8 Things to Love about the Holiday Season ...

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Ahhhh. There’s nothing like a steaming cup of hot chocolatewith tiny little marshmallows floating on top to warm you from your head to your toes! I rarely drink hot chocolate anytime of year except around the holidays. I like the real stuff though; the instant mixes just aren’t quite the same!

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There’s just something about Christmas music that is so soothing and peaceful! I love to hear carolers outside my window. Even better, I love to go caroling myself! If you’ve never been, you should definitely put that on your list to do thisChristmas season. You will find it invigorating and so much fun!

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You can’t deny that classics like “It’s a wonderful life”; “Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer”, “A Christmas carol” and “Frosty the snowman” don’t help make Christmas, well, Christmas! These Christmas movies get watched in my house at least once each holiday season, sometimes even more than that! Come on! We only have a few months to enjoy them right? But we do make it tradition to watch at least one new movie each year.

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Baking and sitting out cookies for Santa is an exciting experience for little kids. Growing up, we would set out a whole plate and then finish off what Santa left behind the next morning as we were opening our gifts. I remember one year we forgot to bake some amidst all the rushing and bustling and we didn’t have any in the house. So we left out bread and butter with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top!

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What would Christmas and Thanksgiving be without these three essential parts? That’s right, it wouldn’t be anything! Part of what makesthe holidaysso special is sharing them with the ones you love the most, the people who bring the most joy into your life. And grandma’s roast turkey and pumpkin pie are just a given, am I right?

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I don’t think I can imagine living in a place where it doesn’t get cold at Christmas time. Where I live, we really don’t see much snow, but it does get nippy outside! Jack frost puts that rosy glow on our cheeks and that snap in the air! He’s the reason we all bundle up and head out to play or cozy up by the fire with a warm blanket. I love wintertime!

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The greatest gift is the gift of giving. It’s fun to get presents, but it’s so much more fun to watch the look on someone’s face when you give him or her a gift you know they’ve been wanting for a while now! This year I’ve had a lot of fun shopping and picking out gifts for my family and close friends. It’s fun every year, but this year is a little different because I started saving money early so I could afford gifts that I knew my loved ones really wanted.

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Have you ever stood outside on a quite, cold winters night and just looked up at the sky? Could you feel it? I have! It’s that peaceful Christmas spirit! There’s no doubt that people seem to have a more generous, caring spirit around the holidays and that’s magical feeling is just there. That’s’ what I love mostabout Christmas. You can have Christmas without gifts if you have a Christmas spirit in your heart!

The holiday seasons are more than just a time to eat and exchange gifts. They are a time to be with your loved ones and make precious memories. Be sure you seize that chance this year! What are some of your favorite things about the holidays?

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