On the first day of Christmas . . .

Happy First Day of Christmas!

Thanks to my fantastic former host family in the incomparably beautiful Stuttgart, my Christmas traditions are quite German.

And with a German husband to boot, I thought I might share our little family tradition to help you herald the Yuletide.

Every year, one person gives the other an Advents Calendar - which means that one of us gets 24 little presents (and a few big ones) every single day. For kids, these calendars are mostly chocolate, but I presented Bae with something a little different.

We LOVE eating bread and jam for breakfast. This perfectly German morning ritual gets some well deserved pizazz with our favorite jams from Bonne Mamam if we can find them. Here in Cabo Verde, we have thankfully found a place to purchase our lieblings strawberry compote, but eating strawberry jam, no matter how decadently delicious, leaves the flavor pallet yearning for a little . . . je ne sais quoi.

So, I looked online and found an Advents Calendar featuring 24 different kinds of jam.

Alas, we do not eat bread regularly anymore because, if we want good bread, we have to bake it.

So, I got up this morning, and I baked a loaf of bread.

. . . did you guys hear me just now? I got up and baked a loaf of bread so that my husband could try his very first jam.

Now, my husband woke up to his Advents Calendar in his skivvies with all of the excitement of a child first discovering Christmas. Although I caught all of this on video (and promptly sent it to his mother), I will spare him the embarrassment of posting any first reaction photos/videos here.

Instead, I regale you with the beautifully baked loaf of bread we shared this morning.

Because it’s 2020 and, despite working 12 hour days, mama is still a house husband at heart!

With that, I wish you guys a happy first day of Christmas!

Yours always,

the trendy one

ps - my internet is a little too finicky to record podcasts these days, but I highly encourage you to listen to our latest episode here! Nikki and the DuTchess will be back soon!