Mother's Day Gift Basket Ideas

Big Thanks to World Market, a brand that I love, for making this post possible! 

Abraham Lincoln said "All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my mother." I don't know many people who disagree!  My mother is the greatest in too many ways to describe.  This year, my mother and I took a week long Mother/Daughter retreat to The Pearl in Laguna where we started every morning with a glass of hot water with lemon.  That is my inspiration for this Mother's Day gift basket.  I hope it inspires you to put a great basket together for your mother!

How cute would these Lemon Measuring Cups be on any kitchen counter?

I'll be borrowing this Sweet and Tart Citrus Recipe Book.

I love my Adult Coloring Book - so relaxing - and I want my mother to enjoy one too!

This Lemon Squeezer makes it so easy to add lemon juice to our morning cup of hot water with out the getting the seeds!

This You are my Sunshine Mug is a cheerful way to start the day.

My favorite Diptyque Candle is the kind of thing she never buys for herself.

In honor of my teenage years, our Halo Home by KSW Emotional Roller Coaster Emoji Cocktail Napkins

I love these Chantecaille glosses and this color would be great on my mother for spring. 

Instead of a basket, put it all in this charming retro cooler with a little bit of tissue filler, confetti and wrap it in cellophane!  Don't forgot to add a big bow and meaningful card.

The Nice List Table

Elbows on the table?  Did you know it is ok as long as there isn't food on the table?

The holidays are such a fun time to teach manners to our children and also to celebrate their good behavior and encourage even more! 

I love setting the table around the holidays - especially the Children's Table!  There is nothing more fun than decorating a space that will fill them with Christmas Spirit and make their meal a bit more festive.  I also find that setting a thoughtful table elevates their behavior!  They seem to rise to the occasion when they see that it is a special meal.

This year's table is all about celebrating being on Santa's Nice List!  What a big accomplishment and it deserves to be applauded!

Each child is greeted by a placecard that serves as an award for making the Nice List. They can remove the paper medal and pin it to their clothes to wear with pride!

I pulled a collection of trophy cups off of the shelves and filled them with vintage ribbon candies and colorful dice so that the children could play without making a big mess. 

The bold mix of colors and sizes of gingham made a splash and kept it stylish without being serious.

Little Mills loved the Lemon desserts!  

Click here for this fabulous Mason Jar Lemon Pie with Meringue Clouds Recipe.  It was a hit with all ages! 

Click here for the recipe for these Classic Lemon Bars with a Poppy Seed Crust - the best I have ever had!

Here is a link for Millie's Dress from Bella Bliss and here for JR's shirt from Bella Bliss.

and you can shop the post by scrolling through the photos below:

Pomander Pack Party Favors

Did you like Monday's post about the Mom's coffee I hosted for friends with children born the same year as my own?  I promised I would tell you more about the party favors and I can't wait to hear what you think!  

I wanted to send my friends away with an activity they could do with their children and maybe even help them start a new tradition so I made Pomander Packs for them to take home.

I make pomanders with my children every year and I love to see how they decorate their citrus.  It is fun and easy and not all that messy (makes mom happy!) If you follow my Instagram Feed then you know that I monogrammed mine this year!

I packed these darling jars with jadeite lids full of all of the supplies they would need to make pomanders at home and tied a tag with the instructions on the back.  Since you didn't get to join us at the party, I laid out the step-by-step here in the hopes that you might make some with your family!

The first step is to pierce the orange in the pattern that you want to make.  I like to use a fork for strait lines and single toothpick for more complicated sections and designs.

Simply push the cloves into the pierced holes.  My two year old take ages to do it but she loves the challenge!  (I make the pierced holes for her and she pushes in the cloves.)

Tie a ribbon around the orange and add some glue from a hot glue gun to hold it in place.

All done!  Hang it from your tree or mantle and let it dry out. The fragrance is wonderful and the colors are beautiful and bright!  They have a rich history that is fun to read about and share with the children too! 

I'd love to know what crafts and traditions you include your children in at Christmastime?  Please leave a comment and let me know! 

                This post was created in partnership with Sunkist Growers and products were provided by World Market, Both are brands that I love!  

Mom's Coffee

When I had my little surprise baby, Millie, two years ago I felt so excited about round two of motherhood!  I was thrilled to have friends who were having babies at the same time and I wanted to set aside a time during the busy holiday season to celebrate our friendships and the bonds we have over our experiences as mothers.  I invited a small around of mother's who all had babies in 2013 over for a Christmas Coffee.  We are all going through similar things and it is a great time to share, laugh, and learn from one another.

I love setting the table and had a great time bottle brush trees collected over the years. This year I added a few new trees from World Market, always one of my favorite stops before a party! The best part is that they stay nice all season long!  

