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!**
We have our tree and decorations up and have been singing along to Christmas stations on Pandora and in the car as well as reading the kids Christmas books daily. Right now we are watching Christmas movies and baking our first round of Christmas cookies. Yum!
Nothing better for getting into the holiday spirit than setting up the nativity!
I decorated my tree the weekend before Thanksgiving and started listening to Christmas music, even though I got complaints from my family!:)
I went to a performance of White Christmas last night, it was great! Mostly just shopping so far but looking forward to my daughter’s choir concert next week.
Having a mug of warm mulled wine, listening to Christmas music and doing my internet shopping! Ho, ho, ho!
Listening to my favorite Christmas music and sneaking a candy cane here and there!
I would be wonderful to win this giveaway…thank you for this giveaway opportunity!
Starting to bake and trying some new fudge recipes. Maybe making some thumbprint cookies with jam!
Susan
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Holiday spirit is in full swing here in Oklahoma(just down the road from you) and has been for weeks now! Baking up daily loaves of fruit studded quick breads(with Smuckers Finest for a glaze!) to deliver to the elderly in local nursing homes. As well as baking the gingerbread people with the 5 yr old grandson. He is loving finally reaching an age to help out and to learn all the Christmas hymns! This is the best Christmas ever.Winning would just top the tree for me! : )
I’ve been in a big “jam” trying to get ready for Christmas! ha ha My kids are off track from school so I can get absolutely nothing done! OH Wo is me!
I’m getting in to the Holiday Spirit right now by filling the room with Christmas music at work. I’m singen’ along to these awesome Christmas jams and dancen’ like it’s Christmas day! =)
Christmas carols on the radio and christmas cookies in the oven. Next up: gingerbread!
I’m going to start wrapping presents tonight 🙂
We’re listening to Christmas music and making up teacher gifts!
Lots of baking going on — getting ready to pack for my trip to Toronto to bring my family home to Texas!!
I am 5 weeks away from giving birth to my first child and being that this is a blessing (due to my age and being a cancer survivor) this is a REALLY special time for me. I am definitely in the Christmas spirit!
We’ve been reading books and having Christmas related FHEs. Just got out the Christmas decorations – – I’m behind!
I am into the holiday spirit by listening to Christmas music at work all day. Love it!
Listen to and sing Christmas music!
I’ve got a pine scented plug in going…just to make me think my tree is up…which it isn’t but it sure makes me want to do it soon. I’ve always had a real tree…never artificial!
I have been writing all my holiday cards!
Where do I start? I think I really feel the Christmas season when I make holiday presents with my children. We have made Carmel’s, have the ingredients for marshmallows and are marble painting cards this year! Joy!
thinking about getting our tree up soon!
Made some yummy Christmas sugar cookies per request of my 2 year old little girl and then had a Christmas dance party with her and my 4 month old baby boy! I just love Christmas! It makes me happy!
This week I’m busy knitting home made gifts for family & friends!
Lots of baking!
We finally got our tree all set up – – the tree with the coordinating ornaments. I love setting up a fun tree too with all of our homemade ornaments, and hope to to that this weekend. Having the tree lights on and Christmas music playing is the best way to feel the holiday spirit at home!
This year we decided to try a totally homemade Christmas. It has been very fun and sometimes challenging. So right now we are making barns and horse stables and trying to keep the work hidden from our kids. I would love to give away a croissant basket with jam. (I don’t usually eat jam either I do the honey.) Thanx for the idea.
I am mailing my Christmas cards tonight! After the cards are out, all I have left to do is enjoy the season 🙂
I spent my free evenings and Saturdays, wrapping gifts at them mall for a fund raiser for Habit for Humanity. My family decided not to do the commerical Christmas this year.(Yes, that means not putting up a Christmas tree) My kids are older and would rather not spent their time putting up and taking down decorations. I work full time and so we all share in the tasks around the house. We are celebrating Christ’s birth. So instead of shopping and buying things we don’t need. We are all donating our time to serving others. We are also donating food bags and giving to various organizations that need help. It is a different Christmas for us but it is a lot less stressful!