New Family Holiday Traditions

This will be the first year we won’t be back in the Midwest for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. We will be here in New York City for the entire holiday season. As much as we are going to miss being with our families, we are really excited about being here for the Thanksgiving Day Parade (will be our first), waking up on Christmas morning to see if Santa ate his cookies and being home with the animals. Love this time of year!

Shop Marks & Spencer Collection

Striped Jumper , Santa HatOrnamentsNapkinsWine GlassesDining SetCake StandTumblers

Home for the Holidays

We are going to really miss our families but New York is magical this time of year so we are looking forward to it. The city is already coming to life for the holidays. The trees lining Park Avenue are dressed in lights, the tree at Rockefeller has arrived, the ice rinks are all open for skating and Bryant Park has transformed into a winter wonderland.

This year we are once again partnering with our favorite British retailer, Marks & Spencer for the holidays. We love them! You may remember this time last year, we were awaiting both Sebastian and Christmas. Crazy how fast time goes. If you aren’t yet familiar with Marks & Spencer, they are the British brand responsible for everything you could ever need. Whether you are getting ready for a party, shopping for a new dress, or getting the perfect gift for that someone special, they have it all. Their prices are on point and if you like luxury items without the sticker shock, they have a great selection. Oh ya, you also get express delivery for all orders over $50. Perfect! I linked everything we picked up below and they got tons more. With the holidays around the corner, be sure and check out their gift guides. Matt and I both pick up things throughout the year. We just like their stuff. Great quality and has that hint of British style.

We are already starting some new family traditions…

first

Every year we go to see the light display at Saks, this time it was a little different..

We kicked off Monday night by seeing the unveiling of the Sak’s window display. It was spectacular! It was incredible to experience the show while sitting along 5th Avenue. We watched the gorgeous lights play across the entire Saks storefront.

If you come to NYC this season, go see the light display at Saks. After the show is done you can turn around and walk over to the ice skating rink to watch the skaters twirl beneath the Christmas tree. It’s a really fun time and you feel like you are in a movie. You always see New York in movies and growing up, I always remembered the Rockefeller Ice Rink with the giant gold statue. It was such a surreal experience to finally skate on the famous rink!

second

Take time out for Matt and me to sit down for a meal together. Have some wine and some sweets and just enjoy each other’s company. We always try to make time but it can be difficult with the little guy around. Speaking of Sebastian, he was supposed to be a part of photos but he napped the whole time. Our favorite sweet snack in the city outside of the Cronut, are macarons so we make sure we always have those for dessert.

third

And one that makes me laugh, decorating for the holidays well before Thanksgiving. We love getting the place all decked out in holiday decorations with Christmas music playing on the record player. The happiness meter is always near its peak this time of year. Batman is extra cuddly, Kitty is in the mix, Sebastian is walking everywhere with a big smile on his face, Matt is watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation while editing photos and I am cozied up with some hot chocolate and my laptop. There are absolutely zero complaints here.

The decorating part for us is a whole lot of fun!

We have lots of old ornaments that our parents handed off to us once we left the den. Hanging ornaments was always something we did as a family so that has stuck around in our home as well. Can’t get over how cute the British icon ornaments are!

I’m thinking we need to add one more this year. Maybe ice skating?? Stay tuned!

Thanks again to Marks & Spencer and Shopping Links for sponsoring today’s post. Be sure and check out their site. Super simple shopping experience and they have great gift guides to point you in the right direction for anyone on your list. Happy Shopping!!

xo, Olivia

Holiday Decor

Striped Jumper , Santa HatOrnamentsNapkinsWine GlassesDining SetCake StandTumblers

7 Comments

  1. Tess Felber wrote:

    Your tree is darling and that’s exciting you’ll be in the city for the holidays- it’s such a magical place!
    xx Tess |Sequins are the New Black

    Posted 11.21.17 · Reply
    • olivia wrote:

      Hi Tess, thank you! Yes, it’s going to be magical!
      xo, Olivia

      Posted 11.22.17 · Reply
  2. Jandrew wrote:

    I love seeing your holiday decor and decorating! Gives me some great ideas . I remember Marks & Sparks from England !
    Jandrew
    Dress The Part
    http://www.jandrewspeaks.com

    Posted 11.21.17 · Reply
    • olivia wrote:

      Hi Jandrew! Thank you. You’re so sweet. Yes! It’s from the UK.

      xo, Olivia

      Posted 11.22.17 · Reply
  3. Cyran wrote:

    I am in love with your table setting – it’s making m think about our own! I also have a young family and we’re starting to create our own traditions, it’s very exciting. I can’t wait to start decorating. P.S. I love M&S such an iconic brand here in London and the pieces you’ve chosen are so complementary.

    Posted 11.22.17 · Reply
    • olivia wrote:

      We really liked the simplicity of the table, but it still looked dressed up with the rose gold tumblers and wine glasses. Funny enough, I left up the setting for a few days because I loved looking at everything. So pretty!

      Sending lots of LOVE to London! It’s one of our favorite cities. M&S have really great goodies for the holidays.

      xo, Olivia

      Posted 11.22.17 · Reply
  4. Diana wrote:

    This post is well researched and so insightful. I really enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing.

    Posted 10.30.23 · Reply

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