Howdy, friends, and ho ho ho! I know it isn’t quite Christmastime yet, but as I write this letter to you, I find myself getting very impatient for all the family time, traditions and nostalgia the whole season has to offer. It seems like this has been a particularly long year for everyone, and I’m thinking this holiday season might be just the reset we all need. I’m ready!
I started Christmas shopping early this year because I’m usually scrambling in the last two weeks to find everyone the perfect gift. Yes, I do thrive on tight deadlines (I’ve sure had a lot of practice with them!), but I decided to change things up for Christmas 2024. My gift guide represents the fun variety of presents, both in category and in price point, that I love to give.
Get Gifting
Speaking of perfect gifts, no one needs to get me anything this year because the ultimate gift is already in the works: Alex and Mauricio will be welcoming their first baby in early January, if not before, which means Ladd and I are getting ready to enter the Granny and Gramps stage (figuratively speaking; no grandparent names have been chosen yet!). Considering that neither Ladd nor I had this on our bingo card this year, we have really settled into the happy news, and I have even started buying ridiculously adorable onesies for our future granddaughter. Look out, Ladd! A whole new column of monthly spending has been created. (Do they make three-ton Ford pickups for infants?)
Before we even get to Christmastime and Babytime, however, there’s so much else to plan for and look forward to!
We’ll be hosting Thanksgiving in our new house again, and actually, the place is feeling less like a new house and more like a home every day. Our number one objective when we built it was to have room for all the kids (and their spouses, fiancés and friends) to come home and visit for big meals, football games and (another first for our family) hanging in the hot tub. So I’m planning big Thanksgiving and Christmas spreads for any and everyone who wants to join. (You’ll love the menu choices in this issue!)
Alongside holiday plans, work plans (I’m shooting my new cookbook) and relaxation plans, I’ve also been busy slowly helping Paige plan her wedding. It isn’t until May 2025, but if I learned one thing with Alex’s wedding, it’s that the more you get done early, the less stress you’ll have later. I’m so happy for Paige and her fiancé, David, and yes, I’m already searching for my Mother-of-the-Bride Dress 2.0!
I hope you enjoy this holiday season with your family and friends. Sending you all love from the ranch!
I’m a desperate housewife, I live in the country, and I’m obsessed with butter, Basset Hounds, and Ethel Merman. Welcome to my frontier!