By the time this post goes live, it will be 5 days before Christmas. Even if Christmas has a different look and feel this year, there is no way that I'm not going to write a holiday post to round up the year. In honor of my absolute love for Christmas, I want to list my FAVORITE parts of the holiday season. Enjoy!
Holiday Baking - Okay, so not to toot my own horn, but...TOOT, TOOT!! I love baking Christmas cookies. I literally just learned how to make Royal Icing courtesy of Pinterest. I'll share the recipe for both the cookies and the icing if you're interested. Christmas sugar cookies are one of those things that connect me to my childhood. My mom used to bake cookies for us for the holiday. I remember our old metal or aluminum cookie cutters. I also remember my mom would fashion the dough into candy canes. She would flavor the white portion of the dough with vanilla extract and the red with peppermint. I've never tried to recreate those cookies for fear that I would make a mess of them, and my perfect memory would be replaced by something gross like a disgusting replacement cookie. But, for me, I love different variations of the sugar cookie. I love the way my home smells when the first batch comes out of the oven, and yes, I eat raw cookie dough. Don't judge me.
2. Christmas Music - We start listening to Christmas music around our home right after Halloween. So that means that part of Thanksgiving is about Christmas readiness. I love all versions of holiday music. From Transiberian Orchestra to old Barry Manilow. From Gospel to Country and musicals. There is probably not a Christmas song that I don't know. Seriously...try me. It's my husband's doing. He is a Christmas champion. It has worn off on me, and I fully embrace it.
3. Christmas Giving - So I love spoiling my family, and I love giving. Early in our relationship, we had many struggles. By God's grace, there was always a blessing allowing us to get from one hurdle to the next. I say hurdle because somehow, we eventually found ourselves struggling through another situation. Because of that, we never forgot those times when we had a need, and someone stepped in to help lift us up. So it's our pleasure to find those opportunities to do the same for someone else.
Aside from charity and philanthropy, I love my family. I love reminding them how much I appreciate them and value having them in my life. Not just at Christmas, but one of the great parts of Christmas is the giving.
4. Christmas Shows/Movies - I love those claymation/animation, old holiday cartoons. Rudolph, Frosty, The Little Drummer Boy. I love them all. But more than that, I love the 24hrs of A Christmas Story on TNT. For us, this is Christmas. It starts on Christmas Eve, and that kicks it off for us. We've been watching that for years since our kids were tiny. It's not a big thing, but it's a family thing. We love it.
5. Buffalo Plaid - This festive traditional holiday print is everywhere. On wreaths, cards, throws, blankets, you name it, and it's probably covered in Buffalo Plaid.
While I don't enjoy it on everything, we do love our festive holiday PJ's. The popular red and black Buffalo plaid printed PJ's are a favorite past-time for our house. I also use the print on my bows and holiday wreaths. I love it; it's just quintessentially Christmas.
6. Decorations - One thing that pulls me into the Christmas feels is how beautiful it is. This is by far the most breathtaking of all holidays. And if you are favored enough to live in an area that gets snow for the holiday, fluffy white snow covering the trees and twinkling holiday lights is a sight to behold. But I love decorating. It's a big thing for me to plan out what the end result will be. I love all the pomp and circumstance of the festivities.
7. Us - I love being with my husband and kids during the holiday. I love the time we get to take a break from the busyness of our lives and spend time together. Don't get me wrong; these extended days together have their moments, lol. But I cherish them. After all, it is Christmas.
As I said, this year, I'm sure the holiday will have a different vibe. But if you can be with your family. You've been blessed. There are definitely things I would love to do this year, but I'm hopeful. In the interim, I will rejoice that we are safe and healthy. Thankful for technology and grateful to round out another year to make Christmas memories. If you are able to continue making memories and enjoying time. Please do so. Don't waste energy wishing for what you don't have this year. Take in all the moments that you have. Take them in and hold them tight.
This will be my final post of 2020. I will take some much needed time to work on some new projects and plan out more content. I am so grateful for my readers and subscribers. I'm equally blessed for every client that has trusted me to make an impact on their lives and career journey. 2020 has been a wild ride. But we've made it. Be safe and surrounded by love. From us here at LivingLifeRatedPG, have a wonderfully merry Christmas and the absolute best in the New Year!
These are absolutely my thoughts...
~ratedpg