The Inn at Christmas Place

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring not even a mouse.

Snow was falling softly, but quickly from the darkened night sky above. Sounds were muffled from the streets below as people hurried home to their warm beds. An orange glow filled the night sky, and everything was peaceful. Inside, a Christmas movie playing, and Christmas lights blinking. It was peaceful, and magical.

It would sound like Christmas was here, but in fact, this scene was set last week, in February. Zach and I found ourselves completely in raptures during our adventure to a new to us town, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Our destination, the Inn at Christmas Place. Where the spirit of Christmas is held all year round!

For those of you who know us, you know we love Christmas. It is our absolute most favorite time of year. We may have put up our tree right after Halloween last year. And we got married around Christmas! It is a special time of year that we love to spend time with friends and family and spread joy and cheer.

So when we found out about the Inn at Christmas Place, we knew we had to visit. And finally, our time came to have a weekend getaway at the Inn! We booked our two nights, and drove up early (read er arrived at 3am) to Pigeon Forge because we knew snow was coming the next day.

The Inn at Christmas Place was everything we expected and so much more. From first glance to when we drove off, it was an exceptional experience, and I just had to share it with you all!

Christmas Place is a beautiful hotel, and reminds me of a Bavarian building, all decked out in Christmas lights, wreaths, garlands and bows. And of course, it was even more picturesque because snow was on the roof and ground!

The customer service at the Inn is second to none. When we walked in, we were greeted by some really friendly doormen, and then checked in to our room. We were even given some ornaments since it was our first time at the Inn! We were also informed at every night they put out fresh, homemade cookies for free for the guests. Yes, please!

Walking through the hotel to our room we were taking in every detail. Christmas paintings and art, every floor with a themed center desk at the opening of the elevator, there is even a Charlie Brown Christmas themed area playing the movie all day long!

If we thought everything was amazing to that point, our breath was taken away opening the door to our room. We had a mini kitchen area, cabinets, a spacious, clean bathroom with granite countertops. The beds were decked with a lucious red cover and fluffly white pillows. The TV armiorre was topped with a mino Christmas tree, and the walls adorned with winter paintings.

We were blown away. Never have I ever been to such a unique and special hotel!

Our stay only continued to get better as we took morning dips in the pool and hot tub. We also watched the snow fall from the indoor hot tub! We definitely enjoyed our nightly cookies, an incredible hot breakfast included in the mornings, and to top it all off, time with singing Santa on Thursday night!

If you love Christmas, and especially if you love near Tennessee, the Inn at Christmas place is absolutely worth your visit. The customer service that we received alone was well worth our stay. In our culture these days, you don't always find such great service. But the Inn went the extra mile to make sure our stay was incredible, and boy was it!

We will absolutely be back to visit the Inn at Christmas Place.

Some fun places to visit around the Inn:
-The Christmas Place store! Across from the Inn is a huge, amazing Christmas store! Well worth the visit, even if just to look.
-The Old Mill- a working mill from the 1800's, complete with fun country store and restaurant! Very picturesque.
-The Island- an upbeat section of town with some arcades and even a ferris wheel!
-Smokey Mountain National Park is less than ten miles away! A beautiful place for sure.
-Blue Moose Burger and Wings. Zach and I ate here and it was so good! A sports bar and grill feel, but they have some incredible burgers!

Pigeon Forge itself has lots of dinner and theater shows, Dollywood, and lots of fun seasonal outdoor race tracks, putt putt places, and the like!

So if you are near the area and looking for a fun quick getaway, Zach and I can highly recommend the Inn at Christmas Place!

Who else loves Christmas? 

Gifts that Mean Something

“We’ve got something for everyone on your list!”

“Fifty percent off, this weekend only! Find that perfect gift!”

“Don’t get them the same old, same old, get them this!”

During the Christmas season we are bombarded with advertisements, marketing and societal pressure and stress to get this whole gift buying and giving thing right. You must find the absolutely perfect gift no matter what, and if you don’t, well, you’re screwed.

Honestly, I really dislike the commercialism of Christmas. I adore this season, but it can be discouraging to hear about yet another kid screaming because he couldn’t have an iPad at three years old (um, I don’t even have one, and I’m 26? Where’s MINE??).

Okay, maybe it’s not that bad (but sometimes it is). But in all seriousness, the whole present thing can create a lot of stress for people around the holidays. You have to buy something, make sure they will maybe use it, like it, and keep it. (Because everyone wants a Chia Pet, right?)

