This past week and a half has been a whirlwind of holiday activities. From shopping and wrapping to Christmas parties, it has been non stop.  I have been so busy, I have not even had time to sit down and write about all of the activities. So here it goes…

Wednesday the Girls Night crew had our Holiday Dinner. We have made it a tradition to go to this little Italian restaurant in the area. The food is always delicious, the atmosphere is cozy and festive, and the service is always great. We also partake in a little Secret Santa. Just as last year, I gave to the same person who was giving to me. Too funny! I also gave the girls a little hot cocoa kit to enjoy during the cold winter nights. (Thank you Pinterest!)

Friday I hung out with my little girlfriend Maeve. We continued our holiday tradition of creating a gingerbread house. We have been showing off our design skills since 2009. I do have to say though, this year is by far the best yet. We really have expanded our creativity…well Maeve has expanded her creativity and taken over as lead designer. The rest of the night we played checkers and watched the classic Christmas movies: Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. It was a perfect evening!

Sunday I hosted a Cookie Exchange Party at the house. It’s really just an excuse to get together for the holidays and eat a bunch of sweets. We had a wide variety of cookies to share…red velvet truffles, lemon ricotta cookies, peppermint white chocolate covered Oreos, sittin’ pretties, Nutella biscotti, and peppermint patty cookies. All very, very delicious! We enjoyed a pomegranate-lime white wine spritzer along with a few other snack foods as well. It was a lovely evening to share with some of my closest girlfriends.

Cara is in town to see her mom for the holiday. So last night, Cara, her husband, Liz, myself, and their mothers enjoyed a lovely dinner, gift exchange, and an intense game of Scrabble. Liz made one of our favorite holiday desserts, Italian Rainbow Cookies. I ate quite a few of those. It’s always nice just hanging out with your oldest friend, catching up, and eating good food.

The festivities continue on tonight with a party at Nick’s parents, immediately followed by a party at my aunts.