Another roundup of all the things that made me happy in December!

Products/Services I am Loving:

• Califia Farms Almond Milk Holiday Nog

I am totally an eggnog lover, but I know that the traditional kind is extremely rich.  This year, I found this Holiday Nog made with almond milk by Califia Farms.  I really love Califia Farms almond milk (and the fact that it is carrageenan free!), so I thought I would give this treat a try.  All I can say is that it tasted SO good.  It definitely wasn’t as thick as traditional eggnog, but the flavor was wonderful and was perfect for mixing with a little cold brew.

• Bubbies Sauerkraut

So, I’ve been on a sauerkraut kick for a few months now and I can honestly say that I have LOVED every kind of sauerkraut that I’ve tried.  This month, I purchased and loved Bubbies Sauerkraut.  Many “original” flavors of sauerkraut contain caraway seeds which adds a flavor similar to that of rye bread.  Bubbies does not contain caraway seeds, so if you don’t enjoy that rye bread taste this is a great traditional and delicious live sauerkraut full of probiotics for you to try.

• December RocksBox!

For a free month of Rocksbox, use the code trebleinthekitchenxoxo!

While I really LOVED all three items that I was sent this month, I’m still debating whether or not I want to purchase any of them.  Tough decisions!

• Amazon Prime

Brian and I made the BIG decision to purchase an Amazon Prime subscription this past year and we seriously LOVE it.  Typically, we order lots of last minute dog supplies (like poop bags!) but one of my more fun purchases was this holiday sweater that matches a sweater Brian and Bernie have.  It was $9.99 and came in two days with $0 in shipping.   Thank you Amazon Prime!

• CoSchedule Editorial Calendar

affiliate link above with a 10% discount!

I know I’ve mentioned CoSchedule before, but it’s definitely worth mentioning again.  This editorial calendar is amazing because it really makes scheduling posts to most social platforms super simple.  I was hardly on the computer during our holiday break but I was easily able to schedule posts to social channels, and track engagement through this tool.  I believe there is a free trial, so if you are curious about using this for your own blog I recommend giving the trial a run.  You won’t regret it!

• Boulder Bake’s Almond Flour Pancake Mix

I absolutely LOVE pancakes for breakfast, especially on the weekend.  I’m always looking for different mixes and experimenting with different recipes, so when I saw this almond flour pancake mix at Whole Foods last month I knew I HAD to purchase it.  The mix is Paleo, Gluten Free, and Vegan and it tastes wonderful (according to me AND Brian!).  It’s a local company, so I’m not sure if you can find it out where you live but they have a ton of other yummy looking mixes that I really want to try out soon.

• NOW Foods Essential Oils and Recipes

Currently, I have two diffusers in my small Denver apartment and I try to get them going at least once a day.  Previously, I kept things simple by just adding lavender, eucalyptus, or peppermint on their own, but I’ve recently gotten more creative thanks to the recipes I found on the NOW Foods site.  Right now, I’m adoring their balancing Blues Relief blend comprised of lemon, orange and clove essential oils.  They have tons of recipes on the site including seasonal, balancing, energizing, etc so if you are an essential oil lover or are just beginning to dabble in essential oils I highly recommend checking out the site.

Personal Favorites

• Spending LOTS of down time with family during the holidays. 

Guys, this holiday break was seriously amazing.  We did lots of relaxing and just hanging out together and I really loved every bit of it.

• Elk Meadow Dog Park in Evergreen

Technically, we visited this park on January 1 but I’m a little behind on sharing my December favorites so we will count it for last month.  🙂  This dog park was very wooded with a lot of rocks and things for Bernie to climb on.  Needless to say, he instantly made friends with a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy and had the time of his life.

• The Colorado Ballet’s The Nutcracker

It’s been a holiday tradition for me to see the Nutcracker during the holidays, so this year I wanted to make sure that I kept the tradition alive.  The Thursday before Brian and I drove home to Indiana, we went to the evening performance of the Colorado Ballet’s The Nutcracker.  It was an amazing performance, the theater was gorgeous and it was such a fun way to kick off the holiday season.

