11 things that put me in the holiday spirit

We are in the middle of November, and ya'll know what that means...Christmas music! I feel like if Kevin and Liz from 105.9 KGBX think it's okay to start playing/listening to Christmas music mid-November, then it's okay for me to start playing/listening to Christmas music mid-November...right?? Clint judges me SO hard, but I can't help it! It brings me a feeling of such nostalgia and I LOVE it. Last year I started listening mid-October, so I feel like I'm doing pretty well holding off this long.

I know this is the case for most people, but the holidays bring me so much happiness. It has nothing to do with gifts, but has everything to do with being around the people that I love. Waking up on Christmas morning, grabbing a blanket, hot cup of coffee and cozying up by the fireplace with loved ones beside me...that's what it's all about. Our Christmases look quite a bit different now than they did 5+ years ago, but I wouldn't have it any other way. We may not get together on the actual holiday every year, but as long as we get to celebrate at some point, I'm completely happy. This year, though, will be the first year in several where my entire family (sisters and their husbands/children) will all be home for Christmas. I know my mom would never say it, but I know she is SO, SO, SO excited to have all of us back in Marshall (or Nelson, now) for the holidays. Our lives have become quite a bit more complicated over the years so it takes a lot more effort/planning to get us all in one place at the same time, and this year we'll get at least TWO WHOLE DAYS of nothing but family bonding time...can't wait. :)

The holidays seem to come and go so quickly and there's so much hype leading up to them. When they finally get here, I feel like I blink and they're gone. It's hard to really take it all in when you're in that moment. Everything seems so chaotic; children running around, food not cooking as planned, HAVE to make it to the Christmas Eve church service, dogs tracking mud into the house...and the list goes on. How about this year we all make it a point to not stress the little things around the holidays. I mean, in the grand scheme of things, what do they really matter? What matters is being with the people you love, really enjoying each others company. All of the other stuff...is just stuff. It doesn't really matter. Life is too short to stress the small things, especially when you're supposed to be enjoying time with your family. So let's all agree that when we get stressed over the holidays, we'll simply take a deep breath and remember what's really important in that moment...family. Agreed? :)

What makes you get into the holiday spirit? When do you feel it on the horizon? Even though I know this isn't really possible...I feel like I can smell it in the air. When the first frost hits, you get into the car on your way to work and have to immediately crank the heat...I can feel it. Maybe it's the holiday decor at retail stores or maybe it's football season, but I usually sense it coming before it even really hits me. It's like I think, "What is it I'm feeling right now?" and then I realize...oh! It's only a couple more months until Christmas! And then I get super excited and wonder if it's appropriate to turn on Christmas music yet. So, since I'm really feeling in the holiday spirit tonight, I thought I'd share some of things that really get me excited for the holidays and spending time with family. Here goes:

1. Lighting a fall or winter candle - here's an amazing one from WoodWick

2. Buying gifts - I really do enjoy buying gifts for others more than I enjoy buying them for myself

3. Making soup on a Sunday afternoon, smelling it on the stove all day - here's a recipe for Cabbage Soup that Clint and I LOVE

4. Cozying up on the couch with the boo and pups on a rainy Saturday, candles and a homemade meal filling the air

5. Football games - I'm a big sports fan (Go Chiefs/Royals/Tigers)

6. Putting up the Christmas tree, interior decorations and house lights - don't worry, I wait until after Thanksgiving to do this. Here are some of my favorite new decorations from Walmart:

Holiday Time Red and Green Tree Farm Christmas Wreath

Holiday Time Black and White Plaid Table Top Tree Decorations

Holiday Time Farm Fresh Christmas Trees Decorative Throw Pillow

Holiday Time Merry Christmas Hanging Sign

7. Seeing the leaves change on the trees - I love taking drives on country roads and just looking at the beautiful trees

8. The first snowfall, of course - we usually don't get this until after Christmas, being so far south, but the change in weather in general usually puts me in the spirit

9. Working Black Friday - it may be odd, but seeing so many people get so excited about purchasing gifts for their friends and family makes me happy

10. Sweaters galore - nothing is better than being able to throw on a comfy sweater every day and have it be appropriate work attire. Check out my post for some great Amazon finds!

11. Christmas music, of course

Those are just a few of the things that really pull me into the Christmas spirit. Of course, being around family is #1 overall; when it finally gets to that day when I get to see everyone...that's the best of all! How do you get into the holiday spirit?! Here's one of my favorite Christmas songs if you need a little nudge. :)

A place to be #unapologeticallyme.