Cold December Night
December arrived quietly, wrapped in snow and early evening light, and with it came Michael Bublé—because nothing marks the first night of December in our house quite like dropping the needle on his Christmas vinyl. Cold December Night, the only original song on his 2011 holiday album, became the soundtrack of the evening. Its soft swing and romantic lyrics set the mood as we eased into a cozy, stay-inside kind of night.
We began by stringing together simple pleasures: unveiling new countdowns for the start of Advent as well as relaunching our Advent Window display from Switzerland last year. The house gradually shifted into a more festive glow. Pine-scented oils and candle-like diffusers warmed the edges of the room, while the familiar crackle of Bublé’s voice spilled from the turntable.
Soon the kitchen came alive. Hershey’s Blossom Cookies baked in the oven as little hands helped press the chocolates into place, each one a tiny “kiss” for this cold December night. A round of appetizers followed—our punny “Brie Mine This December”—paired with chilled Bubbly Bublé Champagne and the night’s signature cocktail, the Bublé Breeze, shimmering gold in coupe glasses beside the record sleeve.
Dinner was cozy and classic: “Honey I Glazed the Ham,” crisp-edged “Be My Baby” potatoes, and a bright Lettuce Be Together salad. We ate in our “Cozy Couture”—flannel, fuzzy socks, soft holiday pajamas—leaning fully into the winter-nesting atmosphere the date was meant to capture. Under the mistletoe (which very bossily instructed us to “stand in line”), the evening carried just the right amount of romance and humor.
Games followed, all lyric- and winter-themed. We played This or That: Holiday Edition, guessed about record low temperatures in the Twin Cities for December, and laughed our way through a few Bublé-inspired trivia moments.
To wind things down, we dimmed the lights and settled in with “One Day in December.”, a popular fiction book to let the mind slow down for a bit. A warm mug for the kids, a nightcap cocktail for us, and a slow stretch of reading time that felt like a deep breath after a full and festive evening. And, to perfectly capture the lyric “I'll wear you like a Christmas sweater”, Ben surprised Bekah with a personalized family faces Christmas sweater.
We ended the date with one final play of Cold December Night. With snow outside, soft lights inside, and a house already beginning to look and feel like Christmas, it was the perfect opening chapter to the month—simple, warm, musical, and unmistakably Bublé.
Activities
Advent Calendars & Advent Window
Pine-Scented Tree & Candle Scents
Bublé Vinyl Listening Session
“This or That: Holiday Edition”
Cold December Facts & Temperatures Game
Mistletoe “Stand in Line” Moment
Cozy Couture Pajama Night
“One Day in December” Reading & Puzzle Time
Personalized Christmas Sweater w/ Family Faces
Menu
Hershey’s Blossom Cookies
Bubbly Bublé Champagne
The Bublé Breeze Cocktail
“Brie Mine This December”
“Honey I Glazed the Ham”
“Be My Baby” Potatoes
Simmered Apple Cider with Cinnamon & Orange
