Lake   Tahoe is a perfect destination for skiers and snow boarders. Northstar is my favorite ski resort so far around this glorious lake when it transforms into a Snow Covered Wonderland. You can enjoy the snow, s'mores and cozy fires, spa treatments, views of snow capped mountains while swimming in heated pools, and so much more!  
With it being a mere three hour drive from the Bay Area it's the perfect weekend getaway. Here is a bit about my experience while staying at the Ritz-Carlton and Northstar Resort in Lake Tahoe, the Sierra treasure situated at 6,223 feet on the border of California and Nevada. 

Ski Season:
First off, you should know that skiing in Tahoe isn't limited to winter! With the abundance of snow this year the ski resorts are extending their seasons. Northstar is planning to stay open until end of April, while Squaw Valley predicts their season will go until June. I plan on going back a couple of times before the end of season to get as much snow time as I can! 

6. Holiday Light Tour
Let your local Clark Griswold wanna-be get the attention he deserves! While some places may charge for you to drive through their light displays: I prefer the simple suburban classic of driving through snazzy neighborhoods and looking at lights. This is how, years ago, we discovered Christmas Tree Lane (or Fulton Street in the off-season) in Palo Alto. For the two weeks leading up to Christmas you can drive or walk through this display to see carolers, vintage lawn displays and lights, lights and more lights. Free: Fulton Street between Embarcadero Ave. and Seale Rd. Palo Alto, CA (Dec. 15-31)

• 2 tbsp Enjoy Life vegan butter 
• 2 ripe hachiya persimmon* 
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey 
• 1 tsp gingerbread or cinnamon seasoning  
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp chopped walnuts 
• 1 egg 
• 1 cup rice or gluten-free all-purpose flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill)

• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/2 tsp coconut or almond milk
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/2+ cup whole walnuts (for decorating) 

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill) 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 3/4 tsp salt 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger 
• 1 cup pumpkin purée 
• 1/4 cup avocado oil 
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 cup mashed hachiya persimmon pulp (~3) or 1 cup peeled & cut fuyu persimmons (~3-4) 
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans & 3 tbsp brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare loaf tin: line parchment paper in tin that hangs over the edges.
2. Caramelize the pecans: in a non-stick pan, heat the pecans and brown sugar together until the brown sugar melts and coats the nuts (this not only makes them sweet but prevents them from sinking to the bottom of your bread).
3. In small bowl, mix together dry ingredients (gf flour and spices). 
4. In large bowl, beat together wet ingredients (pumpkin, oil, sugar, eggs, and persimmon pulp). Little by little mix dry ingredients into wet, until just mixed. Fold in caramelized pecans. 
5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for ~45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
   Tip: Enjoy with hot apple cider! 

I love the holiday season because it’s a time to reflect on all the things we have to be grateful for. However, it’s a crazy time with all the functions, cooking, and shopping we do. Thankfully, there are ways we can manage the emotional stress and hectic aspects of this time of year.  
1. Don't Put It on a Pedestal:
While it's "the most wonderful time of the year," don't forget that it isn't the be all and end all of your life. Evaluate your expectations: are they realistic? You may find you will enjoy the holidays and your friends' and family's company more if you lower your expectations closer to reality and less like a perfect Christmas movie.

2. Determine the Gifting Plan:
If you have a lot of cousins (like me) or a group of friends, decide ahead of time if you will be exchanging gifts or doing a Secret Santa. Set a price limit and deadline for when everyone must have a wishlist sent out. I love using Draw Names for Secret Santa as it lets you post your links to your desired gifts and makes doing everything anonymously simple.

3. Schedule a Friend(s) Baking Day: 
Plan a day with a friend to cook or bake together. It's way more fun when you work together and can take breaks with sips of mulled wine or cider. Bake cookies for parties and trade some with one another and freeze them. This also works if you double up your recipes for other holiday dishes and can trade your extras.

4. Drama Free Zone: 
As much as your brother may have upset you discussing politics last time you saw one another, this isn't the best time to hash things out or, worse, bring up an article that supports your opinion of who you voted for. Don’t turn the holidays into a therapy session or pulpit. Deal with your family drama another time.
YES! Of course you should spend quality time with your family during the holidays. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean EVERY.SINGLE.MINUTE must be spent all together. Set boundaries and let your family know you'd like to go get coffee by yourself or meet up a with a friend for a certain amount of time. It doesn't mean you love them any less. It's just healthier for your to not feel smothered. As a trade off, I find it helpful to suggest other things we can plan to do to specifically make sure we have quality time (e.g: board game night, movie night, shopping together, etc).
6. You're Not Martha...
We all love Martha Stewart and her perfectly styled dinner table with 8 courses for 35 people in her New England cottage with a uniquely decorated Christmas tree in each room of the house... That's fantastic. I love that she can do that and am inspired! But let's face it. We aren't Martha.
Limit your guest list. Buy store bought desserts or ask for people to bring food if you must. The house doesn't have perfectly decorated to make it a memorable holiday. Just do as much as is fun and special for you.

