Family, Favorite Things, Food, Life

what i love about the holidays

Kari

little white lights on the tree

planes, trains, and automobiles

going to the city for lunch and shopping with the girls and mike the day before thanksgiving

christkindlmarket

the smells from my mom’s kitchen on thanksgiving day

homemade cinnamon rolls on christmas morning

my dad’s spaghetti and meatballs on christmas eve

driving around and looking at holiday lights

rolo cookies

my mom and dad’s house looks like santa’s village during the holidays

special k candy

the holiday lights on the houses across the street from ours

dressed up holiday windows

crisp weather, windows cracked open a little, cleaning the house, music on

mrs. meyer’s pine scented candles

when the house in the neighborhood next to ours puts up the giant abominable snowman

2019

matching fun christmas pajama pants on christmas morning

getting to see anna more | ella’s school is on break | more time together as a family

appetizers for dinner while putting the tree up

listening to holiday-ish music

yearly celebration of the loving rivalry between my dad and mike while watching “the big game”

gifts aren’t on this list, which i only realized the day before i went to publish.

for a long time, i stressed over gift giving (and receiving, if you can imagine). then i did some homework, and things got a little easier.

you might enjoy this new york times article on gift giving (gift link- no paywall).

what do you love about the holidays?

Discover more from A Grace Full Life

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

62 thoughts on “what i love about the holidays”

  2. I love this post, Kari. It’s great to see what you love about the holidays, and to focus on what’s good about them. So many things on your list are on mine, too. Weirdly, I think it was the pandemic that created a shift in me about the whole thing. We missed our people, but we also really loved a quieter, pared-down holiday, and ours have evolved since then. My daughter’s husband will be flying in from Sweden on Christmas Eve, and that is our main gift to each other. They pay for half his ticket, and we pay for the other half. Instead of spending money on things, we spend it on tickets, really good food, and fun things to do together. We do little stocking gifts, and that feels just right. In the week after, we’ll drive to see my parents and celebrate a little with them, too. It all feels just right. I hope you have a wonderful season that is just right for you, too.

    Liked by 2 people

  3. Kari, every single thing you listed as what you love about the holidays are exactly my own! And I’m one of those rare people in retail who actually loves and thrives off the energy of shoppers during the holidays. I am so looking forward to working Black Friday!

    One of my own personal favorite thing about the holidays is watching two movies on Thanksgiving Day – Miracle of 34th Street (the original) and The Wizard of Oz. I watch them every single Thanksgiving Day. It a tradition with me. That, and feeding the squirrels in the park.

    LOVE the photo of you and Mike! Yup, at my childhood home too – all the men in the living room watching “the big game” and smoking cigars.

    I love the holidays JUST for being the holidays!

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, my friend! Grateful that you and I met!

    X

    P.S. That cinnamon roll looks AMAZING! I can smell it from here! Lol!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. People who enter your energy field on Friday are very lucky! I’m envious (in the best way possible)! You are such a bright light, my friend.

      I love your traditions! My parents just watched Miracle on 34th Street the other night! We might watch it this week in honor of your traditions. And I feed the squirrels on a daily basis…🤣💕

      Happy Thanksgiving, my friend! I’m so glad we met as well. (So grateful to Bijoux for the connection)

      That cinnamon roll was a lot of work. It was, nevertheless, delicious. 💕

      Like

  4. I’m not big on the holidays. I like many things on your list, but will admit that overall I am ambivalent about this time of year. I’m not a Scrooge and wish everyone else all the best, do your things, but I’m more inclined to let this season pass without much hoopla.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I have to admit that for the past three years, I haven’t really enjoyed the holidays. I stopped listening to Christmas music and stopped decorating. Last year, the ornaments sat in front of the tree for a week before I put about a quarter of them up on my own one evening. To be honest, I’m not sure how I’m going to handle the holidays once my parents are gone. This year, I think my mother’s fall influenced things slightly. ❤️

      Liked by 2 people

  5. It used to be all about the gifts. But i enjoy spending time with my brothers family and my inlaws. We uually make brunch for the inlaws on Christmas but my wife is workibg half day. I asked if i could volunteer time at the old folks home whete she is activities assistant and itcwas approved. Love the music…used to love thanksgiving stuffing my Mom made yet nothing has ever come close.

    Liked by 2 people

  6. i love my family around me, the good smells and tastes from all the homemade goodies, and football! <3 (and pretty much everything you said!)

    Liked by 2 people

  7. I love so many of the same things as you; the lights of the tree twinkling at night, the Christmas movies and books, the smells and foods of the season…

    Liked by 2 people

  10. I love the fun events – the trip to the Rotary Gardens to see the lights, the annual Christmas parade, the celebratory way we put up the tree. I love getting lots of snail mail from people – the overflowing mailbox pleases me so much. I love wrapping the presents. I love Hershey’s candy cane Kisses. I love putting a bow tie on my dog and pretending she’s a snooty aristocrat. I love watching my nieces and nephews play together.

    This was a great way to remind me of how exciting the next few weeks are going to be. Thank you for the inspiration!

    Liked by 2 people

  13. I’m going to admit I dread the holidays. It’s been at least 20 years that I’ve cooked the entire Thanksgiving and Xmas meals, and hosted the cousin (my kids’ cousins) party. It’s a lot of stress on me, on top of the decorating, baking, and shopping. I’ve cut way back and Middle Child does the cards now because that’s another thing I don’t like. Part of the issue has been the family drama on both sides. It’s getting better, as we’ve eliminated some people from our lives and my adult children now at least bring a side dish or two to the meals.

