Last weekend I did two of my favorite Christmas activities: Zoolights and Santarchy.

Zoolights - For the month of December the National Zoo transforms the zoo into a winter wonderland with a festive Christmas light show set to music. Seeing all those lights gives you a the sense of the Christmas season and just lights up your heart. It's free and was a great way to spend time with friends after going to happy hour at a local Lebanese restaurant. It's the perfect way to spend a winter evening in December.






Santarchy - This event is held in cities around the country and it's my 5th time going! Expect to see hundreds of people in Christmasy costumes walking the Mall, making merry, handing out candy and singing carols. Afterwards we end the day at a bar. Lots of people wear Santa suits but you don't have to! I've gone as Mrs Claus, elves, and an ugly Christmas sweater. This year I went as a reindeer in a DIY costume and did my own makeup.











 Santa's boombox over his shoulder played Christmas tunes as we walked around.

The trend started a few years ago but it's still going strong. If you asked me last year if I ever thought I would try it the answer would have been a resounding no. Soft Suede is the fabric of the season and makes the colors on shoes look so lush. The great thing about over-the-knee boots is your legs will be warmer in the colder months. Let’s talk about cold weather fashion since it seems like we’re going to have a brutal winter this year. While the weather is no fun, on the bright side you get to wear different looks for each season so fashion gets to be fun!

I love to cook and love getting cookbooks from the library and working my way through one. Here are my must have cookbooks that came out this year and would make a wonderful gift for your friends.  When it comes to cookbooks one requirement I have is that it have lots of color pictures, I mean after all I need to see what I'm making to be enticed to make it.

Oh She Glows Every Day: Simply Satisfying Plant-Based Recipes to Keep You Glowing from the Inside Out by Angela Liddon  She makes delicious plant based recipes and I loved her previous best selling cookbook and use her app. This book has 100 recipes including a whole chapter on vegan cookies. Last week for lunch at work I made her Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, Swiss Chart and Red Lentil Stew.

Ziggy Marley and Family Cookbook: Delicious Meals Made With Whole, Organic Ingredients from the Marley Kitchen by Ziggy Marley This book is made up of recipes Ziggy makes in his home and includes a few vegetarian recipes including a Frittata, Tofu in Coconut Curry, Date and Kale Smoothie, and  Coconut Curry Squash Soup.

Inspiralize Everything: An Apples-to-Zucchini Encyclopedia of Spiralizing by Ali Maffucci
I loved Ali's first book and now am making zucchini noodles every week. This book is not a hard cover and is in alphabetical order by vegetable name. It has great recipes like inspiralized apple muffins, vegetarian meatballs and Ginger Pear and Apple Sangria.

The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook: Entertaining for Absolutely Every Occasion
by Isa Chandra Moskowitz This is Isa's 11th cookbook. The book is over 400 pages with lots of holidays covered. There's lots of fancy, meat inspired vegan recipes in here. It's a great book to make impressive party foods.

Other favorite cookbooks:
New Vegetarian Cookbooks for 2015
Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen Cookbook
Chloes Vegan Kitchen