Cold. Really, really cold.

I have worn socks more days consecutively than I can remember in my adult life. I've been avoiding the great outdoors. I've been spending my days wondering if the time has come for us to move down to southern California. I have become incredibly dramatic...

... all because of the cold. 

There are people {most of you, actually}, who are accustomed to cold. Who even thrive in the colder season. Who take jogs in icy temperatures. I am not you. It has been in the 40's and dropped even to the 30's in the nights for like two weeks, and we have three days left until the normal December upper 50's come back. 

I think whoever made up the quote that the coldest winter they ever spent was a summer in San Francisco was full of it. Just completely off {ps. contrary to popular belief, it wasn't Mark Twain}. Our summers definitely can be covered in a cloud, but that cloud doesn't compare to the 30's and below that are real winter. 

My apologies to those of you who are having no sympathy for my cold toes and for the fact that we generally only own beanies for fashion statements. 

In other news than cold weather {IS there other news than cold weather? Not on any news reports around here, certainly}, we feel a bit genius because we resubscribed to Netflix only for the month of December. Now we can watch all the Christmas movies we want without having to buy them all. It's the little things, you know?

So now you know what we'll be doing with all this spare time indoors. That and dancing like ballerinas. Or like jibjab elves, which is a thing now. Obviously. 

Ps. We're about to experience Pennsylvania winter for Christmas. Somehow when it's there, it feels far more appropriate and I whine far less about it. 

Pps. Just read this. So funny!! At least we KNOW we're unreasonable about it all.

Weekends in December

Candle courtesy of RedEnvelope.

I know I said that fall is my favorite season, but after rainy, cozy, delightful evening that feels just right, December's stock goes way up. The candles, the lights, the Christmas music and movies just have that heartwarming effect that somehow only happens in December. December reminds us to give, to share, to get together with people we love. 

This December has been the best one for me since my childhood. To be perfectly honest, there have been some hard ones in there... when I was 11, 12, and 13 years old, my brother was pretty sick, and December can lose a bit of its charm when you're making multiple trips to the hospital in the rain + traffic as opposed to enjoying family with candles and Christmas lights. The years following reminded us of that sense of loss for one we adored so dearly. 

This December though... this December we're experiencing the magic of the season again. Our children cannot stay away from the tree and its glow and the ornaments. They sat by the tree to eat their dinner one night {not the best idea, lesson learned ;)}, Sophie will stand and gaze at an ornament just because it's beautiful {I remember doing the same as a child!}, and they want Christmas music playing at all hours of the day. We've been reading the story of Jesus' birth regularly, and talking about angels and stars and thankfulness.

Childhood is so sweet. It's such a gift. My children aren't even a bit stressed about giving gifts or about addressing envelopes or about travel. They're invigorated by it all, and their joy is rubbing off on us. I've never felt so stress-free in December and not because I'm lacking to-do's... believe me, I have plenty on my plate. ;)

December is best when a bit of perspective is handed to you daily by tiny little girls with big smiles.

Ps. RedEnvelope gave the candle to me as a gift, and it is actually one of the best candles we've had. The scent is perfection and the simple chic style is beautiful. All opinions are my own.

Loving & Linking

Photo via Smitten Studio

This simple meal is gorgeous... Makes me want to host an outdoor brunch asap. Maybe a cozy version since SF temps are lingering in the 40's...

The holiday issue of Rue Magazine! My cousin Erin styled a shoot at my home, and made our dining room and mantle look way more gorgeous than normal. Love that Rue Dream team. See the pictures on pages 126-139! 

Loving these adorable hats... 

...also these earrings. (I'm usually only into oversized, but I can make exceptions for extra-pretty ones). 

Mr. Printables is at it again, bringing more adorable into the world, one printout at a time.

Post-it-notes into Christmas ornaments? Brilliant.

Remember how much I love Minted? Go enter a giveaway for some Christmas cards for yourself! Seriously. Do it.

My favorite pajamas are 30% off. 

Heading east in a couple weeks and this picture gets me even more excited. We're having a quick NYC stop while we're there. :)

Oooh, I love these salt dough ornaments! Perfect for filling the blank spaces in a big tree. {I love having my trees packed FULL of ornaments and lights}

Speaking of trees, this lumberjack wrapping paper is really "getting me" this year. I recently bought a lumberjack shirt that I want to eat sleep and live in, so this paper would fit quite nicely into my life right now.

