Growing up Catholic, Advent Calendars were a big part of the Christmas season for me. The importance of Advent was always stressed to us and I have so many memories of crossing days off calendars, moving felt pieces from one day to another or opening little cardboard doors and finding a chocolate behind it. 

Once I got older, the magic of Advent dwindled a bit until a few years ago when capitalism popped off and started producing adult advent calendars for every niche interest out there. Now, in 2024 you could count down to Christmas through a variety of ways, whether it's with beauty products, tea, socks, baking supplies or jewelry.

For years I would treat myself to the Sugarfina Advent Calendar and then I upgraded to the Olive & June one, which I still think is one of the best on the market. This year though, I'm looking to change things up a bit. I don't want a super expensive one that is just a bunch of stuff I don't need...I'm really trying to cut down on the unnecessary items in my life. Choosing which Advent Calendar to buy is going to be a real test for me. 

After hunting around the internet, I've rounded up the best Advent Calendars; ones that I think are super fun, a great value, or offer something really special & different.

I am someone who loves traditions. My family isn't huge on traditions but over the years, I've created my own personal traditions that are almost like mindful actions at the change of seasons and for the holidays.

I do them for pretty much everything from Halloween to the start of summer but my favorite mini traditions by far, are Christmas. I thought it would be fun to talk about some of those personal traditions that I like to do during the Christmas season and what better day to post than Christmas Eve!

Personal Christmas Traditions

Christmas Movies

Decor and the Nativity 

Baking

A few other honorable mentions: 

I switch out the gallery wall in my room for Christmas prints, try to wear as much festive gear as possible, drinking hot chocolate and Christmas coffee, and for the past two years I've been trying to read Christmas books.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Hanukkah, or any other holiday you celebrate!

xoxo
B

It's mid-November so you know what that means?!

I loved writing this post for the Fall so I wanted to recreate it for Christmas and winter. I love Fall and all the Fall holidays but nothing beats Christmas in my mind. The entire season is filled with magic and pure joy -- I am at my happiest during the Christmas season and I make sure that joy is spread throughout my home.

I always like to reiterate that I live with my mom and sister so my mom does dictate a lot of the decorating in terms of where things go and how the tree gets decorated, but it is a joint effort because she knows how much I love Christmas and love decorating (she also just has a better eye than I do!)

My mom does put me in charge of the extra pieces of decor to really bring the house together, and I always make sure my room is in the Christmas spirit.

This is how I prep my bedroom and the house for Christmas (and winter too).

*I start decorating for Christmas on Black Friday to give me ample time to enjoy the season.

Candles

Candles are a big part of Christmas and winter for me, just as they were for fall. Right before Thanksgiving, I stock up on Christmas scents so I'm ready as soon as Thanksgiving is over. A candle sets the mood and can really brighten up a room, bringing the season to love. I love Evil Queen candles and she has some great Christmas scents but I also burn a lot of Bath and Body Works! My favorites scents for Christmas are Twisted Peppermint, Marshmallow Fireside, Winter Candy Apple, and Vanilla Bean Noel (I'm writing this after BBW $8 candle day so everything is sold out online!)

*If candles aren't your thing, you can definitely diffuse some Christmas scented oils in an oil diffuser!

Lights

Nothing brightens up a room like a string of Christmas lights. If you are in a tiny space and don't have a lot of room for decor, a string or two of white (or multi-color) lights will change the entire look of a room. I always string up a pair of lights somewhere in my room, this year it's above my bed and it looks so cool and cozy.

Christmas Prints

Small Decor Pieces

I never got the hang of gift guides and usually only do 2-3 per year but I like rounding up my favorite items to give different people in your life. I also like categorizing these guides because everyone in your life has their 'thing'.

My thing is the homebody and hygge.

I have always been a homebody. I'm someone who likes to stay home, relax, watch TV and just be chill. It's not even that I want to be alone because I like staying in with friends as well. After 4 years of continuously going out Thursday-Saturday (sometimes even Wednesdays), I'm exhausted from the bar scene. I've accepted that this is who I am and I'm done apologizing for it. I'm 25 years old and too old to care what people say about me and my homebody habits!

Also, hygge has been such a huge trend in the past few years and it's a lifestyle I love to live by! I wrote a post about it earlier this year but it's still something I practice and believe it. Everyone should hygge once in a while.

These are the things that I would love to be gifted as a fellow homebody and someone who loves to be cozy, chic, and at peace.

Barefoot Dreams Blanket

This is every blogger's favorite blanket and with very good reason. It's so incredibly comfortable, soft, and embodies everything I have ever wanted out of a blanket. After drooling over this blanket for years I finally purchased it via QVC (thank you, easy payments!) and have fallen in love with it. It's super cozy and just unlike anything you've ever touched before. All of Barefoot Dreams products are chic and cozy so your homebody would love anything by the brand!

