NOTE: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all of you who entered! The winners have been notified, and they are #464 (Natalie), #1151 (Wendy), and #1307 (Gloria). Y’all have 48 hours to respond before we pick new winners! 🙂
I have a confession for you all and I hope it’s not too shocking: I am not a fan of jam. Not a jam fan. I like homemade freezer jam because it basically tastes like sweetened fruit, but most jam is just too sweet and sickly and cooked fruit-ish for me. If you’re dying to know what I put on toast or peanut butter sandwiches, I like butter on toast and honey on my sandwiches. Am I weird?
Well, I thought I hated all regular jam until I went to Smucker’s last month and I got to try their Orchard’s Finest preserves (and then discovered, in a cruel twist of fate, that they don’t sell it where I live). Even the names are pretty–Pacific Mountain Strawberry and Coastal Valley Peach Apricot and North Woods Blueberry and Fall Harvest Cinnamon Apple. And the jars? 
Don’t even get me started on the jars. Y’all know how I feel about adorable jars and bottles.
I love this jam because not only does it taste fabulous, but it’s fancier than your average jar of jam, so it’s great for holiday entertaining or gift-giving. Instead of just handing someone a jar of jam (anyone remember the Gilmore Girls where Rory and Lorelai forgot to get Luke a present in Europe, so they brought him a jar of jam and he found it lame?), you could fill line a basket with a festive tea towel and then fill it fresh croissants or homemade rolls and then add a jar of jam with a ribbon on it.
Or you could make a plate of these cookies and deliver them with a jar of jam and a copy of the recipe.
If you’re having a party, you could serve up a plate of crackers and slices of crusty bread with some of your favorite cheeses and a few jars of jam. It’s elegant and easy and requires zero to little prep (which is totally what I need right now!)
Because it’s getting close to Christmas and because it’s Thursday (which has always been my favorite day…don’t ask…), we’re giving away 3, count ’em, three of the following gift baskets:
-6 jars of Smucker’s Orchard’s Finest preserves in a cute little crate
-A set of spreading tools (or something similar)
-$100 gift card to Cooking.com
To enter, leave us a comment telling us how you’re getting into the holiday spirit right now! You need to respond here on this post in the comments section, not through email or on Facebook or Twitter. The giveaway is a short one! It will end next Tuesday, December 13 and the winners will be announced on Wednesday morning.
**Thank you to all who entered! This giveaway is now closed!**
Baking cookies and of course checking out Christmas displays/lights
The decor and good food really help me get in the Christmas spirit. Of course, the food is sometimes too good – it’s hard to not pack on the pounds!
already started the holiday baking/candy making for distribution TOMORROW (Friday), and of course my tree went up the day after thanksgiving… SO in the holiday spirit ova here!!! 😉 kristinmik at gmail
mmm … Now you’ve got me hungering for that jam! …lol. We’ve already begun our Christmas cookie baking and I’ve got three or four projects on the craft table waiting to be finished. There’s lots to do and still plenty of time to do it, so I think we’ll get it all done in time.
Thanks for the chance to win this amazing prize!
Hugs,
Snoopy 😀
listening to Christmas music.
I love decorating the house for Christmas! We get all the Christmas books out to read with the kids. I bake WAY too many desserts… yes, feeling like christmas!
We are sending out Christmas cards for the first time ever!
Christmas baking, Christmas music and parties !!!!
I am getting into the holiday spirit with lots of Christmas music and movies and doing fun holiday crafts with my kids! Oh ya…and an ugly sweater Christmas party this weekend that my best friend and I are hosting! It’s going to be great and we are featuring a few of your recipes!
Decorating for Christmas always gets me in the holiday spirit – I love pulling my ornaments and nativity set out of the box. And I always read “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”
Right now I am baking mint chocolate chip cookies and listening to Christmas music… I am just now getting in the Christmas mood!
I’m getting into the holiday spirit by finally shedding my 15-year run of an anti-Christmas attitude. I’m starting new holiday traditions with my 3 kids (age 3 and younger)! Baking star-shaped cookies, learning new Christmas songs, and just being grateful for what we have, even though it may not be much. Christmas is getting exciting again!
My family puts the decorations up the day after thanksgiving. i set up the tree and my village and listen to christmas music, not to mention the constant smell of holidday cooking the whole month of december. then we all go to my moms house christmas eve and have dinner and spend the night. the kids LOVE it and its something special we do with my parents. they love having all the kids around the house for christmas morning 🙂
What am I NOT doing to get in the holiday spirit?! By 11am today, I already had peppermint bark, brownie bites with peppermint hershey kisses, and chocolate peppermint marshmallows made. Tis the season!
Finishing putting up the Christmas decorations while listening to Christmas music!! Love it!
I can’t stop baking & cooking!! I love this time of year!
I’m totally into the holiday spirit…because I found my husband the perfect gift! Finally, after three failed years! So now I can cool down and concentrate on the Christmas part.
We’ve got the tree up and trimmed, the Christmas music going 24-7 (okay, not quite) and I’m adding more decor all the time. I love it!
Making sugar cookies!
I am slowly getting holiday decorations up – not at a feverish pace! – just gradually! – i get a little anxious when I am forced to DECORATE! NOW! as the children sometimes demand. Trying to enjoy the little moments and take more time with children, not the preparations 😉
Opening a door on the advent calendar each day and sharing the treat with my hubby and daughter! And singing Rudolph and Jingle Bells with her – she’s 2 – every night before bed. She loves pointing to her nose with Rudolph.
I have started my Christmas cookie baking marathon.Fun!
Mailed Christmas cards and making ornaments.
I’m getting into the holiday spirit by finishing school. I graduate in a week and a day, so just being done is making this Christmas season SO great! I will soon have time to really focus on Christmas instead of studying for finals.
Making Gingerbread Men
Christmas music and watching/listening to my children’s excitement for the holiday.
I am going to try and go to a local live nativity. Love Christmas time!
We are getting in to the holiday spirit at our house by watching Christmas movies almost every night!
To start the holiday spirit I have put up Christmas decorations through out the house. Even helped my in-laws with there decorations while singing Christmas songs. Watching Christmas movies (love ABC family channel). Getting presents (that my husband refuses to let me open) from my family in Flordia. Helping out friends that are having a rough Christmas. And on Christmas day at 5am going to my in-laws and scream at the top of my lungs “MERRY CHRISTMAS”.
I’m busy making cookies. I’m also cutting out paper snowflakes to hang around the apartment.