• Denver Parade of Lights

Last year, Brian and I went to this outdoor holiday parade and had a blast so we made sure to go again this year.  I whipped up a batch of Against All Grain’s Hot Cocoa for us to sip on as we walked from our apartment to the downtown location of the parade.  I love this tradition and hope we get to go again next year!

• Bernie’s First Birthday!

At the beginning of December, Bernie turned 1.  Want to know the crazier thing?  We have had our little Bernie for almost an entire year!!! Time certainly flies 🙂

• Snapchat!!

I realize that I’m like the last person in the world to jump on the Snapchat train, but I really love it.  I think it’s super fun and I love posting pictures of Bernie, my workouts, food, and anything else that I am doing.  Feel free to add me (trebleinthekchn) 🙂  I love having new people to follow!

Foods I’ve Been Loving:

I realize I mentioned some food items above, but I’m going to mention some more down here 🙂

• Breakfast Tacos from Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cook Book

I received TONS of amazing and exciting cook books as Christmas gifts, and Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cook Book was one of them!  I made the breakfast tacos for my family and they were absolutely amazing.  I can’t wait to cook my way through the rest of the books.

• Eating and Baking ALL the Christmas Cookies

While it may not be apparent on the blog, my friends and family know that I have quite the sweet tooth.  Dessert always sounds like a wonderful idea (which is probably why I enjoy my fair share of smoothies!), but I really try to limit my sugary treat consumption so that I can truly enjoy those things when I have them.  I loved enjoying all the traditional family goodies during the holidays and can’t wait to have more next year! HA!

• Paleo Muffins and Almond Milk Lattes from Thump

A few weeks ago, we had a HUGE snow day in Denver.  Brian even had the day off, so we made the most of it and walked to a super cute (and close!) coffee shop to have a little latte date.   It was the best!

• My Mom’s Lasagna

This is what we enjoy EVERY Christmas.  I don’t eat it any other day of the year, and I honestly think that makes it taste SO much better 🙂

Podcasts and Shows I’ve Been Loving:

• Serial Podcast

This is what got Brian and I through both of our nearly 20 hour drives this holiday season.  Serial is a podcast that highlights a true story about crimes that people have been charged for over the course of one season.  We listened to ALL of season 1 and are now currently in the middle of season 2 (episode 4 came out today.)  All I can say is that we really loved listening!

• Making a Murderer

I’m not sure if you have heard any of the buzz around this Netflix documentary, but all of the buzz that you need to watch this is totally true.  This is a documentary that was filmed over 10 years focusing on a man that was wrongly convicted of a crime.  He spent 18 years in prison before he was proven innocent, and then he was charged with another crime as he was trying to expose police corruption.  At the end of each episode, I feel like both Brian’s and my jaw is on the floor.

Workouts I’ve Been Loving:

• Indoor Cycling

December felt like the month of spin classes for me.  While visiting Indiana I think I attended 4 spin classes!! It wasn’t intentional, but those were the classes offered at the times I was available and they a were great way to balance out all of those Christmas cookies.

• Running with Bernie!

I waited until he was a full year old before running with him as our vet recommended.  Now that we’ve become running partners I am never going back!  I love having him with me to push my pace a bit and to keep me company (AND to tire him out!).  I can’t wait for spring to get here when things are a bit warmer so that we can run all. the. time.

Old Posts I’ve Been Loving:

• Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Spinach Curry | I honestly forgot about this recipe, but recently a reader made this recipe, so I decided to whip it up for myself…two times! Yes, it’s that good 🙂
• Simple Rosemary Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots | I adore roasted veggies and make this recipe (or a variation) multiple times throughout the week.  It’s a perfect side for almost any meal.
• Thai Peanut Everything Sauce | This week, I made a batch of this to toss with some kale (delicious!) and zucchini noodles (also delicious).  This will definitely be making another appearance soon!

Alright friends, that’s all I have for now!! There was so much to be thankful for in December and January is shaping up to be amazing as well.  Have a wonderful pre-Friday!

Your Turn!

• Share something awesome with me about your month!