happy one month until christmas!

Oh, hiiii! Happy One Month Until Christmas!!!

Time is flying by and I am so ready to dive right into the holiday season (shocking, I know) This always takes me a while to come up with but I love sharing my Christmas to-do's every year! Some of these things I've already done actually since I am all about being on top of things and organized (even more so than normal this year!)

Ready for it? It's tradition but, here's Jules' Christmas To-Do List:

• get festive specials from swiss chalet
• watch all my favourite christmas movies
• go visit grandpa in the hospital and bring him christmas spirit
• go see the christmas windows at the bay
• make the ultimate christmas playlist (+ share it with y'all)
• record a christmas episode of my podcast
• bake some delicious cookies + sweets
• watch christmas vacation + a bunch more movies with the fam
• order chinese food on christmas eve with the family
• get custom christmas cards + return labels made
• sing christmas songs/carols as often as possible (lol)
• go to the toronto santa claus parade
• host our annual christmas with the whishes party
• drink eggnog/baileys/mulled wine
• make the most epic festive charcuterie board
• spread anonymous love + joy around toronto
• have ivy + jimmy over for a christmas sleepover
• shop local at a toronto holiday market
• go to the christmas themed bar
• give back to the community in some way during the holiday season
• diy at least one gift
• eat candycane icecream (omg, the best)
• have a christmas wrapping day/night 
• write out + mail lots of christmas cards
• go to the toronto christmas market
• have our annual bestie secret santa gift exchange
• have a peppermint mocha coffee date
• do a home tour of our christmas decor on insta stories
• go to st.lawrence market in december 
• have a pj hygge chilly day of movies, wrapping, and cozy moments with pete

christmas tips from a girl who loves christmas

Oh hello there! All of the sudden we're half way through Novemeber and OMG, what? how? This is bananas. If you've been reading my blog or following me for a while then you know how much I LOVE Christmas (actually, love is an understatement) and since I want everyone to be as stoked as Christmas as me, I thought I'd share some fun posts. This one is about getting ready for Christmas early to ensure maximum happiness and organization throughout the season!

// plan out your holiday schedule: planning is happening in full force in the whish household that's for sure! we chose our christmas party date in like early october (lol) and i've been filling our shared calendar and my planner up day by day and trying to squeeze everything in. two things i never seem to have a dedicated day for - christmas card making + christmas baking day (hopefully changing that this year!)

// get your invites out early: my goal is to always be the first party/celebration on peoples lists! haha. but for real, you need to plan ahead for these types of things since people have such jam packed schedules. lock in those amazing plans people, it's the most wonderful time of the year!

// pay attention to online sales + deals: ok, so i have to admit i tend to get to a point where i ignore literally every email i get with online deals and sales. howeverrrrr, i will say that at this time of year it's time to pay attention to what's on sale where and where all the awesome deals are! that way, if there is a gift you're on the hunt for, you have an idea of the best place to get it. time to open those emails, hit up some promo codes and see where the deals at.

// start shopping early: this year, more than ever before i am all about shopping early. i'd say i'm already about 60% done my shopping and babbby, it feels good. i'll admit that i never quite want to be at the point where i'm 100% done shopping by like end of november or something. because to me, part of the fun is definitely the idea of that last minute hustle and bustle (and trying to spread a little joy and kindness during this time)

// order/purchase your cards now: i placed our order for our christmas cards and labels this week to make sure they arrive by end of november. i tend to go a bit overboard on the number of cards i send out (shocking, i know!) and i scrounge last minute to ensure they are all written out, filled with cute stickers, mailed etc. there are so many cool places that do custom cards like vistaprint, parabo press and minted.

// pick up hostess gifts: i love bringing a little something to our friends or family members who are hosting festive parties, events etc. while i'm out and about or shopping online i keep my eyes peeled for a nice, meaningful yet reasonably priced gift. things i love or have done in the past ; baked goods, homemade baileys, cookbooks, wine, a nice candle or some homemade baked goods!

// make your lists and check them twice: how can one prepare for the season of all seasons without making lists? i live for this sh*t! and i've been listing away prepping for my favourite time of year. list of people to write out cards to, lists of fun things to do at christmas, lists of gifts to buy, lists of crafts to do and so much more!

mailing christmas cards + parabo press

h a p p y   m o n d a y    g o r g e o u s

Hope everyone had an amazing weekend! It's been a wonderful, yet busy one for us! On Saturday night we hosted our annual Christmas party! It was so fun to celebrate the best season ever with the bestest friends. Although the party was great, I am feeling pretty happy it's over too! Now we're on to the next one!

