For the last three, maybe four years, we have had a fake white tree.  It's dreamy and lovely.  

You can see it here

.  I love it.  I bought it a few years ago when I was craving something different.

Last year I started to feel like my children were missing out on the experience of going out and choosing a tree.  But if you've ever chosen a tree with me, then you know it's a long and frustrating situation.  Then add Mr. Hedin into the picture - he was a forestry major in college and also a bit picky.  Together we can be there for hours choosing a tree.

This year I started bracing myself for choosing a live tree with our children around Halloween.  Maybe a little earlier.  I was not interested in spending hours at a lot trying to find the perfect tree while herding three children.  There's a reason why I love the fake white tree.

THEN

I found out about

Swansons Nursery's

new program that they literally call

Pick the Perfect Christmas Tree

.  Here's how it works ::

- Use the hashtag #heyswansons on Twitter or post on their

Facebook wall

with what you are looking for.

- They will get back to you and work out details

- Head into the nursery to check out what they picked for you.  Ours was perfect right out of the gate.

Not only was this the easiest tree choosing experience that I've literally ever had in my life, there are also reindeer at Swansons and a camel.  So we made an afternoon of it.  It was lovely.

It wasn't until we got home and started decorating the tree that I realized how exciting this tree was.  We haven't had most of our Christmas tree ornaments on a tree ever.  Literally.  Ever.  When ever we go on a trip, I buy a new ornament.  Something that serves as a momento from the trip and not something that has to sit out all the time.  It's been a really fun way to remember all of the fun we've had together.  The above glass Santa is from Venice.  Below is a streetcar from San Francisco.

Don't worry, the white tree is up too.

Tree ℅ Swansons Nursery

Cheers Mylar Balloons

 ::  

Ice Cream Scoop

Don't forget!  Order now through December 10, 2014 and get 20% off at

RedStamp.com

when you use promo code CHEERSTO2015

I think I look forward to New Year's Eve more than any other holiday {although, I say that for every holiday, so there's a chance I'm lying}.  I love the champagne, the start of a new year, the goal of staying awake past 10pm.  I love it all. 

I'm not a resolution type of gal.  I prefer to have a good time and see where that takes me.

This year for New Year's Eve I partnered with my girls, MJ of Pars Caeli, Jennifer of Classic Play, Amy of This Heart of Mine, and Melissa of Lulu the Baker - and our awesome friends at 

Red Stamp 

to plan the coolest New Year's Eve ever.  I made the cocktail and 

Red Stamp

 did the rest. 

{Red Stamp is offering a discount for my friends!  Scroll to the bottom to get the deets.}

Red Stamp has a fabulous selection of party supplies that take your party from regular to "I can't believe how fabulous your party is!"  I'm obsessed with all of it.  How cool do you want your party to be?  They have it all, I'm serious.  It's awesome.

For our New Year's celebration I created a seasonally perfect cocktail filled with lemons and sparkles and glitter - the Lemon Sorbet Champagne Float.  

Want to know what's really cool?!?  Red Stamp is posting my cocktail recipe on their site and you can get it printed on their awesome paper and have it on your bar.  Set out the ingredients - with the printed recipe - and guests can mix their own cocktail.  

Click here 

to order your own!

Here's what I ordered from Red Stamp:

Gold Cheers Balloons

Editable Coasters

Laser Cut Paper Crowns

Mini Flags

Editable Cocktail Napkins

Lemon Sorbet Champagne Float Recipe

Clink Clink Invitation

Here's your discount code for 20% off!

Code ::  CHEERSTO2015

Expires on 12/10/14

Red Stamp product ℅ Red Stamp

If there is anything that has ever seemed sillier to me than decanting and aerating wine, I'm not sure what it could be.  I pay a lot of money for the nice bottle of wine.  Why on earth am I going to pour the wine OUT of the fancy bottle?  Then no one can appreciate the label and revel in my genius of buying such a swanky bottle of wine.

But then I was introduced to a new fancy aerator and I decided it was time to grow up and figure out what the hub bub was all about.  I texted with my friend the wine maker, researched online, and taste tested {it was hard work and it was all for you}.

Here's what I learned.  Always decant a nice bottle of wine.  If it's old, there could be sediment in the bottom and that's yucky.  If it's not old, it brings out the aromas by being exposed to air.  If you bought a cheap bottle of wine, decant or aerate that thing so it isn't so "biting."  So basically, always decant.

