Wednesday Weekly Wish List 125: Favorites, Ideas and Little Pleasures

In this post: Wednesday Weekly Wish List is the place to find recommendations and ideas, personal favorites and little pleasures that will add a bit of joy to your life.⇒

Welcome to another week of the Wednesday Weekly Wishlist, a place for a little midweek inspiration! We invite you to click the links and explore what’s enchanting us right now. Enjoy!

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1). Are you thinking about Christmas decorating yet? I know it might be a bit early, but Christmas is only 47 days away! This year, I’ll be using lots of faux evergreens and other foliage in our home. I used to use fresh greens, but they were such a hassle! If you are a convert to faux greens, make sure you check out Best Tips For Decorating With Faux Greens. It’s a guide filled with info about different types of greens and a plethora of ways to use them in your home this Christmas.

2. New For 2023: I just finished our brand 2023 FREE 37-page Christmas Lookbook, THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS! It’s full of Christmas ideas and inspiring images for you to enjoy! The Lookbook works like a magazine. Put your cursor or finger (depending on the device) on the edge of the right side of the page just like you were going to turn the page, and the page will flip over, just like a magazine. Merry Christmas!

3. Amazon Finds: Here are my favorites from Amazon this week. 

4. I had my oven checked recently because I thought it was running too hot. I learned that oven thermometers, whether internal or the kind we clip to our ovens, aren’t always a good indication of the overall temperature of an oven. What?! I’ve come to find out that our oven temps rise and fall in the cooking cycle. When we preheat our ovens, they can fluctuate 35 degrees! So my delightful service person said we should wait at least 15 minutes after it preheats for our ovens to cycle through a rise and then a fall in temperature. Who knew! I have another aha oven moment next week, too!

5. Christmas Decorating Crushes: this classic Christmas tree picture, this handsome tabletop tree, this rattan tree collar, this pinecone and faux green wreath(LOVE), just ordered this copper tray with deer shed handles, this beautiful bird tree topper, my favorite doormat, and another favorite gingerbread doormat on super sale, St. Jude bell candle, this folklore embroidered stocking, and this trio of boxwood wreaths.

6. Home, Decor, And More: Our friend Lisa Holt talks about Christmas decor, Jenna Pierce shows us how to get a high-end Christmas look for less, and Ashley Childers shares designer holiday decorating ideas.

7. Cool Weather Clothes: this versatile car coat, this beautiful turtleneck sweater, this attractive sweater tunic, this black bejeweled cardigan sweater, and this gorgeous textured sweater. And check out this Readers’ favorite sweater set.

8. What president was gifted a live raccoon to be served as a dinner option on Thanksgiving? What convenience food was invented because of Thanksgiving leftovers?

9. More Christmas Cheer:  Tips For Decorating A Small Room will help you decorate a beautiful room for the holidays without it looking cluttered or overwhelming. Why not decorate a Transitional Holiday Mantel now that can work for late fall, Thanksgiving, and Christmas? So smart! And make sure you check out How To Decorate With Christmas Collections. So many ideas!

10. Christmas Cookies: I love Christmas cookies, how about you! Here are some fantasy cookies I would love to make in my dreams… this cookie Christmas tree, this gingerbread house, these cookies that are just so fun to look at, and this cookie decorating video.

Answer to #7: Calvin Coolidge was gifted a raccoon to be eaten on Thanksgiving. However, he liked it so much that it became his pet. TV dinners were invented because, in 1953, Swanson & Co. overestimated how much turkey they would sell and had 260 tons of leftover turkey. So, the turkey was frozen and sold in aluminum trays. And the iconic TV dinner was born. 

1. If you like to spread holiday cheer beyond the tree and the door wreath, you’ll enjoy the very latest from the blog: Simple and Pretty Christmas Decorations for the Bathroom.

2. AMAZON PICKS: here are this week’s favorites from Amazon.

3. THIS WEEK ON THE BLOG I shared these Simple and Easy Holiday Living Room Ideas, these Elegant Holiday Decorating Ideas for the Dining Room and this Blue and White China Holiday Table Setting.

