Christmas Gift Guide: For Him (+ a Giveaway with Droolbox!)

// 1. Nashville Field Guide by Wildsam // 2. Stainless Steel and Soapstone Whiskey Stones by HomEco // 3. Cherry Twin Wallet by Droolbox // 4. Long Branch Wingtip Boots by Allen Edmonds // 5. Pro-V1 Golf Balls by Titleist // 6. Diamonds by Johnnyswim // 7. Aeronaut 45 Backpack by Tom Bihn // 8. Hammock by Eagles Nest Outfitters // 9. 175g Ultra Sport Star Disc by Discraft //

I really love this men's gift guide this year. Like, I kind of want half the stuff on it. But have no fear, this entire list was husband scrutinized and approved. I hope you have the happiest time shopping for that dude in your world.

Now Win Something for HIM.
I couldn't be more excited about this giveaway, because the maker is a good friend of mine and the product is just plain excellent. All the men in my family have been using this Droolbox Twin Wallet for years, so I know from experience that it's reliant in quality and unmatched in style. The simple design consists of reclaimed cherry wood and recycled bicycle inner tube components to keep cards and cash secure. And Droolbox offers laser engraving, so when I got Stevie's, I threw his initials on there too. For funsies.

I'm excited to partner with Droolbox to give away one of these Twin Cherrywood Wallets! Follow the prompts on the Rafflecopter below to enter the giveaway! (Hint hint, don't forget to leave a blog comment, I think people have been forgetting to do that with my giveaways :) Winner will be notified on Dec. 17. Also, Droolbox is offering a $5-off promo with the code OY5OFF (shipping within the U.S. is always free), so make sure to snag one with this great deal just in time for Christmas. Ah, I love presents. And promo codes. And super trendy men's wallets made in America by ridiculously cool people :) Get yours! Happy gifting!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pomegranate, Oat, & Dark Chocolate Cookies

I wanted to make a festive cookie in honor of the Christmas season, and this little one was born. I LOVE IT. I've been doing a lot of experimenting with pomegranate lately and I am loving every single use for it. On salads, in drinks, and now, in cookies! In this recipe, the pomegranate seeds replace the raisin in a typical oatmeal cookie, and they add a much brighter punch to this one. And the dark chocolate mixed with the flavor of the pomegranate juice... mmm it's sinfully good. Surprisingly, the pomegranate arils hold up remarkably well during the baking process.

This recipe is essentially for a double batch (around 60 cookies), but I purposely made it this way because these are the best cookies to share! Also, if you make a ton of the dough, then you can just leave it in your freezer and pop a few cookies in the oven whenever you have a hankering :) But you can obviously cut this recipe in half if you have more self control than me. I find myself waking up at 3am like, MUST HAVE POM COOKIES. It's a wonderful problem. Prepare to get addicted, friends.

Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups organic flour
- 2 cups oats
- 1 cup pomegranate arils (here's a great tutorial on how to remove pomegranate seeds from the fruit)
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (or you can use semi-sweet - I love these from Ghiradelli)
- 1 cup butter, softened at room temperature (I love using salted Kerrygold - you can taste the difference!)
- 1 cup organic brown sugar
- 1/2 cup organic granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- a pinch of cinnamon

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly grease your baking sheets.

2. Using a beater or mixer, cream together the butter and the sugars. TASTE IT. That, right there, is like my favorite taste on Earth. Savorrrrrrrr. Okay, moving on.

3. Once the butter and sugars are creamy and smooth, add in the eggs and vanilla. Continue to mix well.

4. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir them together until the ingredients are evenly mixed.

5. While your mixer is on, slowly add the dry mix into the butter/sugar situation. Allow the mixtures to combine before adding more dry mix. Continue this until the dry mix is completely mixed in. Oh dough.

5. Finally, using a spoon, stir in the chocolate chips and pomegranate arils. Be gentle with the pomegranate, because those seeds might burst if they are handled too vigorously. Protect the seeds, and they will be good to you.

6. Spoon out the dough mixture and roll the dough into 1-inch balls (a little smaller than a ping pong ball), placing them an even distance apart on the baking sheet.

7. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes. They might not look completely done when you take them out of the oven, but take them out! You really don't want this cookie crispy, because it is SO GOOD when it's just lightly golden. Trust me here. If you have a cookie rack, transfer the cookies and allow them to cool for a few minutes.

I'm excited for you to try these! I like to pretend these are okay to eat for breakfast because they have oats in them... so I eat them for breakfast.

If you give them a whirl, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Happy munching and sharing this Christmas season, my friends! xox.

P.S. - My giveaway for this 2016 Papermoss Post Card Calendar ends tonight and the winner will be contacted tomorrow. Make sure to place your entry!

Deck the Halls.

I had a LOT of fun decorating for Christmas this year. We have a new home, the first house we've ever lived in, and it feels really special to be able to make this space completely our own. Before Thanksgiving, I spent a lot of time getting our trees (yes - we got two!!) up and decorated, getting presents wrapped, and hanging the stockings. There is something a little bit magical about "decking the halls" for Christmas, isn't there? You've got to have a hot beverage to return to over and over again, while you assess the progress of your work. And you've got to have Amy Grant Christmas songs in the background, because, I don't know. I just always have. Thanks for programming me, Mom. And you've got to have that wriggly little toddler clobbering around, ready to tear into the presents at any moment, because he just makes it all the more exciting. We had to let him open at least ONE. Because we are the parents. And we get to make that call :)

Shhhhhh! Stevie doesn't know that the stockings actually have gifts in them yet :)

Little target finds. Aren't they the cutest?