Aerating is a quick and dirty way of skipping the decanter and leaving the wine in the bottle {hooray!  see my fancy label!}

Lenox Decanter

 ::  

Waterford Linsmore Decanter

  ::  

Riedel Apple Decanter

 ::  

TRIbella Aerator

Because stuffing inside the bird is so 1990.  Stuff an apple instead.  The stuffing stays wonderfully moist {hate that word but there is no replacement} and is so tasty with the turkey.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

By the time Thanksgiving is here my family is going to be so tired of turkey.  And stuffing.  And everything else.  Luckily, no one tires of a cocktail.  

To celebrate all things Thanksgiving, I put together a tiny little video to get you excited for the easiest side dishes ever - Weeknight Party Girl style.  

Brussel Sprout Salad {with bacon!}

 ::  

Herb Rubbed Turkey

 ::  

5 tips for a great turkey

 ::  Stuffing Apples

Ironically, cooking a giant turkey is a lot easier than cooking almost anything else.  But the fear of a Clark Griswold style experience is real.  All too real.  The trick is to do the math right on figuring out how long to cook it {here it is (pounds x 15) / 60 } and then keeping it basted.  Which does mean you have to be in the kitchen while it's cooking - figure baste it once every 45 minutes - or every time you refill your cocktail.  Which ever comes first.  

Cheers!

This is the perfect alternative to a huge turkey if you only have a few people to serve.  Or, if you aren't hosting Thanksgiving and won't end up with leftovers, this is a great way to end up with a little turkey the next day.

Copper Mixing Bowl

  :: 

 Lodge Cast Iron Skillet 

 ::  

Meat Thermometer  

Last week I got to host the coolest party with Tree Top - an apple party!  We celebrated National Apple Month by pressing fresh apple cider, making apple crafts, and eating apple-tizers.  It was a blast!

Apple Cinnamon Popcorn

There are a zillion more photos and cool things after the jump!

To decorate for the party - and celebrate all things apples - we built a giant plywood screen across the back of the truck bay and I painted giant apple slices on them.  I cut honeycomb balls into apple shapes inspired by these honeycomb fruit over on Studio DIY.  Before the party started we gathered all of the children who are members of "my team" and got a picture of the gang with our favorite brand logo!

One of the crafts we made were apple bird feeders.  These are so simple to make.  It's great for using apples that are a little bit older - and creating a little fun fall craft with your kids.  Also, the birds will eat the seed as well as the apples.

Washington Sliders {made with apple sauce, Beecher's cheese, bacon, and locally grown mustard} 

The most exciting part of the party was pressing fresh apple cider.  I picked up more than 140 pounds of Washington State apples from the local farmers stand to turn into juice.  It's amazing how captivated a group of children can be when there is apple grinding happening.  

The children all took turns throwing apples into the grinder and got to try their hand at turning the grinding wheel.  When it was time to press the apples, the children also got to press the apples but it gets hard after a few minutes so Mr. Hedin took over that job and the children used small milk bottles to collect the juice as it poured out.  

Not everyone cared if they drank the cider fresh off the press.  I mean, why would you when there was a cooler full of juice boxes in the kitchen?

I also discovered recently that if you mix Tree Top Three Apple Blend with ginger ale {equal parts} you get a deliciously spicy and sparkly apple mock-tail.  

The Three Apple Blend is also amazing mulled!  

My children's favorite craft was turning juice boxes into mummies!  We used electrical tape and skinny duct tape from the hardware store to turn juice boxes into fabby little monsters.

SWAG!  No one left the party empty handed!  We filled bags with copies of my book, apple juice bottles, and apple sauce squeezers.  Perfect sizes for lunch or for toting around in your bag to keep the kids happy. 

I am a huge fan of the Tree Top company.  Their juice has always been my first choice because it's based in Washington State.  When they approached me to work with them I was ecstatic.  I love when I get to promote companies that I already support.

Tree Top is a grower owned co-op that supports more than 1,000 growers in the Pacific Northwest.  That means the apples in the juice are locally grown and 100% of the apples are grown in the USA.  Tree Top supports local farmers and local families.  I'm a huge fan.

This party and post were sponsored by Tree Top