Natalie Ho

Happy Christmas weekend lovelies!

This is the last post before I sign off for the next few days. It was a crazy hectic but exciting past week, I’m sure most of you were just like me, running around, wrapping things up (no pun intended!). As you continue to tackle the fun-filled busy holiday festivities, remember to take some time off for yourself and reflect on all the amaziness you accomplished this year!

Last weekend, I had the chance to meet up with blogger babe Joelle of La Petite Noob to chit chat and sip on coffee in between all the holiday madness. Since Joelle is always dressed to impress, I thought I’d put some extra effort on my Sunday outfit of choice!

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I’ve always envied the people that come up with the most creative, delicious, and impressive appetizers to bring to a party. Every time I volunteer to bring an appetizer, I always end up with something safe, think simple devilled eggs (though they are pretty darn tasty), a meat and cheese board, or a veggie dip. The truth is, they’re a bit boring and quite frankly I’m ready for something elevated and more substantial!

During my visit to Loblaws last week, I came across three appetizer options from the PC Insiders Collection that were surprisingly delectable, but the best part is that they require almost zero prepping and they taste fresh and can almost fool the smartest taste testers. They’ll never believe these items came frozen!

Keep reading to see what three exciting appetizers I picked up!

Do the kids in your family love unwrapping presents as much as the ones in mine? My nephews LOVE ripping wrapping paper apart. It’s been a family tradition that on Christmas Eve, we all gather at my sister’s place and bring our gifts over to unwrap. The kids are always volunteering to open up ours even though they’ve got plenty of their own to tackle!! It’s incredible how much joy they get from tearing paper and boxes apart with all their might!

This year, I thought I’d spread some extra joy to them and greet them with a couple of Giant Christmas Crackers filled with Cadbury Dairy Milk goodies! Did you know there are Christmas themed Cadbury Mini Eggs?!

Read further to see how to make giant Christmas crackers! They’re also great for adults of all ages!

If you ask any of my colleagues, family or friends, I’m always the one that’s cold at the office or at home. Regardless of time of year, I’m convinced that I’ve physically been wired to be a few degrees cooler than everyone else! At the office, you will often find a huge scarf draped over my shoulders, and at home, I’m always the one snuggled up with a giant faux fur throw.

The winter weather has really made its way to us, and I’m pretty sure that we won’t be experiencing a mild one in comparison to last year. Staying warm and toasty doesn’t mean you’ve got to crank up the heat (my husband will thank me for that!) or put your long johns on for bedtime stories!

I’ve partnered with Sunbeam to share a few tips on staying cozy at home this winter and a chance for one of you to win a heated throw valued at $100!

If you’ve thrown a party or entertained before, you know just about how much work it goes into party planning and prepping. There is so much work involved in hosting family and friends often times, as a guest, you take for granted all the hard work the hostess has put in not only the day of, but likely weeks before the actual get together.

This holiday season, I promised myself that I’m going to be a great guest, and show the hostess my share of appreciation! I love finding unique gifts at DIXIE Outlet Mall because not only can you find great items at discounted prices but there are a variety of stores offer suitable gifts for all.

I handpicked the cutest and on trend items for a gift basket that will sure help the hostess put on the perfect bash.

I love using permanent markers in my DIY projects. They are so versatile and come in so many different colours, felt tip sizes, and can be drawn on countless materials and surfaces. I’ve worked on many marker projects in the past, but I must say, what I am about to show is by far my best DIY work!

Since I had holidays on my mind, I thought it would be super fun to inject the colour of rainbow on some ordinary dishware using the a variety of Permanent Markers. The results were amazing!!

These colorful, customized holiday inspired plates and mugs will be the best gift for family and friends!

I partnered with Joe Fresh to share our holiday baking traditions that is fun-filled and suitable for all members of the family! This post originally appeared on Joe Fresh Post. 

A family weekend baking and cookie decorating session is just what you need to kick off the festive season.

Personally, baking has always been reserved for the holidays. I love gifting baked treats for family and friends during Christmas time. There is something so wonderful and special about sending homemade goods to loved ones, it’s my expression of thanks and gratitude.

My nephews, Tyler and Connor LOVE cookies and they are such great little helpers in the kitchen. I wanted to make my annual bake fest extra special this year, and invited my sister’s family for an afternoon of baking, decorating and of course munching on cookies and milk!

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Still looking for last minute gift ideas?! Beauty gift sets are hassle free and there are so many great options out there! I absolutely love receiving gift sets especially when it’s a brand or products I’ve not yet tried.

Beauty gift sets typically include the most popular or limited edition products for a combined lesser price which means they’re a great value and just perfect for that girlfriend that just have about anything!

I’ve rounded the best Beauty gift sets from this holiday season, majority of them are available at Sephora!

From dessert tables and wine and cheese stations to DIY hot chocolate bars, we all know how popular ‘food stations’ have become in the world of home entertaining. They are a great way to bring guests together, and for us Instagram addicts out there, they also serve as the best backdrop for photo opps!

Creating a stellar food station for your next party doesn’t have to be an extravagant and daunting task. With the help of President’s Choice and the PC Insiders Holiday Collection, I put together a chocolate sweets station in just under ten minutes.

Read further for simple tips to create a festive chocolate sweets holiday station and also to discover some great gifts from #PCInsidersCollection!

Count down is on guys! Just a couple of weeks away from Christmas and I finally managed to start on my shopping list and the house is beginning to feel and look a bit more festive! Living in a townhouse with limited storage, I’m always reluctant to buy more seasonable decor. But during my visit to Bed Bath & Beyond over the weekend, I just couldn’t refrain from picking up a few of my favourite things!

I don’t typically decorate our bedroom with holiday trimmings but I was smitten by all the Cozy Shop mix and match options and ended up bringing home a few items that I am convinced we will be using throughout the winter season.

Keep reading to see the holiday goodies I brought home from Bed Bath & Beyond!

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