'Tis the Season...for Decorations

The holidays are officially in full swing! Another great weekend in the books around here, decorating being top of the list, so we're taking a break from regularly scheduled programming to talk holiday decor for a bit. :)

Friday night we spent some time putting up lights and decorations, then headed out for cocktails and Italian food at Tuscan House - much needed after a hectic work week. Then to the mall it was for family photos and Riker's first encounter with the big man.

He was one confused little kid, but he did alright. ;-)

Last Christmas Riker was a newborn, so this was the first time he really noticed the Christmas tree. He got a kick out of putting lights up and handing us ornaments, and it was so sweet to watch.

I love all the festive, cozy, wintery decor currently decking our halls. Especially the roasted nuts (a must) and the Andes mint white chocolate bark (a MUST must). I always have snacks around the house during the holidays for friends that stop by...annnd for us of course.

I picked these little wreaths up in Amish Country a few weeks ago, and finally figured out what to do with them yesterday. Adding needles and pine cones to regular candle holders gives them such a winter cabin look. Love these for the dining room!

We don't have a fireplace at our house to my chagrin, so I hung our stockings by ribbon on the stairwell along with some holly and little white lights. It's not quite a mantle, but it does the trick!

In between decorating, grocery shopping, workouts, laundry and all the other weekend things that come around every 7 days, I also found some time for an afternoon with the girls. Matt and I often take turns watching Riker on weekends so we can spend time on our hobbies or with friends, and I was really looking forward to an afternoon with a few of my closest pals.

Around lunch time yesterday I met up with my good friends Heather, Lindsay, Cathleen and Abby for a winter wine tasting at a nearby vineyard, Laurita Winery. Laurita was all decked out for the holidays, and it was the perfect spot for an afternoon of lunch, live music and catching up with the girls.

The wine was delicious. After we finished the tasting we bought a bottle of Cabernet to have with lunch, and I picked up some for home too.

We loved it so much we already made plans for our next girls night there in a few weeks!

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I didn't do a lot of cooking this weekend, but sometimes you just need a break to recharge the batteries. Hope you had a wonderful weekend and are getting in the festive spirit wherever you are!