Happy FRIDAY, friends!
You guys, this is the last Friday Faves of 2025!
Thank you so much for being here with me every Friday this year. We certainly have covered a TON of favorite things 🙂 .
I will be here blogging all next week, but this is the last official Friday Favorites post.
It’s been so much fun! I’m already excited about next year.
Alrighty, as always, I’m linking up with my friends Andrea and Erika and hoping you have the BEST Friday! xx
Well, without a doubt, my ANNNUAL RECIPE EXCHANGE & FAVORITE THINGS PARTY was my favorite Fave this week!
If you missed my post last week, I shared my TOP TIPS FOR A RECIPE EXCHANGE/FAVORITE THINGS PARTY, so make sure you read that as well.
Here’s a little recap of this year’s party…
How gorgeous is my table?!
My dear friend and neighbor, Lauren, posted a gorgeous Thanksgiving table on her Reels, and I loved it so much that when she offered to do mine for my annual party, it was an easy YES! She looked through my cabinets and used a combination of items I already owned with a few extra things to make it really pop this year.
Not only is Lauren a talented author, she can sure pull together a beautiful table…
The table was set, and I was ready to host 🙂 .
I have had these little trees for at least 15 years. Everyone placed theirs next to their dish…
I really and truly think this year was our BEST YEAR in recipes! We had everything from festive pudding shots to…
…pecan, goat cheese and fig jam pinwheels…
…cranberry meatballs…
…these yummy savory and sweet bites…
…we had a really delish Nutcracker pie, a slow cooker supper, sausage balls, and Andrea’s…
…winning chicken and gnocchi soup! It was delicious!
I am so sorry that I don’t have all of these recipes posted, but this party just happened last night (and I’m typing this sentence on Thursday afternoon), so I haven’t had the time to locate them all and insert them into my post. I will attempt to find them for you! Promise!
I love us. I am just so incredibly blessed by this amazing group of friends.
This is a RECIPE EXCHANGE + FAVORITES THING PARTY (see this post for more info!) and this year…
…these were all the favorite things! I gifted everyone BAREFOOT DREAMS SOCKS + MY FAVORITE FOOT CREAM 🙂 .
That cream y’all…it has changed my feet!
This box arrived on Monday, and I was SO EXCITED…
It arrived when I was home by myself but it wasn’t too heavy for me to carry upstairs. I opened it and…FLUFF!
My FLUFF is absolutely amazing! I had to wait until Kensington got home to take a pic, and by then, I’d already nestled in it to work on my Macbook (she kicked me out because she wanted to have it next). You guys, it’s way better than a beanbag chair because it isn’t made of beans…
…we have all fought over it this week. The Fluff comes in three different colors and truly fluffs up into this great place to sit.
See? We all want in. A Fluff would make an excellent Christmas present! I might need to buy myself more 😉 .
My Fluff is a fun sister company to my brother and sister-in-law’s furniture business, so they were VERY generous and offered a promo code for my readers.
With code SHAY50, you can get $50 off your Fluff!
Love!
Speaking of promo codes…
It’s BAAAAAACK! COLLEEN ROTHSCHILD’S CYBER SALE IS BACK THROUGH THE 15TH!
Right now, you can get all single-item products 30% off (no bundles or gift sets) between now and December 15th.
Grab 30% off all of my faves…like the VITAMIN C BRIGHTENING SERUM, COMPLETE EYE CREAM, the MOISTURE VEIL SILK EMULSION, the AGE RENEWAL SUPER SERUM, RETINOL SUPREME EYE SERUM, and the VITAMIN C NOURISHING CREAM. These are ALL my daily staple skincare products.
Getting 30% off of this super hero product is a huge savings!
Don’t forget…
…it’s a great time to grab THE RITUAL BODY CREAM and…
They both smell AMAZING and are so hydrating and moisturizing for my skin. These two new body care products have been GAME CHANGERS for me.
