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!**
Today I am making Christmas gifts for my kids and our family gift exchange. I LOVE homemade gifts! My girls and I also made Christmas cookies while we sang along to Christmas tunes, which was amazingly fun!
I am getting into the holiday spirit today with a visit from a dear friend and her 4 children who will be coming over in a couple hours. I’ve baked a yummy pumpkin crumb cake and will serve hot cocoa. Our tree is trimmed, the nativity set is up and the Christmas music queued up. Tomorrow we are going to the annual Journey to Bethlehem program put on by a local church with live camels, horses, donkeys, sheep and Roman soldiers. Then on Saturday we are going the a singing Christmas Tree. Now if only it would snow . . . 🙂
Helping my kids right Christmas letters to Santa and going out shopping with them to see what they light up about. It is always fun to watch how your kids react to things at Christmas time.
Our first snow was the initiator of my Christmas Spirit. From then on, i’ve listened to nothing but Christmas music. Decorations went up the day after Thanksgiving. To keep the spirit alive I have a list of Christmas projects, including homemade caramel sauce and other baking.
We love doing advent calendars that focus on the real Christmas story!
I’m getting ready to spend the weekend baking cookies to give as gifts this year!
We just put up our tree last night, so I am definitely in the Christmas spirit. I love the idea of the jam/croissant gift basket!
I put up my Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving! I’ve been baking cookies and listening to Christmas music galore!
I already wrapped first Christmas gifts (who said it’s too soon?) and those were inexpensive wrappings made out of recycled paper, old newspapers, used (cup)cake coasters, etc. Already made a list of cookie recipes and designs for 3 gingerbread houses for my dear friends 🙂 because Christmas is about giving and having nice time!
Smuckers is my choice with Brie and crackers. I would share it at my New Years Eve party!!
Honestly, right now I’m trying to cram to finish my history exam. After that’s done, I will spend tomorrow decorating my house and then on Saturday we’ll go get a tree! Yaay!
P.S. That jam is making my mouth water…
I’m finalizing my ideas for Christmas, listening to Christmas music, and enjoying the Christmas lights at night. I need to do some baking, but we’ll have to clean the kitchen first. 🙂
My kids and I watch Christmas movies everyday – we rotate between the three DVDs that I have which are Home Alone (1 &2) and Elf (which usually gets played more often than not) though I’m starting to enjoy watching Home Alone with my children because even though they’re 3 & 4 they love watching the ends of the movies!
I watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. I’ve been making soft gingerbread cookies (and eating them) like a mad woman, wrapping presents, listening to Chrismas music and getting ready for baby #3!! I love the Christmas season!
We have been doing a lot of baking…sugar cookies, bon bons and fudge!!
Getting ready for my sons Christmas Concert tonight, and we’ve been baking up a storm! Tree is up and ready to be trimmed and the house is “begining to look a lot like Christmas!”
I’ll start sending out my Christmas cards today!
I am getting in the spirit by making food gifts to share with friends and family!
We’ve been getting in the Christmas spirit by doing different Christmas craft projects. The kids are having fun making them and I’m having fun displaying them 🙂
Picking the biggest tree that will possibly fit in our living room, doing lots of holiday baking, and enjoying the season with my family because my shopping is finished!
In my home, we’re getting in the Christmas spirit a little differently this year! It’s the last year in our home, because we are having to downsize, so we’ve completely decorated it to the COMPLETE overdone stage, and then we’ll be taking it all down this week, to celebrate moving into our new apartment. Though we’ll miss our home, it’s still nice to celebrate what was, and then to also celebrate what will be. 2011 has been a rough year, but we’re making the best of it!
I love Christmas so it’s not hard to get in the spirit….now just wishing for some snow!
Definitely making some delish cookies!
We decorated the tree last night while listening to carols. I buy ornaments for our 5 grandkids each year to hang on their tree and then to have to hang on their own trees when they grow up and move away. As I hang our kids handmade ones and package the ones to give our grandkids I am reminded how fast they will grow up while being filled with gratitude for them all.
Ummm, BAKING, of course! I turn on the Christmas music channel, dance to some tunes while the little guy is napping, and bake my heart out 🙂
We got the tree this weekend and have everything decorated. I am not baking lots of cookies while listening to Christmas music!
My oven has been getting a work out this week. Baking yummy treats always gets me in the holiday mood. Add in the Charlie Brown Christmas CD and instant holiday spirit!
I baked cookies this morning hoping to get in the spirit! Have a very Merry Christmas!
Baking, Baking and MORE baking! I have about 4 holiday parties planned at my place this year – from a Cocktails & Cookies event with girlfriends to a secret santa event!
Teaching my boys Christmas songs!