It’s my FAVORITE time of year!
The holidays bring about my two favorite things: Friends & Family and Entertaining!
Each year I host a “Favorite Things” party for my “favorite peeps!” And although I’m 37 weeks pregnant, I couldn’t go without hosting my “favorite” event!
Here are the details of the day…come on in…
As guests entered, the fireplaces were roaring, Christmas tunes were blasting, trees were lit…and I greeted them with a big hug (baby bump and all!) I thought it was a nice touch to try to have as many of their pictures displayed as I could, since the night was to celebrate my “favorite” friends!
Dinner was simple this year–Mediterranean food catered in (my friends are healthy eaters!) But in parties past (where I wasn’t preggo) one of my favorites was a salad bar where they could choose their “favorite” toppings…
We washed it down with some of our “favorite drinks”… champs & sparkling cider!
There were 24 girls, and I’m 9 months preggo, so I decided to keep things easy on myself, and do disposable place settings. There are so many beautiful sources I’ve found online to make disposable place settings look beautiful! The theme: “Brown paper” dishes, utensils “tied up with strings”…and as they sat down, they were gifted one of my “favorite things” as a favor…
The favors this year…one of my “favorite things”–initial mugs topped with mini-gingerbread houses, to use with the coffee bar we served after dinner!
After dinner the guests brought their mugs (one of my “Favorite things” as their favors) over to a coffee bar to find coffee of different flavors, seasonal creams, sweeteners, and of course…whipped cream!
Across the counter in my butler’s pantry was a dessert bar set up. A “favorite” of all of my guests in parties past is a dessert bar by my sister (and celebrity blogger/ chef “Dashing Dish”!)
This year she hosted a trifle bar..with gluten free cakes (healthier versions, which is what her cookbook and blog are known for), lighter versions of fillings, and toppings (some naughty, some nice–your choice!) The instructions–get a glass, layer it up with your “Favorites”, and enjoy!
Because there were 24 girls this year, we had to break up into two separate dining areas…
After dinner and dessert, we headed to our lower level for our annual “favorite things” gift exchange!
Here’s how it works… each guest brings 3 gifts wrapped (this year we did a contest for who had the most creative wrapping!) We each put our name in a bowl 3 times, and picked 3 new names (not our own). The 3 names we picked were the 3 people we got presents from. Each person got to share why they were gifting that item as their “favorite thing”! It is so fun to learn of each other’s favorites, and leave with 3 new “favorite things”! This year I created a “cozy Christmas” gift as my “favorite”–complete with a Christmas mug, Christmas candle and matches inside, and a Starbucks card hanging off the handle…
Although I didn’t win the wrapping contest, here was my theme: “brown paper packages tied up with strings!”
and now, for the wrapping winners…one of my besties Hannah (who also had an adorable “favorite things” theme), and my sister Katie (who went the distance buying cute items and making DIY snow globes with these items from Etsy! ) The girls won some of my “favorite things”!
An amazing time was had by all! I so love my “favorite” peeps!
Wouldn’t this be an amazing party to host this month for your “favorite” peeps and/or team???
Try it out…I promise, it will end up being one of your “Favorite” events too!
Want to see more holiday decor and ideas from me???
For a full holiday home tour with decor and more, click here!
Holiday Home Tour of the Robbins Nest
Welcome to the Robbins Nest, Holiday Home Tour! I have to admit, I am a lover of all things Christmas! I decorate early (first week of November this year, in anticipation of our firstborn, due Christmas Day)! And to be honest, I will probably enjoy these decorations until February (along with cuddles with my sweet baby boy!) If I could leave it up all year I would! I adore all things Christmas! Now, with the freshly fallen snow (we got near a foot, after a beautiful fall)…it’s time to pipe in the Mariah Carey Christmas playlist on Pandora, light my Nest Holiday Candle, and enjoy!
Welcome to our home…
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Olive, The Other Reindeer
Meet Bella! (There’s a cute kid’s Christmas book today that features a Jack Russell Terrier who thinks they are a reindeer, called “Olive the Other Reindeer”)! Our JRT thinks she is a human! As you tour our nest, I want you to keep a look out for baby Bella…we laugh so hard, as this little gal loves to pose for pics (I wonder where she got that from?! LOL!) We don’t invite her into the pictures or pose her on purpose…we seem to just “find her” in our pictures…kind of like the kid’s book from my time “Where’s Waldo?”…see if you can spot Bella in our pictures!
Oh, Christmas Tree!