J.Crew Factory Marbled Joggers

I stumbled upon these pants by accident; I was looking for a new pair of sweatpants and these looked like a good pick so I scooped them up. Well, I had no idea what I was in for! These are the most comfortable, delicious pants I've ever worn in my life. They feel like a mix between fleece and silk -- it's such a unique material and just very, very soft. I want to buy them in other colors too but one thing to be aware of is that they shed! Whenever I wear them, black fuzz appears all over my bedroom carpet. It's strange and I thought it would get better after washing but no such luck!

Candle Set

A candle set is a safe gift for anyone really, but it's an essential part to be cozy at home. I stock up on candles throughout the year but Christmas and winter are really my favorite times to burn! I think picking up a candle or two for your homebody is a great idea but what would be even more special is splurging a little on a luxe candle set, one that you know they wouldn't pick up for themselves!

Monq

Essential oils have become a huge part of the home and part of people's wellness routine. There is nothing I love more than cozying up in a blanket and diffusing some of my favorite essential oils to really set the mood. Now, we have personal essential oil diffusers which you can breathe in for an even better experience. Introducing Monq! These personal essential oil diffusers come in a variety of flavors that all use different oils to create a different feeling. I personally love the Zen and I think a nice gift set would be great for your homebody.

PS: Use code briana10 for 10% off your order -- it's good until 12/31 ;)

Salt Lamp

In the same realm of candles and Monq, a salt lamp creates a spa-like feeling in someone's home and also has some great health benefits. It's part decor, part health and wellness and all kinds of cozy!

When it comes to your hygge obsessed friend, any of these gifts will make them smile and then immediately want to hibernate!

What other gift guides would you want to see? Or let me know what hygge gifts you would want! 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and has been for years. I think it's the fact that it kicks off the holiday season, it's around my birthday and it's centered around food. As I've gotten older, I've begun to appreciate celebrating at home with my family even more. We usually cater Thanksgiving (I know, it's pretty wild) and I make a side dish or two and dessert.

I love spending the night before Thanksgiving getting myself together, starting to cook and putting the final touches on the Thanksgiving tablescape. There is just something so special about this holiday and it really warms my heart.



Today I wanted to just talk about a few of my favorite things having to do with Thanksgiving from food and recipes to drinks, traditions, and decor! I wanted to bring the beauty of Thanksgiving straight to Royally Pink and of course, to all of you.

Food

Drinks

Decor

Outfit

I hope you had a wonderful holiday with your loved ones -- I sure did! It was a wild few days and I am for sure exhausted. I napped the past few days for hours at a time and I think I may be getting sick... this isn't a surprise because I did way too much and I always get sick this time of year. It doesn't help that there is a huge cold front in New York this week.

We had Christmas Eve at my house and I spent Saturday and Sunday getting ready for it. I baked up a storm and I'm regretting not taking enough photos of the house and my cooking. I baked a cake, three types of cookies, and chocolate covered Oreos -- it was days filled with sweets and I loved it!




I'm off all week and I can't wait to relax, plan for 2018 and get some stuff done. Tomorrow starts my 'week' of posts for the 'Best of 2017' series so stay tuned for that tomorrow!

For now, I filmed a video of what I got for Christmas this year so make sure you watch that ;)



I'll see you all tomorrow for regular blog posts!
xoxo
B

For me, it was the year of POPSUGAR Must Have and I'm so happy to have received this box again. Thank you to POPSUGAR for always partnering with me -- one of the reasons that I love this company so much.

I've always adored Christmas, I mean, which kid doesn't? As I got older and Christmas started feeling less like Christmas, the presents under the tree were smaller and more expensive, and the climate changed (It was 70 degrees on Christmas Eve last year!!! GTFO), it started feeling less and less like Christmas.

It depressed me like no other because I didn't want that feeling of Christmas to go away. I wanted to feel jolly and holly all day long.

It was then I discovered that I can make it feel like Christmas, even if it doesn't REALLY feel like Christmas.

This means, watching only ABC Family/FreeForm the entire month of December, sitting near the Christmas tree, making Christmas themed desserts, and decorating every corner of my house.

Now, this was difficult the past few years because I was sharing a room with my sister and the room just wasn't what I wanted it to be. Now, I have my own room and I've been decorating the way I want too.




I decorated for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and now Christmas. I put out my mini decorations the day after Thanksgiving, along with helping my mom set up the Christmas tree and the rest of the house decorations.




Stringing Christmas lights along my ceiling and burning Christmas candles every night is such a huge help in lifting my spirits.



I started looking at Christmas decor during October and saving what I wanted as I went along. I just finished Christmas decor shopping last week and I don't even care.. I'm so happy with my little corner of the North Pole.

It may not look like much, but it is exactly what I wanted.

