Family

My daughter turns one next month. So, I’ve been digging around on Pinterest, looking for cute first birthday ideas. I found so many cute baby girl birthday themes, it was hard to narrow them down.

Did you get an ugly Christmas sweater? Another pair of flannel pajamas? A really ugly set of dishes? Despite your family and friends’ thoughtfulness and spirit of giving, I’m sure you got something you don’t like, don’t have space for, or can’t use.

Merry Christmas! Tomorrow, we’re planning a low-key day with our little family. Our kids are still so young to really ‘get’ Christmas, but Rocco is starting to catch on.

I’m always looking for new ways to connect with my Italian heritage—most of the time, that involves trying a new recipe. I first heard of Florentine lace cookies, while watching America’s Test Kitchen.

I’m a rule follower by nature. When Rocco turned one, I immediately switched him to whole milk, per the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and others’ suggestion. But when he turned two in October, I broke the rules. For once, their advice just didn’t make sense to me.

My Christmas wish list almost wrote itself this year. I’ve been eyeing most of these items for awhile now. One of my favorite things about being a blogger is discovering brands and sharing what I love with my readers. It makes me feel like all my internet window shopping serves a purpose. Of all the things I’ve loved this year, here are the eight things at the very top of my Christmas wish list.

For me to choose a favorite Christmas cookie is nearly impossible, but one of my absolute favorite Christmas flavors is ginger. Gingerbread men and ginger snaps would rank up there near the top of my Christmas cookie list.

I love holiday parties because they gave me an excuse to wear a glittery, shimmery, ultra feminine dress. I hardly ever suggest buying clothes that aren’t versatile, but holiday party dresses do not apply. This is the one time of year where I think it’s totally OK to buy a dress you might only wear once or twice because it’s the holidays.

Whatever you call them, snowballs, Russian tea cakes, Italian wedding cookies, or even Italian Wedding Christmas cookies, these powdery nutty cookies are a mainstay on most Christmas cookie platters. Despite their popularity, I had never made them before. My mom didn’t make these at Christmas, and I only had them a few times when we received cookies from other holiday bakers.