Nine Favorite Things.

Nine Favorite Things – Gingerbread Smash is almost here..

BOOO! Happy Halloween weekend! I can’t believe Halloween is this Tuesday, I am so excited! I’m not dressing up or anything like that, but I can’t wait to see Oslo in his costume. He decided to be Max from Where the Wild Things Are. He’s going to look so freaking adorable.

I’m traveling Tuesday night, but I’ll make sure to get a preview of Oslo all dressed up before I head out!

How are things? October is coming to an end, and it is now finally GO TIME for all things holiday. I am so excited and so sad all at the same time. While this is my favorite two months of the year, I know they will go so fast. Every single year I blink and all of a sudden it’s January. What I will say is that over the past few years, I’ve worked to really enjoy the days leading up to both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Celebrating something a little each day to really soak up the season and all the joy it can bring.

I know the holidays can be really hard for some of you. If you tend to dread this time of year, try celebrating something small each day. Maybe find a fun advent calendar you’ll look forward to opening each day, or order a holiday candle you’ll enjoy lighting each night. Or try committing to a few fun dinners with friends to celebrate the season. Whatever it is, bring a little joy into each day this year!

My very, very best tip for any of us is to bring a little joy into someone else’s life. Invest even a little time in giving back to others. Every year we sign up to sponsor a family in need. My mom, Asher, and I dive head-first into making their Christmas as magical as we can. We try to find the best gifts, package them cute, and have fun learning about each kid in the family. It’s a great way to distract yourself from being negative towards the holidays. We really love doing it each year!

Aside from my holiday excitement, I’m looking forward to a lot of travel in between. We have some fun events coming up that I have details on below. Feeling so lucky and excited I get to do these things. It’s always fun meeting you all in person!

That’s all for today! Prepare yourself for the kick-off of Thanksgiving recipes this week. My potatoes this year are the BEST I’ve ever shared. Can’t wait for you to try these recipes!

Have the spookiest, frightful Halloween!

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

loving…Asher and I love these Matchete hair claws. They are durable but so cute! Fun gifts and stocking stuffers.

sipping…Amante 1530. Ordered this and am excited to use it for holiday cocktails!

everything in my cart (low)…the new Varley ribbed knit sweater looks super cozy. I love the half-zip style. This Reformation bomber jacket is great. I love their bomber jean jacket too.

Zara has some of the best fall/winter pieces. This 100% wool coat could pass as designer. Or try their denim jacket look, very cute. And then, you can never have too many leather jackets, their faux leather biker jacket is perfection. And I want to order the new faux shearling carabiner jacket. So sweet, cute, and cozy.

Love this high collar knit sweater, zip-up hoodie, wool knit sweater, buckled ankle boots, and these slingback kitten heels are the style everyone wants to wear right now. Lastly, I love cozy socks year-round, these long ribbed socks are especially great for fall and winter dressing.

Here are a couple of other great coats. The Madewell Gianna Coat in Insuluxe Fabric and the Free People Mina tie belt jacket.

listening to…Steph Shep On Finding Your Purpose, Accelerating Your Growth, & How To Be Resourceful & Adaptable. The first quarter of this episode reveals some of the best advice that everyone can apply to their own lives. I was surprised by this episode and all that it brings to the table. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but ended up being so much better. Highly recommend.

dreaming of going…9 Hauntingly Beautiful Abandoned Mansions Around the World. Spooky and I love it. My favorite October show used to be ABC Family’s Scariest Places on Earth.

reading…A Real Good Life: Discover the Simple Moments that Bring Joy, Connection, and Love by Stevie and Sazan Hendrix. Simple stories and life lessons that help you find the good in every single day. A wonderful book to read, especially during harder periods of life.

loving…these Satin Effect Tights. Festive for the holiday season. 

ordering…these pretty on-sale Pleated Taper Candles. Perfect for setting our holiday tables.

can’t stop thinking about…these Victoria Beckham Sculptural Wedge Boots. If you could afford them, would you wear them? I don’t think I could, but they’re a fun “spice girl” boot. Eye-catching for sure!

shopping…the J.Crew sale. So into their fair isle half-zip sweater in brushed yarn. My favorite sweater I’ve seen in a while. This lady jacket with jewel buttons is really pretty, and I’m ordering the cashmere tech gloves and beanie. Anytime J.Crew has cashmere on sale, I order it.

wanting…a clean toothpaste. Going to try the RiseWell mineral toothpaste and Boka Fluoride Free Toothpaste.

everything in my cart (beauty)…Holiday gift sets, the Sephora Favorites Holiday Sparkly Clean Beauty Kit, Saie Mini Glowy Super Gel Multipurpose Illuminator Set, and I think I would love the Summer Fridays skincare set.

watching…Inside the Copenhagen Home of Ditte Reffstrup, the Creative Director of Ganni. AND Inside NBA Star Carmelo Anthony’s Stylish New Home. I love these home tours.

traveling…Take an Exclusive First Look Inside Chip and Joanna Gaines’s First Boutique Hotel. It is giving major New York City vibes. Didn’t know I needed to visit Waco, Texas, but now I am at least very curious to.

gifting…this cute recipe journal. A great hostess gift when paired with your favorite cheese plate and candle. Oh or this yummy COCO Five Bar Milk Collection.

ordering…this cute tree skirt. It give Eloise vibes and I LOVE that.

everything in my cart (high)…loving Ben-Amun jewelry. These 24K Gold-Plated Earrings are so pretty.

