My Holiday Must-Haves

I love the holiday season. Is there anything better than listening to Christmas music on repeat, enjoying a hot cup of cocoa, or snuggling with a partner/friends/family while watching overly-cheesy Christmas movies? I can’t think of anything! What of course helps is that people seem to be in overall better spirits!

For me the holiday season also is about creating a cozy environment at home. It just wouldn’t be the same if the home weren’t decorated for the season, or if one is freezing at. all. times. inside the house! It’s the perfect season for oversized chunky knit sweaters, woven blankets, and hats galore.

 

Beauty-related Holiday Items:

1. YOUTH BB Cream in Shade #1: For the winter, this shade is my go-to! I get paler (unfortunately) so I definitely need to go a shade lighter than my usual (I normally am a 2/3). Perfect as a base for any make-up look when you get ready for that holiday party!
2. Mineral Fusion Lipstick in Peony: I was surprised at how beautiful this color was! If you open up the lipstick, it seems more like a brownish red, but after applying it’s a beautiful dark deep red. I love wearing it with some black winged liner and a little blush to get in the Christmas spirit.
3. Pacifica Roll-on Perfume in Island Vanilla: I. Love. This. Perfume! First off my nose is super sensitive when it comes to fragrances. If there are any synthetic-fragrances used I get a headache from my own perfume! This scent is created with essential oils and is nice and light. The roll-on bottle is a perfect size to go into your purse and re-apply throughout the day. Bonus: this particular scent reminds me of vanilla cookies.

 

Environment:

4. Holiday Mugs: What would Christmas or any Holiday be, without some festive mugs? I received              mine as a present from a friend a few years back. It’s originally from Starbucks, but I found some            the same one here.

 

5.  Peppermint Tea or other festive drink: We really enjoy our peppermint tea, and have gone                         through different ones. The Stash peppermint tea is the best tea you can get if you like it                             completely plain. My absolute favorite though is the After Dinner Mint, we found at a local tea                 shop in Frederick, MD. The After Dinner Mint is a rooibos tea with mint, chocolate and                               hazelnuts, and definitely tastes like dessert! Great alternative though: Republic of Tea’s                               Peppermint Bark! Bonus: Peppermint tea aids digestion, so it’s great to have after a meal!

Side Note: Hot Cocoa is also a great seasonal drink, that I love in the December and January                      months!

6.  Some festive tree sprigs: I love having greenery in my room to get me in the festivities.                               Alternatively some sprigs of juniper berry would also add a lovely touch to any room.

7.  Scented candles: There’s nothing that makes it just a little bit cozier than a scented candle! As I               mentioned earlier, I do have some sensitivity when it comes to fragrance so I stick to essential                   oil- based candles as well. In addition, I prefer beeswax candles to any other wax base due to my              respiratory problems (history of Asthma right here!). I’ve tried several so far, and these are the                ones I like: Big Dipper Wax Works (they have holiday-scented candles; absolute fave: Spice), and            Ash’s Amber (try out Holiday Season).

8.  Candy Canes: Who could forget the holiday season without any candy canes? If you want to                       decrease the junk factor, choose candy canes without artificial colors or flavors. I found some at               my local grocery store by SweetNature, which you can also get here.

 

Other things:

9.  String lights: I’ve used our Christmas-tree lights to decorate my room, and it’s perfect for                           creating that holiday feel at night!

10. Blankets: Blankets are a must in our house hold! As the winter months have arrived, our house                has progressively gotten colder, so we pile on some blankets at night in order to keep warm                        without cranking up the heat. We love cotton blankets, and I got mine at Home Goods. They’re                also great to snuggle under while watching your favorite Christmas movie!

That’s it from me today!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

Love,

         Maxi

Questions for you:

1. What are some of your holiday must-haves?
2. What’s your favorite seasonal drink?
3. Do you have any Christmas movie recommendations?
4. What’s your favorite thing about the holiday season?