I might have made them kiss.

Thanks to my sister Rachel for taking these pics. And fishtailing my hair. She's so talented.

Present time!

He loves Elmo these days!

// Woodland Stockings - Pottery Barn Kids // Ornaments - Mostly Target // Tree Topper - The Nest // Hand-Lettered Print (Bottom Left) - Jenny Highsmith //

I hope your Christmas decorating is going merrily! We might do a little more on the outside of the house. Having Stevie climb up on the roof makes me nervous, but a few lights in the bushes couldn't be all that bad :)

Merry Christmas friends! Have fun decking your halls!

P.S. - A Christmas giveaway you don't want to miss.

Christmas Gift Guide: For Her (+ a Giveaway with Papermoss!)

1. "Love is Strong as Death" Hand-Lettered Print by Jenny Highsmith // 2. Mercury Glass Volcano Candle by Capri Blue // 3. Watercolor Postcard Calendar by Papermoss (see below for giveaway opportunity!) // 4. Golden Peach Moonstone Ring by Sundance // 5. Staub Coq Au Vin in Basil// 6. Cava Linear Post Earrings by Anthropologie // 7. Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella // 8. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond the Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert // 9. Roses de Chloe

It's that special time of year again! Gift shopping is one of my all-time favorite things to do, and this year has been no exception. It's just so much fun finding the perfect gift for the perfect person. I've compiled a few things I'm currently favoring for that special gal in your life - be it your mom, sister or best friend - I know there is something here that she would LOVE.

Because - PRESENTS!
Okay friends, I want you to take a good long look at this gorgeous watercolor calendar, a collaboration of genius from Papermoss and Nantucket v. Hamptons. When trimmed, each month's artwork becomes a lovely post card. I love the cheeky, summery New England charm of each month's art. This could not make a sweeter hostess gift or Christmas gift (hint hint, Stevie), so make sure to snatch one up before they are gone! P.S. - you can also have the added benefit of bragging about your "small business shopping", which is not only all the rage, it's really how you find the most unique gifts.

Printed on luxe 130lb paper with an eggshell finish, each 5x6.5” month features a one-of-a-kind watercolor that when trimmed turns into a 3.5x5" postcard. Mini magnet included to display each month.

I've teamed up with Emily at Papermoss (the most luxurious paper products you ever did see) to give away one of these 2016 "Lovers of Summer" Postcard Calendars to one of you! All you have to do is enter using the Rafflecopter below. Follow all the prompts to enter, and the winner will be contacted one week from today. Good luck, and happy gifting!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Eat These Oatmeal Banana Pancakes.

I came up with this recipe because I have been desperately searching for more foods that my son will actually eat. He used to eat everything, and suddenly, he's decided to be picky and eat about four foods: oatmeal, waffles, sausage. Okay, that's three foods. So you see, I've been having some troubles. I decided that no child could resist a pancake, especially if it contains one of his chosen, anointed foods. Plus, oatmeal is so healthy and hearty, I love sneaking a cup of it into baked goods when I can. It's one of those weird woman ticks I have. Like, let's add oats to everything. I don't know why I am that way, guys.

But these pancakes turned out SO GREAT. They are healthy (you know, for a pancake?), heartier than your average pancake, and really sustain you for the day. It's a great Saturday-morning-before-we-do-yard-work kind of breakfast. And thankfully, Everett gobbled these up like they were waffles. Well, we might have called them waffles. For his sake :)

Ingredients:
- 1 cup oats
- 1.5 cups flour
- 1 banana, mashed
- 1 egg
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- a pinch of salt
- cinnamon, to taste
- oil or butter, for the pan
- butter, maple syrup or fruit topping to taste

Method:
1. *Optional first step: You can grind the oats in a food processor or high-powered blender to achieve a fine, flour-like powder. It's not necessary for the recipe, but I've made it both ways and both are great. It just depends if you like the texture of oatmeal in your pancake or not.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well.

2. Now combine all the other ingredients: mashed banana, egg and milk. Whisk until well combined.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.

4. Pour a palm-sized amount of batter onto a skillet heated over medium. This is where I like to sprinkle a little dash of cinnamon on top of each cooking pancake, so it's absorbed at the surface of the cake. I don't know why I do it, I just always have. Cook until you start to see little bubbles form, then flip! Voila. Your perfect pancake.

5. Repeat a zillion times. I like to keep my cooked pancakes warming in the oven on 200 degrees. But you might have a family that is happy to dive in and start eating without you! Serve with a bit of butter and maple syrup, some fruit on top, or my personal favorite, smothered with this roasted pumpkin + apple butter. Deeeeeeelish. Let's just have a moment and drool, shall we?

These pancakes are so hearty and warm for a cold autumn or winter's morning. Or for any morning of life. Because really, when are pancakes such a bad idea?

Required listening while creating these bad boys. Because it reminds me of when me and Stevie were dating and we used to make banana pancakes (while listening to this song!) for our families on Saturday mornings. Good times, guys.

HAPPY EATING.