Christmas Tradition: Popcorn

Holiday traditions are my favorite and my family definitely has a few of them.  One of my favorites is getting the tin of cheese, caramel and butter divided popcorn and curling up watching Christmas movies. While the popcorn tradition is still there, I broke the mold a little when I brought Grand Rapids Popcorn into the house for Christmas two years ago – let me tell you no one was disappointed. Grand Rapids Popcorn is so much better than anything you will ever find in one of those cheap Kmart tins, and has more of a flavor variety to select from. With my love for popcorn, you can imagine a popcorn bar is a must-have for me. During the holidays it seems the only fitting place to gather around is the fireplace, so instead of my normal popcorn bar (I usually place popcorn in apothecary jars on the counter), I decided to fill a train with popcorn for guests to enjoy while sitting by a roaring fire. Instead of the traditional butter, caramel and cheddar popcorn I went with red (cherry), green (apple) and white (vanilla – taste like marshmallow and my FAVORITE). I thought it added a whimsical touch to the fireplace. Do you have a holiday popcorn bar in your home? 

City Sidewalks Busy Sidewalks

 

Downtown Rochester during the holiday season is like a scene out of Hallmark movie. The sidewalk is filled with people, the buildings are draped in Christmas lights, horse drawn carriages venture around town and Sanders has the best hot chocolate to warm you up while you’re enjoying the lights. While you are checking out the lights in downtown Rochester, don’t forget to head to Royal Park Hotel and take a look at a life-size gingerbread train.

Five Things

Royal Park Hotel – Rochester, Michigan
Can you believe it\’s already December 1st? The year has flown by, and I am already thinking about how I can make 2018 the best year ever. In the meantime I am appreciating the little moments, and enjoying the holidays to the fullest (even though I am not a fan of Christmas). While Instagram keeps you updated on some of my life happenings I thought I would get back to sharing with you what I have been up to lately you can find a new \”Lately\” post each Friday bright and early.

 Hot cider and donuts by the fire at Blake\’s Orchard
 Ice cream dates at Cold Stone Creamery
 Checking out Christmas lights around town in the Mazda Mazda6 Grand Touring
  Spending time along the Paint Creek Trail

Homemade dinners – cherry + pineapple sausage, baked beans and peas + onions