Lake Arrowhead | Food

I love the snow, or so I think. Where I live in Southern California, I get plenty of sunshine but no snow. Luckily, my family and I traveled up to Lake Arrowhead to enjoy a bit of wilderness and snow over this Christmas break. We took so many pictures that I will have to break this trip into three posts, but let's just say I'm having lots of fun playing with the fluffy snow!

Part one is mostly food, which to me is never a bad thing. Monday night we enjoyed making gingerbread cookies and hot chocolate. Then this morning we woke up at 7 a.m. to make egg nog french toast and spinach, onion, and tomato crustless quiche. The quiche was the star of the show, and we used this very simple recipe but improvised a bit by adding whole milk and diced tomatoes. We also had some yummy bagels from Avalon with Philadelphia Chive and Onion Cream Cheese (everyone must try this life changing cream cheese). The last picture is the view from our top balcony of the gorgeous Lake Arrowhead. I just love being able to see the lake or the ocean from my window!

Have you made anything yummy this Christmas break?

-Emily

2014 Christmas Gift Guide | DIY 'Reasons Why I Love You' Jar

I'm so happy to be back! School has definitely consumed most of my time, so it's hard to fit in time for blogging. But what better time to blog than Christmas break?

So, it's that time of year when you're scrambling to find last minute presents for the big day. Unfortunately, everyone's so busy that we often don't have the time (or the money) to go out and buy a present for everyone. Don't worry, I got you covered. I love receiving personalized gifts, so I thought my 'Reasons Why I Love You' jar would be the perfect gift to make. I had so much fun making this, and I hope you guys will too!

Materials // a mason jar, small pieces of paper, ribbon, and a hot glue gun

One // Start by tracing the inner rim of the lid and cutting out the circle. 

Two // Glue the paper onto the metal cap. 

Three // On each piece of paper, write one thing you love about that person! You could write about anything from your favorite memories to your favorite qualities you love about them. Cue the inside jokes.

Four // Fold the pieces of paper, and drop them in the jar! I'm not sure why this is such a satisfying feeling.

Five // Decorate by hot-gluing a label to the front and add a festive ribbon for some decoration.

What's your favorite DIY gift?

-Emily