Clearly I'm in Christmas / shopping / decorating mode right now. I haven't read a great article or post in days because I've been avoiding things that take time because... well, this season is BUSY. If I do, I'll be sure to share it with you next week. ;)

xoxo, and HAPPY WEEKEND. 

Love,

Kate

FIVE

Wide ribbons were wrapped around their glasses so the warm hot chocolate didn't burn little hands. 

Sooo this whole FIVE thing came and went, and now I have a kid who is starting to act like a school kid, and hold real conversations. We transitioned Maggie to a toddler bed the same week, and I've been mourning the sudden realization that my babies are not babies. 

Sophie is a big girl now. She adores girly-ness, tutus, rainbows, sparkles, and wands. All this considered, I decided to throw Sophie a sparkly, fancy hot chocolate party. I used sparkly wrapping paper as a table runner {wrapping paper is the BEST bang for your buck, ps}, got AMAZING sweets from The Sugar Studio {my go-to for birthdays!! Hilary is incredible... lucky me that I have such talented friends!}, added cake stands, macaron erasers in tiny envelopes with tiny cupcake stickers, and I made wands that I was sweetly told don't really look like wands, exactly, but they're nice anyway {five-year-olds are incredibly quoteable}. 

In spite of the fact that I texted friends to invite them {I had the best of intentions to send paper invites this time, but never did!}, and it was the end of a holiday weekend, and Maggie was in the ER getting staples on her head from running into the dresser the night before, it was basically a successful party to celebrate this sweet girl.

The best part of it? Children are beyond entertaining. I went ultra fancy and put cranberries in the pink lemonade... and they got spit out into napkins! I can't stop laughing about it still! "Mommy these cherries taste very bad!" I didn't explain, just emptied the tartness from glasses, and continued serving food with a smile... Egg sandwiches girls? Oh no, not at all, but the hard boiled eggs were spotted, they wanted their own... also: 

"I only want the cucumber sandwiches!"

"May I have anything BUT cucumber sandwiches!"

"Can you take the apples out of my salad?"

"Oh no, this cheese isn't good!" {brie}

I was dying laughing inside at the realization that this fancy party was thrown for the wrong target market. The good news is that they loved the hot chocolate and the fresh marshmallows and every sweet. The other good news is that little girls don't eat much, so there were plenty of leftovers and I didn't have to cook on Monday. ;) 

After they ate, I threw on Mariah Carey Christmas, removed the coffee table, and let the girls twirl and dance with their whole little hearts. 

Prettiest candle EVER! Sparkler five!

Sophie at five: has imagination and creates something from nothing. She steals my bathrobe strings and creates leashes for stuffed animals, or ties them to baskets to pull her sister around in a "boat." She can basically teach ballet at this point, and we have "class" regularly where she insists that my friends and I stretch with her, and fly like fairies together, regularly putting grown-ups in comedic scenarios. She has a heart that cares how people feel; I couldn't have asked for a sweeter big sister for Maggie. She is becoming very careful with her treasured items, tucking her new shiny necklace away every night, and setting her nutcracker on her shelf while she sleeps. She will climb anything higher than she should, and has learned {thanks to her daddy} how to climb down just as proficiently. She is loving and affectionate and melts with joy in our arms when we tell her how much we love her. Her eyes shine with life and excitement and we adore her with our whole hearts. Happy birthday dear girl. We're praying for you every single day. 

xoxo.

All the best photos were taken by our great friend Manus Chau. :)

All sweets made by the fabulous Hilary at The Sugar Studio. 

Ps. Remember this? Maggie's 2nd Birthday.

12 Days, 12 Giveaways: $100 to #ShopLocalSF

'Tis the season for giving and gifting! There is no better place to shop than in your own community, and Six Doors has created an app to do just that. 

San Franciscans with very little spare time this Christmas season can do the following: download the Six Doors app for free, shop hundreds of boutiques and small business in San Francisco, AND {this is the best part} have the delivered to your doorstep within the day. Whaaat? Yes, I said it... and I meant it.  

Pick-Up Sticks, Tantrum, $8 / Jess Brown Doll, Half Hitch Goods, $180 / Travel Scratch Map, Carmel Blue, $19.99 / Wooden Stir-Fry Toy, Carmel Blue, $19.99 / Alphabet Abacus, Carmel Blue, $29.99 / Wooden Puzzle, Fiddlesticks, $28 / The Happy Lion, Tantrum, $14.95 / Pretend Sushi Set, Fiddlesticks, $28

Here's the fun part: a giveaway!! Wait, I meant to say TWELVE $100 Giveaways! Today's is on my blog; simple entry form is below. The other 11 giveaways are other fabulous San Francisco bloggers' sites. The schedule for each giveaway is below, so be sure to visit each and every one of them.