Nordstrom At Home Blanket

Christmas Pajamas!

Below, you can find some of my Christmas decor along with what I wanted but didn't end up getting:

Thanksgiving has always and most likely will be my favorite holiday. I think it has to do with the fact that my birthday falls near Thanksgiving, and I always had a cake & presents. I also love the weather, the food, and the fact that it's the ultimate fall day.

I'm oddly obsessed with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and my favorite thing in the world is waking up early and cuddling on the couch to watch the entire parade.

Thanksgiving is also the beginning of the Christmas season, and the end of the parade whenever Santa comes out used to make me and my sister SO excited. My mom used to cry every year because it's so exciting to see Santa on the float.

I just adore Thanksgiving!

I said before that even though I shouldn't be celebrating the holidays the way I am, or want to, because of my dad's passing, I'm not abiding by that rule. I don't want to become the person who is jaded and sad around the holidays. I want to still enjoy the holidays, no matter what.

Also, I'm very excited to have a new house & a new room to decorate and get into the spirit. Because of all of this, I've been super into decor lately. I live with my mom and sister, and my mom is an incredible interior designer and our houses have always been beautifully decorated, but I have my own taste and sometimes our taste overlaps.

I've been paying more attention to interior design and noticing what I like, and how I want the house & my room to feel.

We're also having Thanksgiving at my house this year, and that's always my favorite. I love having the holidays at my house!

I got these cute food little cards from Brit + Co

The place cards & 'thankful' lists are from May Designs

When you combine all of this, I wanted to go all out and decorate the table for Thanksgiving. It was a rough few weeks and I was all over the place, and was putting off buying any decorations for the table. However, at the last minute it all comes together.

With some last minute purchases, something from my November POPSUGAR Must Have Box, and fun printables found online, I think it came together.

I also think part of this came from me wanting to be a real blogger... because what lifestyle blogger doesn't have a post dedicated to decorating for the holidays?

Expect to see a lot more of these posts around here. I don't live in an apartment alone, but there is a lot you can do in your room and family home. I promise you!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving -- two days early ;) 

Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates! I hope you have a lovely day with your loved ones! Remember why we celebrate but enjoy the day nonetheless. I hope Santa brought you everything on your list :)

I think having holiday traditions is such great part of family and the holiday season. I've always loved hearing about what other people do on the holidays and also how traditions that may be common to everyone differ from family to family.

Some people open their gifts from "Santa" on Christmas Eve while others wait till the night of Christmas Day. Some people don't celebrate Christmas Eve or may celebrate a day or two after the 25th.

I never know what to blog about on holidays and I thought this would be a nice change of pace for me and Royally Pink.

Being Italian, I have a lot of different traditions and a lot has changed over the years. After my parents got divorced, a lot of the traditions changed but some new ones were formed.

As the years go on and I get older, a lot of the traditions are no more because Christmas does change (which is super sad) but a lot of things stay the same.

Like I said before, I'm fully Italian so Christmas Eve is the real holiday. We always have 7 fishes; this year Christmas Eve is at my house and my mom is making the seven fishes and it's honestly always my favorite part of the holiday.

On Christmas Eve, we always open gifts after dinner. Never, ever before! That is such a huge thing for my family. I don't get any of my parents' gifts on Christmas Eve, we always open that on Christmas morning.

When I was younger, it was a lot harder to wait till after dinner to open gifts but now it's only slightly easier. I still get super excited for gifts.

A little TBT action :)

Another tradition that we used to do on Christmas Eve, mostly with my dad's family, was watch old home movies before dessert and after presents. I loved watching these and learning more about my family. It was one of my favorite traditions.

A few times, Santa would also visit on Christmas Eve, right as we were opening presents. It was sometimes someone my family hired, or one of my uncles but it was so great to see my sister and cousins get super excited for Santa.

On Christmas morning, a tradition used to be that my dad would go get us all breakfast before we opened gifts. My sister and I used to torment my parents (and my aunt & uncle when they would sleep over) to wake up so we could open gifts.

One of my rules is that I open my stocking last, and my sister usually follows suit. I'd open my presents from Santa, then my parents gifts, and then my stocking.

Also when I was younger, I used to leave "reindeer food" on the front lawn and maybe a carrot next to the milk & cookies.



The last tradition that I stick by, whether my mom likes it or not, is putting the baby Jesus in the Nativity Scene on Christmas morning --no earlier. We have a gorgeous Navitiy set that my grandmother MADE and gave to my mom. It's so beautiful and hands down my favorite part of Christmas.

Those may not seem like traditional traditions but they're mine and they make Christmas special!

What are some of your Christmas traditions?

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Good morning! I'm actually writing this as I post which is different for me because I always write my posts the night/few days before. Last night I didn't get home until 10 PM and was out like a light by 11:30.