Speaking of game changers, right now get 30% off (no code!)…
…the only SHAMPOO and CONDITIONER the ladies in my family use! I truly don’t think you will ever go back to the old stuff. If you’ve always wanted to try it, now is the time.
Thank YOU, Colleen Rothschild! I always love collaborating with you.
Guess what I did this week?!
You guys…
…I finished my last book of 2025!
I am SO excited about my end of year book review. It’s coming up next week, and I am GIDDY about it.
Don’t forget…
…if you missed my NOVEMBER BOOK REVIEW, I have a few holiday novels included for your Christmas season.
‘Tis the season for me…
…to once again (for the third year in a row), pull out my WRAPPING PAPER BAG and get to work on my gifts.
I slide this little bag under Mades’ bed when I’m not using it, and it makes moving from room to room so simple when I want to stop and wrap a gift (which I feel like I’m constantly doing right now). This has already been a Friday Fave…but every time I pull it out, I get excited 🙂 .
I shared the link to THIS FLEECE last week but didn’t have a photo (because I had forgotten to take one the first time I wore it)…
…but when I pulled it out yesterday, I snapped a pic for you.
I bought THIS FLEECE in red for both of my kids’ high school colors AND for Christmas. It comes in other colors, and it is crazy, crazy soft.
‘Tis the season of gift guides.
As a reminder, I have GIFT GUIDES FOR EVERYONE including the (in my opinion) hard to shop for men in your lives…
#1: Adjustable Dumbbells 55LB Single Dumbbell 5 in 1 Free Dumbbell Weight Adjust with Anti-Slip Metal Handle, Ideal for Full-Body Home Gym Workouts
#2: Massage Gun, Deep Tissue Massager, Portable Muscle Massage Gun for Back Neck Muscle Relieve
#3: Ufree Beard Trimmer for Men, Waterproof Electric Nose Hair Trimmer Mustache Trimmer Body Shaver Grooming Kit, Cordless
#4: 14-Piece Arsenal Builder Car Wash Kit with Foam Gun, Bucket and (5) 16 oz Car Care Cleaning Chemicals
#5: Bose Sport Earbuds – Wireless Earphones – Bluetooth In Ear Headphones
#6: Fitgriff® Gym Bag for Men & Women with Shoe & Wet Compartment – Duffle Bag for Travel, Sports, Fitness & Workout
#7: YETI Rambler 12 oz. Colster Can Insulator for Standard Size Cans
#8: MEATER Pro / 2 Plus: Wireless Bluetooth Smart Meat Thermometer | 1000°F Open Flame Grilling | Extra Long Range | Multi Sensors | Certified Accuracy | BBQ, Oven, Grill, Smoker, Air Fryer, Deep Fryer
#9: Ontel Battery Daddy, 180 Battery Organizer and Storage Case with Tester
#10: Beats Portable Bluetooth Speaker – Up to 24H Battery Life, Water Resistant, Bluetooth, Apple & Android Compatible, Seriously loud sound for home, outdoor and travel
#11: Shoe Cleaner Kit for Sneaker, Water-Free Foam Sneaker Cleaner 5.3Oz with Shoe Brush and Shoe Cloth
#12: 80×100 Monocular-Telescope for Adults High Powered Compact Monoculars with Smartphone Holder & Tripod
#13: GCI Outdoor Freestyle Rocker Portable Folding Rocking Chair
#14: Stanley Classic Bottle Opener Beer Stein 24 oz | Flip Up Lid and Heavy Duty Handle with Built In Bottle Opener | Insulated Stainless Steel Beer Mug
#15: YETI Tundra 45 Cooler
#16: BIG HORN OUTDOORS Pizza Ovens Wood Pellet Pizza Oven Wood Fired Pizza Maker Portable Stainless Steel Pizza Grill
And finally, after yesterday’s post, I thought it was time…
…to share even more PEPPERMINT AND CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS TREATS!