A couple of coats, this Canada Goose Bomber has been added to my cart. It’s pricy but I could wear this all winter. Also, My mom would live in and love this Norma Kamali Hooded Sleeping Bag Car Coat. So cozy.

loving…This pretty, serene Montauk home. It’s so elegant, yet so laid back.

shopping…this pretty and fun Scrabble, Monopoly, and Clue Vintage Board Game Bookshelf Collection. We LOVE a board game night when all the family is in town. So fun. Clue is my favorite. 

2. Favorite Halloween Recipes.

Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies

Monster Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

BOO! Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Enchanted Graveyard Pomegranate Punch

Chewy Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Spider Cookies

Hocus Pocus Old Fashioned

Halloween Monster Mash Cookies

Bloody Mule

Spooky Halloween Pretzels

3. Shopping the Sephora Savings Event.

hostess gifts for the entertaining season

4. Gingerbread Smash is here! Our new Snif candle!

My excitement and my LOVE for this candle is more than I can express in words. If you’ve seen my happiness on Instagram this week then you already know how happy I am to share this candle with you all!

Some of you may have already guessed this, but on November 2nd we’re launching our first-ever holiday candle with Snif, Gingerbread Smash.

It’s been my dream to create a Christmas scent for you all. We have been working on this candle all year and it’s been what I have been most excited to share. We will always love Pumpkin Smash, but we LOVE Gingerbread Smash too. This candle is Christmas. I can’t think of anything cozier than watching the snowfall while nestled up next to a warm fire with the scents of gingerbread baking away filling the air.

The Gingerbread Smash candle reminds me of holidays growing up, and makes my home feel extra warm and festive. It’s been so hard to keep this project a secret, and I cannot wait for you to experience it! Gingerbread Smash is Christmas in a candle!

The candle will launch November 2nd. You can preorder it HERE. It’s going to make your home the coziest around. And it’s a great holiday gift for everyone on your list.

5. New York + New Jersey November Meet and Greets!

So happy to share that I will be back in New York next month, and this time for two in-person events!  The first with Ulta Beauty and our Snif family, and the second with Williams-Sonoma.

Snif Ulta Beauty Meet and Greet – Wednesday, November 8th 

I’ll be hosting a Meet-and-Greet at the Ulta Beauty on Herald Square in New York City on November 8th from 5-7 PM EST. We’re celebrating the relaunch of the Pumpkin SMASH candle.

Tickets are FREE, you can get them here (the first 150 to show with a ticket are guaranteed access to the meet-and-greet opportunities).

We’ll be having a couple of fun giveaways. Including a chance to enter a raffle for a year’s worth of Snif candles. Oh, and there’ll be a holiday-themed giveaway too. It’s going to be SO FUN! You can come and grab a candle, take photos, chit-chat, and maybe do some holiday shopping too. I can sign whichever you like, candles or books! We had the BEST time in Chicago with a line out the door, let’s make the New York event even bigger!

Get your tickets for the event here.

Williams Sonoma Short Hills, New Jersey – Thursday, November 9th 

And of course, we can’t forget New Jersey! It’s been years since we’ve done a New Jersey event, so I can’t wait for this. We have some really fun things planned. I’ll be sharing how I put together my holiday tablesapes! and just like we did in Chicago, we’ll have a big giveaway happening here too. It’s the holidays, and I love a good giveaway!

I’ll be at the Williams Sonoma in Short Hills, New Jersey on Thursday, November 9th at 6 pm EST. I didn’t want to miss anyone on this trip! I’ll be signing books and candles here too. You can even purchase the two together, which would be the cutest holiday or hostess gift. 

Reserve your tickets here – looking forward to this so much!

6. Inspiring me – Thanksgiving tables.

Just getting my wheels spinning. Where do you look for table inspiration?

(the moody table)

(the homemade, edible table) 

7. Favorite links i’m loving.

A Guide to New York City’s Best Bookstores

30 Unique Gift Ideas for Everyone on Your List

Tour a Glamorous French Normandy–Style LA Home…I love all the windows and the outside garden the most.

The Best Gifts to Give Yourself This Holiday Season

Holiday Decor Hit Shelves, These Pieces Are Bound to Sell Out Before December

15 Games Everyone Should Have On Hand for Your Next Game Night…cute. I love board games.

The 50 Best Gifts for the Homebody on Your List

The Taylor Swift Restaurant Guide to New York City

22 of the Best Thanksgiving TV Episodes of All Time

A Guide to Condesa, Mexico City’s Culinary Neighborhood…sounds yummy.

What’s Cool in Mexico City Right Now…need to plan my next trip!

96 Gifts That Will Impress Even the Pickiest People on Your List

8. Everything Burgundy, Oxblood, Merlot.

obsessed  with deep moody shades of red this fall season 

affordable fits for chilly weather

everything from Mango and H&M

9. This week’s dinners + favorite weekend eats.

Monday: Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice

Tuesday: One Pot Stove-Top Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Wednesday: One Pan Roasted Herb Chicken and Wild Rice

Thursday: Bacon and Pumpkin Pizza

Friday: Cider Braised Pot Roast with Crispy Sage Butter Potatoes

Saturday: Spiced Maple Bourbon Fizz

Sunday: Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Latte Cookies