Happy Monday!
I’m excited to get my blog up early this morning before doing a few last-minute Christmas shopping errands. We aren’t doing gifts this year, but my mom and dad are coming over for our Christmas dinner and game night. We will watch the church stream, eat an abundance of crab legs, and end the night playing fibbage. I’m also going to be baking when I get back this afternoon! I have such a fun Christmas cookie menu, and I can’t wait to put them in cute boxes as they do on the NYT cooking channel. I’ve been watching way too many of those videos!
I know the holidays are different this year. Turn on your favorite holiday movies, order Chinese food, bake some cookies, and do everything you can to find joy. We will zoom call a few of our family members that won’t be home for Christmas this year, and there’s so much light in knowing that normalcy will be here before we know it. ♥️ Hang in there. On Saturday, I headed to the town of Belmont. It’s such a cute and festive Christmas town, and I was excited to explore it a bit. I’ve been trying my hardest to keep everything I purchase this year local and from smaller businesses. They are the ones that have taken a huge hit this year, unlike the superstores, which have skyrocketed in sales.
After picking up an almond milk cappuccino from Mugshots, we headed over to Belmont Specialty Foods. It was the CUTEST little market I’ve ever seen. It reminded me of this grocery store I used to stop at when I was working in the Hamptons during my summers in college. It hit me with nostalgia. The best part was that their upstairs was an entire Christmas store! I picked up some small wood crates to pack my holiday cookies in, a few packages of their macaroons, and ribbon. I cannot wait to visit again. Before leaving Belmont, we stopped into The Everyday Market. It’s a cute little bakery/coffee shop. They were so friendly in there, and I picked up a GF Almond Tea Cake to take home with me. We also stopped in Rockhill to visit The Mercantile! If you haven’t been in there yet…OMG! It’s a dream gift shop. I always find the perfect stocking stuffers in there. I love the little flower bar, and I still find unique items for my house. We ended the day at Killington’s in Baxter Village (MY FAVE) for lunch. I had their grilled shrimp salad, and it was so delicious! 😋 Kyle and I watched a movie and had a cup of homemade almond milk hot cocoa! It’s just stevia, cocoa powder, almond milk, sea salt, and allspice. The rest of my days have been recorded on Vlogmas! I’ve been cooking up a storm over there! 😊
I hope you all have a great day. I’ll be on the blog a few times this week before Christmas is here, and I’ll also hop on with a post-Christmas recap! Have a great day!
Questions for you!
- Has your holiday plans changed this year?
- What are you doing to bring you joy this holiday season?
- What is your favorite hometown store to shop at?
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
Normally during Christmas I’d go on a getaway vacation to Thailand or the likes, y’know, to escape the cold. No luck for this year, though! ❤️✨
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Taralynn McNitt says
Time for a relaxing staycation this season 💜
Maria says
Hey Taralynn! Where did you get the brown shoes from that you’re wearing in the first picture?! I can’t find any like those in my town. My old pair fell apart… definitely change of my plans for me this year w Christmas! Cant visit hardly anyone due to restrictions. Plus Covid is bad where I live right now. But I’m grateful I get to work and make that holiday pay! Working will bring me joy because it’s a chance to serve others. As for a hometown store… that’s a tough one because I haven’t had new stuff from hometown stores in years. There’s a religious gift shop in my town that has neat trinkets!
Merry Christmas! Thank you for your joy and authenticity.
Cammy says
Happy Christmas!
Taralynn McNitt says
♥️
Hillary May says
Ten Thousand Villages in downtown Iowa City, IA. They have an online store store too. It’s Fair Trade goods from 3rd world countries. .. Their stuff is SOOO cute! Check them out!! Spread the love all across the world.
Taralynn McNitt says
I definitely will!!
Milena says
Hi Taralynn!
This year holidays are different but I am happy because I’m still able to travel to Poland with my boyfriend and spend Christmas with my family. I wasn’t sure about this until a very last moment, but seems like it will happen!
This year I just want to slow down, enjoy little moments with my closest family without meeting other relatives or even friends. I just want to spend time with my parents and my grandparents and dedicate this time to them. This is what brings me joy this year, and the possibility to see them after so many months is the best Christmas gift 🙂
Enjoy Christmas dinner with Kyle and your parents 🙂 Sending big hugs!
Harriet says
Hi Taralynn, merry Christmas, I cannot believe it’s nearly here. This year we are staying home though we were meant to be in northern Australia at my family’s, so instead it will be a small day with my nana and parents and I’m totally fine with that. this holiday season we are just going with the flow, probably spend a few mornings at the beach then chill at home. have a great Christmas Day!
Taralynn McNitt says
Sounds like the perfect holiday for 2020! ♥️
Laura says
You and Kyle never exchange Christmas gifts. Why?
Taralynn McNitt says
We gift with experiences. We usually go on a weekend trip as our gift.
Even if we didn’t, gifts are not important at all.
Regina says
Why do you and Kyle never exchange gifts for holidays and birthdays? I would be so bad at not giving a gift and end up buying stuff anyway! I LOVE finding the perfect presents for my family! Happy Holidays!
Taralynn McNitt says
lol we gift each other with things all the time, not everything is on the blog. We don’t think gifts are important so we gift each other with experiences like a weekend getaway.
Monika says
Is the pandemic cancelled in the US? You’re not wearing a mask and restaurants are open?
Taralynn McNitt says
I don’t wear a mask in my photos, but I wear a mask in any establishment/store. Restaurants are open where I live.
Kam says
Yes, I know what you mean Tara. True Love is the biggest gift itself. It doesn’t need any material proofs. Though exchanging gifts is a nice tradition and fun. 😉 Me and my husband neither give anything to each other, but we like giving Christmas gifts to our family members and see them happy. That’s what counts the most. 🙂 Merry Christmas! 🙂