Reading List: 10 Books To Read Over Christmas Break + A Starbucks Gift Card Giveaway

I haven't been reading as much as I would like lately. I'm thinking Christmas break is my window of opportunity. I'm going to aim for at least 20 minutes a day. Christmas falls at the beginning of the break, so I figure when the festivities are over I'll get some time to snuggle up with a great book in front of a blazing fire, cup of cocoa in hand. Sounds good, right? I have a stock of recent releases on my shelves and they all sound so interesting. I can't wait to dive in. So, here are my suggestions for 10 books to read over Christmas break.

Christmas Home Tour 2018

It was summer. And then I blinked. I cannot believe that December has rolled around again and it's time once more for the Canadian Bloggers Christmas Home Tour Blog Hop, hosted by Shannon of Home Made Lovely and Christina of The DIY Mommy. For those who celebrate Christmas, the arrival of December means it's go time. If you haven't yet started all the decorating, shopping, cleaning and cookie-making, it's definitely time to start. But let's not stress. Let's have fun with it. (At the same time, let's be grateful for online shopping.)

Peppermint Candy Cane Chocolate Shortbread Cookies + 10 More Vegan Christmas Recipes

What's not to love about shortbread cookies? They are simple to make, call for very few ingredients and are sure to be delicious. I have added these Peppermint Candy Cane Chocolate Shortbread Cookies to my Christmas repertoire this year because the only thing that could be better than shortbread is chocolate shortbread...with peppermint candy canes on top. And melted chocolate. It's a winning combination, as my testers can, well, testify. (My testers in this case were my kids, my husband, my niece and my sister-in-law.) "That's the best cookie I've had in a while," my sister-in-law said.

Also, read on for 10 more vegan Christmas recipes from my blogging friends. You can make a whole delicious holiday meal with these recipes, because there are recipes for everything from appetizers to mains to desserts.

DIY Christmas Napkin Iron-On Designs and How To Use The Cricut EasyPress 2

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after following a link, Woman in Real Life may earn a small commission. Your price is not affected.

One of my favourite things about decorating for Christmas is creating our Christmas table decor. It's always fun to go through my dishes and table accessories to decide how to mix and match my cherished items. If you have the time, it's nice to add a few personalized DIY touches too.

I am a big fan of gold glitter, in both cardstock and iron-on materials. But I also like the fresh, crisp look of silver glitter. So I decided to set my holiday table with mixed metallics, using DIY Christmas napkin designs in both warm gold glitter and crisp silver glitter iron-on. It's quite simple to create these holiday napkins. Read on for the tutorial.

10 Tips To Help You Stay Healthy Through Winter (With Recipes)

*This post is sponsored by Flora. All opinions are authentic and my own. Thank you for supporting the awesome companies that partner with Woman in Real Life.*

Compared to the quick and carefree days of summer, winter can feel long and oh-so challenging. The scarcity of sunshine, combined with bitter cold and an abundance of snow, can leave us feeling depleted and down. Plus, we inevitably spend more time indoors in close proximity to others—and their germs—so we're at higher risk for colds and flu.

Before we give way to doom and gloom though, the good news is that we can take steps to stay as healthy as possible through the dark days of winter. Play an active role in your health and navigate winter with a more positive outlook. Here are my 10 tips to help.

Fixes For 4 Winter Hair Woes

Photo: Sterling Williams

Just as summer sun can wreak havoc on your hair, winter presents a whole new set of challenges for your tresses. Not to worry. With a little bit of extra care, you can keep your hair looking healthy all winter long. Colour specialist Sterling Williams, an artistic educator for Matrix Canada, offers up fixes for four common winter hair woes.

A Room of One's Own - My Living Room Makeover

*This post is sponsored by Wayfair.ca. All opinions are authentic and my own. Thank you for supporting the awesome companies that partner with Woman in Real Life.

I'm fortunate to have a dedicated area for work in my home - a room of one's own, if you will. In actual fact, this room is a combination office and living room, but most of our family living is done in the kitchen and connected family room. People rarely sit in the living room. So I have taken that as an invitation to do what I choose with the space.