Warning: An annoyingly long and random post about my favorite things I
love during the Holidays where I use the word LOVE about 50 times too much and
use an obnoxious amount of exclamation points!!!!!
Here is the thing. Fall, Halloween,
Thanksgiving, Winter, Christmas - they all make me SO happy. I love fall festivals and picking out
pumpkins. I love passing out candy and
dressing up for Halloween. I love
preparing a big Thanksgiving meal and sitting around a table with love ones. I
adore everything about Christmas. I
actually listen to Christmas music on and off all, yes you read that right, ALL
year round. And if I could have a
spinning white tree with blue lights and decorations up in the house all year
round, I would. Really.
The idea of giving and being together and remembering and
celebrating and eating and doing holiday activities and relaxing….it just makes
me so happy.
I sort of stay in my own little bubble during the holidays. I need to so I don't get caught up in the negative or rush of the season. I avoid holiday crowds and shop online and I smile
at those being scrooges.
I LOVE this time of year so much and do not
feel that a month for each is nearly enough time to celebrate. I want to celebrate longer!!
I sort of lump Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas
together. When October hits I am 100% IN
the holidays. Three months of
festivities! I give them each their due
respect and appreciation and celebrate fully each holiday, but I am also
celebrating or preparing to celebrate the others. So if we have Halloween decorations up and
are listening to Christmas music, or have Christmas Decorations up and are
listening to the haunting sounds of Halloween, or even have Christmas
decorations up & Christmas music playing on Thanksgiving day…well in our
house that is OK!
I love Christmas
music and it is in full force in our house.
I know some say I am listening to Christmas music too early
and celebrating too soon. I respectfully
say, bah humbug on you….no I am not!! :-)
(Disclaimer: I totally understand how some may not want to listen yet. But I want too.) I love the way it makes me feel, I love
singing at the top of my lungs (and man is it singing like you have never heard
before!), I love how as soon as I hear the first notes of a song it takes me
somewhere or to someone, I love how Christmas music just makes me feel and my family…..happy. Yes, even the semi-annoying songs.
Besides the music, I love ornaments. Our tree is this hodge-podge of ornaments,
each meaning something different to us.
Some represent milestones in our life, some represent our favorite
things, some make us laugh, some make us remember, and some are from our
childhood. Seeing our tree as a backdrop
for all those little reminders of our life together and from when we were
younger brings so much joy to our house!
Last night Terry and I were on the Bronner’s website looking at
Christmas ornaments. They have the best
ornaments there!! We have already
ordered one ornament this year and will be ordering a few more as gifts.
Shhhhhhh
Henry’s Ornament this year that we ordered….What Time Is It?!?!
I also love the holiday smells. I know it sounds weird, but smells make me
happy….or unhappy depending on what the smell is! The smells of: Thanksgiving dinner cooking, of
our apple spice candle that we only bring out this time of year, of that cold
air that hits you in the face when you step outside, of recently fallen leaves,
of the inside of a freshly carved pumpkin, of Christmas trees and wreaths, of a
big breakfast being cooked, cookies being baked, and so much more.
The Lights. Whether
it is the lights of a glowing pumpkin or of the Halloween decorations we have
peering through our windows or of candles lit or of Christmas lights…I love
lights. Terry and my first date was
actually in November, thirteen years ago at the Lights Before Christmas at the
Zoo. It was a horribly frigid evening
but we loved every minute of it and drank tons of hot chocolate and stuck close
together. And now every time we go back,
it sort of feels like that first date…those memories all come back. And now we get new memories every time we take
Henry and he looks at the lights and says “WOW”. I agree, my son. WOW.
We are actually planning a trip for next December to the Oglebay WinterFestival of Lights. Too many lights to
count spread out over 300 acres in the rolling hills of WV. Perfection.
I went when I was a kid and can’t wait to share that now with our son.
Movies. We just
introduced Henry to It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown last week (well the first time he actually watched it) and we are
preparing him for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.
I think we can all agree there are SO many great Holiday movies and
shows out there that just make you laugh, cry and think about your childhood or family. But The Peanuts are pretty much THE BEST thing
to happen to the holidays.
Tradition. You know,
I think this may be my favorite thing about this time of year. From October through December it is all about
making memories and remembering traditions from when you were a kid and
starting new ones with your family.
Really, there is nothing better.
So be forewarned. If
you come to our house from now until probably the end of February chances are
you will hear Christmas music, see a tree (in a few weeks), be eating cookies
made by my husband, and be surrounded by so much Holiday cheer that it may make
you a little sick. Don’t worry, we
always have some Tums on hand if it is just too much to digest.
Yep, that is how we do it.
So what are YOUR favorite holidays?! Your Favorite things about the holidays? Any traditions you love?
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