It's Christmas! The season where we make lists of everything we don't have, crossing our fingers that it'll come our way in just a few weeks. This year, I had a hard time coming up with a list - there aren't many things I want, there's nothing I need, and I don't want to just get stuff for the sake of having something under the tree for me. So in light of that, I wanted to share some favorite things that I already have, because I'm so very grateful for them!

1) A kitchen mandoline - not the instrument, though that still confuses me. This thing is SO helpful for making meals way fancier, and for a gluten free lifestyle. For Thanksgiving, I made these sweet potato stackers in a few minutes flat. During the week, I use it to make noodles out of zucchini for a healthy, wheat-free spaghetti dinner. It's one of those things you don't know you need until you have it!

2) Real Christmas tree - I grew up overseas, so our versions of a Christmas tree would have made Charlie Brown cry. When we moved back to America, my parents started the annual Christmas tree tradition. I didn't realize how many people buy fake trees, and while there's nothing wrong with that, there's something so nostalgic and wonderful to me about having a real tree. I love it!