I love Christmas trees, and try to incorporate one in every room! My goal for baby G (and any future Robbins-to-be) is to allow them to have a tree in their room that they decorate each year! We have one grand tree that we invite two lovely ladies to decorate each year (we adore them). We only wish we had a trap door to lower and raise it each year so we never have to take it apart…
I love to decorate too, so I reserve the right to our kitchen tree! 🙂 This year, per the advice of my momma, I got a flocked tree which was so much fun! I decorated it with big, dramatic bulbs…inspiration from my holiday Horchow catalog this year!
Every year we do a real tree in the lower level, but this year, we know it simply won’t be possible with a baby that’s due on Christmas Day…I had to settle with a little tabletop tree this year…but I compensated with finding fun decor that would contrast against the white. And even found a way to sneak in my pretty Christmas tree skirt! But I truly can’t wait to have a real tree back in the lower level in years to come!
For smaller spaces, I use small tabletop trees…like this fun one that I found for my office!
The Stockings Were Hung By the Chimney With Care…
Another “must” for me…sweet stockings above every hearth. I think it’s my subtle way of sneaking more “bling” into the home. If it were up to me, my home would be decked out in all things girly and glittery. Thank goodness for my husband who definitely balances me out! Here’s our living room stockings…
I even have stockings in my office to match the decor…(originally I was going to use these in our lower level, but we ended up not making a mantle after our renovation down there)…
These will be the stockings that Santa actually fills up. One for P+S and baby G!
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!
One of my favorite objects to decorate with are reindeer! I have to admit, I fall toward the girly, glam look. So for now my Santas are packed away…and I am loving incorporating beautiful reindeer into every room as well! Here are the sweet ones that greet people in the entry…
Reindeer perched upon the buffet in my dining room….
I spy with my little eye…baby Bella, as I take a quick snapshot of the reindeer in our living room!
These little guys are temporary fixtures around my temporary little tree in the lower level….
And because a girl can never have too much bling…these ones are my absolute FAVORITE to pull out each year (this year I even found the matching stocking holders!)
Reindeer seem to make everything more magical….
Rockin Around The Christmas Tree
Every year I like to add a little treat to my Christmas collection! This year was Christmas ornaments! I treated myself to a special little treat–trimmings for my Christmas tree, imported from one of my favorite destination places…Harrods of London!
“I like big bulbs and I cannot lie!” LOL! I was so inspired by a picture of interior designer Jan Shower’s flocked tree with big, oversized metallic bulbs that I decided to try this look on my DIY tree myself! Shortly after ordering these beauties of all sizes from Horchow, they put out their holiday catalog, featuring a GORGEOUS tree with oversized bulbs! I guessed that confirmed my choice! I added dainty little bulbs to balance things out!
Deck The Halls
I try to sprinkle special touches in every space! Holiday decor doesn’t have to be traditional…I like to find fun and festive ways to spruce up every space…
From antlers and jingle bells on my table runner…
Christmas candles and matches in every space…
Beautiful bibles to read the Christmas story…
Cute little items I find along the way, like this little guy…
Decor doesn’t have to be traditional holiday…beautiful flowers go a long way!
Lovely vases…
Stacked books and bowls…
And my favorite piece to deck the halls all year long, a sculpture called “The Offering”…from my late mentor, father-figure and friend, Christian Diaz!
Garland is always gorgeous…
Photo displays framed by Christmas trees (I am working on a “Brides” table here)…
I even sprinkle in the holidays in each bathroom!
It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!
It truly is the most wonderful time of the year! And something tells me that it will be even more magical as we celebrate our baby boy’s birth, and future birthdays each year here! I can’t wait to welcome him to the Robbins Nest! We plan to fill each room in this place with love and laughter–with future to plans to even adopt! We have a lot of love to share!
Before I go to prepare for baby G, here’s a few last sneak peeks & a room by room tour…
Our lower level (quite the transformation from last year’s rustic “man cave”! Tutto Interiors of Northville worked their magic and completely renovated this space!)
My Office
Our Entry
Our Dining Room
Our Family Room
Our Formal Living Room
An Aerial View From Above…
Somehow Bella snuck in (again….)
For a room-by-room tour of our entire home (all year round) CLICK HERE
Thank you so much for touring our nest! We wish you a happy, healthy holiday season!
XO, Phil, Sarah, and baby Gabriel (and of course, baby Bella too!)
PS- this was our first time taking pictures after a quick tutorial from our friend Jessica! What do you think? Be easy on us–we are newbies!
You Started As a Prayer (Maternity Shoot)
Baby Gabriel,
Oh, how we’ve waited for you. After 11 years of marriage, your daddy and I can already say “son, you were truly worth the wait”! You are our miracle. And to think…you started as a prayer…
Earlier this year, your Grammy (Fairless) came to your Aunt Emily, Aunt Katie, and I and said “I am praying for a baby under the tree this Christmas!” We all kind of giggled–but to my surprise, I found out I was pregnant with you on my birthday–and that your exact due date would be Christmas Day! (We found out you were a boy on our 11th anniversary too…how cool is that?) Your Grammy’s prayers sure are powerful! Christmas baby!
