Holiday Tunes!

Here at A Taste of Love, nothing puts us in the holiday spirit quite like the seasonal sounds of festive holiday music… In light of this, today we’ve listed our top 10 favorite holiday tunes for 2013. Check them out below and be sure to give our complete Holiday Playlist a listen too!

1. Mariah Carey- All I Want for Christmas is You
2. James Taylor – Winter Wonderland
3. She & Him – Baby, It’s Cold Outside
4. WHAM- Last Christmas
5. Andy Williams- It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
6. Eartha Kitt – Santa Baby
7. Slade- Merry Christmas Everybody
8. Michael Bublé – Santa Claus is Coming to Town
9. Wizard- I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday
10.Band Aid- Do They Know it's Christmas

Click the image below to listen to our Holiday Playlist now:

What is your favourite holiday tune? 

Saskia XO

P.S. Behind door 7 was a little cracker!

Gift Guide: For the Hostess

Sooner or later your weekends will be booked with various holiday-themed soirées and get-togethers. Even though it is not mandatory, I always like to bring along a little something for the host. Whether it’s a home-baked treat, an appetizer, or a small gift—it’s never a bad idea to show your host a little appreciation. Since finding the perfect hostess gift can get a little tricky, I’ve put together a list of 10 hostess gift ideas. Check them out below and be sure to share your own ideas in the comments below…

Rosemary Sea Salt. This is a simple, budget-friendly gift that you can make at home. I love how thoughtful it is and how easy it is to make. Plus you can make it in bulk if you have a busy social schedule this December. Click here for instructions. 

Cheese Curler. If your host enjoys, well, hosting then this is the perfect gift. A cheese curler is an unusual find that your host will put to good use if they love entertaining.

Basil in a Bottle. I absolutely love this idea! If your host loves to cook, this is a no-brainer. This Wine Bottle Basil Garden repurposes an old wine bottle into a countertop basil garden. Perfect for the herb-loving chef!

Eco-Friendly Hand Towels. These hand towels from the XO(eco) line with BlueAvocado are not only environmentally friendly but also a great necessity that every host can’t have enough of…

Mini Fondue Set. My favorite gifts are things that you can eat, drink, or burn…and this Fondue au Chocolat set is something I would never buy for myself but would love to receive as a gift! Genius and so cute.

OCD Cutting Board. If your hostess is a kitchen-gadget aficionado, this OCD “Obsessive Chopping Disorder” Cutting Board is perfection. Check out that grid—need I say more?

Wine Stopper. This is another thoughtful but inexpensive gift idea that most people typically don’t buy for themselves. I love these wine stoppers from BHLDN. If you’re willing to spend a bit more, tie it onto a great bottle of wine.

Luxurious Candle. A nice candle (the above is one of my favorites, Tocca) is a wonderful hostess present. They’re also great last-minute gifts as well. 

A bottle of bubbly. This is another “eat, drink, or burn” idea. If you ask me, a nice bottle of bubbly is always a treat if your host is of age (of course) and into champagne. Add a festive twist by giving them a pretty bottle of something like Perrier-Jouët, which comes with a satin champagne chiller bag designed by Claire Coles (no wrapping necessary!).

Personalised Stationary: Hand printed cards can look very authentic, particularly these ones by Carrie Beth of Sugar B Designs; a lovely hostess gift choice as well.


Do you have a great gift idea? Sound off in the comments below. 

Saskia XO

P.S. Behind door 6 was a star!

Holiday Host: Gift Exchanges

The December holidays will be here before you know it, so why not get ahead of the game while you can? Since the holidays tend to be a time when wallets are stretched to the max, a simple way to cut down on costs is by limiting the sheer volume of gifts you need to purchase. Enter: The Secret Santa Gift Exchange. Instead of buying each of your friends a gift, host a gift exchange where each person gives only one gift within a given price range.

Here’s how a Secret Santa Gift Exchange works:

1. Confirm who will be involved in the gift exchange.
2. Then randomly assign each person to whom they must anonymously give a gift. (This is easiest if you have everyone draw names from a hat.)
3. Decide on a price range.
4. Plan a get together where each person shows up with his or her assigned gift.
5. Exchange gifts, eat, drink and be merry!

Aside from the fact that this is a great budget-conscious option to consider for the holidays, it’s also just plain fun. It’s a great reason to get together with friends over the holidays and you avoid the awkward question of who you should give gifts to.


Have you hosted a gift exchange? Or participated in one before? If you have any helpful tips, share them below!

Saskia XO

P.S. Behind door 5 was another pressie!

Holiday Wish List

You’re making a list but you might want to check it twice because the following 10 girly gift ideas are things you must add to your Dear Santa list if you’ve been extra nice… 

 1. A fabulous jacket. Check Lauren Conrad’s Fall Coat Guide to find the best style for you

2. Chic tech-sessories. A new phone case or iPad sleeve is never a bad idea.

3. New boots. Get your closet ready for the winter season with a new pair of flat boots.

4. Weekender bag. This is something we typically don’t like to buy for ourselves but love to have on hand… Perfect for a last-minute quickie getaway!

