Welcome to the weekend, friends! Just a couple more weeks until Christmas and I am so ready for it all. (Okay, I may not actually be ready, but I am certainly excited!) We’ve been enjoying our advent tree and taking turns reading a few pages from A Christmas Carol each night. I’m making plans for holiday baking as soon as the boys’ holiday break begins.

ON THE BLOG this week: Soup that is filling and flavorful is a winner every time, and that puts white bean, sausage, and cabbage soup high on the request list at our house. Buttery, cheesy, flaky drop biscuits filled with shredded zucchini and carrots are a perfect match for all the soups you’re craving.

Almost 20 years ago, I was handed one of the most delicious cookies I had ever tasted. The Pignoli Cookie is unique in flavor and texture; completely unlike anything I had tasted before that day.

Dark Chocolate Coconut Fudge is filled with sweet, chewy bits of coconut and then topped with a generous sprinkling of coconut.

Cream Cheese Mints melt in your mouth with a sweet peppermint flavor. Kept pure white or colored however you like, pressed into molds or simply rolled and pressed with a fork, however you make these mints, they’re one of the easiest candy recipes of all time.

Creamy Corn Dip is a creamy, spicy, slightly sweet snack for any time of the year. With loads of great flavor from cilantro, lime, chili powder, and cumin, this is an irresistibly dippable version of Mexican street corn.

Made in the oven or in the air fryer, these Cajun Brussels Sprouts are another crispy, flavorful snack that I just can’t stop making.

Tart cranberries and sweet apples are baked inside a brown sugar and oat crisp for a perfect not-to-sweet cranberry apple crisp.

Caramel, pecans, and dark chocolate are combined in this simple homemade caramel turtle bark candy. If you like chocolate turtles, you’re going to flip for this easy shortcut recipe!

What I’m CRAVING: Have you tried sponge candy? Until a few years ago, I’d never heard of it. But then my friend Rebecca introduced us to it and it’s become a holiday favorite. I’ve never tried making it though, so this recipe is on my must-try list this year!

My FAVORITE THING this week is the game Pun Intended. I picked this up as an advent gift for my boys and it was

Helloooo! Happy Friday! How’s the week going and what are you up to this weekend? December is acting like it has somewhere to be, and even though I tried to get ahead on things, I still feel behind. I keep trying to remind myself that you don’t have to do ALL of the things for the holiday season to be memorable and fun, but I tend to put that pressure on myself, ya know? I’d love to hear what you have going on! P has a birthday party and we have an event on Sunday. It will be nice to sleep in and catch a yoga class!

Friendly reminder that you have one week left to enter this year’s favorite things giveaway!

Pic of our tree:

It’s tiny compared to last year’s 15 foot giant, but Frida has prime real estate in there now. I can’t move her! So we put our Christmas tree in the den (where we have shorter ceilings) and I have to say, I’m a fan. It’s so cozy and I feel like we get to see it and enjoy it more than we could in the formal living room.

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

Friday Faves

Life:

We enjoyed a lovely Christmas dinner with friends last weekend. Their house was decorated like a winter wonderland, and we enjoyed the best Mediterranean food and appetizers, wine, and the kids played before having their own Secret Santa exchange. We even had a surprise visit from Santa – it was amazing. 

(He had his beard up high to help conceal his identity lol)

Read, watch, listen:

These five things can shrink your brain.

The “red beret” girl in the new Matilda movie. (Her real name is Meesha Garbett!) I can’t wait to watch this on Netflix with the crew next weekend.

I didn’t love the book, bu

It's easy to let bad news overwhelm us, so break the cycle with these uplifting news stories from the past month

1. UK’s first brand for people under 4’10” hits the runway

It all started when Chamiah Dewey was a team leader on the National Citizen Service programme, in the summer of 2018. One of the young people in her group had achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. Chamiah saw the challenges the young person had navigating a world not built for people like them, so when she went on to study at the London College of Fashion, she began to research what kind of clothes were available for those under 4’10”, and found a dire selection.

“From the hundreds of people I have spoken to of short stature, and other disabilities, it is a common theme that they struggle with their self-esteem, because the clothing they have to wear isn’t accessible or designed for their body,” Chamiah told Happiful. “Not only do they have to deal with the fact that clothing isn’t adaptive, and often they have to have help getting dressed, clothing is also uncomfortable to wear and unflattering. They also don’t feel seen and heard by the fashion industry. We’ve gained some inclusivity, yet we’ve still forgotten about the 2.3% of people who are short stature.”

And so Chamiah Dewey Fashion was born – a brand that creates timeless, elegant clothing for those under 4’10”. And the range is already making waves.

