Christmas is a time of celebration, but it’s also a time of accumulation. The tradition of giving gifts means that by January we’ve got a slew of new items in our home that we need to find a place for. It’s very easy to discover that clutter has begun to pile up around the house after the festivities have ended.

The best way to combat this holiday untidiness is with planning ahead before you get into the thick of the gifting season. In this blog post I will outline the best ways to purge your house of unwanted items and then organize your home so that new items can be put away easily.

The 5 Love Languages is both a theory and best selling book on how to improve your relationships with the loved ones in your life. Chapman’s advice is simple and uncomplicated, but still very impactful and easy to implement.

In a simple summary, every individual has both primary and secondary ways that they prefer to give and receive love. As individuals we are all unique in how we express emotions, and sometimes we have a hard time communicating or acknowledging those feelings with our loved ones because we we’re aware of their particular love language.

October is the true beginning of the fall season and the entire month is filled with festive Halloween events. With every passing week of the month, the children’s anticipation builds up for October 31st. For most families Halloween night is synonymous with the time-honored tradition of trick-or-treating. Many children celebrate Halloween by dressing up in costumes and visiting neighbors in your neighborhood in search of candy.

So why would you decide against celebrating Halloween with trick-or-treating? There are several reasons to possibly avoid taking to the streets on Halloween. Some neighborhoods are not suitable for walking door-to-door, they may be too spacious and rural. Other places may just be unsafe and not very child-friendly. Extreme weather can hinder trick-or-treating or maybe your tweens are just getting too old.

No matter what your reasons, my guide is filled with many fun and festive Halloween alternatives to trick-or-treating. My suggestions are great for children of all ages (and for adults too!). Your friends and family won’t be disappointed with the spooky fun you’ll be serving up!

The Christmas party episode of The Office was pretty memorable. The theme was ‘’nights in Morocco’’ as stated by Phyllis Vance, who wanted to plan an original Christmas party. After enduring so many traditional holiday parties put on my Angela from the Party Planning Committee, Phyllis was ready to flex her power as the new head of the PPC with an exotic party theme.

Whether you want to replicate Phyllis's Moroccan Christmas party at home, or would like to know what parts of the party were actually Moroccan and what parts were not, here is everything you need to know about that episode.

There’s a good chance you spent the week of Thanksgiving running around the grocery store picking up ingredients, followed by long hours laboring in the kitchen. Give yourself a break from all the frantic shopping and cooking with a premade holiday meal from Raley’s.

We were lucky enough to get an early preview of Raley’s Prime Rib Christmas dinner. We had no problems being taste testers of this family sized feast!

My household is comprised of mixed heritages so we celebrate the holidays in all kinds of ways. My husband’s family comes from Mexico and on my side we are mostly English and Irish. Our kids are lucky to have so much diversity because it just means more reasons celebrate!

Christmas Day is the big event for most Western cultures with a morning family brunch, opening gifts and then a big Christmas dinner. In Latino households Christmas Eve is known as Nochebuena which translate to “A Good Night” in Spanish. Nochebuena is the biggest evening of celebration for traditional Mexican families and it’s the one my husband remembers most from his childhood.

Halloween is coming up quickly this October and we decided to get crafty with some DIY pumpkin painting. My 2-year-old daughter Scout insists that Halloween shouldn’t be scary, so instead we decided to make it colorful and full of art.

Keep reading to see my step-by-step guide to planning and creating your own Yayoi Kusama inspired painted pumpkins for the fall season.

Christmas truly is a special time of year, it’s as close to magic as we can get as adults. My idea of a hygge Christmas is making new memories at home and enjoying quality time with family. All the while indulging the senses with all the classic holiday joys.

The cold winter weather makes us naturally want to cuddle up and partake in nostalgic holiday rituals. All it takes is a little effort and preparation to really bring the season to life in the perfect hygge setting.

There’s something so comforting about your favorite mug, especially while sipping a hot beverage on a cold winter day. When that fabulous mug also happens to be a thoughtful gift from someone special, well then it’s even more magical.

When you’re shopping for mugs as gifts (and even for yourself!), Etsy has the best shopping selection. My list contains styles for everyone on your list, and even some extra quirky picks for your office White Elephant or Secret Santa office party. Happy Etsy shopping!

It’s the most COLORFUL time of the year! Are you trading the traditional Christmas green and red for a rainbow of colors? Well then these Etsy shops were made for you. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or your most fabulous friends and family, these makers have created the cutest collections of home decor and gifts. Click each image to take you directly to the Etsy product image. Happy shopping!