Over the last few years I’ve come to realize something. I love making people presents and giving it to them more than I like just buying something. Unless I know it will absolutely make this person’s day because I thought of them and bought them this one specific thing, I usually end up making presents for people.

And let me start off with saying that I know not everyone can make everything, we all have different skills and talents, and sometimes that doesn’t include being creative. But, I’ve found what works for me and I want to share it with you in case you feel overwhelmed and you’re looking for a fresh idea on this whole Christmas present thing!

To me, being able to make a gift for someone has so much meaning. I put my heart and love into every present that I make, and I know it means the world to people when they get something home made. Think back to the last time someone gave you something home made…isn’t it a treasure to know they spent time making something for you with their own hands?

It’s unique, it’s special, and it has so much more value than just a dollar sign.

I wrote a blog earlier last month with my favorite ideas of gifts to give, which you can check out here. Pictures are always a great present, you can find a nice frame and write a special note to go with it. Even baking cookies and finding some pretty packaging to put it in can mean the world to someone (and who doesn’t like to eat cookies at Christmas??)

My whole point is- think outside the box this year. What can you give of yourself to others? What can you make that would be meaningful to the people in your lives? To the person who has everything, what can you make them that they wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else in the world because you made it?

No matter if you are giving store bought presents, gift cards, cash, making your own presents, or giving no presents at all, I challenge you to put meaning into your gifts this year. Give of yourself, give of your heart, and share yourself this holiday season!

Do you have a favorite gift to make for others? Or do you have something traditionally that you give away during this special season? I would love to hear about it!

Why Holiday Season Workouts Might Actually be the Best

Typically, the holidays and the winter months are months we sort of go into a “hibernation” mode. It stays darker in the mornings, it’s cold, and gets dark early. It makes you want to curl up under a blanket with a huge sweater on. And that is what I’ve done for so many years before around this time of year, and I’ve watched the pounds pack on because of it.

Something that I have realized this year is that it does NOT have to be that way. You don’t have to gain weight over the holidays, you don’t have to hide under a sweater. You should still feel fantastic about yourself, and you can indeed still enjoy the holiday festivities and meals. It’s all about finding balance!

So why should you try to find time to take care of yourself this holiday season and workout? One great reason is because exercising is a stress RELIEVER. And boy does stress tend to abound during this season! More parties, more things to do, people to see, gifts to make or buy, family to be with….it’s all wonderful, but the time constraints and the added “to do” list can be overwhelming.

While some may think the first thing TO cut should be exercise, I would say keep it as a top priority! When you workout, you are warming up, you can lighten your own mood, you relieve stress, and you gain more energy for your day. Doesn’t that sound like something that would help make your holidays go smoother? I know it will for me!

You don’t have to commit to doing some full intense hour long workout every day, or become a permanent fixture at the gym. It can be as simple as doing an at home workout video program like I have done, or even finding your own quick workout routine from Pinterest. But the important thing is to get moving. Get your blood flowing, and stay active!

Some tips for how to make that time in your schedule during the holidays to workout:

-Write your workout down on the calendar! Write the time, place, whatever you need to solidify it for yourself.

-Wake up a few minutes early to start your day RIGHT. Yes, it may be painful at first, but the boost of energy you get will last you ALL DAY.

-Workout while you watch your favorite TV show or sports game. Yes…multi task! Even if you do it just in the commercials, move around! Make use of your precious time.

-Stay accountable to someone! Find an accountability partner, or join in one of my online support ones for the holidays! Accountability has been the biggest key to my success so far, and in maintaining motivation.

-Have grace for yourself. If you miss a day, or pig out one day, don’t let that ruin your whole season. Pick yourself up and start again the next day! It’s like the saying, if you got one flat tire, would you go around and slash all the other ones? No! You fix the one and keep going.

There’s a few tips and reasons why I have found that exercising through the holidays may be one of most important things you do for yourself! Give it a try, get active at least four days out of the week. What do you have to lose?

Who’s going to get active over this holiday season??

Stay up to date with what I’m doing and get even more tips to help you have a healthy holiday by friending me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/sarahfcason) or following me on Instagram (sarahfcason). I would love to encourage you and answer any questions you have over this season!

DIY Christmas Gift Guide

I’m going to stray a little more into my creative side today and share some great ideas and holiday gift tips that have been floating around in my head! For those of you that don’t know, I am a forever a creative person. I love any sort of art, any type of project that I can get creative in, I’m all over it!

