Nine Favorite Things.

Nine Favorite Things

The first Favorite’s post of 2023!! I actually feel a little rusty writing this, it’s been two weeks since I typed one up. With both Christmas and then New Years’ Day falling on a Sunday this year, we decided to take the days off from sharing any new posts. My mom and I both figured that everyone would be spending time with family and hopefully off the internet.

Plus, we needed the break, my poor mom especially. She copy-edits every single blog post that goes live. Every single one, and it’s been that way since 2012. She’s never not copy-edited a post. Kind of crazy and also kind of cool when you think about it. It can be hard at times, but I love that I get to work with my mom so closely. It’s such a gift.

The time off from this post was especially nice. I LOVE writing these every week, but they are very time intensive to put together, so the break was nice. But we’re back, and I have so much to share!

First, Christmas was really nice. It was a very different vibe this year with Malachi and Red missing and then the addition of 4 kids ages two and under. Oslo is the oldest at two, then Walker is one, Bud is ten months, and Freya is teensy, tiny at 3 months, a little newbie!

So with new parents and new babies, it was of course special, it was just different. We had a very low-key holiday. We ate Christmas Eve dinner at my parent’s house, did gifts in the morning, and then dinner again at my parents on Christmas night. Honestly, I think the majority of people were in bed by 9 or 10 pm. So a very mellow vibe.

New Year’s Eve was pretty mellow too, although the entire family was here for New Year’s so we did have some late-nighters. I will say that Asher LOVED her Christmas gifts. I worked so hard on them. We had so much fun opening them up just the two of us on Christmas night. It was so nice. She came over to my house after we all had dinner and we just had sister time. I think we’ll make it a new tradition.

And that really sums up Christmas and New Year’s. It certainly wasn’t as crazy as years past. Kai is here. Red had to leave for a few days for an obligation on the east coast, but he is back today. I’m especially excited to have them around for a few days, I definitely missed them!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with friends and family. I would love to hear about something special you did over the break!! Please share in the comments. It’s so fun peeking into your lives too. Oh! And what recipes did you make? What were some of your favorite dishes?

Moving along from holiday talk, I am so excited for this year. We have some incredible projects in the works, probably too many, but I love to have a lot happening. It’s exciting! And our team behind the scenes is so strong, it’s such a nice unit we have! We now have a small social media team (McKenzie and Ellie), then Taylor, who truly does it all and is kind of like my right hand. Margaret has mostly been assisting my mom, and my cousin Maggie has many hats. Asher and my dad are unofficial “team” members and we couldn’t function without them.

It’s amazing to see how we’ve grown. I think the biggest thing for me is that I’m excited to share even more with you all this year. I know it is going to be a great one!

Before I dive into my favs for the week, I shared the 25 most popular recipes of 2022 – as picked by all of you. I also shared my Favorite Healthier Recipes in prep for a month of clean January recipes!

Happy New Year HBH Fam!

1. Things i’m loving, wanting, and excited to try.

loving…winter scarfs. I love this ACNE Studios wool scarf, very cozy. I bought this one for my mom for Christmas and she loves it!

wanting…an olive tree. But if I have an olive tree shipped to Colorado, will it survive?

listening to…Not Skinny, Not Fat for a mental release and to escape my “to-do list”. My favorite episode thus far has been with Simon Huck. I smiled all the way through.

dreaming of going to…Amanyara Providenciales, Turks and Caicos. My grandpa actually has his boat in Turks and Caicos for the winter, so I would love to take a trip to visit. I’ve been wanting to stay at this hotel for the longest time, it looks so relaxing. The perfect winter vacation stop. Maybe in March?

eating at…we’re headed to Aspen in a couple of weeks for X Games. I would love to take Red to Matsuhisa for Japanese, his favorite. I’d also love to try the French Alpine Bistro. Any other Aspen recommendations?

reading…Atomic Habits. After multiple people that I greatly look up to and respect recommended this book, I finally got it on audio.

reading…How to Be a Boss B*tch. Another highly recommended book for the new year. I haven’t read (or listened) to it yet, but would like to.

everything in my cart…beauty. Some new finds that I’d certainly love to test out.

currently burning…Snif’s sweet ash and old saint wick candles. Extra cozy for winter nights.

excited to burn…ordered a few new candle scents for winter. Splurged on one of my favorite candles, the Byredo Chai scented candle. Also trying their Symphonique scented candle with notes of anise, orange, ginger, and cloves. It sounds wintery! Then, a couple new candles, the Maison Louis Marie bois de balincourt candle, and the Frama beratan candle. Ok, and lastly, I didn’t order, but I’m curious to try the Diptyque limited edition tuberose candle.

following…Interior designers. For design inspiration. Loving, Flack Studio, Susannah Holmberg Studios, Intimate Living Interiors, Meghan Eisenberg, MasseriaPalaci (really pretty vacation home rentals), and Diego Delgado-Elias.

watching…Emily Paris. Did you binge it already? I haven’t started it yet, but will tonight. What else should I watch? I’m sad Christmas movies are no longer OK. Addition from mom – yes they are still ok to watch! Nothing better than a Christmas movie on a snowy January night. They make you feel good! My cousin, Abby, is watching season 2 of Ginny and Georgia on Netflix. I have yet to watch this, but she keeps telling me about it!

everything in my cart (high)…anything from Loro Piana. The cashmere pieces are especially beautiful. I adore these cashmere gloves. This down jacket looks super warm and would be cute paired with wool leggings. And I’d love to own these quilted leather-trimmed ankle boots. Also, very in love with the coats from LVIR. This suede shearling coat is so pretty.

baking…Maple Banana Bread with Cinnamon Spice Butter. My favorite recipe of the week, possibly my favorite winter recipe.

