Christmas Tree Farms

Have you gotten your Christmas Tree yet? We used to get a real one for years and and years but then a few years back we found and artificial tree for a great deal at an after-Christmas sale at Hobby Lobby. I miss getting a real tree - getting dressed up in warm clothes, heading out to find the perfect one and then hauling it back to the truck. 🎄

If you are looking for a Christmas Tree Farm to bring the whole family to pick out the perfect tree - here is a great list of places in El Dorado County:

1. Santa's Acres - 2921 Barkley Road, Camino - Open Weekends 9-5, November 24- Dec 17

• Family owned for over 50 years! Choose from a large variety of trees and then warm up by the fire pit! Complimentary cider and cocoa. 

2.  McGee Christmas Tree Farm - 3131 Carson Road, Placerville - Open Weekends 8am - Dusk, Starting November 24th

• My personal favorite, this farm has been voted the #1 tree farm in El Dorado County! Tons of trees are available, and they will help you cut the tree of your choice. Cash/check only. 

3. Apple Country Christmas Trees - 2721 Mace Road, Camino - Open MWThF 11-4:30, Sat & Sun 9-4:30, November 24-December 23

• Get a saw and cup of freshly prepared apple cider and cut down your own Christmas Tree!

4. Harris Tree Farm - 2640 Blair Road, Pollock Pines - Open Thursday- Sunday 9-4:30 until Dec 24

• Choose and cut Christmas Trees and freshly made wreaths! Visit the website for Santa Visit info!

5. Hacienda Orchards - 2900 Barkley Road, Camino - Open Wknds, 9-5:30 until Dec 24

• A ten acre farm founded in 1988, Hacienda Farms meticulously hand trims every tree for perfect shape and density. Visit the website for a $10 off coupon! 

6. Indian Rock Ranch - 3800 North Canyon Road, Camino - Open Daily Nov 18-Dec 24

• Choose from a variety of firs and visit the gift shop! There is also a "haunted" mine to check out!

7. Prenderosa Christmas Tree Farm - 1060 First Right Road, El Dorado - M-F 12-4PM, Sat & Sun 9-5

• Fire, music, marshmallows, what more do you need! Plus, choose and cut a variety (doug fir, scotch pine, cedar, sequoia, spruce) trees or fresh cut noble and nordmann firs. 

8. Deer Park Ranch - 3201 Sand Ridge Court, El Dorado - Open F, Sat, Sun 9am- Dusk

• Free tree netting, coffee, apple juice, candy canes, and cookies! Trees start at $40, choose up to 14 feet tall! Cash/check only.

9. Bambi's Christmas Trees at Zittel Farms - 6781 Oak Avenue, Folsom - Open Daily 9-5 

• The last working family farm in Folsom. Fresh cut trees, flocking, and delivery!

10. Snowy Peaks Tree Farm - 30100 Foresthill Road, Foresthill - Open Daily 9-4:30 

• This 55 acre farm is dog friendly, and offers wagon ridees (weather permitting), hot chocolate, candy canes, a tree swing, bon fire, picnic area, and fresh wreaths! $5 off for Active Military, Veterans, First Responders, and Police Officers (coupon on website). Check the website for an up-to-date weather report!

🎄Trees for Troops: You can help send a Christmas tree to the American Military Troops by going to one of these participating tree farms the weekend of December 1, 2, and 3. 

If you are using an artificial tree like me, Here's How you can still help the troops have a great Christmas! 

Have a very Merry Christmas! Happy decorating!

Choosing Cabinet Hardware

As I mentioned in a few previous posts, we are going through a rigorous kitchen remodel right now! We have our new appliances sitting in the garage, the counter tops have been installed, and we are waiting for the guys to come and do a few cabinet modifications like adding crown molding, etc. Then the next steps will be adding our new back splash and painting the cabinets a nice, rich color that compliments both our new counter tops and the floors we had installed in February.

Here is a sneak preview of what the guest bathroom and laundry room look like, so you can see the quartz counters we chose and what the cabinets (oak) look like right now.

For the paint color in these rooms, I am going with Kelly-Moore Winter's Park . In the kitchen, I will do Kelly-Moore Not My Fault - since it is brighter and sunnier in there, I feel like I can go with a slightly darker color.

 

For cabinet hardware, I am having a super hard time deciding on what to get. All other fixtures in the house are oil-rubbed bronze. I would have loved to go with brass for the remodel, but it is trendy right now and I feel like it would be outdated so fast. So, bronze it is.

I have been sending options to my husband to get his opinion. I sent him a hammered option, since I know he likes that look and of course he loved it! That was his favorite one. Dang it, I hate that look.
They look like this:


I guess they are not too terrible. I would put these knobs on the cabinet doors and find matching handles to put on the drawers. I had always hoped to get all handles for drawers and doors but I actually saw the look the other day at someone's house and I decided it looked way too busy.

