That’s right. A mug for you, a mug for me, and perhaps a few for your friends down the street. This hot chocolate bar is bound to have everyone in the neighborhood talking…especially with all the fancy little toppings. Sometimes the simplest things can be the most meaningful, especially this time of year…so that’s why I’m saying it’s okay to not have homemade marshmallows or warmed fudge topping. Sometimes…sometimes it’s easier to just buy the store bought. I know. Those words just came out of my mouth and I’m gasping just saying it, but I’m learning fully this season to embrace time. To share more hugs and more laughs, more cuddles around the fire, and less of striving for perfection.

And honestly, I fall more in love with those who flaunt their flaws, who don’t have every single thing just-so, who don’t do the perfect foamy art on their hot chocolate, and who may let some whip cream drip down the side of the mug because messy is beautiful. Messy and imperfect is so much more inviting and authentic, and real. So invite your friends over for a mug of hot chocolate, grab a scarf from the closet, put those store bought marshmallows in a bowl, and maybe some chocolate chips from the baking cupboard. So what if there are full laundry baskets in the living room, and what a gift that is, because that means you’ve had clothes to wear and appliances to wash them in. And so what if there are dishes in the sink, because that means you’ve had food to eat, and so what if the bed isn’t made, because you slept in a little too late with your love. I’m inviting you to join me in shifting our perspectives this Christmas season to be thankful for those mundane chores and to flaunt them and change the mentality that society places so much emphasis on. This Christmas season, when I know all of us women want to have those Williams Sonoma serving dishes or the perfect Pottery Barn mantle, a West Elm couch or Restoration Hardware stockings, that a little more time spent with family and cuddles on the couch and dirty dishes in the sink and Michael Buble’s Christmas album on repeat while you watch the credits from It’s A Wonderful Life create  far more valuable moments that you will treasure than the items in your home.

So here’s to overflowing mugs of hot chocolate and hearts filled to the very brim with lasting moments shared with those you love. And here’s a little bit of my home that I’m sharing with you. Not pictured: the laundry in the dryer that I’ve hit refresh on at least four times this week, the not-emptied dishwasher that has been “drying” for two days, the unmade bed upstairs, the leaves sprinkled in my entry way where the shoes come off, or the boxes in the hallway that are ready to be moved.

So don’t let the picture perfect scenes on social media intimidate you, make you feel less than, completely like a failure, or like what you have or don’t have isn’t good enough, because what you see on social media is the less than 10% of our daily lives. And what is real, are the messy, beautiful moments that we all have, and that we all share. Go give your honey a warm hug and curl up on the couch, say no to your home looking a whole lot like a storefront and a lot more yes to slowing down and savoring life a little bit more.

 

And if you’re interested…here’s a little how-to for this pretty tablescape!

 

Hot Chocolate Bar //

paper straws – Target

wafer cookies – Target

candy canes (mini ones for the kiddies)

marshmallows (regular + peppermint)

hot chocolate powder

caramel sauce (put in a pretty jar for drizzling)

a fun winter scarf from your closet

christmas lights for ambiance

chocolate chips (white chocolate + dark)

sprinkles

whip cream

a teapot + mugs

Display it however you like! :)

 

Cheers!