Saturday Meanderings

Welcome to the first Saturday of December—can you believe how quickly the week flew by? I’m not even sure I could tell you what I did on Monday! Thankfully, my steady habit of snapping photos helps me retrace the moments that made up these past few days. I’m so glad you’re here for another edition of Saturday Meanderings, where we catch up and chat about all the good things from the week.

Slowly, oh so Slowly..

The family room is what we lovingly call the “animal room,” so the Christmas décor here stays simple and low-maintenance. Each window gets a wreath adorned with red berries, adding just the right touch of holiday cheer. Two lighted white trees sit on the table behind the sofa, creating a soft glow in the evenings. And the sofa itself is draped with a cozy Christmas quilt I purchased years ago from Chambers (?), which completes the room’s easy, festive look.

Holiday pillows from Pottery Barn (again purchased years ago), get pulled out of storage and add a bit of cheer.

The front porch is slowly coming together, one piece at a time. Our stone animals are getting dressed up with burgundy velvet ribbons to match the front door. I still can’t seem to capture the true color of the door in a photo, but here’s a fairly good shot of the large 32″ wreath. Fresh greens arrive today, and once they do, I’ll be adding garland around the entrance—finished off, of course, with more of that beautiful burgundy ribbon.

I quickly pulled together a holiday mantel for the dining room, but I’m not entirely happy with it—so a little reconstruction is definitely in its future. My goal for the weekend is to finish decorating the kitchen, the remaining mantels, and even the hen house, so I should have much more to share with you next week.

How is your holiday decorating coming along? I haven’t even started my shopping yet… yikes. But somehow, it all comes together every year. In the end, what matters most is enjoying the season—even the hectic, messy, magical parts of it.

Saving Leftovers

All the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving has been individually packaged and sealed. But what to do with the gravy? It’s rare we have any leftover, but this year was an exception. Freezing them in large cube ice trays seems to work. After each batch, I pop out the frozen gravy cubes and put them in a zip loc bag.

The silicone ice cube tray makes 9 cubes; each cube holds approx. 3 tablespoons of gravy. This particular tray was part of a promo from Nespresso, but I really like the size and shape of the cube which is rectangular at 1 5/8″ x 1 1/4″. Since this tray was made especially for Nespresso, the closest thing I could find is a 9 cube tray making square cubes at 1 1/2″ here.

The frozen cubes are so easy to pop out of the silicone tray. I am very enamored with this freebie ice tray from Nespresso!

Annual Maintenance

Typically, I try to do annual interior maintenance starting in October. This includes touching up any chipped paint on doors, trim, and cabinets. Every December 1st, I thoroughly clean the dining room chandelier and other light fixtures, especially in those parts of the house where we have guests and/or entertain.

Since most of our time lately is focusing on getting the outside in shape, I am behind in my annual maintenance routine. Here’s a post I wrote about this in 2021, which details what I typically do this time of year.

At least I can say I accomplished one big task this week: cleaning the chandelier. It always looks nice, but once it’s freshly polished, it truly sparkles. And Scott—bless his heart—tackled all the silver pieces in the dining room, a chore I can’t say I particularly enjoy. Everything looks fabulous now, and it feels so good to have those jobs checked off the list.

Meeting a Virtual Friend

Isn’t it remarkable how connections can grow from something as simple as a blog post or an Instagram update? Years ago, when I was more active on Life at Bella Terra—both on the blog and on Instagram—I met some truly wonderful “virtual” friends.

This week, one of those friends happened to be passing through Arizona and reached out to meet in person. Luckily, my schedule was open, and what a delightful treat it was. We share a love of gardening and historic homes, so spending the day exploring Phoenix’s historic neighborhoods and chatting face-to-face felt was an unexpected gift this week. It’s amazing how online friendships can blossom into real-life connections.

Electric Light Parade

Does your city or town host an electric light parade during the holidays? Here in Phoenix, we’re lucky to have one—and it’s truly a bright, dazzling way to kick off the season. Sponsored by our electric company (APS), this is the 38th year of the parade. Held each year on the first Saturday of December, the parade begins at Central Avenue and Bethany Home Road and showcases the most inventive light displays you can imagine. Floats, vehicles, performers—even bikes and strollers—are transformed into glowing works of art.