Thus, that makes this time of year one of my favorites! Of course the Thanksgiving and Christmas season have always been one of the most special times of year for me, but particularly so because I love making gifts and giving gifts!

As a still newlywed couple, and young, we don’t have the world’s largest budget for Christmas presents. I sort of have sticker shock when I hear what the average family can spend on Christmas presents, because that’s just not where we are financially right now (rock on to those that are!). But, even if we had a larger Christmas budget, one of my favorite types of gifts to give are those that I have MADE.

I realize that not everyone is as creatively inclined as I am, and so I want to share a few great ideas that I have used in the past to bless family members with some things that I have made from the heart, and give with great joy!

So buckle in and get ready for some fun holiday DIY (do it yourself) gift giving ideas that are my favorites, and that people actually like!

1.    Baked goods. Really, need I say more? Who doesn’t like to get home made treats for Christmas? May I submit- not many people. There are some fantastic recipes out there for sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies, gourmet popcorn, fudge, toffee, the list goes on and on. And a lot of them are pretty simple! Find a great recipe, whip up a batch of cookies, and find a creative box to put them in! (Just make sure if you or they have pets NOT to put it under the tree!)

Image from Pinerest

2.    Framed pictures. This is a fantastic idea for parents, grandparents, etc. If you had a big event in your life recently that you got photographs from, get a few printed out, put them in a nice frame and gift those! I know I love getting pictures, especially of those that I love. Ross, T.J. Maxx, and Marshalls are great places to find frames at great prices.

3.    Handmade ornaments! This can be for the Christmas enthusiast (like me) in your life! I adore ornaments, and each one has a special story for me. They are super easy to make, you can go to any craft store and find ones that you can paint, or fill with little things, and then give to some special people in your life!

(Image from Pinterest, with ornament instructions here!)

4.    No sew blankets. I have made quite a few of these puppies and boy are they a hit! They really couldn’t be easier, you don’t need any sewing skills, just two large pieces of fleece, and scissors, then you tie the edges away! These are great for the cooler months, and it makes a really special memento. Check out a tutorial here! 

(Image from Pinterest at thatvillagehouse.blogspot.com) 

5.    A calendar! I have also made quite a few calendars for my parents in the past as well! This is a fun way to put in some pictures of you, your family, etc, and create a great memory they enjoy all year round. I feel like most people have at least one calendar hanging around their house every year, why not make it special? Here's one idea of how to make one! 

(Image from Pinterest)

6.    For the baker or cooking enthusiast in your life… put together a little “kitchen care package!” If they love to bake, it could be a new oven mitt with some fun cookie cutters, or cupcake liners and sprinkles. If they just love to cook, it could be an oven mitt with some kitchen towels and new wooden spoons in there!

Image from Pinterest

7.    Paint a picture! If you are so inclined, you can paint your own picture for a family member! There are lots of great inspirations online, you could paint your family name, their name, or their favorite saying.

8.    Photo albums. These are incredibly easy to create now thanks to websites like Shutterfly! You upload the photos you want to include, and you can customize it yourself or you can have it create one for you! It’s a great way to commemorate those special moments you had throughout the year.

9.    Repurpose old bottles! For those people that love unique gifts, or are into decorating, repurposing old wine and beer bottles is a great idea! Check out Pinterest for different things you can do with them. You can paint them for home décor, and even easily cut the wine bottles to make your own glasses or candles!

(Image from Pinterest)

10.  Make your own vanilla extract, coffee syrups, or spice mixes! Also for the cooking enthusiast, you can easily make your own vanilla extracts, coffee syrups and spice mixes/rubs.  Note, if you are going to make your vanilla, best to start now as it takes a little more time to create!

(Image from Pinterest)

There are ten simple, fun DIY Christmas present projects that you can create for those you love in your life. Think of what each person likes, what they enjoy doing, and have fun with it! Find something that is more meaningful to their lives, and will add value instead of just collect dust on the shelf.

I absolutely love making home made gifts and giving them away, and I know they are even that much more special when I receive them as well! Have fun with your giving this season, and remember that Christ is the true reason for the season!

What’s one of your favorite Christmas DIY projects? Share below!

And also keep an eye out on Facebook (www.facebook.com/sarahfcason to friend me), and Instagram (sarahfcason) to keep up to date on all my latest projects, including holiday DIY projects!