Today, I’m sharing 14 EASY, FESTIVE AND DELICIOUS ones for your Christmas season.
That wraps up this last Friday Faves! I will be back here tomorrow for some bonus Saturday fun…
…in the meantime, I hope you have the BEST day! xx
Elspeth Mizner says
I love your favorite things party! Always so fun! Thanks for sharing!!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Jess says
Wondering what that paddle looking gift is? What a great selection! I’ve always been curious about a nod pod! Love a review on that down the road! A candle warmer is on my list. And obsessed with that color Stanley!! Love the gifts!
Mix and Match Mama says
It’s a rubber “do it all” spatula. It is fantastic! You can get out a wedge of pie or soup with it.
Sheaffer Sims says
The party was SO GOOD this year! And the table was seriously beautiful!!!!
Alana says
Your favorite things party always seems so fun! Out of curiosity… it seemed there were only 8 place settings but 9 ladies?!
Love love love the festive vibes! Your fleece sweater with the stroll hat, Starbucks red cup & your phone case. It makes me happy to see!
Mix and Match Mama says
Good catch! One of the ladies had a last minute thing pop up, so she came at the end for the gift exchange.
Jessica Belanger says
You are beautiful and glowing in that red fleece!
Erika Slaughter says
I need to order one of those wrapping paper bags STAT!!
Paula Hobbs says
Your table is gorgeous!! The food looks delicious! This was a GREAT Friday favorite!!!
Angela says
Love seeing all the favorites from your favorite things/recipe exchange party!!! How fun!!! And that red fleece…. ohhh I am loving that! Have a wonderful weekend, Shay!!
Hanna says
Caught this discrepancy: In this post last week on December 4th you say, “Today, I thought I’d do one post with my TOP TIPS FOR HOSTING A RECIPE EXCHANGE/FAVORITE THINGS PARTY just in case you want to try it this season (although, you can TOTALLY do it any time of the year!) because last night was mine, and it truly is always one of my very favorite nights of the year.”
But today, you say, “I am so sorry that I don’t have all of these recipes posted, but this party just happened last night (and I’m typing this sentence on Thursday afternoon), so I haven’t had the time to locate them all and insert them into my post. I will attempt to find them for you! Promise!”
So… the party was actually December 10th and not December 3rd? Was last week’s blog post copy/pasted language from last year or something?
Mix and Match Mama says
I re-shared that post on the 4th from the previous year, so it was the content from 2024 and not this week when I hosted this year’s recipe exchange. In last week’s post, I said that I was “re-sharing the deets” because I wanted to make sure you guys had them since I was hosting my party this year later than normal. That is a lot of copy and pasting you did though. Ha! I hope you read it and host one. It is ALWAYS one of my very favorite nights!
Hanna says
Ohhh, that makes sense! Thanks for clarifying!!
Mix and Match Mama says
Of course!
Beth H says
Love the happiness in this post! Sweet friends & memories…
Youve mentioned a couple of times about heavy hors d’oeuvres on Christmas Eve. Do you have a blog post that lists what you serve? If not, could you please create one…soon?😁😅 We started that trend last year and since we have high protein eaters, I’m looking to tweak.
Thank you!
Mix and Match Mama says
I will work on one, Beth!!
BH says
Thank you!!!!!
Beth says
That is the most beautiful table setting I’ve ever seen! Thank you for sending detailed pictures. I was going to ask you for close-ups and then saw that you did it! I’m looking forward to the recipes.
I thought I was through with shopping but now want to order the fleece (for me!).
Thank you for your wonderful blog!
Beth
Arika says
Do Andrew and the kids find someplace else to be on the night of your party, or just make themselves scarce upstairs? What a fun tradition you’v built with your girlfriends.