Last night, my friend Tevia and I wandered over to watch the pre-parade setup, and it was such a treat. From vintage VW vans to massive semi-trucks, everything was decked out in sparkling lights. If you’re local and looking for a festive outing, the parade begins at 7:00 p.m. tonight—and it’s definitely worth seeing. For more information, here is the website. #phxlightparade

Edible Holiday Gifts

It’s that time of year when we pause to express gratitude for the people who make our lives easier, brighter, and better. How do you like to show your appreciation?

Every December, I schedule my annual haircut—a small tradition that has become a meaningful moment of thanks. I’ve known my stylist longer than I’ve known my husband, and for more than 30 years he has never once disappointed. Somehow, he always takes this head of hair and works his magic, and I’m endlessly grateful for his talent.

Each year, I bring him a handmade gift from the kitchen. This season, I’m baking sourdough chocolate chip cookies, and along with a fresh batch, I’m giving him a container of frozen dough balls so he can enjoy warm, homemade cookies anytime he likes. If you have sourdough discard on hand, this is one of my favorite recipes—and you can find the recipe from Simplicity and a Starter here.

Dinner with Friends

On Thursday, we hosted a dinner for dear friends—Mike and Laurie (you may remember the 50th anniversary celebration we attended in Ohio). They’re back in town for the season, and it was such a joy to gather around the table again.

We kept dinner light and healthy with salmon and a fresh salad, and ended the evening with a simple but luxurious dessert: lemon curd with fresh berries. Have you ever made lemon curd? It’s wonderfully bright and delicious, and a little goes a long way because it’s so rich and flavorful. I use this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

It also gave me the perfect excuse to use my charming pots de crème containers, which make such a pretty presentation for this sweet treat.

Gift Ideas for….

I am all about practical, useable gifts this holiday. Here are a few of my favorites.

The Coffee Lover. Each morning when I make my cup of coffee I take joy in these items that make my cup of Joe perfect. For me, the cup needs to be right~generous handle, pretty to look at, big enough for a substantial dose of coffee.

I love my happy cups from Anthropology but they are no longer available. A few weeks ago, I wrote about these pretty glass mugs and then I ordered them from Amazon. I am a total fan~they would make a perfect gift! Sold in a set of 4 ($27.99) they also have pretty gold spoons too!

Oh my! This Instant Pot 10 oz 4-in-1 Electric Milk Steamer, Hot or Cold Foam Maker, Drink Warmer, Black is a must. This milk frother is heavenly! It was by chance that I found this item and it makes the most fluffy milk, both hot and cold, which is delightful on my coffee.

The best price I have found so far is at Walmart and you can get it here.

You are probably wondering why I would need two milk frothers. This hand-held one from Zulay is perfect for mixing in my collagen peptides (Vital Proteins) and creatine into my morning coffee every day. If you take either of these items you know they are powders and if not properly mixed, you will have lumpy coffee. The Zulay does the trick and can also create froth. But the Instant one, creates heavenly, thick, fluffy clouds of milk. Currently on sale at 10% off at $17.99 you can find it here.

For the tea lover.

I do love a cup of tea, especially in the afternoon. You cannot go wrong with this electric kettle from Chefman. There are various lesser models, but this is the one we have and I love it. With the buttons on the handle, it is easy to start and you can monitor the temperature which is important when brewing specific teas.

We use this every day when we need hot/boiling water and it boils water quickly in approximately 2 minutes. What I really like about it is that it has LED indicators during different functions. When it is hot, it is red. It also has a removable tea infuser for loose teas.

You can find it here. Target seems to have the best price at $44.99. It has a 5 star rating and would be such a great gift this holiday.

To go with the electric tea kettle, these holiday teas from Tea Forte are a true luxury. With flavors like Gingersnap, Harvest Apple, Winter Chai and more, this elegant tea really elevates your beverage experience. Personally, I would love this as a gift…hint…hint..sweet hubby!

Well, I can honestly say I am finally in the holiday spirit! Our Christmas cards have arrived and the goal is to get them stamped and ready to mail on Monday. Christmas shopping is on the list of things to do and thankfully, online shopping makes it a breeze.

Have a glorious weekend. It’s been so chilly here in the mornings and evenings it’s finally nice to wear a sweater or jacket. Stay safe out there and will see you again next week!