I've got another jam packed week of Christmas events and celebrations and really tried to take Sunday to rest, get caught up on some things and re-charge (wrapped some gifts, wrote out some cards, and stayed cosy inside since it's very chilly here)

I want to talk a bit about Christmas cards, snail mail & why I still LOVE to send cards, letters and packages in the mail in the mail! I absolutely LOVE the cards we got made from Parabo Press! They are amazing. Their packaging is to die for and the cards are so lovely, and the envelopes! Ooooh baby! SO good! Can't wait to mail these out.

f i v e   r e a s o n s   t o   m a i l   c h r i s t m a s   c a r d s //

1. It's so personal to send something handwritten to someone you love to show them you care!

2. People tend to only get things like bills in the mail these days, this'll brighten their day!

3. This is a great excuse to be creative and get your own custom cards made!

4. In a world where everything is digital and on the internet, sending something real is so lovely!

5. Christmas time is the best time to show people you love them with a hand written note!

Mailing out cards is definitely a tradition of mine and in the last 4 or 5 years getting custom cards made have been my go-to move. I'm always so happy with Parabo and these photo's don't even do them justice. For more inspiration on the beautiful things you can create, follow Parabo Press on Instagram! OH  & use my code "hey10" to get $10 off your first order!

Merry Christmas!

m e r r y    c h r i s t m a s

I can't believe my favourite day of the year is already here! Oh Christmas, I love you so. This year has probably been the most special one of my life. I got to marry the love of my life, and celebrate our love with the people we love most! ♥ Not only that but we bought our first ever house and will soon be calling it home.

I am excited to do some posts reflecting on an amazing year. I know 2016 was not good for a lot of people, for all kinds of reasons - but I gotta say...for me, 2016 was the shit.

This is my first Christmas as a Whish and I could not be happier about that. It's been really hectic this year with new jobs and moving on the 28th, but regardless it's been festive and magical as always. Feeling beyond blessed to be surrounded by so many special people who we love so much. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, and wishing you love, adventure & happiness in 2017.

Hygge Themed Gift Guide

Oh hello my loves! I was able to sneak in this blog post tonight after one amazingly crazy busy weekend! Knocked a lot more things of my Christmas to-do list :) 12 more days!

So, I haven't been able to share much about this on my blog yet, but one of my favourite things in life right now is something called Hygge ♥ (and I have a feeling you will love it soon too)

"In essence, hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge. Friends and family – that’s hygge too. There's nothing more hygge than sitting round a table, discussing the big and small things in life. Perhaps hygge explains why the Danes are the happiest people in the world?"

I decided to share a Hygge inspired gift guide for you all!:

1. The little book of Hygge by Penguin Books - I started reading this and I am already SO in to it. I have been so busy lately that I haven't had much time for reading but once we are moved in to our new place I will be getting cosy in my jammies and reading the whole thing

2. Muskoka Campfire Candle from Smells like Canada - I know the lovely and talented gal responsible for these amazing creations. Natalie is awesome and she hand makes all of these candles from her own home! Not only are they Canadian AF but they smell SO good. Candles are also the most hygge thing ever.

3. The cosiest reading socks ever from Chapters! I know the idea of getting specific socks for reading is crazy, but when it's -20 and you're trying to stay warm inside, these will make you so so happy.

4. The most delicious coffee with an awesome mug to match from Calgary Heritage Roasting Co! I love these guys, and not only are they ridiculously handsome, but they make some SERIOUSLY delicious coffee, not to mention some really wonderful merch.

5. Some wonderful (and beautiful) tea from Sloane Tea! I love Sloane Tea especially because the tins are literally just so gorgeous. After you drink up and feel warm and cosy, you can use your 

6. Matches in a jar from Urban Outfitters - Because let's be honest, how cute are matches in general? And very Hygge! I have a little jar of them and I love the way they look styled on a book shelf. They are perfect to the light your hygge candles to get you feeling cosy to the max.

Christmas Quotes!

Oh hello there, well that last week went by lightning fast! Can you believe that it's already December 8th? Oooh baby, here we go! I've got one fun-filled week in store!

Our next couple of weeks are seriously jam packed but I wouldn't have it any other way! So many amazing things to look forward to ♥

One of my favourite things about Christmas is reflecting on the joy & love we get to feel an extra amount around this time of year. With that, I wanted to share some of the most magical, beautiful, Christmas quotes.

In the photo above I doodled one of my favourites & here are some more:

"My idea of Christmas whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: LOVING OTHERS, come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?" - Bob Hope

"Christmas isn't a season, it's a feeling" - Edna Ferber

"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." - Calvin Coolidge

"Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone." - Charles M. Schulz"

"Don't let the past steal your present. This is the message of Christmas: We are never alone." - Taylor Caldwell

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”  - Charles Dickens

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ” - Norman Vincent Peale