Saturday Meanderings

Since I missed sending out my typical Tuesday post, I will try and make up for it today. An exceptionally busy week and carving out time to write a post wasn’t in the cards. There is a lot to share today and thank you so much for joining me for my weekly Saturday post, Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things.

Trip To Newport Beach

I cannot tell you how therapeutic a change of scenery is to the psyche. Four days by the ocean with my sweet friend, Christine and I feel completely rejuvenated. This revelation has made me realize that I need more getaway time in 2025. It is unfortunate that Newport Beach, CA is so cost prohibitive that it is impossible to consider living there. It definitely ranks as one of my happy places.

However, we are lucky to own time at the Marriott Newport Coast Villas and it is the perfect location, off the Pacific Coast Highway and directly across the street from the Pacific Ocean. Crystal Cove Beach is my favorite west coast beach and is always on the itinerary. The Beachcomber Cafe sits feet away from the ocean and has the best ambiance and food.

If you ever get the chance to visit Newport, you must go to Roger’s Gardens. Words cannot describe this Orange County gem! Not only is there an impressive nursery with every plant imaginable, but outdoor “rooms” filled with furniture and decor. Their holiday boutique is a shopper’s dream with their unique gift items. Creatively displayed, Rogers Garden is a place of inspiration.

The Farmhouse restaurant on site makes the most delicious farm-to-table food in an exquisite outdoor environment. Getting reservations can be a challenge but we luck out with a table for 2 for lunch.

Since persimmons do not grow in Phoenix, I buy a bag of these gorgeous Jiro persimmons there. Waiting for them to ripen to make persimmon bread.

The drive back to Phoenix is long and tedious, with traffic accidents delaying us. But the trip is well worth it and we both have more energy to tackle the holidays!

Christmas Cards Arrive….damaged

Each year we order our cards through Minted.com and have never been disappointed. However, this year the box arrives damaged and open and many of our envelopes look like this:

It’s too late to try and reprint them, so hopefully I can either try and erase the marks, or just put the cards into other envelopes. But the good news is that we will make our mailing deadline of December 15th! It’s always something, right?

My Favorite new Snack at Trader Joe’s

I love these passion fruit rounds at Trader Joe’s. Several dried fruit products have sulfur dioxide which doesn’t agree with me, but these do not.

When I stop in to pick up a few bags, I find these small fresh evergreen wreaths that are less than 12″ in diameter. Priced at $8.99, I buy 4 of them to hang in our library (have always wanted to do that). Aren’t they cute? I will show more photos of my holiday decor next week, but I am excited about this new addition and they smell great too!

The wreaths would be pretty on a holiday table with pillar candles, too.

Annual Neighborhood Board Holiday Meeting

Every year we host a casual cocktail party for our neighborhood board and other neighborhood leaders. Since this is an all volunteer organization, many people work tirelessly to help keep the charm and character of our area. It’s our thank you to them for all their hard work.

Hors d’oeuvres consist of chilled shrimp, charcuterie board with baked brie, my Christmas tree spinach dip breadsticks (always the first appetizer to disappear), tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil wreath, a fresh vegetable board with dip, a dessert board, and candied pecans and nuts.

Look at the fun display stand I found on Amazon. Each one holds 12 bamboo cones that you can fill with whatever you’d like. With two stands, I am able to pre-make 24 individual treats of cheese, olives, salami and there’s enough room to add a breadstick. Think of all the ways you can use this~fresh fruit, nuts, cookies, popcorn…the list is endless.

For a mid-week gathering, we have a nice turnout. Really wonderful people, good food, great conversation and lots of holiday cheer!

Fun Find at Costco

While doing a bit of food shopping at Costco, I find these Danskin High Rise Brushed Leggings which are perfect for wearing while exercising or around the house. I buy two pairs in espresso and black for $12.99 each! They have these cute reflective dots near the ankle for night time visibility and side pockets.

I have worn both this week and they are SO comfortable. I do not believe they are available online but you can find them in store (I went to the Cactus location). Great bargain!

Freezing Temps in the Garden

We just hit 32 degrees here this week in Phoenix. Even though I didn’t have the vegetable garden covered, we did put up Christmas lights around the beds. Fortunately that seem to prevent any frost damage and actually, the garden is looking so very healthy.

The snap peas, tomatoes, herbs, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, strawberries and lettuces are loving our cooler weather, but I need to replenish my frost cloth and plastic sheeting for future coverage protection.

Getting our Fresh Christmas Tree

It is our family tradition to get our fresh Christmas tree on or around my husband’s birthday on December 13. With only one child left in town, we don our Santa hats and make our way to Whitfill Nursery. The nursery is so festively decorated this time of year and they serve popcorn and hot chocolate for your tree hunting adventure.

After inspecting way too many trees, we decide on the perfect one! Will spend the weekend decorating it with our family ornaments (and the tedious job of putting on way too many lights!).

Whitfill Nursery also has a huge assortment of poinsettias, freshly made garland, wreaths and centerpieces. I highly recommend you stop by their location on Glendale Avenue to get into the Christmas spirit.

Loving my Long-Sleeve T-shirts

You have heard me rave about the Timeless Tee from Banana Republic Factory. Well, I recently ordered this very affordable tee shirt in long sleeves and they arrived this week. Oh my! Not only are they soft, but I love the way they fit (not to tight around the love handles). For 6 tee shirts I paid $62.55 (that’s $10.43 each!). Here’s the link! Now I may look at purchasing the turtleneck tee shirts.

It is a busy holiday party weekend and I am hosting a Christmas Tea this afternoon. Next week I hope to share some photos of our holiday decorations, which are finally up! As much as I love this time of year, I still have moments of sadness, missing those who are no longer with us. Funny, how certain Christmas carols trigger memories that start the tears flowing. But life is good, God is good and we keep going moving forward and making new memories, right?

Wishing you a weekend of happiness. Stay safe out there.