Get It While It's Hot: A Look at Our Winter Hot Chocolate Station

One of my favorite things about decorating for Christmas is setting up the hot chocolate station on our eat-in kitchen hutch. It makes the room feel so cozy and festive. And the best part about this particular seasonal decoration? It can stay up all winter long!

This hot chocolate station comes complete with three different flavors of hot cocoa and a Kuerig coffee maker that heats up water in a flash. So it's always ready when guests stop by (or when Mama needs her fourth chocolate fix of the day. No judging).

Marshmallows, anyone? We have three different kinds for picky cocoa drinkers. We also have assorted adult beverages for people who like their cocoa with a kick!

One of my favorite easy (and cheap) ways to add some festive Christmas flair is to wrap empty boxes with kraft paper and tie them up with some red and white baker's twine. I've also wrapped actual presents and used them in my decor before, but then I forget which boxes are presents and which are empty, things get misplaced and someone ends up without a Christmas present. Last year we did't find one of Buggy Boy's presents till mid-January when I remembered where I put it. Oh well, he was five months old. He didn't notice.

I use a lot of cedar clippings in my Christmas and winter decor because, well, they're free and we have a ridiculous number of cedar trees on the property. Use what you've got people!

This sign is from one of Justin and my favorite neighborhoods in St. Louis. We both lived in St. Louis when we were dating, and this neighborhood in particular was very special to us. We got engaged at a park there, and we visit that spot whenever we go back to visit. This sign makes me smile every time I look at it.

I recently came across a fortune of old family photos in a drawer at my parents' house, and it just killed me that they were buried away. So, I've been working on finding fun ways to display them around my house.

There's nothing better than looking at embarrassing childhood pictures of family members whenever they come to visit (Case in point: See the super cute curly q with the headscarf standing awkwardly next to her old Italian grandmother? That's my mother, ladies and gentlemen. Could she be any cuter?).

I hope you enjoyed this little tour of our cozy hot cocoa station. Next up: a look at our kitchen table all set for Christmas. See you soon!