An Easy At-Home Holiday Breakfast Bar For Guests

How to set up an easy and festive self-serve holiday breakfast bar
Filed Under > "Hostess with the Mostest"

One of the favorite things I have in my home is a makeshift tea station upstairs in my bedroom.  Ove the years, I’ve become a major night-time tea drinker.  And because I spend the majority of my evenings cozied up in my bed working, reading, or watching TV I got tired of running downstairs 2-3 times just to put the kettle on to get more tea. So, to alleviate that last year I purchased an electric tea kettle and turned a bar cart into a tea station. 

It’s nothing fancy, just an electric tea kettle and a tray full of mugs, tea bags, mulling spices, and all-things cozy. So when thinking about hosting all of our holiday guests this season I thought, why not turn my upstairs bar into an at-home holiday breakfast bar.  

If you’ve been following my Blog for a while then you know I have an upstairs loft that I turned into a sort of game room/bar area. It’s an awkward space, that truly doesn’t get used a lot. But it’s beautiful and I knew it would perfect for this self-serve idea.  

So why not set this up in the kitchen? Two main reasons.  One, it’s festive and fun, and I love doing small things like this to really make guests feel welcome and like you went all out for them. 

And two, all of the bedrooms are upstairs while the kitchen is downstairs.  I, like many people, love a slow, quiet start to my morning.  I don’t necessarily want to get dressed, and ready and head downstairs and start my day right away.  By having everything guests need right outside their door they can pop out and grab a cup of coffee or tea, and a breakfast pastry and head back to their room to have that nice leisurely start that every vacation should have.  Plus at night it can be used as that sleepy time tea station has become part of my nightly routine.

Regardless of where you set it up, a self-serve, holiday breakfast bar is beyond easy to create.  First, I made sure that I had all the morning necessities present.  Coffee maker, electric tea kettle, and toaster. I love this new vintage set from Russell & Hobbs.  It’s well priced, works like a gem, looks adorable, and the toaster even has a croissant toasting shelf!

Second, stock your holiday breakfast bar with everything guests would need to make it self serve so everyone can run at their own speed in the morning.  Think mugs, water, tea bags, coffee, sugar, utensils, napkins, etc.  And I stashed all of the extras in the drawers making it super easy if guests run out of anything. 

Third, I made it festive with holiday-themed coffee blends, pastries,  jams, packets of cocoa and tea. And of course, added a wreath and a few of my favorite rosemary and lavender Christmas trees as decor.

Lastly, I always make sure guests know that this is there for them to access at any time.  There’s nothing worse than being a guest who feels they have to tip-toe around their hosts.

And that’s it.  An easy at home holiday breakfast bar that is as festive as it is functional! Tell me, how do you make guests feel welcome in your home? Truly, MKR
 

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My Everyday Makeup Routine

Answering the number one question I always get asked on Instagram
Filed Under > Beauty & Tutorials

The number one question I get on Instagram, like get asked at least once a day, is “what’s your makeup routine?” And most specifically what eyeshadow do I wear. This question always makes me laugh, not because it’s a bad question at all, but because I have a VERY low key makeup routine.  In fact, my routine is one that I could do with my eyes closed in less than ten minutes.  And it’s a routine that NEVER really changes.

Eventually, I’m going to just bite the bullet and do an Instagram video for it, but I thought I’d share it here as well.  Before I get too deep into the specifics let me first say this, especially if you’re new around here.  I have worked hard over the years to de-toxify anything and everything I put on my face and my body.  The body is our biggest organ, and there are VERY few restrictions here in the US concerning the garbage they can put into our beauty products so I urge you to do some research and begin making the switch.  If you want to read more about what spurred that journey and the general steps I’ve taken check out this post. And no I am not 100% green or non-toxic, but I’m super close.  I’d say I’m at about a 92% and hope to be at 100% very soon.

Now on to the details. I’ve broken it down below, but I will say one of the best things you can do for your beauty routine and wardrobe routine is get a color analysis done.  What I mean by that is there are color experts that will do a few simple tests to help you understand what tones look right on you and which ones don’t. For me, even though I’m super pale skinned, cool tones work best with my complexion.  So if I want to go with a pink or a red, it needs to have those underlying blue tones rather than orange tones.  Understanding this changed how I dress and what makeup colors I choose.  You can take these quizzes or test online, but I did mine in person where the expert actually holds up colors to you and you can see your skin tone actually change so if you can do it in person, definitely go that route. 

Another thing to note is it took me a LONG time to understand what works on my very sensitive and fickle skin that has been the bane of my existence since the dawn of time.  Dramatic, yes a bit, but I have serious envy for people with perfect complexions.  That’s not me, nor will it ever be me, but I have figured out what to use that doesn’t cause a flare up.  I’m saying this because it’s a journey and what works for me won’t necessarily work for you. So test the waters and play around, but once you find what works hold on to that shade or brand for dear life!