Here is my favorite option:


Aren't these the cutest? They are actually really clear/white. This picture makes them look sort of gray. What I really love about how these are shown online is that they show them on dark and light colored cabinet doors so I already know they will look good! Plus they are adorable! My husband hates the glass knobs so I am thinking a good compromise would be to do glass in the bathroom and/or laundry room and do something else in the kitchen. I really do usually like to stick to all one thing but maybe I can break my own rule this time!

Here is another glass option that I found for the bathroom/laundry room:




I also can't help but like the clean, modern look of these ones as well:





I also found these, which I actually really like:

  

I think these almost pewter-looking knobs and handles would be a great compromise! They are not too manly and I think they have an almost old-fashioned look to them that I think is very chic and sophisticated and would go really well with the clean look of our counters and our black granite sink. 

Which is your favorite?


I can't wait to show off our finished product! Only a few more weeks until everything is done!

Holiday Events Calendar

It's the most wonderful time of the year! I love this time of year, when it's cold outside and everyone is in a "giving" sort of mood. People spend more time with each other and it's a more peaceful, reflective time. There are also so many activities in and around El Dorado County to do with family and loved ones! I have put together a special calendar of events for those of you wanting to partake in a little holiday cheer!

El Dorado County (and Beyond!) Holiday Events Calendar

(Today) November 17th at 4pm: Folsom Ice Rink Opens for the season

November 18th from 10-4pm: Old Fashioned Christmas Craft Faire at the Cameron Park CSD - more info at www.cameronpark.org

November 24th from 5-8pm: Placerville Festival of Lights & Annual Tree Lighting  (Free!)

November 24th-26th: Pictures with Santa at the Welcome Center in EDH Town Center Theater Plaza  (times vary) - info at edhtowncenter.com

December 1st-16th: Evening Carriage Rides at the EDH Town Center Theater Plaza - more info at edhtowncenter.com - proceeds benefit Hands4Hope and 3StrandsGlobal

December 1st-3rd: Pictures with Santa at the Welcome Center in EDH Town Center Theater Plaza  (times vary)

December 1st at 6pm: Annual Christmas Tree Lighting in Historic Folsom

December 2nd at 8am: 50th Annual Christmas Craft Fair in Historic Folsom

December 2nd: 5k Run with Santa! Starts and Ends at the Cameron Park CSD Bring the whole family and then attend the pancake breakfast with the local FD - info at www.cameronpark.org. 

December 2nd: Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at EDH Town Center Theater Plaza - games and music start at 4pm 

December 3rd at 1pm: (Rain or Shine!) Placerville Hangtown Christmas Parade (Free!)

December 7th-10th: Pictures with Santa at the Welcome Center in EDH Town Center Theater Plaza  (times vary) 

December 8th & 9th at 8am: Historic Folsom Holiday Home Tour 

December 14th-24th: Pictures with Santa at the Welcome Center in EDH Town Center Theater Plaza  (times vary) 

December 31st, 7pm to Midnight: New Year's Eve Concert at the Shingle Springs Community Center - music, dancing and door prizes! 

Hopefully I will see you at one of these amazing events around town! Happy Holidays! 

100 Best Places to Live in the US

Are you searching for that perfect hometown that has everything you're looking for? Whether it be location, safety, your dream job, low housing prices, or great people? One of my favorite magazines - MONEY - put together an extensive list of the 100 Best Places to Live in the US. I love articles like this one because they provide people with so much more than a cute picture of a house - they provide you with a glimpse into the lifestyle of the town as well as hard facts surrounding the economy there - so when you are deciding where to settle you can make the right decision. 

I live in El Dorado Hills, California, and have always considered this (unbiased, of course!) town to be the best location in the west. But after reading this article and seeing what some of these others places have to offer in terms of median home price and average commute times, I'm tempted! 

For this year's list, MONEY rated cities based on 8 traits - cost of living, the economy (jobs), education (graduation rate), housing (appreciation and affordability), crime, convenience (commute time), cultural and recreational amenities, and an overall sense of pleasantness (sunny days). 

What I found was most interesting about this list was that the majority of the cities were located in the mid west. I guess I have always thought that people have migrated towards the coastal cities, but I think that with housing on the coasts becoming less and less affordable, it really does seem like people are looking elsewhere. 
For example, we have had several clients sell their house in California and move to Texas - where you can buy a very affordable home and the weather is just as good! I love to see this list of cities where new home buyers or even people who are down sizing can go and have a great quality of life!

