toblerone shortbread cookies

I had girlfriends over last week to do some holiday baking. We caught up over some hot cocoa with Baileys and chatted as we worked together. Having lived together in university, it wasn't our first time in the kitchen together :) We tried this recipe for toblerone shortbread, and even though the edges of the chocolate got a little toasted, they turned out very delicious. 

Have you done any holiday baking yet? Any tried and tested recipes that you can't wait to whip up every Christmas? I'm going to try gingerbread cookies later tonight!

part 2: ripley's aquarium

The jellyfish were too beautiful to be bunched together with the other sea creatures! Hope you enjoy their beauty as much as I did and do...

ripley's toronto aquarium

I had been dying the check our Ripley's Aquarium and we finally made it over last weekend. We took D's little cousin for an early Christmas treat and I think we were all equally amazed at the beauty of all the creatures! It costs $30 per adult and takes about 2 hours to walk through and check out everything. It was quite busy during the weekend, but with a little bit of patience we still got a good look at everything. The bright colors and range of species were so beautiful. There's also a moving sidewalk that winds through the tunnel-like tank. You get an amazing 180 degree view of the huge tank with sharks, turtles and stingrays - among hundreds of other fish. Aquariums always amaze me as a unique, mind blowing experience - there are so many wonderful life forms hiding just below the water's surface.

DIY christmas wreath

Having our own place with the holidays has been so much fun. I've loved getting to decorate and coming up with creative ways to add festive touches around the house. This DIY wreath took about 30 minutes to make, cost only about $20 and is such a lovely reminder of the holiday season when you come in through the back door.

{ Dollarama is a great spot to pick up decorative ornament balls on the cheap }

{ We got the faux wreath at Ikea for $10 }

{ I started by anchoring the larger ornaments with string to the wreath's wire 'frame' }

{ Once I had the three large ornaments in place, I found it easier to add the other pieces with the wreath hanging. Add as much or as little as you'd like }

{ Finally, I glued in some scented pine cones that add a pretty, natural element. I have to say I love the simple look I ended up with. It's sometimes easy to get carried away adding bits and bobbles, but I think less is always more }

{ We had some left over ornaments that are now strung up in the kitchen that add some festive cheer to the measurements chart that I'm sure will come in handy when the holiday baking begins }