As much as we love spending time with our family during the holiday, Tyler and I decided to spend Christmas Day at home alone this year, and to be honest, it was one of the best days of our entire lives.

We love Christmas, and I mean LOVE it. Every sight, scent, sound, and feel of each detail it brings make our hearts come alive and we love to share in it together… So having the whole day to wake up whenever we wanted and simply take our time was so incredibly blissful we could hardly stand ourselves.

I made blueberry pancakes and coffee for breakfast, and we slowly opened gifts together afterwards, taking about two hours to get through them.

A few items Tyler received included a journal for Enneagram Type 9s by Beth McCord, a print we’ll have framed for our new shared office in the attic by Emily Winfield Martin (I’m obsessed with her work), a nice bottle of Meade (wine made from honey), some new music, ginger candies, and more..

He spoiled me with a gorgeous tapered rolling pin with a walnut finish, Nordic cookie stamps, little gourmet chocolates, a beautiful card, and a Plumosa fern that hangs from a ball of moss! I couldn’t believe my eyes.

We putzed around the house for the afternoon, incense going, pine, orange, and clove essential oils diffusing, and quietly appreciating the solitude of the day together. We then worked together to prep dinner. I’d dry-brined a turkey breast the day before so it was seasoned and ready to be cooked.

Our menu included:

Classic Turkey Breast with sage, rosemary, and thyme
Yellow Potatoes with Parsley and butter
Hericot Verts with a Dijon Vinaigrette
Lingonberry Jam and Cranberry Jelly
Arugula Salad with toasted Pine Nuts and Pomegranate Seeds with a Poppy Seed Dressing
Harvest Corn
Gravy from the Turkey Drippings
A nice Cabernet
…and Chocolate-covered Orange peels for dessert

We needed yesterday. It felt incredible to have no plans, relax, and enjoy the peace and tranquility of our space, enjoy each other’s company, and celebrate Christmas together, just the two of us and Bax, our sweet little family.

Here are a few favorites that captured the flavor of the day, starting with the Gingerbread Cake I made for Christmas Eve dinner the night before… Spending time creating in the kitchen is something I absolutely love and cherish, especially this time of year, so it was truly a gift for me to be able to spend that time. Eating it all was nice too. :)