    However, there are things I do love . . . spending a day shopping at an outdoor mall with my husband, where we will go out to lunch or dinner . . . driving around to see holiday lights with Middle Child . . . Xmas Eve candlelight service at our church . . . listening to the Barenaked Ladies holiday CD (the only xmas music I like) . . . going to a holiday performance at Playhouse Square.

    Like you, we always have apps while we decorate the tree. This dates back to 1992 when our oldest was 3 years old and we happened to have chips and dip while decorating the tree and she insisted on that every year from then on (to which we’ve obviously added more snacks).

    The OSU vs Michigan game is a BIG deal in our house. My son is an OSU grad and I remember every year, picking him up for Thanksgiving and seeing all the M’s crossed out on every sign on campus. So crazy! When I get a chance, I’m going to send you a hilarious picture relating to this via Instagram.

    Have a wonderful holiday week! XOXO

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I’ve realized that I’m enjoying the holidays more than ever before because I’ve given up a lot of things I used to do. I no longer send greeting cards. I’m fortunate in that I don’t have to prepare Thanksgiving dinner. If she gets tired of doing it, I will take over if necessary. 🤣

      I love how, like me, the things that bring you the most joy are the little things! I think the majority of us feel this way. It makes me wonder why we make such a big deal out of celebrations.

      I love that we both do appetizers while decorating the tree!

      I can’t wait to see the picture you send about the big game.

      Have a wonderful holiday week back, my friend! 😘

      Like

  14. I’m not big on the holidays, so I don’t really have any favorite things about them. I do enjoy the lights and certain get-togethers are fun, but that’s about it for me! I loved reading your joy-filled list though. <3

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I completely understand. For a long time, I didn’t enjoy the holidays for a variety of reasons. This list evolved gradually over time. In the comments, I mentioned to another friend that this was the first year since 2020 that I felt like listening to holiday music.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I don’t even like holiday music; I think because it’s the same songs over and over. A few years ago, I found a playlist on Spotify that’s jazz holiday music – no singing! – and I actually liked that. But I don’t start listening to it until at least mid-December. ;-)

        Liked by 1 person

  15. ROLO cookies????

    You reminded me of the house that used to have a perfect little tree, with a perfectly sized train running around it’s base, that used to appear in a neighbor’s picture window every year.

    Plus… the local boat parades, floating xmas trees in the bay (nit real trees… wooden frames), and being alone… cause I get to watch the stress instead of experiencing it (a couple donations and my holidaze activities are done).

    Liked by 2 people

      1. All the local harbors have boat patades. The best is the Naples section of Long Beach. All the homes are decorated. The parties are so big that you can walk in & gets drinks/food just about anywhere cause they assume you’re an invited guest. They do at low tide so scuba guys can walk the canals, pulling thefirebreathibg dragon. People put shots/drinks down on the docks and the guys take turns drinking them.

        I’ve been on boats in 4 different parades.

        Liked by 1 person

  16. I used to get stressed over the holidays but have mellowed a bit, and maybe having grandkids close by has put things in a different perspective. Your post is very inviting and celebratory, an enjoyable read. “Every Time You Go Away” by Paul Young is a fabulous holiday-ish song! The article on gift-giving was good, too. Now I want tasty treats though… Rolo cookies, oh my!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I love that you have grandchildren nearby! We love having my parents nearby! That Paul Young song is one of my favorites. It appears at the end of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and always makes me think of John Candy.

      This week, I think you need to make some tasty treats. 💕

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Haha yes, maybe! This week we’re going out to dinner at a new, high-end Italian restaurant for my sweety’s birthday, so I’m anticipating some pretty fancy treats there! 😊

        Liked by 1 person

  18. Beautiful photos! Love your tree. And the rivalry between your dad and Mike cracks me up! Thanks so much for sharing all these things. They make me happy.

    Gift giving and receiving can be so complicated and stressful. Thank you for the link to the NYT article. Good reminders.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I’m so glad these things make you happy! They make me happy, too!

      I used to struggle with gift giving (and receiving) because I couldn’t keep up with my friends and family financially, so I carried guilt. But I don’t anymore, and I appreciate the gifts I receive and give so much more. ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  20. I love your list and the gorgeous pictures! I’ve felt a bit sad around the holidays for the past few years, but this year seems better and brighter. I’m looking forward to my sister-in-law’s homemade fudge and caramels! Rollo cookies sound amazing!!

    Liked by 2 people

  21. Umm, all of the above?

    Even the fact that “Every Time You Go Away” is first on your Christmas-ish playlist fills my heart with glee. Planes, Trains & Automobiles is a Thanksgiving staple. Haven’t missed a year since…well, EVER. I even remember going to see it in the theater when it first came out in 1987.

    Liked by 2 people

  23. The pic of your neighbour’s giant blow up snowman made me laugh and brought back memories or an old neighbour who had both giant blow up snowman and Santa at their front door. I was really surprised as it was the local vicarage!

    Liked by 3 people

  24. Great list, Kari. I love the abominable snowman in the neighbor’s yard. That’s hilarious. My high school friends were all a bunch of intellects and they used to tease me about my favorite movie, because they chose Jane Austen type movies and I chose Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Ha. I forget that it’s really a Thanksgiving movie. Maybe we can watch it as a family this weekend.

    Liked by 2 people

  25. I used to stress over gifts, but no longer.
    I had a giggle over the pic of your dad and Mike and their rivalry! 😜😳
    Mrs. Meyers seasonal scents bring me so much joy too!
    I just love the tradition of being together on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It has changed somewhat as the kids age, but we try to keep the core of it all the same.

    Liked by 3 people

Comments are closed.