7. Shop Early (and/or Online):
The title covers this mostly, but don't feel like you must wait until the last two weeks to get presents. The crowds and moods are mostly rotten and everything is a hot mess by that point. Also, don't feel you need to wrap every present to perfection if that's not your thing. Use gift bags or pay for wrapping if that is what makes the most sense for you.

8. Don't Forget the Reason for the Season:
It can be so easy to get wrapped up in the rituals and sparkle of the holidays and forget what it really means to you. If your family is religious I encourage you to read and journal about what this holiday means for your spiritually. Prepare your mind for that celebration. If you don't happen to be religious but still looking for a deeper meaning for this time of year besides the commercial aspect I recommend volunteering your time or gifting to those in need. This can be a lonely and painful time of year for many people. Gifting your time or money to those less fortunate is a beautiful way to celebrate this time of year and remember what it really means to love others.

How do you make your holidays less hectic? 

Photos taken by Nicole Ho for The Abstract Life

Ahhh November. While I'm already humming Christmas carols and living for December I DO appreciate this month of Thanksgiving. Life quickly fills up with little things that make it easy to forget all that we have in our lives. That's why I am dedicating the thirty days of November to remind myself to be grateful for all I'm blessed with and to think of others more.
To help myself I'm creating a list of acts of gratitude and kindness I can incorporate into my daily routine. Because-no matter how much I love decorating for the holidays and wrapping presents-it's important to remind myself the true reason for the season.

Will you join me in 30 Days of Gratitude? 

1. Make a list of 10 things you're grateful for this year!  
2. Call your Grandma(s) and just listen to them talk about their day. Appreciate their history and gift of their presence in your life. 
3. Hold the door open for someone and share a smile.
4. List things you're thankful for in your career.
5. Write a sticky note of encouragement or appreciation and leave it on a co-worker's desk.
6. Bring a friend a cup of coffee. 
7. Only practice self-love today. No fat-shaming yourself or negative thoughts about yourself. 
8. Donate things you no longer use to those in need. Appreciate the service those goods offered you at one point and pass them on.
9. If you live with your significant other (or roommate) clean up your shared spaces without comment or expecting anything in return.  
10. Write a loved one a letter telling them how you love and appreciate them.
11. Instead of looking around and seeing all you still want in your home, make note of what you currently love in it.
12. Surprise your roommate (or significant other) with home baked goods or dinner!
13. Do a selfless act for a stranger. (Suggestion: let someone skip you in the grocery line.
14. Send your best friend a card. Just 'cause. 
15. Do you have an elderly neighbor or family member? Go visit with them and ask if they have anything around the house they need help with (even as simple as changing the fire alarm batteries). Chances are they really could use help with something but just didn't feel they could ask. 
16. Don't complain at all today. Every time you feel the urge to, think of one thing you are grateful for. 
17. Give canned goods to your local food drive.
18. Text your sibling(s) (or cousins/BFF if you're an only child) and just tell them you love them and one thing you appreciate about them.
19. Give someone a [genuine] compliment today.
20. Send / give your mom flowers. 
21. Write down your top 5 favorite things about yourself and be thankful for how those make you unique. 
22. Do a random act of kindness for someone today.
23. Happy Thanksgiving! Create Thanksgiving Grateful Game cards to share with your family at dinner. 
24. Instead of focusing on consuming today, rest and focus on family time or on what you already have and appreciate.
25. List 3 things you like about your body (which can be hard after that Thanksgiving meal).
26. Offer to babysit for free for a friend. 
27. Make something today. How lovely it is to create rather than constantly consume.  
28. Take a friend/mentor out for lunch and share how you appreciate them. 
29. Let a car go in front of you today while driving. 
30. List 5 things you're grateful for from November. 

"I'll stop wearing black when they invent a darker color..."

I love Wednesday Addams. Her dry humor, love of black, peter-pan collars, and lack of f*@%s given makes her my kind of girl. It also just so happened that my favorite Halloween movie is The Addams Family. Since I was in a pinch for time and my original costume plans fell through it was the perfect opportunity to DIY this maven of wit's look. See other quick costumes ideas here: The Lazy Girl's (Or Last Minute) Guide to DIY Halloween Costumes
Get the Look: