We hosted our annual holiday party last Saturday at our roastery, featuring the same theme as the cafes: Cozy Cabin Christmas. Everyone came dressed in their best flannels to eat some barbecue and play bingo. We try to get all of the staff together as much as possible, but it was especially nice to have everyone here to celebrate the holidays!

Every year, as the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, one familiar thing returns to our shelves and our cups: Tala-la-la-la, our much-loved holiday blend. Despite its core coffees rotating each year, the release of this blend has become a true Tala tradition. It’s part celebration, part reflection, and entirely delicious.

As the holiday season rolls in, so do cold nights, the inevitable cold season, and a calendar full of gatherings, dinners, and events. And with all of that comes the moment someone says, “Just bring anything!” — which is great, unless you have debilitating decision paralysis, cooking isn’t really your love language, or you simply don’t have the time.

Enter: my go-to Hot Toddy recipe.

This Thanksgiving marked our 5th annual Tala Turkey Trot, and a never-before-seen change of location! This year, we got to open up Highwood for the morning to have our coffee and doughnuts. A huge shoutout to Gurnee Donuts for providing us with an amazing and delicious assortment year after year. It was extremely cozy and a truly wonderful way to celebrate Thanksgiving morning together!

Let’s face it, holiday shopping can be a drag. So many people on your list and so little time! No matter how often we fool ourselves into thinking we’ll be proactive next year, the time slips away from us. Luckily, we’ve figured out the best gifts to give all of your loved ones so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the tala-days!

The holidays are here, and with them comes the artful chaos of finding just the right gifts for your loved ones. Don’t stress—Winnetka’s local gems make holiday shopping feel more like an adventure and less like a chore. We took a trip downtown and found some great spots to buy holiday gifts for friends and family.

Since I was a little girl, stockings have been my favorite part of Christmas. I don’t exactly know why, but something about all the little things all together in one goodie bag feels so extraordinary to me. I know it’s common for stockings to be an after-thought—I've even met people who, to my astonishment, skip them altogether—but I love to fill them thoughtfully as a grand finale to opening presents. Regardless of your typical approach, I am here to share some tips on how to step it up a notch this year, especially if you’re stuffing a stocking for a coffee-lover!

We know how tricky holiday shopping can be. And while we try to tell ourselves we’re going to be proactive and get everything done by early December, there’s always one to two people who give us no ideas. So we procrastinate and scroll online… and procrastinate some more. And wish there was someone who could just tell us what they wanted!

This year we celebrate the whimsical imagination of a faraway land of fluffy trees and funny hair and lots and lots of Christmas cheer, and one bad apple with a very green hand, who seeks his vengeance on the land… Wait—did that rhyme?