Top 10 Christmas Faves and 100th post!

Well hello there fellow bloggers! This is my 100th post. I'm copying a few friends of mine, but if you leave a comment with your favorite thing about Christmas time, I'm going to pick one person to get a freebie in the mail! Leave a comment by Christmas Day, Saturday the 25th (I'm sure hoping you knew that..).

Do I sound chipper? I am. It is snowing outside, my Christmas tree is shining in all its pre-lit artificial glory, I'm sipping Good Earth Original tea (Oh, you haven't had it? You're missing out!!), and the most precious little (11 lb 11 oz) baby is sleeping next to me! Life can't get much better. Add to that, my DIY Christmas gifts are almost complete and my husband is out of school until January 3rd. Things are looking up, dear ones, things are looking up!

I decided to make a list of my Christmas Top 10. Here goes.

10. Christmas decorations: Some people act like it's such a burden to decorate for Christmas. Like there's some sort of "keeping-up-with-the-Joneses" that has to happen (by  the way, the only one making you keep up with the Joneses is YOU!). Anyway, I guess I'm trying to say it's not some people's cup of Good Earth tea. But, I love to get out the boxes (translation, Matt gets the boxes out of the dreaded Spidey Lair aka the crawl space) and spew Christmas cheer on every shelf I can find. While teaching, I got many obscure Christmas decorations, none of which match each other, so I've had to make some adjustments.. the mantle holds all things "snowman", the downstairs family room all the Christmas tree things that aren't actually Christmas trees, and the candles go in the kitchen. I don't know why I've categorized things this way, but deal with it!

9. Christmas movies: I love love love watching certain Christmas movies, but ONLY at Christmas time. You will not find me watching these any other time of the year, it just wouldn't seem right. It would be like Christmas infidelity. Among these movies are: Elf (Sometimes I want to answer my phone "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?" But realize that it would be socially unacceptable), Polar Express, A Christmas Story, Home Alone, White Christmas, and a new hilarious one that Matt's mom introduced us to: The Christmas Wish. (Because after all, what we all need is a squirrel who will deliver $1500 every Thursday between 3 and 3:30). If you haven't seen it, it's hilarious! An oldie, but a goodie! Also, we usually try to go see a few movies during Christmas break. One year we saw 3 movies in 3 days with Matt's dad and brother, it was awesome! Hopefully this year we'll sneak in the new Narnia flick, I'm dying to see it!! Love me some C.S. Lewis.

8. Warm Beverages: Okay, this could be in a "Top 10 of Winter" list, but something about Christmas makes it better. My faves: Good Earth tea (obviously), Wassail (especially from Farnsworth Farms.. new discovery this year thanks to some dear friends!), Peppermint Hot Chocolate, and Starbuck's Eggnog Lattes.

7. Christmas Parties and White Elephant Gift Exchanges: I know I must be one of the very few people who actually enjoy these things, but I seriously do. I love getting together with friends, standing around the food table pretending like we're there to talk but really it's to eat more fudge, and exchanging gifts whether ridiculous or not. (I think the best white elephant exchanges are when there's actually good stuff that people want to steal. This year I got jipped out of an "Awkward Family Photos" book by someone who will remain nameless... you know who you are.

6. Choosing Gifts: So, some of you have read the book The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. I'm pretty sure I have all 5 at different times of the month, depending on where my hormone levels are at. Anyway, gift giving is one of my ways that I like to express my love for others. I love finding the perfect gift. Especially when it's something they haven't asked for, but you know they'll like. That's how I feel about all the gifts I got for Matt this year. FINALLY! It's only taken... what, 8 years for this to happen? Yipee! Also, I just LOVE the alternative gifts you can now purchase. We purchased a goat in Haiti in honor of some friends, and I can't tell about the other things we purchased yet because those people might be reading this post, but I love that you can now really make Christmas meaningful and truly about giving in a very tangible way, especially giving to those who are in great need. Some creative ways of giving in honor of friends and family include: buying livestock for families, helping towards the cost of digging a well, medical costs, and school tuition for students in developing nations through various organizations. Also donating clothing to a homeless shelter, donating food to your local food bank, or giving a donation to a meaningful organization in honor or in memory of a loved one.

5. Quality Time: For some reason, time with family and friends seems so much more special around the holidays. It could be something we've culturally created, or it could just be that for once we're actually just focusing on enjoying each other, but I sure love spending time with dear ones on and around Christmas.

4. Traditions: My family has Christmas Eve traditions (open presents, church, drive around to see Christmas lights), Matt's family has Christmas day traditions (presents, meal, family game time), and now we get to start some traditions of our own with a little one! I made a list of "Christmas time" traditions that we are going to start as soon as Baby J can enjoy them. (Maybe next year??) They include:
- Zoo Lights
- Live Nativity
- Lights Downtown
- Sub for Santa for a family
- I thought this list would be longer.. any more ideas?

3. Christmas Music: I am currently shamelessly listening to N'SYNC Home for Christmas (love it!), and also love the following Christmas CD's:Wow Christmas, Point of Grace Winter Wonderland, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Christmas Album, Josh Rosenthal's Narratives, Hanson's Christmas Album, and Joy William's Christmas Album. I also love TSO, Christmas Oldies, and even some Mannheim Steamroller! You will find me listening to and singing along with Christmas music starting somewhere around November 1st and continuing well into January.

2. Decorating the Christmas Tree: I know this is quite similar to #10, but it deserves a category all it's own. I LOVE to pull out all of my childhood ornaments and find the perfect spot for them on our tree! (Which, by the way, we scored for $50 at Rite Aid for our first Christmas in 2004. The stand broke last year, but my handy husband found a tree stand that can work on artificial trees too... voila!) Anyway, every year I tell Matt the story behind my favorite ornaments. "This is the one my Papa sent me when I was 5, this one was from Grandma, this one lights up and moves when you plug a light into it.." And sweet Matt just listens every year as I ramble on about each one... this year Baby J got an earful too, I showed him every ornament and told him about it before putting it on the tree. The best part is, this year, there are 2 ornaments on there for Baby J! A "Baby's First Christmas" ornament from one of Matt's students (who begrudgingly never got one of those ornaments and has made it her life's mission to make sure every baby doesn't suffer the same injustice) and a sparkly peanut ornament my mom gave him in honor of his nickname "Little Peanut". Here's a picture of our tree and my fave ornaments:

 

 

 1. The Reason for the Season: Looking past the gifts, the decorations, the lights, the "warm feelings", etc. This time of year is in celebration of the day that God chose to bring us back to Him! I cannot fathom how much He must love each one of us to do what He did. It doesn't make sense. In a world where everyone's trying to "climb the ladder", acquire more, and achieve more; God chose to climb down that ladder, rescue those who were convinced they didn't need rescuing, and He still does it today. I hope that year-round you are able to put life in perspective and truly focus on the One who created us and in whom all things hold together!

Merry Christmas everyone, from our family to yours!