Jen A. Miller Consulting

Category: The Single Diaries

How to Savor Christmas All Month

12 ways to make your holiday last throughout December

Since I left for college many moons ago, I have grown to appreciate the holiday season more deeply. It’s the time of year when all of my childhood friends and family are gathered in one place. You wind down from another year and remember what’s really important. The chaos of life matters a little less. Spending time doing nothing with people you love means even more. When “holiday break” in my hometown went from a month in college to a week and a half in the work world (and I know even that is a luxury!), I learned how to savor Christmas in less time. One of my favorite parts of moving back officially is that I get to see a full-size Christmas tree when I come home every day. I started to make a conscious effort years ago not to look forward to anything too early. I felt that it made time move too quickly, and I for one want to extend every happy memory for as long as possible. With that, here are my twelve ways to spread holiday cheer in small ways and celebrate your holiday last throughout the month.

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December 3, 2014
Your Ultimate December Calendar| Single Girl Out ‘n About

Make it a month to remember with our list of what to see & celebrate this December

Can you believe it, we’ve officially begun the last month of 2014! With only weeks between us and a brand new year, we’re on our last chances to make 2014 one to remember. To make sure, you’ve got a plenty to look forward to this month, I’ve put together the ultimate December calendar of all that you’ll want to see and celebrate. Take a look at what made my list and let me know what else is on yours!

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December 1, 2014
Black Friday Sales 2014

The sales we’re shopping from home this Black Friday

Photo Credit: The Miss Information

I’m not one for shopping in crowds, so online shopping changed my life. I still tend to avoid Black Friday, but this year I thought if I wasn’t looking for things for myself I could get a head start on holiday shopping. ‘Tis the season!

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November 28, 2014
Happy Thanksgiving!

Contributors share traditions and what they’re giving thanks for

PHOTO: TV Media Insights.

I used to mark my year in reasons to fly home, and one of the biggest trips was naturally for Thanksgiving. LAX is reportedly the busiest airport in the US during Thanksgiving week, and from the endless delays, cancelations, and hours spent at a terminal during that week for the past decade I can say proudly that it’s true.. and I survived. Last year in the cab ride to the airport, a thought casually crossed my mind: “This is the last year I’ll travel for Thanksgiving.” It came and went before I had a chance to challenge it, but a year later I smile at my personal premonition.

For the first time since 2005, I am staying put for Thanksgiving. I see my family every day, yet the festive air is contagious and the holiday spirit feels even more magical now that I’m in a city in which temperatures drop for the season (plus you have to admit San Francisco feels like a snow globe city, without the snow). 2014 has been quite a year. I don’t know many who didn’t go through some kind of major change—a decision to change jobs, move into a new apartment, relocate to a new city, go back to school, start a company—and we are all better for it.

This Thanksgiving, take a pause before you begin your meal or before you change into your Thanksgiving pants, and give thanks to those around you (literally and figuratively). Here are what our single girls are grateful for this year.

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November 27, 2014
Secrets of a Sommelier| Wine Pairing Tips from Napa

Pick the perfect wines for your Thanksgiving with these 5 tips from a Napa Valley Master Sommelier

This past weekend my boyfriend I had the pleasure of attending Flavor! Napa Valley an event which celebrates two of my favorite things in life, top notch wines and amazing food. We were accompanied by a few great friends and some amazing hosts, one of whom was master sommelier Andrea Robinson. As one of only 18 female master sommeliers in the world, Andrea is among the most knowledgable people when it comes to wine. Needless to say, we were thrilled to have the chance to share the weekend with her.

While we dined our way through some amazing meals we had the pleasure of picking Andrea’s brain about the wines which were chosen to go with each dish. With her signature down-to-earth nature, she brought her expertise to us in a way which we could actually understand.

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, our time with Andrea couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. This year we’ve decided to open the doors to our new house and host a big Friendsgiving feast. We’ll be prepping the turkey and have asked each of our guest to bring along their favorite sides dishes. With an invite list of nearly 50, our meal is certain to have a lot of variety.

If you’ve ever been in a similar situation, you know that figuring out what drinks to serve to match your exhaustive menu can be quite the challenge. Luckily, Andrea’s expertise has prepped me with some easy to follow tips for pulling together the perfect wine pairings. If you’re looking for a simple guide to get your wine right, these points should suit you perfectly.

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November 24, 2014