My favorite picks for your city kids are featured on the Six Doors app TODAY. Be sure to download the app and enter the giveaway for $100 toward this or any other gift set from my fellow bloggers! 

Today through December 16th, head to a different SF blog each day to win more and discover great boutiques and gift ideas around the city: 

Day 1 - GIFTS TO PAMPER A FRIEND: Visit Victoria of SF Girl By Bay to find perfect gifts for pampering.

Day 2 - GIFTS FOR THE TRENDSETTER: Visit Kelli of Leopard and Lavender to find stylish, of-the-moment gift ideas.

Day 3 - GIFTS FOR CITY KIDS: Find perfect picks here at StyleSmaller TODAY to discover picks for the little ones in your life.

Day 4 - GIFTS FOR THE NEWLYWEDS: Visit Allison of Engaged and Inspired on Wednesday, 12/4 to find gift ideas for your favorite new couple.

Day 5 - HANDMADE GIFTS: Visit Natalie of Coquette on Thursday, 12/5 to find items made lovingly by hand.

Day 6 - GIFTS FOR SAVVY HOSTESS: Visit Melissa of Savvy in San Francisco on Friday, 12/6 to find gems for your favorite in-the-know gal pal.

Day 7 - HOSTESS GIFTS WITH A TWIST: Visit Paul of Urbanite Suburbanite on Monday, 12/9 to find a little something unique for your holiday hostess.

Day 8 - GIFTS FOR THE FOLKSY FOODIE: Visit Ana of Fluxi on Tour on Tuesday, 12/10 for yummy, giftable treats.

Day 9 - GIFTS FOR STYLE SAVVY FAMILIES: Visit Janette of Fashion Loves People on Wednesday, 12/11 for unique gifts for parents and kids.

Day 10 - GIFTS FOR THE FRENCHIE FOODIE: Visit Andi of Misadventures with Andi on Thursday, 12/12 to find great gifts for the Francophile in your life.

Day 11 - GIFTS FOR THE STYLISH GOURMAND: Visit Marcia and Tablehopper’s The Sugar Mama on Friday, 12/13 to find great gifts for your favorite foodie.

Day 12 - Visit Adelle of Fashionista Lab on Monday, 12/16 to find high style items for you or your FAVORITE FASHIONISTA.

Enter each giveaway throughout November and December, and discover some amazing, San Francisco based blogs and shops this holiday season! Check out all of our hand-picked gift sets and #ShopLocalSF by downloading the SixDoors app.

xo.

*This giveaway is only open to SF locals*

Golden Gate Bridge Adventure

Birthdays. 

I remember my fourth birthday clearly, and not another until seven. Sophie's fourth birthday was spent on a plane. I put a stick that said "happy birthday" in every meal she ate that day, and we had a grand time traveling cross country together. She requested Thai food for dinner on her birthday, then fell asleep, jetlagged, at the table. Safe to say that she may not remember that day when she is an adult.

We set out for FIVE to be a memorable birthday. One of those that she can remember in her 30's and beyond. My husband picked the perfect bike for our big girl, and she could hardly speak when she saw it... she just whispered "it's beautiful!" and ran to her daddy's arms. We spent thanksgiving morning riding it here and there and everywhere... and then we thought about making the day MEMORABLE, and took it a step further. 

My sister sent me a link to 101 things that kids growing up in San Francisco should do, and it's about time: we needed to walk across the bridge. We loaded the car and took a drive to the beautiful landmark. Sophie biked on the walk side, so we were rule-breakers a little, but she was giggling and blissfully happy. What took us so long to get over there?

What a gorgeous, amazing day. 

This weekend was big and dramatic and increased the thankfulness levels tenfold. One trip to the ER and one significant car accident for family {everyone is FINE in both cases} shook us up and made us recognize the incredible blessing that is our health. I'm finding myself a bit extra protective for my loved ones and wanting to hold them close and kiss them extra and tell them how much I love them. 

Happy Thanksgiving weekend and now welcome to December! Ahhh how I adore the Christmas season. 

xoxo.