Good morning, my fabulous friends! Christmas is almost here and I’m officially home for the holidays! It feels so good to be at my parents’ place and we’re picking my grandma up at the airport late this morning.
Ryan and I had a great weekend together and made quite a dent in our December to Remember list. We spent all day on Saturday Christmas shopping and then after dinner, we piled into the car with Sadie and headed out to look at Christmas lights around Ocala. It was such a nice evening and it felt great not to have any commitments other than soaking up the holiday cheer around us.
On Sunday morning, Ryan and I attended the 8:30 a.m. church service and then enjoyed a coffee and doughnut date!
If you’re a doughnut lover and happen to find yourself driving through Ocala sometime, you must stop at Tas-T-O’s for an apple fritter. If you hate it, I’ll give you a billion dollars.
And here’s a quick tip for those who like eggnog and want a treat: Next time you go to Starbucks, order a chai latte with eggnog instead of milk. It’s fabulous!
My other go-to drink at Starbucks during the holidays is a half vanilla, half peppermint cappuccino. Yum!
Once we arrived back home, we went on a four-mile hike with Sadie before I headed to Jacksonville and Ryan met up with a friend to golf. (Ryan will be meeting me in Jacksonville as soon as he gets off work early on Christmas Eve!)
I headed to Jacksonville early because I wanted to be here to take my mom to the hospital today for surgery. (To respect her privacy, I’d rather not share details, but I will say that her surgery is unrelated to her previous battle with breast cancer and she will be released on Christmas Eve.) I’m glad I can be here to help and spend time with her!
My mom is a trooper and last night I set her up with Netflix so she can start to watch Scandal if she cannot sleep while she’s spending the night at the hospital tonight. Ryan and I signed up for Netflix last week and I’m officially addicted to Scandal. It totally sucks me in and I know my mom will love it, too.
After I told my mom that she needs to watch Scandal, we started discussing our holiday menu for the next few days. My mind seems to gravitate toward sweets first, so we started talking about Christmas cookies and my favorite monkey bread that we eat for breakfast every Christmas morning. Both are on my “must make” list this week!
Just in case you are in need of some inspiration for some festive sweet treats this week, here are a few of my favorites:
I hope your Monday flies by!
Question of the Morning
- What holiday treat are you looking forward to enjoying this week?
On the top of my list is monkey bread. It’s the BEST!
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Julie! That drink at Starbucks is called a Chegg-nog (Chai- eggnog). I heard someone ordering it one day and had to try it for myself. It is so festive and delicious. It is definitely my favorite there right now and the name is just too cute 🙂
I made gingerbread cookies yesterday, and that’s what I was most looking forward to! They’re so yummy 🙂
Best wishes to your mom!
I too am home for the holidays and it’s so so fabulous!!
Scandal is unbelievably addicting. Olivia Pope is such a BOSS! It gets even better if you can believe it.
My dad and I make monkey bread for Christmas morning every year, too! I love it!!
I just did my baking this morning (a little late for me, but I had strep throat this weekend & we just moved to North Carolina from Ohio last week!). I made spiced molasses cookies, Reese’s peanut butter cup cookies (made in a mini muffin pan) and Reindeer chow (puppy chow/Muddy Buddies with Christmas plain M&Ms and pretzels mixed in once it’s cooled). I loved the holiday sweets, but actually I’m looking forward to our lasagna dinner Christmas Eve & turkey dinner Christmas day more than those!
Hope your mom is doing well & is able to enjoy Christmas!
oh man- sugar overload! sounds like christmas to me! 🙂
I hope everything went well for your mom! I haven’t quite gotten into the baking spirit yet this season! It snuck up on me and then last week I had a family emergency, so it didn’t happen. I’m sure there will still be plenty of yumminess around anyways!
Julie, I tell EVERYONE I know to watch Scandal. It is sooooo addicting. My boyfriend I “binge watched” the first two seasons on Netflix. It was so hard watching the most current season live because I couldn’t just go to the next episode to find out what happens!! What season are you on?
Best wishes to your mom!
We eat monkey bread on Christmas morning too!! I’m looking forward to also having homemade rolls with Christmas dinner and red velvet cake!