5. Monogram necklace. While it might seem trendy now, a monogram necklace is a classic statement piece that will last you a lifetime.

6. Luxe polish. Pricy designer nail polish makes for a great gift—it’s definitely something that we don’t usually like to treat ourselves to but love to get!

7. Perfume! This is the gift that keeps on giving. Spritz it throughout the year and enjoy… 

8. Stylish sunglasses. Who doesn’t love a new pair of sunnies to sport in the New Year?

9. A new wallet. It’s useful and it’s something we don’t care to splurge on when we’re footing the bill.

10. A good book. We have our eye on the new Kate Moss book, but nothing tickles our fancy like an amazing coffee table book.

And there you have it—our oh-so-unofficial list of holiday gift ideas you can fill your wish list with!

Do you have your eye on anything in particular this holiday season? 

Saskia XO

P.S. Behind door 4 was a present!

Holiday DIY: Homemade Gift Tags

During the holiday season I think a lot of us get caught up in the idea of giving simply to give instead of giving thoughtfully. To ensure my presents feel personalised, I like to make my own gift tags. It’s really quite simple and doesn’t require a lot of time, but makes a big difference as opposed to using store-bought tags. 

This year, I started making gift tags with watercolours and watercolour paper. I started this project a few weeks ago and whenever I have some downtime I pull out my supplies and make a few. (It’s a great activity to do while you’re catching up on your favorite fall shows!) 

I created a tag template by tracing a playing card onto watercolour paper and then cut out a whole stack of them to decorate. Like I said before, I used watercolour supplies to create my tags this year. However, other materials I’ve been known to use include glitter pens, stamps (which I like to trace over with glue and glitter), and scrapbook letters. If you’re not particularly artistic, definitely give the stamps and scrapbook letters a try. 

What do you think? 

I encourage all of you to take a little time to give this thoughtful touch a try. It’s simple and the recipients of your gifts will really appreciate your added efforts. 

Are you going to make your own gift tags this year? What materials do you plan to use? 

Happy crafting! 

Saskia XO

P.S Behind door 3 was another christmas pud!

Sweet Tooth: Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Around this time of year, I absolutely love giving food a festive spin. Whether it’s transforming sugar cones into Witch Hat Delights for Halloween or getting frosty with Patriot Pops for the Fourth of July, I like to think of myself and my collegues as a team of holiday-loving-foodie-crafters. After brainstorming dozens of creative treats for the winter holidays, we struck gold when we came up with Christmas Tree Cupcakes (inspired by our Witch Hat Delights). By simply taking a sugar cone, frosting it with green icing, and topping it off with a gumdrop, we transformed basic vanilla cupcakes into something entirely new...and oh-so-cute! Double win! To create your own forest of these delicious treats, read on for our favorite vanilla cupcake recipe along with some tips for giving your cakes the coned-off tree look...

Vanilla Cupcakes

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart
Makes about 30 cupcakes

Ingredients 

• 1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Basic Vanilla Buttercream
• Colored Sprinkles, for decorating, optional
• Alternate frosting: Billy's Chocolate Buttercream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.
2. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.
3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.
4. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

For the Christmas Tree Toppers…

Place a sugar cone on top of each cupcake and press into the cupcake firmly. Next, ice the entire cone with green frosting. (Tip: Hold the cone steady by placing your index finger on the top of the cone and pressing down.) Then, using a fork, texturise the green frosting until you reach your desired “Christmas tree” finish. We topped off our mini trees with gumdrops and added a little extra frosting around the base to make it look like snow. Decorating the trees is entirely up to you—just have fun and make them your own!

What’s your signature holiday treat? 

Saskia XO

P.S. Behind the second door was a ball ball! 

On the first day of Christmas....Eat, drink or burn!

Once again, we have arrived in the greatest month of all: December. And as a dedication to the greatest holiday of all, we have decided here at A Taste of Love, to do another countdown to Christmas blogging adventure...that means a blog a day!

So sit back, relax and enjoy the Christmas journey!

Today's post comes at you with a helping hand for Christmas present purchasing!



 When someone asks me what I want for the holidays, I always say that it has to be something I can eat, drink, or burn. I enacted my “Eat, Drink, or Burn Rule” a few years ago after realising that I didn’t really need any more stuff. Instead I prefer presents that I wouldn’t normally treat myself to... Whether it’s home-baked goodies, a great bottle of bubbly, or a lovely scented candle—these are the types of gifts that I truly enjoy.Whether it be purchasing for your best friend, teacher or sister, this rule can apply for everyone and is sure to guarantee a resounding smile!

Do you have any holiday gift-giving rules?

Saskia XO

P.S. Behind the first door was a christmas pudding!