It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!
The magical feeling of the holidays is something even COVID can’t take away from me. Or at least I refuse to give it up!
While this year is so different and we aren’t having our usual Christmas gathering at my house, I am determined to still enjoy this beautiful time of year. I am trying to take in all the positives and just enjoy a little bit of downtime before the beginning of next year.
This post is just a little life update and likely the last post from me for 2020.
Baking Tons of Goodies
I have been baking so many baked goodies in the past week! About 17 dozen sugary-sprinkled spritz cookies, five dozen chocolate chip cookies, and two dozen brownies.
We have also received a ton of goodies this season! One of my favorites is from our sweet neighbors down the street. They usually bake all sorts of homemade goodies every Christmas for our entire street! Since Covid happened this year, they found it best to buy us these thoughtful goodies.
Iced coffee may or may not be helping me fuel through this holiday season!
Reading is Almost a Habit
As much as I enjoy reading, my reading list has been a treacherous journey this entire year. You can ask my dear friend Autumn (a.k.a. @bookishandblissful on Instagram!), she has watched me go from book-to-book and I rarely finished any of them.
I am happy to report that things have been a lot smoother this past month, and I’ve read through quite a few books. Not nearly as many as I should have or wanted to, but it’s definitely an accomplishment at this point!
It started with this awesome giveaway win from @lotsofsassblog on Instagram! I never win anything, but I was so excited to win The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert. I read it around election time, so it was a very timely read, I enjoyed this one a lot!
Some of the books I’ve read recently are No Offense by Meg Cabot, Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner, After by Anna Todd, and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han . I’m going to put together a review of each of these in a blog post in January, so be on the lookout for that one! I’ve enjoyed all of these, but I am SO hooked on the After series already. I have the second book right now and plan to start reading it this week!
Focusing on Big Things in 2021
While I’m not planning on writing out a ton of my goals here, I would like to mention that one of them is to really grow my social media accounts. For those of you who read my blog already, I’d love for you to hop on over to my Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest accounts and give them a follow. I’d truly appreciate it!
And if you’re new here, please check them out and see if it’s something you would be interested in. I want to really build up the Make Life Marvelous community next year and would love your help in doing so.
As tough as 2020 has been so far, I really feel like the universe is shifting and we are going to make some magic happen around here!
Merry Christmas!
I know it’s not Christmas just yet, but I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas!
I hope you take in all of the wonderful moments that this holiday season brings. It definitely looks different this year, but there’s still so much to celebrate and be grateful for. 🙂
Let me know how you’re celebrating Christmas! I’ll be making chicken and dumplings for dinner with sides, a couple of pies (Marie Callendar is helping, haha!), and some bacon-wrapped sausages for an appetizer.
Let’s Chat!
Do you have any favorite sweets or foods this time of year?
If you’re a reader, what have you read recently?
Have you been planning some goals for next year?
You’ve been busy baking so many yummy treats! I have really been slacking in the reading department this year and am going to check out these books. Have a very Merry Christmas!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Hope you love those books, Jill! 🙂 I’ll be sharing some more soon this month. I had a great Christmas and I hope you did the very same, friend!
I’ve been doing a lot of baking and cooking too! That’s exciting that you won The Voting Booth. I’m in Azanique’s book club and that was our November book!
Jennifer
Curated By Jennifer
I was ecstatic!! I joined her book club right afterwards, and really need to start getting more involved in it! So happy you enjoyed lots of cooking and baking too, and I’m wishing you the most amazing New Year, friend!
My baking marathon started last night, and I’ll be going until Thursday:-) I need to get back to reading, so thanks for these recommendations and one of my goals is to grow social media, especially on Pinterest. I love your positive attitude and happy to have connected with you. Have a very Merry Christmas!
Martha
http://www.alovelymessylife.com
Hope you had the best Christmas, Martha! I am beyond happy we connected too, I have a feeling it’s the start to a beautiful friendship for the coming years! 🙂 So happy you got lots of baking in, and I just know you’re going to grow your social media far beyond any of your expectations!
Yesss, gimme all the baked goods! Hope you have a lovely Christmas, doll!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Thank you so much, friend! Hope you had a very Merry Christmas and a beautiful New Year! 🙂
Baking, reading and watching Christmas movies are main activities these days. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
New Post – https://www.exclusivebeautydiary.com/2020/12/kilian-woman-in-gold.html
Love that, my friend! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a beautiful New Year! 🙂
Lovely post! I love Christmas vibes so much!
Review Belt For Man
Thanks so much, Elizabeth!
Happy New Year Ashley! Those treats looks so delicious and I’ve been reading a lot as well. I wish you lots of love and peace in this upcoming year. XO
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thank you so much, friend! I appreciate you SO very much, and I am wishing you the very same for the New Year! 🙂
Christmas treats and cookies are the best! How sweet of your neighbours too! We did a lot of baking for Christmas – always nice to take over to people’s houses when we visit, and with relaxed restrictions here we were able to have our regular family Christmas celebrations 🙂
Hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and you are enjoying this relaxing time between Christmas and new year 🙂
I’m so glad you were able to have a normal Christmas! 🙂 I enjoyed seeing some of your yummy treats on your Instagram Stories – it all looked amazing!
Wishing you a wonderful New Year, my friend! Ours was very nice and we are off to a good start for our new year.
Wow those cookies look amazing! You are really enjoying the christmas spirit.
Wishing you a very happy new year
https://honeycombee.com/
Aww, thank you so much, Katerina!
I hope you have the very best New Year and that this year brings you the brightest, most magical moments.
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! The cookies look yum and festive!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
I did, it was a great Christmas. Thank you so much! 🙂 I hope you had a wonderful Christmas as well, and a very happy New Year!
Cookies look yummy ❤ Nice photos ❤
Thank you bunches, my friend! 🙂
All these treats look so yummy! I should pick up baking again. I miss it x
Laura
https://www.beautywithlala.com/
I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, Ashley! Those cookies look so delicious!
Julia x
https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/