Author Archives: Stephanie O'Farrell

My kids are past the age of believing in Santa. We made the choice when they were young to do the whole Santa and the north pole magic. It was something we contemplated for many reasons. I still recal...

While the malls may have been cashing in on holiday shopping since early October, the Christmas season really doesn't begin until after Thanksgiving. As I was decorating - yes, one of my traditions is...

We had a rare thing happen one Saturday recently; we had no sports games or swim meets or birthday parties to attend. A free Saturday! I almost didn't know what to do with myself since typically our w...

I genuinely love hosting and holiday hosting is by far my favorite. Bringing our friends and family together as we give thanks or celebrate the season of Christmas is something I truly look forward to...

I could eat soup every single day. Not just during colder months; I love it even on a blistering hot day in the middle of July. My family thinks that is super weird so I rarely make a batch of soup in...

Christmas is next month! Those words likely bring you a mixture of excitement and of "say what?, I'm not ready!" Don't worry, you still have time. Here are six things I have made a point to do and I p...

I am all in with the season of fall. Pumpkin spice, cool and crisp autumn days, the anticipation of the holidays right around the corner. I love making my house feel the seasons. Pumpkin and leaves dc...

In the end, we had quite a feast and ended up inviting more friends over to help us eat. I had made enough mashed potatoes to feed an army. But with 20 guests for Thanksgiving, I needed to ensure I al...

I am on my second cold of the cold and flu season and we are not even to November. When I started feeling a sore throat coming on less than a month after I had gotten over being sick, I told myself th...

Each year around this time, I have an issue with fruit flies in my kitchen. They seem to multiply overnight and it drives me borderline insane. I had tried everything. Different traps and hacks claimi...