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!**
Finished Christmas shopping for the kids and dear husband!
I can’t say I’m that festive feeling yet. I’m doing my best by listening to music, reading kids their Christmas books. I’m getting there bit by bit.
I’ve been wrapping presents and making hard candy and buckeyes. Next week is fudge and toffee! 🙂
I’m knitting a sweater as a gift for my 3 year-old daughter and very soon I’ll be making goodies for goody plates to give out to friends. 😀
Decorating the house and tree in preparation for a big party on Saturday…and I’m sick =(
We enjoy baking and holiday shopping
We are watching Christmas movies, decorating and shopping, seeing Christmas lights, and going to Christmas parties.
I am trying to live through finals week before I can get excited about Christmas! Shopping and cookie baking to begin asap!
I’m hosting an “Ugly Christmas Sweater” party tomorrow for friends and family!!
i’m running around like crazy
Plugging in the Christmas lights when it gets dark and watching my son’s eyes twinkle with delight every time!
helping my kids make ornaments to give to their teachers 🙂
Mmmm, that’s looks really good. I would love to win this giveaway.
right now I’m working on a baby name plaque for a baby. I’ve painted it and am sanding the edges to look distressed. Can’t wait to see it come together.
I did more shopping online today (my favorite way to shop – free shipping and no lines!) and I’m getting my daughter ready for her Christmas Ballet Dress Rehearsal. They’re dancing to Michael Buble’s “Holly Jolly Christmas”. The dance is so cute and always makes me smile (they’re 5) and I just love Buble singing my Christmas songs. 🙂
I am listening to Christmas music galore, enjoying doing an advent calendar with my little one, and spending way too much on Christmas gifts for her! I love this time of year!
Listening to Mariah’s “all I want for Christmas is you” while perusing Christmas cookie recipes!
I’m getting into the holiday spirit by being almost done with Christmas shopping!!! It’s bringing a great amount of cheer into this house. I’m so glad I just have a little wrapping to do each night and a lot of baking and cooking which I enjoy. I’ve been picking out recipes for weeks!
I’ve hung a wreath, put a centerpiece on the dining room table and I’m playing Christmas music.
I’m baking like crazy–tomorrow we do our annual kid cookie decorating party.
Right now we are getting ready for Christmas by celebrating new jobs, decorating trees and cookies, and counting little blessings every day!
Sitting next to my Christmas tree with the lights on! Love it!
You crack me up with you glass jars. Anyway we are getting into the Christmas spirit by doing little acts of kindess everyday. I sure enjoy your site. Merry Christmas ladies.
We are gettin in the Christmas spirit by packin it up to head home to the bay, while listenin to Christmas music and rockin around the Christmas tree! Good times!
I played violin in 3 performances of the Messiah last weekend, and my oldest sang in 4 choir concerts. This week, we cut down the tree, and we hope to get it decorated. We’ve had donut holes and hot chocolate, sung carols together, and now we’re fighting off an early germfest (croup and strep are hitting hard).
Decorating the house, attending Christmas parties, and getting my daughter excited about Santa. She is 2 this year and finally getting the whole idea of Christmas. Super fun 🙂
I am busy making up baskets to give to teachers, pastors and friends and of course, shopping!
Music!! I love feeling my home with Christmas songs – nothing gets me in the mood faster!
Just trying to get through one more week of school finals, then I can let the holiday spirit set in!
just opened a box containing a fresh balsam fir wreath that i ordered from a child who was going door to door to raise money for a missions trip! because we’re going to FL for Christmas, we didn’t put up our tree. the smell instantly put me in the Christmas spirit!
Baking, driving around through the lights with my kids, and some fun advent calenders!