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’re making cookies to take to my husband’s co-workers, and we’ve been giving out candy canes to people we see each day (with a little Christmas note attached), like cashiers at the grocery store, the mailman, etc. It has been fun!
Recently, I’ve been practicing “O Holy Night” with a group of women to sing as a women’s double trio in Church on Sunday. 🙂
Besides hanging the lights, displaying the incoming holiday cards and decorating the place – the reason I was visiting your site in the first place was because my husband and I decided to have a different kind of holiday party. Instead of hosting a big party where you can’t really talk one on one to your friends and go broke buying a ton of food – we’re having several small cocktail parties, after work, during the week with just a handful of friends. So far it looks like we’re going to have a total of 7 soirees! Could be crazy but it will definitely be fun and festive!
Participating in a Christmas Postcard swap with all my fellow paper crafters! Always a highlight of my seasonal crafting.
I’ve been baking Christmas cookies and treats for gifts with my kids, listening to Christmas music all day long, decorating our house, wrapping gifts,and we’ve been reading the Christmas story in Luke so the true reason for Christmas is in our minds as we’re getting ready
I hope this doesn’t double-post…! I am focusing on being grateful, that’s the best way I’ve found to get into the holiday spirit. 🙂 (and also, I am going shopping for chocolate, dried cranberries, and slivered almonds to make chocolate bark for my coworkers!)
I’m rocking out to Christmas music while studying for my organic 2 final!
I am addressing Christmas cards while listening to holiday music today!
We are going to see the lights at Temple Square this weekend. Can’t wait!!
I’m getting into the spirit by getting my supplies ready for making Christmas gifts. I’m making fancy caramel apples for everyone!
We are having a blast getting ready for Christmas! Our shopping is done and we’re enjoying all our Christmas movies. Our Elf on the Shelf is keeping our little one in line so we’re happy about that too! I’m excited for all the parties coming up!
I’ve not set foot in a store to buy gifts yet. Instead, I’m doing laundry, cleaning the kids’ rooms (I surprised each of them with a small tree in their rooms yesterday), and listening to Christmas music. I do need to sit down with my list, but getting into the hustle and bustle of the holiday while my house was out of order seemed unwise. And so far, I’m more into the season than I can remember feeling in recent years. My to do list is long, but my spirit is peaceful.
Are you kidding me? I made the Peppermint Bark Rice Krispie Treats yesterday for the girls at church and that totally got me in the spirit. I went home after church and got my Christmas decorations out and started decking the halls, and the kitchen, and the stairwell…well, truthfully I had already planned on doing that but the Treats helped. I won’t say how many I PERSONALLY partook of, but let’s just say that my husband is lucky to have one to try when he gets home from a trip. Just sayin’…
I feel the same way as you do about jams! Even homemade cooked jam is gross to me. Freezer is the only way I can eat it! I would love to try these!
This year I am having a hard time getting in the Christmas spirit with being sick and pregnant so I am playing lots of Christmas music to try and bring some in the house.
We just started what I hope will be a really fun holiday tradition. On Sunday night we all got into our jammies and slippers, grabbed our favorite blankets and stuffed animals (for the two little ones) and got in the car to drive around and look at Christmas lights. I made hot cocoa and put it in travel mugs, then made popcorn and gave each family member a bag with a candy cane attached. We listened to Christmas music while we drove around the city. It was wonderful!! This weekend coming up? Gingerbread Men and maybe even the whole Gingerbread House. : )
We are decorated, ordering gifts, and my husband & I are starting a new tradition of reading ‘A Christmas Carol’ together. We will be spending it with family (including a new niece & brother in law) & we are beyond excited!
Listening to Michael Buble’s Christmas CD while stamping Christmas cards and gifts. When I’m not stamping, I’ve been decorating/baking/making holiday treats.
What another fun giveaway! One of these days I’ll win one (probably not really)! Anyway – I am keeping up my exercise routine during the holiday season so I can enjoy all of the goodies that come and still enjoy the way my clothes fit! Happy Holidays!
Getting ready to start making some Christmas goodies!
I’m getting into the Christmas spirit by watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel, listening to Christmas music ALL day long, and by planning my holiday baking recipes.
Got the house decorated, having our business party this weekend, then off to CA to spend Christmas with our son and his family!!
My 3 boys and I are going to decorate our Christmas tree (that we won in a school raffle), listen to music and drink hot cocoa. Fun times.
Well, I finally got my tree up last night. I’m having a tough time getting into the spirit of Christmas this year for some reason. Maybe now that I’ve got my decorations up I’ll start feeling more of the Christmas spirit. BYW, I made my own jam for the very first time this year. I thought it turned out pretty good.
Trying to figure out where to put the nativity, and a ward Christmas party tonight.
Making gifts for others and finding ways to give to those less fortunate does a lot to get me in the Christmas spirit.
I’ve been playing Pandora’s Children’s Christmas station and my house is filled with singing, dancing and the occasional broken Christmas ornament.
I’m sending out Christmas cards this week and getting my recipes ready for a cookie swap next week!
Christmas songs on the radio, Christmas cookies and fudge being made almost daily and planning on giving them away while caroling as a family for FHE on monday to our primary kids and elderly sisters from church.
Today I will be cleaning. My house has gotten rather out of control lately!
I am trying to do something Christmas-y with my boys each day.