Lastly, get some good makeup brushes and take the time cleaning them! I used to be so lazy about cleaning my brushes, but I found cleaning them weekly helps keep my skin clear.  My go-to brushes are actually from Young Living as well as the Thieves Foaming Hand Soap I use to clean them with.  Yes, that essential oils company has an amazing non-toxic makeup line now and it’s pretty great (read more about that HERE). The other thing I would 100% say get is this little rubber mat-thiny that you suction to your sink and clean your brushes with.  Game changer! 

And that’s it.  I hope the step by step below helps, and I hope this finally answers all those DM’s I haven’t gotten around to answering! Truly, MKR

Step One: Beauty Counter One Touch Concealer under my eyes. I show my tiredness and age under my eyes, so this has been a game changer and one of the most important tools in my arsenal.  Make sure you go at least 1 shade lighter than your skin as you want this to actually brighten.

Step Two & Three: Bare Minerals Foundation & Bronzer.  I’ve been using Mineral Makeup for over a decade now and it just works for me.  I put the foundation all over my face and a bit on my neck, followed by the bronzer.  I then take a q-tip and go through my eyebrows and hairline removing makeup that got into those places.

Step Four: Eye Shadow. I first start with a liquid eye shadow in this shade and rub slightly over my eye lid.  I’ve found that starting with a liquid eyeshadow allows my powder eyeshadow to stay put all day.  Then I mix a few different colors from this large Beauty Counter Pallete.  I start with Espresso mixed with a bit or bordeaux and maybe a bit of Canyon if I feel it’s coming off to brown.  I brush this all over my eye lid.  Followed by this lighter brown in my crease to blend the two a bit.  If it’s an eyeliner day I actually just use my eyeliner brush and blend the black and the bordeaux for an eyeliner.  Then I take one small swipe of the gilded and go over my entire lid to give it a bit of shimmer. And finish it off with Eggshell in the very crease of my eyebrow, where I want my eyebrow to point up, right in the center.  And then a bit in the corner of my eyes.  Eggshell really helps to brighten it up. Beauty Counter has switched up their shadows since I took this pic so now I use this pallet and this one and have MORE than enough colors for what I need to do.

Step Five: Because I guarantee a ton of eyeshadow has now fallen below my eyes I take my foundation brush and wipe it off under my eye.  I then layer another layer of the One Touch Concealer.  Patting, not rubbing the One Touch Concealer in.

Step Six: Brush my entire face and neck with Young Livings Savvy Minerals Mineral Veil in the lightest shade possible.  This is basically a finishing powder.

Step Seven: Beauty Counter’s Volumizing Mascara.  I LOVE this mascara.  It doesn’t flake, and really does volumize.

Step Eight: YSL Tropical Pink Lipstick.  This is my signature pink, and one I cannot find a different version of.  I love this color so much, like so much! And then I top it all off with my favorite lip gloss in Opal Moonstone and voila, I’m done!  Pretty easy right?!?
 

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Photography, Rustic White Interiors

A Favorite Tradition To Gift

Giving the gift of Godiva each and every year
Filed Under > Desserts

Growing up there were few things as symbolic of a holiday or special occasion than a gold GODIVA box.  Out of everything, and anything, it was probably my mother’s favorite gift to give and get.  

We’d open the box together, carefully choosing our favorite flavor, savoring each and every piece, never able to pick an actual favorite.

And to this day, that golden box still holds that same excitement and love for our family.  As I’ve grown I’ve extended the love of GODIVA well past that of our family.  Yes, mom still always gets her gold box, but GODIVA has easily become my gift of choice for all of those people I want to make feel extra special during the holiday season.  Co-workers, neighbors, and my personal favorite all of my UPS, FedEx, and USPS delivery men and women.

As you know I own a small retail shop, and I would be absolutely lost without the delivery men and women in my life.  So each year, my small metal sleigh sits by our door with plenty of my favorite holiday GODIVA boxes stacked up and ready to gift to all of those amazing individuals. This simple, and delicious gesture is so appreciated and each year it’s fun to see what the GODIVA Holiday Collection will entail.

This year GODIVA’S Holiday Desserts Collection gift box is like no other.  Truly, capturing the flavors of the season inspired by all of the most decadent holiday desserts such as Dark Chocolate Pecan, Dark Pear Vanilla, Chocolate Ganache, and Milk Chocolate Almond Cookie.

I of course had to sneak a few pieces for myself while preparing Santa’s Sleigh and I’ve got to say, this might be the best holiday box I’ve tasted in years.  Not to mention the most gorgeous. That’s one of the other brilliant things about GODIVA, the boxes are beyond gorgeous so you don’t need to worry about wrapping. And this year GODIVA even came out with Peppermint Bark and the most adorable Hot Cocoa Toppers. Seriously, just when I think it couldn’t get better than the classic gold box, it does.  

Hope you’ll be making someone’s season this year with the gift of GODIVA.  I know I will! Truly, MKR

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