Home located in Fishers, Indiana

1. Fishers, Indiana
Population: 86, 357
Median Home Price: $236,167
Median Household Income: $87 043


2. Allen, Texas
Population: 96,045
Median Home Price: $323, 676
Median Household Income: $104,524

3. Monterey Park, California
Population: 62,630
Median Home Price: $533,083 
Median Household Income: $57,419

4. Franklin, Tennessee
Population: 72,955 
Median Home Price: $433,996  
Median Household Income: $82,334

5. Olive Branch, Mississippi
Population: 37, 504 
Median Home Price: $185,092  
Median Household Income: $62,958

6. Dickinson, North Dakota 
Population: 24,771  
Median Home Price: $227,417  
Median Household Income: $71,866

7. Lone Tree, Colorado
Population: 14,733  
Median Home Price: $411,333  
Median Household Income: $116,761

8. North Arlington, New Jersey
Population: 15,563  
Median Home Price: $446,500   
Median Household Income: $73,885

9. Schaumburg, Illinois
Population: 77,557  
Median Home Price: $246,500  
Median Household Income: $73,824

10. Bozeman, Montana
Population: 42,435  
Median Home Price: $313,525   
Median Household Income: $49,303

11. New Berlin, Wisconsin
Population: 40,243  
Median Home Price: $255,633   
Median Household Income: $74,983

12. Beaverton, Oregon
Population: 97,229  
Median Home Price: $353,316  
Median Household Income: $58,785

13. Waltham, Massachusetts
Population: 63,053  
Median Home Price: $456,666  
Median Household Income: $75,106

14. Orem, Utah
Population: 95,742  
Median Home Price: $282,173  
Median Household Income: $54,515

15. St. Peters, Missouri
Population: 57,278  
Median Home Price: $208,666  
Median Household Income: $71,718

16. Carmel, Indiana
Population: 90,238  
Median Home Price: $236,167 
Median Household Income: $108,349

17. Avon, Indiana
Population: 18,490  
Median Home Price: $184,359  
Median Household Income: $78,915

18. Santa Monica, California
Population: 93,974  
Median Home Price: $533,083  
Median Household Income: $82,963

Santa Monica Pier

19. Grapevine, Texas
Population:  51,286
Median Home Price: $206,541
Median Household Income: $80,812

20. Wylie, Texas
Population: 46,235
Median Home Price: $323,676  
Median Household Income: $82,763

21. Brentwood, Tennessee
Population:   42,319
Median Home Price: $433,996
Median Household Income: $136,383

22. Greenwood, Indiana
Population:  57,389
Median Home Price:  $141,110
Median Household Income: $54,564

23. Bedford, Texas
Population:   49,016
Median Home Price:  $206,541
Median Household Income: $61,579

24. Saddle Brook, New Jersey
Population:   13,818
Median Home Price:   $446,500
Median Household Income: $$77,289

25. Bismarck, North Dakota
Population:   71,211
Median Home Price:  $255,000
Median Household Income: $60,971



Did your city make the list?

- You can find the full list of 100 Best Places to live at money.com/bestplaces. 

Soups to Warm You Up on Those Chilly Fall Nights

Fall is officially here! 🍁🍂 The leaves are falling off the trees, it's finally sweater weather, and we just had our first rainstorm of the season! I celebrated the rain by making a delicious, warm soup and so I wanted to share a round up of some of my favorite soups with you all so you don't have to try to figure out where to start when the rain heads your way! Soup is my husband's all-time favorite food - he could eat it every night of the week - so I am constantly looking for new recipes to cook up!

Last night, I made a fabulous soup from one of my favorite bloggers, Chungah Rhee - the brains behind Damndelicious.net. I just found out too that she has her very own cookbook! I will be adding that to my Christmas list! Anyway, I had pinned her Chicken and Wild Rice soup to make on a rainy day, and since just such an occasion was here, I decided to make it. It was a hit! You can get the recipe here. Since we are going through a kitchen remodel, and don't have a stove right now, this worked perfectly in the crock pot. I left out the milk/flour portion of this soup and just added an extra 2 cups of chicken broth. It was perfect!

Another of my go-to favorites when it's cold out is Pea Soup. A few years ago, I had a bag of peas from when we had stopped at Pea Soup Andersen's and I was looking around for something to put in the soup. All I had was a container of ham sandwich meat from the store so I said, what the heck, I'll try it! I came up with this recipe, and I've never looked back! It is so easy and so good! My husband and I both love Pea Soup so I try to make it at least a couple times a year.

I have made this copy cat Zuppa Toscana from Spend with Pennies many times. It may be my all time favorite soup! There is also a low-carb version here that I have been meaning to try, but I just love the original so much I just haven't gotten around to it! I use spicy Italian sausage in my version, and tons of red pepper - my husband likes spice! If you are looking for a milder soup, I would omit the red peppers and garlic altogether. This is a hearty soup that so many people can enjoy! We love it in our house.

Here is a soup that looks absolutely amazing that I have been meaning to try: this Bean and Bacon Soup by Deborah at Taste and Tell. I love bacon and this soup looks hearty and like it would warm you right up on a cold night! I can't wait to try it!

If you like Mexican food, this one is for you: this Chicken Avocado Lime Soup from Cooking Classy is one of my all-time favorite soups! It is absolutely delicious. It is loaded full of chunky avocado, chicken, cilantro, and tomatoes and basically tastes just like a street taco in soup form. And I love street tacos! I like to eat this soup with chips and dip the chips in the warm broth and gets tons of chunks of avocado on my chip. It is so good! 

I hope this list helped you get inspired for fall and the cold weather. I know sometimes a good soup recipe is all you need to get through a cold winter night! Let me know if any of these recipes work out for you or if you have any other great ones to share!