December 31, 2025

Christmas 2025


Merry Christmas and happy holidays, friends. What a beautiful season it was. As we wrap up 2025, please remember to take a moment to reflect on the year and celebrate the little and big things you may have accomplished. All things are worth lingering on for intentional reflection and appreciation. May 2026 bring you growth, intention, clarity, and joy.

I’ve enjoyed sourcing timeless pieces for our decor year to year, and now sharing it with you for inspo, sourcing, and let’s be honest… so I can recall what I have done from year to year to enhance or replicate in years to come. Cheers to Christmas 2025!

*bullet points are affiliate links

December 28, 2025

Bavarian Pretzels

Making Bavarian Pretzels has become my entire personality this winter. I cannot get enough. My love for pretzels paired with a rich stone ground mustard runs real deep. And my soul is lit on fire with that doughy interior, crispy exterior, version of a dopamine hit.

The pretzels are best straight out of the oven. If not serving right away, be sure to let cool on a wire rack so moisture doesn’t get trapped.

Be sure to play around with the toppings. Rosemary, japapeno and cheddar, pepperoni and mozzarella, cinnamon sugar… options are endless!

Bavarian Pretzel Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ c. warm water
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp kosher sea salt
  • 2 ½ tsp active dry yeast
  • 4 ½ c. all-purpose flour
  • ¼ c. salted butter, melted
  • 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 quarts water
  • ⅔ c. baking soda
  • 1 egg york + 1 Tbsp water
  • Pretzel salt

Directions

  • In mixer, pour warm water over brown sugar and sea salt. Sprinkle yeast over top and let it sit until bubbly (approx 10 minutes)
  • Add flour and butter. With dough hook mix until dough comes away from bowl (approx 4 minutes)
  • Form dough into ball and place back in bowl, lightly coated with oil. Cover and let rise in warm spot for an hour or dbl’d in size.
  • After dough has risen, preheat oven to 450, and bring water & baking soda to a boil in a pot on stove.
  • Turn dough onto lightly oiled surface and divide into 8-12 portions. Roll one portion into long snake, bring ends up, twist twice, bring down toward bottom and secure under. Repeat.
  • Place pretzels in boiling water for 30 seconds, place on parchment covered pan, brush with egg/water mix.
  • Sprinkle with salt, or any other fun ingredients.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes.
  • Enjoy!

I am learning a few tricks as I go, so I will be sure to add those tips to this post as my skills continue to develop:

  • Eat fresh day of.
  • If storing, be sure to cool completely on wire rack and store in air-tight container for one day.
  • If storing more than one day, put them in freezer bag and pop in freezer.
  • Whether eating next day, or multiple days out from freezer, always reheat in oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Brush with a little water on top then pop in oven.
  • If making for later, hold off on adding salt until your reheat. The salt dissolves with added moisture from freezer.

Cheers!

December 10, 2023

Christmas 2023

It was Fall 2020 when I first sat down with my cousin Dan to discuss preliminary home building plans. It was over that meal of sushi, where scratched on a napkin, we envisioned a staircase leading to a catwalk with banisters waiting to be adorned with Christmas garland, and a living room with cathedral ceilings to hold a 12-foot Christmas tree. Three Christmas seasons would come and go until those Christmas visions over a sushi dinner would come to life. And the wait was everything and more.

Many a box was delivered over those three years, holding Christmas goodies just waiting for their moment to shine.

The star of the show is the Norfolk Pine garland from Afloral. Oh this garland is simply dripping in timeless class. And I love her.

I put Christmas up mid-November to have several weeks to enjoy it. And I wanted it all up for when we hosted Friendsgiving, our first of many to come.

All we need now is a cascading of snow to blanket the ground and I’ll be holed up in front of fireplace until spring.

Sources: Brown Ornaments | Black Ornaments | Brass Bells | Brass Bells 2 | White Ornaments

The bar stool wreaths came from House Floral, a small online shop owned by House by JSD. The packaging, personal hand signed thank you note and recipe for fudge was such a special touch. 10/10 online customer service too.

I chose to keep the 10ft entryway tree bare as the vibe felt more cohesive. I love the simplicity.

Another view of the entryway from the catwalk where you can see a peak of the front porch where I’ve placed two small trees, wreaths on the door and a cute little Christmas rug from an Etsy shop:

I used simple black ribbon from Target for bows on the garland, and the hanging brass bells from Walmart.

Harley girl found her a nice and cozy spot. She hasn’t climbed any of our trees this year, much to my disappointment. Her rebel streak for 7 years has shifted elsewhere… of which is another story… another day.

What a dream it’s been decorating for Christmas this year. A long wait, but the reward worth it.

Cheers!

October 31, 2023

Chattanooga, TN

Took a quick adventure south to Chattanooga, TN to hang with our friends who currently call Chattanooga home. #travelnurselife We sure have missed having them around in Nebraska, so it was extra special to spend this time with them. ❤

While the visit was short, and I had an uninvited guest attempting to tear down my immune system (I may have slept in the truck on a few of their excursions… oof), we still managed to pack in the sights and sounds of southern Tennessee.

From breweries, to Lookout Mountain, Civil War memorials, downtown Chattanooga, Top of the Rock restaurant, to simple living room hangs while Kora got her wiggles out, and a dried up waterfall, we had ourselves a great time.

Can’t wait until the next adventure!