My husband and I love to host dinners with family and friends during the holidays. Everything you see in these photos are things that I already had, except for the table runner and fresh flowers. Yet, this scene looks very different than what I’ve done in past years. It just goes to show you that you don’t need to buy all new things every year. I love an excuse to buy fresh flowers but I do it on a budget. Two words… grocery store. I bought 3 bunches with a single flower type in each for only $15 total and …

My husband and I love baking and handing out cookies.  Chocolate chip (or M&M) cookies are hands down the most requested cookie no matter what time of the year it is.  If you’re lost about where to start your holiday baking, then I recommend you start with these chocolate chip cookies because you can’t go wrong. We also love hosting friends and family, and one place we spend a bunch of time is our dining room. This year it has a rustic/nature/elegant theme. I kept the table center piece very simple.  I used whimsical bird accent plates to match the …