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 are having “spirit week” at our little daycare this week 🙂
I’m getting into the holiday spirit by making a Christmas swag for the front door.
I’ve been making all sorts of candy and goodies while listening to Christmas music.
I have been baking our favorite Christmas treats, which include you chocolate cookies with candy cane kisses. We love them!
Decorating at work and making holiday goodies!
This Christmas I’ve been trying to avoid getting caught up in marking things off my “to do” list and instead focusing on what’s really important to me, my family.
I am visiting our nations capitol enjoying the lights and christmas decorations around the city!
baking, decorating and playing christmas music!
Doing the Gingerbread house tradition…every year I think it’s going to be fun and exciting (and it is!)and then every year after we finish, I look at the mess my kitchen is in and I think, “Why do I love doing this to myself?”
wrapped up in my snowflake blanket 🙂
Watching classic Christmas movies, baking cookies, wrapping presents and looking at Christmas lights.
going to try some new recipes
We are getting in the holiday spirit by baking cookies and breads to give to friends and as gifts to teachers. We also are drinking hot cocoa and spiced apple cider while we enjoy the lights of the Christmas tree!
I’ve put up my tree and begun my holiday baking! 🙂
We are having so much fun with our advent calendar: from driving around to look at Christmss lights to shopping for the Angel Tree it really helps us to get in the spirit.
Listening to Christmas music and decorating the Christmas tree always puts me in the Christmas mood.(:
Playing Christmas music around the clock 🙂
We’ve been listening to Christmas music and wearing our holiday jewelry and antler headbands.
I love making fudge or Christmas cookies while listening to Christmas music!