I added a few flowers to the mix. For the largest arrangement, I used a plain and simple glass vase that I wrapped in velvet ribbon and hot glued ornaments to.  Even though the table didn't need any flowers with the bottle brush trees, I couldn't resist using these dahlias that were still available thanks to our unseasonably warm winter.

I also added a small collection of colorful mercury glass votive holders with vibrant roses in shades of pinks, reds and yellows.

We served simple treats that were perfect for picking up and having a quick nibble including these Preserved Lemons with Whipped Goat Cheese and Marcona Almonds.

I love serving a little something sweet in the morning like this Spiced Orange Cake with Sunkist® Glazed Oranges & Greek Yogurt Whip on a cake pedestal.

I loved serving the coffee in these darling snowman mugs.  Could they be any cuter?  I didn't need any more holiday mugs but I couldn't resist these!  I served a bit of ice cream to my children in them the other night too!  They are a great size and I can't wait to try some other treats this in them this holiday season.

Hosting a coffee get-together is a great format for busy moms. The kids are at school and they have time to unwind for a few minutes.  To make it special, I like to add little touches like these peppermint stir sticks.  They are such a delicious Christmas indulgence for your coffee!

These White Chocolate Peppermint Stirs are a great touch for those who want hot-chocolate too!

What kind of annual get together do you like to host?  What do you serve?  I'd love to hear!

Merry Merry Motherhood to all of you wonderful mommies who join me here on the blog!  I hope you enjoy these fabulous recipes from Sunkist! 

I can't wait to share details of the family friendly party favor I gave out in Wednesday's Post. Please check back in!

This post was created in partnership with Sunkist Growers and products were provided by World Market, Both are brands that I love!  

A Fall Fireside Gathering

I hope you have plans with your friends and family this Thanksgiving season and I hope they include marshmallows and a fire!  We held a gathering at White Oaks Ranch around the fire pit for all ages and enjoyed the crisp Fall weather we are now enjoying in Texas!  

 We threw on a fire and put together some sips and nibbles and had just tried to relax.

The crisp air was fresh and perfect for a cape and gloves!  I have been waiting for an excuse to pull out these monogrammed gloves from Mark and Graham! 

If you only make one thing from this post, I hope it will be the Warm Citrus Olives.  They were amazing and, by far, the most popular dish.  I served them in Belly-Shaped Saucepan with one of my Halo Home by KSW fringe napkins 

Holiday Cranberry, Orange, Walnut & Goat Cheese Dip was served in a silver dish on a wooden charger from World Market .  I love the charger as a serving tray but it is so versatile.  It can add height to a buffet or serve as a dramatic charger at everyone's place setting for a seated dinner.

These  Savory Cheesecake Bites with Crab, Grapefruit and Avocado were an unexpected twist on our outdoor casual theme but I like that they added something unexpected.

Of course, we treated the drinks with the same care as the menu! 

 A little something for all was offered including this spiced tea which hit the spot!  It is a family recipe that our amazing food stylist, Stephanie Greenwood,  shared with us.

Spiced Tea  - A Greenwood Family Favorite

2 qts. Water

½ tsp to 1 Tb of whole cloves

3 to 6 sticks cinnamon

Place these in a large pan and bring to a boil.  Let them boil for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Add 3 Tb of loose black tea and steep 10 minutes.  Using a strainer, pour liquid into container for the tea.

Add 1 large can of pineapple juice (might be 1 quart and ¼ oz or something), 1 ½ cup of sugar, 1 small can frozen orange juice, a couple of Tbs of real lemon and 3 orange juice cans of water.

Zest 3 Sunkist Lemons and Juice and then add in the Dried Citrus at the end! 

You can add spiced rum to it if you want as well! 

 For those who were wanting something with a bit of a kick, this Grapefruit IPA Twist  did the trick! 

I don't know who enjoyed this hammered copper tub of Vintage Style Sodas from World Market more, the children of the adults!   Not only were they delicious but they sparked some fun conversations too!  They are sold in a twelve pack that makes a fun gift too!

 But, of course, the highlight of the afternoon was roasting marshmallow.  We put our own citrus twist on the marshmallows after they were roasted by adding a slice of citrus and drizzling them in Annie B's Baking Caramel.  It was so good!

 I swear that I didn't ask my children to stand like this.  It just happened and, thank God, the camera was near by!  What a precious moment I will always remember and cherish.  

Big Thanks to the fabulous team who helped put this together!  

Assisted by Kathy Short

Photographer: Kelsey Foster Wilson
Photography Assistant: Rachel Strum

Food Stylist: Stephanie Greenwood

Food Stylists Assistant: Amanda Mobley

This post was created in partnership with Sunkist Growers and products were provided by World Market, Both are brands that I love!