These Are a Few of my Favorite Things

I thought of writing a post about my frustration with the commercialism of Christmas, how we have let Christmastime become synonymous with extra stress, and how Christ has gotten lost in what Christmas has become, but that didn’t seem like an enjoyable post. So, instead of a religious tirade, I give you four of my favorite things about Christmastime.

Family & Friends

Friends and family seem to congregate around Christmas. Those of us who are students get a break from classes (hurray!), and many get time off from work. My friends have spread out as we’ve gotten married and found jobs, but we always seem to come together at Christmastime. Hugs, laughter, and good conversation always ensue. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are spent with family, who I don’t always get to spend enough time with even though we live near each other.

Christmas Decorations

There is something cozy about a house decorated for Christmas. Decorating our tree is fun for me because all of our ornaments have a story to go with them. I have ornaments from my childhood, my husband and I have received ornaments as gifts, and we like to get an ornament whenever we travel to a new place. I also made paper ornaments when we were first married and didn’t have enough to fill the tree. I planned to use them just until we got new ones, but now they are some of my favorites.

I also love the twinkle of Christmas lights. On the way home from church on Christmas Eve, my family would always drive around town to look at all of the homes covered in lights. I admit that I can be quite critical about light displays and feel that most people haven’t figured out that “less is more.” But, this year I realized that being critical misses the holiday spirit and the message of Christ and decided to just enjoy the festive decorations. I’ve found that my neighborhood seems more magical as a result.

Christmas Cookies

I love sweets! I like to bake sweets and I like to eat sweets, so Christmas cookies are one of my favorite things. For as long as I can remember, my family made cookies every year at Christmas. We never made anything fancy – just Christmas M&M cookies and peanut blossoms, sometimes cut-out sugar cookies. Now, I usually try a new recipe each year too. Baking is a fun creative outlet for me, and it is meaningful because I know that I am going to give most of what I make to friends and family (except for the few that I eat myself!)

Giving Gifts

I like to give gifs to my loved ones to show them that I was thinking of them. It is fun for me to plan the perfect gift for someone, and I enjoy the challenge of doing so in the most economical way possible. I often make gifts, which adds extra fun to the process because I love crafting. I also like to think of gifts that give back in some way – like adopting a friend’s favorite animal from a local zoo or shopping at Ten Thousand Villages.