Sunday, December 2, 2018

My Annual Holiday To-Do List | Blog Ahead #16

Blog Ahead #16
Originally written on October 25, 2018

Now that it's December, it's time to get Christmassy! I do impose a Christmas embargo until December finally rolls around, so now that it's finally here I'm excited to get festive! I thought I'd kick off my holiday posts with the list of things that I make an effort to do each and every year - my Annual Holiday To-Do List, if you will. It's always fun to try and squeeze all of my favorite holiday things into just 25 days before we pack them all away again for the next year! So, without further adieu, here's what I'm trying to pack in this season:

1. Decorate the apartment


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This almost goes without saying, but there's something so fun and festive about the ritual of decorating your space for Christmas! We have a tiny little apartment, but we love dressing it up with tinsel and ornaments, so of course that will be one of the very first things that gets done this season, as it is every year!

2. Watch my favorite Christmas movies

We all have a list of our faves! I try to fit in one a week if I can so I can hit a good portion of them. Here's what I'll be watching this season:

-Elf (duh)
-Home Alone 2: Lost in New York 
(Have always loved this sequel way more than the original!)
-How the Grinch Stole Christmas
-Just Friends
(Yes, this is 100% a Christmas movie!)

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3. EGG NOGGGGGG


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There's a lot of egg nog haters out there, but I honestly can't think of a better holiday beverage! I put egg nog in my coffee, I drink it plain, I drink it spiked, and I love me a good egg nog latte. McDonald's used to do an egg nog shake which I was also ALL ABOUT, but last year they didn't do them which I was v. heartbroken about. Either way, I'm pumped for egg nog season to be back and I DON'T CARE WHAT THE HATERS SAY! :P

4. Wear ugly Christmas sweaters & socks


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For some reason every year I get a slew of Christmas-themed socks as Christmas gifts, so when December rolls around I make an effort to wear ALL OF THEM! I also have a couple of ugly sweaters I enjoy wearing around to holiday functions and I'm always looking to add to the collection. Any excuse to be really tacky, I'm all about it. :P

5. Take the annual awkward Christmas card photo with Brett

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Brett and I have somehow made this tradition of taking an awkward Christmas Card photo together every year and it's become one of my favorite traditions of ours. It makes me giggle every year! Here's our annual photo from 2015. XD

6. Drive around/walk around to look at Christmas lights

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I can't resist a good Christmas light display. I'm a sucker for beautiful, twinkly lights, and if you can make me stop and linger to admire your display, I'm EXTRA giddy. It's one of those things that will put me in a festive mood without fail, so I love making sure I get to see lights of a neighborhood or two each year.

7. Read a Christmassy book

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This is another tradition that I've developed for myself every year. I love picking up a cozy read that is explicitly set during the Christmas holidays. There's something just so cozy about reading a story about Christmas and the different things characters will get up to throughout the holiday season. I will be sharing which book I will be reading this year in a later #BlogAhead post!

8. Bake something

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For me, Christmas and baking tend to go hand in hand. I don't know if it's the memories I have attached to baking Christmas cookies for Santa every year while I was growing up, but Christmas doesn't quite seem 100% complete until I make some sort of baked good. I really like to take time to really flex my Pinterest muscles as well during this time of the year and try out new recipes! If you have any favorites, leave suggestions in the comments!

9. Jam out to the best holiday playlist ever

A few years ago, Brett and I discovered this AMAZING playlist on Spotify called Hip Hop Christmas. Not gonna lie, it's my absolute favorite Christmas playlist because it is just so ridiculous. Check it out below!


10. Run a holiday-themed race


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I did not manage to fit one into my schedule last year, but for a few years before that I made an effort to run a holiday themed race because there is A BUNCH out there! This year I'm signed up for the Happy Holidays Half Merrython, which I did a few years ago and really enjoyed. I'm planning to be decked out in holiday gear as I tackle 13.1!

What's on your holiday to-do list this year? 

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