In the spirt of Christmas, we’ve decided to put a little twist on our usual 10 things posts and get a little personal. For the rest of December, we’ll be sharing some of the things we love about all things Christmas and the Holiday season in general :)
[one] getting together with loved ones
This seems like an obvious one, but I not only love getting together with MY loved ones, I love seeing other families reunite. It makes me so happy seeing families see each other after being away from each other. It’s just like that airport scene on Love actually, it makes me all kinds of happy :)
[two] mom’s christmas cookies and sausage balls
For as long as I can remember, my mom has been baking the same delicious christmas cookies that we munch on morning, noon, and night. Frosted sugar cookie bells, wreaths, stars and trees, buckeye balls, butter crunch, and Mexican Wedding Cookies. With egg nog, with coffee, you name it they’re perfect. Then the night of Christmas Eve she makes sausage balls that we snack on while we open presents. They’re so freaking tasty!
[three] really over the top light displays
I’m sure most of you think that these festive lawns are tacky and obnoxious, but I’m really quite smitten with them. I love the passion that people have for the holiday season and the lengths they go to to show it. I’ll never forget this one yard I randomly stumbled across in Lubbock, TX that actually brought tears to my eyes. I just pictured the people who lived there meticulously setting up each item. They all told a story. It was beautiful.
[four] classic christmas songs by the classics
I have very strict rules about Christmas. I can’t start listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. Not because I’ll grow tired of it or because it’s Thanksgiving’s turn, but because it will literally make me cry. Especially if its the old good stuff. I’m a firm believer in songs tied to memory, and these are the strongest! It just takes me back to a simpler time when all I worried about was whether or not Santa got my letter. I think of snow covered sidewalks and children building snowmen, curling up by a fire with some hot cocoa and the fact that Christmas comes but once a year, and then we have to wait 365 whole days just for that magical time of year to come back around.
[five] 24hrs of a christmas story
For as long as I can remember we’ve had the same tradition on the night of Christmas Eve. Like I said in #2 we snack on delicious homemade sausage balls, and open presents all to the tune of A Christmas Story marathon. My family LOVES this movie! And we never get sick of watching it. Only for those 24hrs though, never again for the rest of the year. But that night its on, we even fall asleep to the sweet five words “you’ll shoot your eye out!” I mean if you haven’t seen it, you need to fix this ASAP. It’s a classic and never gets old :)
[six] lexus commercials
I know this is dorky, but I really love the Lexus December to Remember commercials. They’re so cheesy, but how awesome would it be if you woke up with a ribbon on your hand and followed into the living room to find a brand new Lexus under you tree? They’re so unrealistic yet so wonderful!
[seven] vintage christmas things
This kind of goes with the classic Christmas music. Seeing old ornaments that my grandmother has saved since she was a little girl just reminds me of a simpler time. It makes me think about what Christmas was like during that time. It was actually about family and spreading cheer, singing carols, hand written christmas cards, baking cookies, shoveling snow, going down to the local toy store to pick out that hand crafted wooden dollhouse, etc. It wasn’t about Black Friday shopping, or fighting people for the last Wii, or spending thousands of dollars to make everyone happy, or any of the commercialism that has taken over Christmas. It was about joy. Let’s get back to that shall we?
[eight] shop windows
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the way stores decorate their windows during the holiday season. It makes me so happy seeing the fake snow and the hand cut snowflakes! I just love the effort companies put into making the Christmas shopping season magical for everyone.
[nine] decorating immediately after thanksgiving dinner
This has also been a life long tradition of mine. As soon as Thanksgiving dinner is over and dishes are done, it’s time to whip out that tree! Since my mom and I could give a hoot about football, we’re really the ring leaders of this operation. Luckily my dad got out of it this year since I live in an apartment, but growing up we’d make him get on the roof and start stringing lights [during the big game]. He always claims that the game isn’t that important, but we hear his grumbles as he gets the ladder out. That’s what happens when you live with girls I suppose. Bellies full, decorations up!
[ten] vernors + braum’s egg nog
Mmmmmm Vernors! For the unfamiliar this is the tastiest Ginger Ale you’ll ever consume. Trust me! It’s bottled in Plano, TX but only sold up north [Michigan to be exact], until I recently spotted some at Central Market! Although they only carry the 6 pack cans, I’m satisfied because I know I can have my favorite holiday beverage without driving for two days. Oh! And you can’t forget Braum’s egg nog. I know I know it’s store bought, how gross. Whatever, anything Braum’s is good. My parents even bring it down to me when they visit for the holidays, it’s THAT awesome. You’re probably wondering what Braum’s is [that's right none in SA]. It’s a fancy little ice cream shop, right Derek? ;)
Well there you have it! What are some things you love about Christmas? Tune in next week to see what 10 things Derek loves about Christmas.