2. The most popular recipes of December.

Most popular: Fluffy Christmas Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Cream Cheese Icing

(these cinnamon rolls were the most popular new recipe of December. The most popular recipe overall was my Christmas monster cookies…these were also last year’s most popular recipe! Following the cookies, we have The 25 Most Popular Recipes of 2022 and then, My Favorite Healthy Recipes for 2023).

Runner-up: Soft Gingerbread Latte Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

Also have to mention: Christmas Pomegranate Punch (+ mocktail)

My personal favorite: Easy Spicy Baked Potato Soup

Ok, last one: Crockpot Crispy Pork Ramen

3. New Year products for a better 2023.

4. Favorite questions of the week.

q: If you had the day off in New York and could do anything, what would you do?
a: I’d take Asher shopping in New York and spend the day with her.

q: do you use any filters on your photos? 
a: Never on food. But I love the Tezza app for creating fun edits on other photos and videos. But I never use them on my food photos or videos. I like food to look like actual food and hopefully look extra delicious 😋

q: what is the brown star I see in a lot of your photos?
a: Star anise!! I have been using it so much this year. It’s so pretty!

q: do you go to bed after you put your legs up at night?
a: No I usually do other things after. Some people go right to bed but I always do this while I’m posting stories at night! I don’t go to bed after, but soonish. It’s definitely the start of my wind-down routine.

q: when do you test recipes?
a: Usually during the day so I can use natural lighting for my videos and photos. Right now, I will test into the night too since daylight is limited. I just can’t film or photograph then since it’s dark.

q: what is your favorite tea?
a: I actually don’t love tea. Most of the time it makes me gag. But a creamy chai I can and do enjoy! But has to be latte-style with milk and ideally whipped cream ☃️

q: do you like to drive?
a: Haha! Um it depends, I don’t mind driving at all, and trips around town are sometimes a nice mental break. But I definitely prefer to just chill in the car versus drive. Especially if it’s a long trip

q: do you mess up recipes?
a: All the time. Like all the time. Sometimes once a week, sometimes more, just depends on the recipe and where my head is at that day.

5. New Year, New Intentions.

I am not a New Year’s resolution person. I don’t believe in them. I’m of the mindset that if you want to start something or change something, then just do it. The date on the calendar shouldn’t matter.

That said, the New Year does always feel like a fresh start, so it’s a nice time to reflect and look into things we might be able to improve, change, or do a little better. I love to set small intentions for the month. Not the year, just the month. Take it day by and adjust as needed.

My focus personally: 

Prioritize sleep –

I had the same intention last year, and while it improved very slightly, I let things slide in the fall. I need to get back into a better routine. My game plan is 5 minutes earlier every night for the next month. Time will add up and I think it’s about taking baby steps to get into a nice routine. I admit…I’m a morning person and a night owl. I love the quietness of a late night and the stillness of a cozy morning.

My focus professionally: 

Building out HBH product-

We have been working to create product for the longest time. Same with a TV show to be very honest. Both are a long, drawn-out processes, but this is the year we’ll finally launch product.

Building a strong team –

This is something we are already doing that I feel so proud of. For the longest time, I never thought I could be a “leader” to a team. But I’ve learned and adjusted a lot this past year and I love the people I get to work with every day.

Share more –

I’m excited to share more of my life with you all this year! Toward the end of 2022, I really put an effort in to travel more and share more of the things that inspire me outside of food. I found that by sharing more of what I love, I felt more creative and excited to wake up and work every day. Sharing more lifestyle is a big focus this year!

I could go on and on about this year and all that I want to do, but these three things stick out the most. I’m just excited to see where the year takes me!

something to inspire you 

“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion.” Simon Sinek

6. Christmas Vacation Photos.

mom + dad – possibly my favorite photo 

Hailey and Oslo

Oslo and Kai

Hailey and Merle 

Asher – she’s so grown up! 

Cait, Hailey, Asher 

Dad

Oslo

Asher

Asher 

Abby and Oslo

Asher, Oslo, and Walker

Cait and Walker 

little Freya

Walker 

Lyndsie and Bud

almost everyone

Abby and Walker

Walker and Oslo 

Hailey and Walker 

Matt, Caroline, and Freya

You see? A lot of babies…

7. Favorite links i’m loving.

Room With a View: The Best Hotel Views Around the World.

I Always Take a Solo Trip at the Beginning of a New Year.

The 12 Best Places to Travel In 2023.

According to Amazon Reviews, These Are the 20 Beauty Products You Won’t Regret.

The 7 Best At-Home Infrared Saunas, According To Functional Medicine Experts.

People Are Taping Their Mouth While Sleeping for Health Benefits…interesting.

7 Things to Do Today To Feel Happy and Excited Post Holiday.

Can You Naturally Increase Estrogen? Everything You Need to Know.

2023’s Biggest Wellness Trends.

50 Things You Can Do to Be Healthier and Happier in 2023.

60 Realistic New Year’s Resolutions You Can Totally Achieve This Year.

Foolproof Tips To Make (and Keep) Your New Year’s Resolutions.

8. Cashmere everything under $200.

9. This week’s dinners + weekend eats.

Monday: Baked Crunchy Hot Honey Chicken

Tuesday: Spicy Short Rib Peanut Ramen

Wednesday: Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Honey Lime Avocado Crema

Thursday: Crockpot Coconut Chicken Curry with Crispy Shallot Basil Oil

Friday: Honey Garlic Salmon Soba Noodle Bowls

Saturday: Peanut Butter Protein Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sunday: Crispy Parmesan and Pesto Egg in a Bagel