“As we become more well-known, feedback stays just as positive,” Chamiah said. “We’re really excited to make a difference, because there are 200 million people worldwide waiting for clothing designed for their bodies.”

2. From 2025, all new buildings and homes in Tokyo will be required to have solar panels.

3. Retired police dog, Logan, who survived being shot three times, is being honoured with a lifetime achievement award.

4. Festive favourite Quality Street has made a move to become more eco-friendly, by swapping its famous, vibrant plastic wrappers for a recyclable wax paper, to help to reduce the 2 billion sweet wrappers going to landfill each year.

5. Three in four dads feel it’s their responsibility to know about menstrual cycles

The teenage years can be a challenging time – for teens and their parents. Knowing when, and in how much detail, to talk about topics such as puberty and menstruation can leave many parents feeling out of their depth and, for some dads, make them feel the need to turn to others for help. However, according to new data from intimate

Caramel, pecans, and dark chocolate are combined in this simple homemade caramel turtle bark candy. If you like chocolate turtles, you’re going to flip for this easy shortcut recipe!

Chocolate Turtles

Chewy caramel, crunchy pecans, and dark chocolate are combined in this simple homemade candy that is far better tasting than any turtle you can buy in the store.

I still can’t believe how much this tastes like store-bought chocolate turtles, only better, because well, dark chocolate makes everything better. (If dark chocolate isn’t your thing, feel free to make this with milk or semi-sweet chocolate instead.)

Chocolate Pecan Turtles

The caramel stays nice and the perfect soft and chewy, even straight out of the refrigerator, so consider yourself warned, this is going to call to you at all hours. I highly recommend making this turtle bark and immediately sharing it with some friends.

I’ve made this a couple of times now and played with the recipe a bit. If you are pressed for time, the bark is very simple, and other than the cooking time for the caramel, it comes together with just a few minutes effort.

Chocolate Pecan Turtles

While the bark is super simple to make and we love the variety of piece sizes and how easy it is to make and store. You can use this recipe for a more traditional chocolate pecan turtle.

If you’re feeling a little more ambitious, cut apart the caramel pecan layer into even size squares. Dip the individual pieces in chocolate to make bite-size turtle candies.

To dip the candies place the

Get into the seasonal spirit by trying your hand at making a budget-friendly, nature-inspired wreath

Whether you’re looking to carve out a mindful moment in the day for yourself, or for a fun activity to keep all the family entertained, and spend some quality time together, wreath-making can be a fantastic way to celebrate the holidays.

But getting crafty isn’t just a fun pastime; getting creative, regardless of what medium you explore, has been scientifically proven to reduce stress, boost your mood, and improve self-confidence. Plus, you have the added sense of achievement from creating something from scratch, which can be all the more meaningful, too.

When it comes to wreath-making in particular, you can put your own take on a traditional activity, and work to a budget by finding natural, free elements to include from your own garden, which can make it a great way to engage kids without breaking the bank over the holidays. But one key note is to always be responsible – ensure you pick items from your own garden, public spaces, or have permission if on private property – and take only what you need to avoid waste.

The good news is that, while most commonly associated with the Christmas period, wreaths can be a wonderful addition to brighten up your home throughout the year – changing colours and natural elements with the seasons. So, if you love taking your hand to wreath-making this winter, it can be something to look forward to again come spring – be-wreath me, it’ll be here before you know it!

Make your own wreath

Before you get crafty, take a stroll outside to collect some seasonal treasures. This could be anything from pinecones to berry sprigs, acorns, leaves, or scraps of bark to decorate your wreath.

Depending on how much you find, or the look you want to go for, you could create a classic, full wreath, bursting with greenery, or you might want a more minimalist take and decorate just a portion of the wreath, leaving the twisted willow base on display.

Plus, if you’re struggling to find decorative elements out in nature, don’t worry. You could always hang some spare baubles instead of using pinecones, for a fun pop of colour.

Method:

1. To begin, you’ll need a wreath base – you can buy these pre-made from stores like Hobbycraft, which are usually created from wire or rattan, and cost less than £5. Alternatively, you could craft your own by repurposing materials from around your home, or twisting together willow or vines – anything that you can turn into a makeshift hoop to form the base of your design.

2. Take your choice of ribbon, string, or florist wire, and thread this through a section of the wreath to create a loop you can hang it up from. Wherever you create this loop will form the top of your design, so keep this in mind moving forwards.

3. A good first element is moss, which you can secure using more florist wire. This can help add some dimension as you layer other items on top, and can disguise the bas