We're back! I didn't pick up my camera as much as I thought I would when I was home for Christmas. My time in Virginia was spent with family, friends, and more food than I think I've ever eaten at once. It was just huge meals and fun cocktails for like six straight days. It's crazy that I won't be back again until March, but I'm so glad I got to spend two weeks for Thanksgiving last month and ten days for Christmas. Spending time at home with my family is always really nice.


Now it's back to regularly scheduled life--so bear with me for a few days while I get to my emails and resume regular posting! Hope you all had very happy holidays.

I have a guest post for you today from sweet Kate of Thoroughly Modern. She's put together a Christmas playlist for you to enjoy this week, so I hope you love it!

Hello, Freckled Italian readers! My name is Kate and I blog over at Thoroughly Modern. I refer to it as a "lifestyle" blog because it really doesn't fit neatly into any other category. I write about pop culture, our sweet goldendoodle, how to act like a Power Couple, and the occasional  recipe vlog, just to name a few!

Sometimes, I even pretend to be fashionable.

I'm not usually one for holiday gift guides, but I do have a handful of pretty awesome sponsors this month whose products would make wonderful presents for the people on your Christmas list.

First up is Koss, whose Fit Buds and Fit Clips are actually changing my life. I've been using the same old earbuds for years, and they're worn to bits and fall out of my head with every other step I take. Koss' female designers teamed up with Gold Medalist Dara Torres to create the world's first headphones designed specifically for women.




Thank you again for your support as I take on a few more sponsors this month. I only work with brands that I love or use myself, so I hope you find these partnerships of mine beneficial to you in some way.

We had a really cold weekend here in Minneapolis. When I woke up on Saturday, it was -11 degrees outside, but I was still super excited to go out and get our Christmas tree. In past years, we've always just set up a mini fake one, but this year Rob and I both really wanted to get a full-sized real one. This year away really has me eager to start some new traditions.

So I slapped some leggings on underneath my jeans and it was Christmas Tree Shopping Day! (From here until, well, April, outdoor What I Wore posts will probably contain less photos and more watery eyes. It's a little chilly out there.)

I know that we just got reacquainted with fall and are still doing a pumpkin thing, but that doesn't make the new collection of holiday cards from Minted any less gorgeous. They're celebrating the new line by giving a $50 credit to one lucky Freckled Italian reader. Entering is super easy. Good luck!

Somewhere in the rush of the holidays, when you're stressing out about what gifts to get for whom and if you're spending too much or not enough on each and how you're going to see everyone you need to see and where the hell your favorite boots have gone off to, your brother comes home from college and the two of you sit on the floor of your basement for two hours reminiscing and laughing until you cry, and then you remember what exactly this whole season is about.