

All you will need is: 

1 cup applesauce

1 1/2 cup cinnamon (about 3-4 of the packages sold in the grocery)

cookie cutters

a straw/toothpick to poke holes

string

Mix 1 cup of applesauce with 1 cup of cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix, mix, mix. This is the kinda recipe you’ll need to use your hands to really incorporate the spices. Make sure you don’t miss any wet spots. Add the additional 1/2 cup of cinnamon, cloves and continue to incorporate. If it’s too wet add more cinnamon, too dry add more applesauce. But be patient. It takes time to mix so don’t add cinnamon or applesauce till you’re absolutely sure it’s well mixed.

Scatter some cinnamon (like if you were rolling out cookies with flour) and roll out applesauce/cinnamon dough to 1/4″ thick. If the dough is too wet it will make a huge mess and stick to your rolling pin.

Use your cookie cutters to cut out the hearts. I noticed the first time around my dough was too wet and the edges were straggly. Once I add more cinnamon the edges were clean.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the hearts on a cookie sheet with a silpat. The hearts can be really close together but not touching; they won’t rise in the oven. Using a skewer carefully make a hole through each heart. Stick the ornaments in the oven for an hour or more. The juice from the applesauce needs to evaporate. The range in cooking time depends on your house, humidity and climate. My house is cold so I had them in for 1.5 hours and then I turned the oven off and left them to set overnight. They should be rock hard. If they’re not, give them some more time in the oven.

On Christmas morning, they will be ready to hang on the tree and leave the living room smelling like Christmas.

 The following are a few more photos to get you in the Christmas spirit:

When you don't have a fireplace (or heating)

you put on a second layer of socks,

and gather by the space heater 

to eat your milk and cookies. 

Everyone needs a go-to Christmas playlist. 

Whether in the car, studying, or decorating your apartment

Christmas tunes are a must from Thanksgiving to New Years.

{some people think it's socially unacceptable to play 

holiday tunes year round. but to them i say "bah humbug."}

If you have overplayed your favorites by now, never fear, you can add a few of my

must haves to your mix. 

And like any good Christmas playlist, there is lots of Sufjan.

Enjoy!

-Jess

*the passion pit song is not on spotify, but is worth listening to here.