That’s how you got your name–I kept calling you my “Christmas angel”! One day, I felt the Lord speak to my heart: “Who was the Christmas angel?” I opened up the Bible to read the Christmas Story. The angel Gabriel was the “Christmas angel”–the angel who told of the most famous baby to ever be born on Christmas–Jesus.
I want you to know how faithfully your daddy and I have prayed for you, and how we’ve spoken greatness over you. In fact, we prayed so carefully before we selected your name…because we know it will be the #1 thing “spoken over you” over the course of your lifetime. So we wanted you to have a name with strong meaning…and yours means “messenger of God”! We believe you will be a mighty man of God–who is a “doer” “seeker” and “SPEAKER” of God’s word! What a blessing you will be to so many people, including US!
How we’ve prayed for you…many mommas-to-be download different apps on their phone to tell them about their baby-to-be’s journey. It details weekly what is happening to our bodies, but to yours as well. I chose not to read the part about me (as I wanted to “guard my heart” and “guard my mind” and not be fearful for what is to come). Instead, your daddy and I just prayed that I would have a “supernatural pregnancy”–easy, healthy, and good….and guess what? I didn’t get sick one time! You’ve been good to me my boy! Instead, we use the app to see what’s developing in your little body–and here is what we do…we PRAY FOR YOU! Every single detail…
For example, when your brain was developing–not only did we pray that it would form and perform perfectly–we also prayed that you would have “the mind of Christ” – ” (1 Cor. 2:16) We believe our prayers, and spoken word over you are one of the greatest gifts we could give you now, and as you grow to be a mighty man of God!
I’m anxiously awaiting the day I can hold you, and pray for you while you are in my arms–and you can hear the words of greatness that we will speak over you as we look into your beautiful (hopefully blue) eyes! I love your daddy with an unexplainable love–and I can only imagine how much I will love YOU!
PS- get ready to laugh. A LOT. Your daddy makes me laugh EVERY SINGLE DAY!
We just can’t wait to meet you soon, my (Christmas) angel!
XOXOXO, your mommy (the first lady you’ll ever love!)
Thank you to Jessica Gliesman for these beautiful maternity photos of me and “baby G”!
Click on the pics below to view the entire gallery=>
Nursery pics to come–be sure to SUBSCRIBE TO THIS NEW BLOG to get notified about the full tour! <3
For now, here’s a “sneak peek”…
PS- if you are a woman trying to get pregnant, or are pregnant and are praying for a healthy, happy pregnancy… prayer is POWERFUL. I recommend this book my pastor shared with me (the ONLY book I read about pregnancy!) I stand in prayer with you! XOXO
Sarah and Phil Robbins Angel House Feature on CBS
Phil Robbins and I are thrilled to share that our story of how our Network Marketing business allowed us to help build a new life for our angels (our 117 “sons”) in India, in partnership with Angel House was aired on CBS News.
We are so excited…as we are giving birth to our firstborn in December, we will be giving new life to our little girls in India, as we open up our second home for these sweet angels this December–I guess God gave us “daughters” after all! To God be the glory!
Here is the CBS segment:
If you’d like to learn more about Angel House, watch this video, and “Meet our 117 sons”!==>
Passionately pursue your dreams! There’s NOTHING like seeing your reason “WHY” in action!
To learn more about our company’s foundation click here.
God is Birthing Something BIG in Your Life!
September is here! It’s the 9th month of the year…and since we just celebrated Labor Day, I declare that God is birthing something BIG in your life! Although the journey at times is tough, the blessing is worth the birthing pain and process.
Jeremiah 29:11 says…
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
We all have great plans for our life, according to God’s promise to us…
So why do some people fall short? Why do some people never enter into their promised land and live a life less than what God intended for them?
I believe the story of Moses & the Israelites is a great illustration for us, of people who were promised great blessing from God—yet they fell short because of their lack of faith and trust in God—and their continuous murmuring and complaining.
Sarah Robbins’ 65 Pound Weight Loss
Over the past 10 years I lost a total of 65 pounds—and while some would conclude this statement with “…and I finally won”, I would instead say, “I am winning every day”. I will never be done eating healthy, exercising, and disciplining myself to healthy habits daily. I’ve worked hard—but the results are worth it. I’m wearing cute dresses (and I love girly clothes)—hallelujah! And I no longer have the looming thoughts of being disappointed in myself. I am free in my mind in this area–and with all of the good things going on in my life I finally decided that I no longer have time for any negative recurring thought in my mind. I’ve conquered so much in my 33 years—it was time that I conquered my health and my weight.