Mix and Match Mama says
We talked about this at our party. When our kids were little, our hubbies would have to take them elsewhere when we had each other over (Andrew would almost always go to Erika’s house and hang out with Tab), but now that they’re older, they just do their own thing. Each kiddo and Andrew came through at some point and said hi, but they all just hung out upstairs. It’s very different than when they were babies.
Susan P Fitzpatrick says
So many great favorites! Your neighbor did a beautiful job with your dining table. I took a screenshot for future inspiration!
Kristen says
Love the red fleece! Went to grab it but it won’t be delivered until after xmas..boo!
Jenny N says
There is so much goodness in this post! Your table setting is gorgeous….I love the striped candles!! Looks like you ladies had a great evening celebrating friendships and favorites!
Sandy says
Beautiful table and the food looks delicious. Can’t wait for the recipes! Suggestion have each lady bring their recipe on a recipe card to the party!
Debra Lowe says
I am so impressed with your favorite things party – it looks like so much fun and you can see the joy of being together in all the ladies. And that table – WOW!
Holly C says
One of my favorite posts of the year… everything looks so festive and fun!!
Debbra Weber says
I love my paper wrapping bag. I need to pull it out this weekend and get busy. Every picture of the food for your annual holiday party looks so good! I can’t wait for your post for the recipes. Have a great weekend!
Beverly says
Shay, I love you bean bag and I want to buy it for a Hanukkah present but as you know all your links are blocked by safesearch which I can’t remove from my laptop. Is there a direct link I can order one using the SHAY50. How much is the chiar? Is it one size or are their options and colors???
This would be the perfect gift but I need it for Sunday first night of Hanukkah.
Many thanks
Mix and Match Mama says
Of course! Now, this link goes directly to the company. The website is morefluff.com . That’s the direct link in today’s post. Let me know if you have any problems!
Ruby Huling says
This is one of my favorite posts each year! I’ve been using the foot cream for over 10 years and it really is a game changer! Hint: You should compile the recipes from all your parties, have a cookbook printed and sell them! 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
Wouldn’t that be fun?! And YES! That foot cream is AMAZING!
Heather S says
Your table was just stunning! I hope you kept it up for today as well. What was your fun gift for Andrea aka the winner this year? I know you always buy something amazing for that!
Mix and Match Mama says
I did! My parents came over for dinner last night, and we ate in the dining room just to enjoy the festive tablescape 🙂 .
Karen Sievers says
Always enjoy this post. Your tablescape is gorgeous! So festive. The food looks delicious, especially the soup.
A little story about the battery storage case. I bought that case several years ago when you had posted it as an extra gift. Hubby wasn’t impressed, wanted to return it, changed his mind & it is the most used gift he has received.
Just so you are aware I haven’t been receiving my blog email notifications for a week or so. I have to remember to go to the website. Can this be corrected?
Mix and Match Mama says
Thank you for letting me know! If you’ll comment back with your email, I will NOT publish that comment but I can check and make sure you’re still on the list.
Holly says
Can you tell me how you put together that wall of art? It is adorable, and I would love to do that with my kid’s art!
Mix and Match Mama says
One piece at a time! At the end of each school year, we pick a few of our kids’ favorites and have them matted and framed at Hobby Lobby. We legit started with two from Kensington’s kindergarten year and have gone from there.
Gina says
Are the picture frames from Hobby Lobby?
Mix and Match Mama says
Yes! I take the art to the custom framing department each time and they replicate what the did the time before.
sheryl says
Looking forward to the recipes!
Sarah Shaneyfelt says
Your tablescape was gorgeous! I follow your friend Lauren on IG after you tagged her once, and I saw her Thanksgiving table–she’s so talented! You have to let us know how you like the Nodpod! I asked for one for Christmas!
MeetTheShaneyfelts
Christie says
Three people brought candle warmers to my work gift exchange and they were all stolen th max amount of times. So funny how popular certain items are each year!
WhittyWife (Lindsay) says
Would it be possible to do a post sharing the links to each of the favorite things gifts? I’m so curious about some of them! 😊