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!**
Oh I need this…I can taste it already! We have been watching Christmas movies almost every night! This weekend we have a full line up: Pilgrimage to Bethlehem, A Christmas Story play, Church dinner, and parade! Throw in me randomly quoting Elf, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear…” Yep, we’re completely and totally in the Christmas spirit!!! I love it!
I’m doing lots of holiday baking!
I sent out Christmas cards this year!
I’m making a big wooden stocking holder to hold all 7 of our stockings.
I’m deep into my Christmas gift-making madness, desperately working on a new crocheted afghan for my littlest who loves them, and trying not to think about the jammies I need to make…for all 5 of us! Eek! 🙂 But I love every bit of it.
Tree is up, most of the presents are wrapped, doing our advent calendar every morning. Unfortunately, my little hand mixer died the week before Thanksgiving, so no making cookies for us this year. 🙁 I am hoping for a Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas!! (Fingers crossed!)
I have seen White Christmas the movie AND the live stage production in the past 2.5 weeks, my apartment is all decked out with lights and a tree, and I am working on my christmas music list on spotify now. I love December! I also love Smuckers. and this blog. 🙂
Listening to Christmas music, decorating the house, baking Christmas goodies, reading Christmas books to the kiddos. It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!
Reading Christmas stories at night, setting up the decorations, and getting ready to bake goodies. Also taking my 7 year son to the store so he can pick some presents out and donate to a adopted family through my husband work.
I am getting into the season by listening to Christmas music at work, baking my favorite treats, and turning the Christmas lights on as soon as I get home from work
I’m listening to Christmas music and shopping (on-line) for the kids’ gifts. I’m hoping to start baking soon!
We are doing a Christmas countdown. Everyday we get to see what “Christmasy” thing we get to do that day. So far we have had eggnog, had breadfast for dinner and wrapped presents. The kids love it. 🙂
I love listening to Pandora.com, and sipping hot cider while reading a good book by the Christmas tree!
Christmas music is my go to for getting into the spirit, and this year Michael Buble put out a Christmas album, and so I am in heaven :).
My son and I had to move in with my stepmom in August so we aren’t in our own home and the spirit is eluding us. But we try. We head outside for snowman making and into town to watch the local parade. 🙂
I have been sewing hot pads for cute neighbor gifts. Wouldn’t they be great with some of the jam!
Baking special cookie recipes and candies. Playing old Christmas music. No modern music for me.
Lately I’ve been trying to get over the writer’s block I have so that I can finish writing our Christmas letter. We need to get these Christmas cards out!
I have a Christmas party TONIGHT so I think that’s a pretty good way to get into the holiday spirit. We’re also going to cut down a tree this weekend and get the house decorated.
thinking about what cookies i’ll be baking!
I’m doing a cookie advent and baking a festive batch of cookies every day!
The honest to goodness truth, I’m doing nothing “right now” to get into the spirit. Just feeling tired, overwhelmed and pregnant. But I am still smiling and looking forward to all of the Christmas fun. I guess “right now” I am setting up my visiting teaching and trying to decide how to bring my sisters Christmas cheer and the true Spirit of Christmas. Yeah! 🙂
I’m cutting out snowflakes to decorate our home! (Our first Christmas in our new house…we don’t have boxes and boxes of decorations…yet.)
I’m making necklaces and combing Pinterest for cookie recipes to give as gifts.
I am eating candy cane kisses, listening to christmas music, watching christmas movies, and reading christmas stories to get in the holiday spirit!
Putting up the Christmas decorations, making candy, and listening to holiday music!
We’ve been into the holiday spirit for a while (our tree has been up since before Thanksgiving – gasp!) But instead of buying presents for each other, my husband and I are spending our gift money on a family in need and we’re so excited to do it secretly and anonymously!
I’m getting into the holiday spirit by making some handmade gifts! And fudge. Lots of fudge, because it’s not Christmas without it!
I am going to put the rest of my ornaments on the tree and sing with the little one
We just moved in and the Christmas stuff was one of the first things out of the boxes and I also made time to bake some cookies in the midst of unpacking 🙂