4. CURRENT DECOR CRUSHES UNDER $50:

• This elegant gilded leaf wreath
• This sweet jingle bell garland
• These textured metallic glass ball ornaments (in all the right shades!)
• These wonderful embellished velvet stockings

5. CURRENT DECOR CRUSHES UNDER $100:

• This faux cedar swag with bells
• This charming sherpa snowflake throw pillow
• This stunning jeweled tree (17″)
• This flocked bottle brush trees with bow set of 3

6. CURRENT DECOR CRUSHES UNDER $150:

• This wonderful slim rose gold tree (slightly higher)
• This charming handcrafted basket tree collar
• This darling red truck floral centerpiece
• This lovely tartan plaid throw blanket

7. Not ready for holiday decor or just working on ‘all-year decorating’? Check out these Decorating Ideas for a Tiny Back Entry Foyer and these Masculine Bedroom Decor Ideas for the guys in your life.

8. MY THANKSGIVING OUTFIT: This most flattering and comfortable pull-on flare pant (also comes in straight leg and wide leg), this mock neck shell (40% off at checkout), this oversized cashmere cardigan (30% off) and these suede booties. Accessorizing with this gorgeous print scarf and this great tote bag.

9. WHAT’S INSPIRING ME AROUND THE WEB: While I typically love light and bright, this deep, rich dining room is giving me all the feels. Madly in love with the rustic elegance of this transitional European home’s holiday decor. And in the romantic category, this gorgeous holiday space bears all the charm of a genuine French farmhouse.

10. UP NEXT: My first gift guides of the year are coming up soon…

1.) Do you have your Christmas decor game plan in place? I just shared my best tips for getting it all done with minimal stress, and I also outlined my own decor plan for the upcoming holiday season. 

2.) If you have someone special who loves to garden, a wonderful and thoughtful gift is a book on gardening or flower arranging. Here are my favorites: from Floret Farm, A Year in Flowers. This is a gorgeous book that shows you how to design arrangements for every season. Also from Floret Farm, Cut Flower Garden. These two books are treasures. I also love The Cutting Garden, and Garden Maker, which shows you how to grow beautiful things. For the herb gardener: The Gift of Healing Herbs.

3.) FAVORITE QUOTE: “There’s a big difference between empty fatigue and gratifying exhaustion. Life is short. Invest in meaningful activities that move you.” ~Marc and Angel Chernoff

4.) LOVELY INSPIRATION: this lovely Christmas tree decorated with candle lights, this Christmas candlelight home tour, this cozy minimalist Christmas home tour, and this charming kitchen and breakfast nook decorated for Christmas.

5.) WHAT I’M WATCHING: I just watched All The Light We Cannot See on Netflix…and I loved it. Parts of it were difficult to watch, but if you like stories about World War II, this is very good. I also just watched The Holiday on Hulu, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute! More old favorites that are playing right now…Persuasion on BritBox, The Noel Diary, Where The Crawdads Sing, A California Christmas, and Love Actually, all on Netflix, 

6.) Super simple dinner ideas that are perfect for the busy days ahead: One Pot Vegetable Beef Soup, Easy Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, Chicken Salad Sandwiches, and Rosemary Chicken with Vegetables. 

7.) STOCKING STUFFER IDEAS FOR HER: this beaded stretch bracelet in 3 stunning colors, this Snowy Day earring gift set, this Burt’s Bees essential gift set, these beautiful hoop earrings, these cozy cabin socks, this set of eos lip balm tubes, this brow shaping set (love!), and these cable knit gloves, available in 5 colors. 

8.) One more home tour: this homeowner’s signature style combines coastal New England with classic English details and is timeless, feminine, and warm. This tour has real, down-to-earth ideas and inspiration for all of us. (I’m in love with the front door wreath!)

9.) NEW FOOD BLOG TO FOLLOW: one of my very favorite food blogs is The View From Great Island. Sue shares so many wonderful recipes, and they are all written in an easy-to-follow style. If you love to cook, or eat, take a look!

10.) That’s it for me. Wishing you all a lovely and productive week!