I’m looking forward to eggnog french toast complete with mimosas! 🙂
Ooph! that sounds amaze-balls, too!
Monkey Bread is my favorite childhood breakfast too! I’m turning the tables and making it for my mum and rest of the family this year, since she always made it for me.
I love the idea of eggnog instead milk! Will have to try! I’m in love with their Gingerbread latte with molasses drizzle. amaze-balls!! So nice you are with your mom and able to help out during the holidays!
I’m looking forward to my in laws Christmas breakfast we do every year- homemade waffles/homemade whipped cream/strawberry sauce/cinnamon rolls/ and hot chocolate. I made a lot of cookies and can’t wait to share them with family and friends. And my Grand mom always makes her lasagna and honey ham for Christmas dinner! Can’t wait to indulge!
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Being home for the Holidays is the BEST THING on EARTH! Family time = quality time! Wishing your mom the best recovery! Happy Holidays!
I will say a prayer for your Mom and family! Best wishes for a swift recovery! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas-this is my first time posting, but I felt compelled to send some good energy your way, since you put so much out into the world through your blog!
We always do something called, “Hockey Pucks”. Two Ritz Crackers held together by PEANUT BUTTER, then dipped in either white or semi-sweet chocolate. Soooo good! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Sounds fabulous!
sending prayers for your mom! I hope you and your family enjoy the holiday!
Best wishes for a safe time and a speedy recovery! Love my Netflix too. Here are a couple of my recommends: Parenthood (the bestest show around), The Glades, and Lie to Me.
Scandal is so addicting! Love that show. Chai-nog is so good, after years of being a barista I am glad I have the inside on some fun holiday drinks! Best wishes to your Mom, enjoy time at home with your family:)
Best wishes and praying for your mom, Julie. Hope you and the rest of your family have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year! 🙂
I think my fiance and I are baking Christmas sugar cookies or gingerbread men tonight. So excited! 🙂 I made those reindeer cookies a few years ago and they were TOO adorable!
I love monkey bread, too! YUM.
Love to your momma ….
What a great daughter to be there for your mom and come up with ideas to keep her entertained. All my best wishes for a smooth time at the hospital and a speedy recovery for her!
I’m sure spending Christmas with her family will help that so much – and be enjoyable for you all as well! Merry Christmas to the Fagans and Breams!
Just started Scandal myself because I’m home from college for a couple weeks. One word: addicting. It’s great! Hope your mom liked it and everything goes perfect at the hospital!
I love that feeling of being home for the holidays! Enjoy it!
Best wishes for your mom’s recovery! With Scandal, I can only imagine that her night in the hospital will fly by! Any chance that monkey bread recipe will get posted to the blog?! I’d love to try it! 😀
Good luck to your mom <3 My parents are coming to us this year adn I am so excited to have them! Merry Christmas 🙂
Praying for your momma, hope everything goes well! 🙂
We joined the netflix bandwagon and started watching The Walking Dead. Its disgusting, but amazing.
Enjoy your Christmas in Jax!
Scandal is my current favorite show!! I love everything about it. I hope it’ll brighten your mom’s recovery and I’m sending good vibes your way.
I LOVE LOVE Scandal! I get sucked in more and more each week! Every time I think this can’t be topped they blow my mind again 🙂
Merry Merry Christmas to you and your family! And Prayers for your mom and your family!
Ahhh I hope your mom is doing great by tomorrow! Send her love and blessings from our family, Julie. 😀 And those sugar cookies look amaaaaaazing!
I worked at Starbucks while in college and I didn’t think anyone else knew about the deliciousness that is a vanilla/peppermint latte or cappuccino! It’s my favorite as soon as the weather turns chilly. Merry Christmas!
LOVE monkey bread… No one makes it better than my mom! 😉 Merry Christmas!!
Hi Julie – just catching up on your blog after the holiday now — I don’t comment very often but enjoy your blog a lot!! Lots of good healing wishes for your Mom – – hope everything went really well and that she is getting lots of good rest. Merry Christmas to you and your family! 🙂
Thanks Lora!!! 🙂
Can you point me to your monkey bread recipe? I’ve been looking for one!
Those donuts look amazing!!!! Do you have any recipes for homemade donuts??