Getting Ready for Christmas

I love Christmastime. It really is so magical and I can't get enough of it. I love the Christmas spirit, especially now that Harper is around. It brings so much warmth and happiness to our home and it makes me feel hopeful and nostalgic and thankful all at once.

I don't get into Christmas in the way that a lot of people do. We don't- and never will- do Elf on the Shelf around here (there is already enough focus on materialism and presents for us and I think the whole thing is a bit creepy and trendy) and I don't have a house full of perfectly placed decorations (why stress myself out during the most wonderful time of the year?). We will have our small tree again this year. Next year, after our basement is remodeled, we will go for a big tree with lots of sparkly lights. Still, it won't be overly done. It will hold simple ornaments that represent us and our lives (this year's tree has not one, but two, Ariels on it as well the booties Harper wore on her first Christmas and a stocking that my Grandma Beth made for me).

There are some parts of Christmas, however, that I love, and there are some traditions that are really special to me...

Christmas Books: We always put Harper's holiday books away with our decorations and then make a big deal out of getting them out the following year. This year, they were the first part of Christmas that we pulled out and Harper was so excited about, and so proud of, her Christmas books. We have had a great time reading them together over the past few weeks. She loves Mary Engelbreit's Night Before Christmas as well as The Nutcracker by Stephanie Spinner. We have several versions of the story of Jesus Christ's birth but I'm yet to find the perfect one. If you have any suggestions, please please leave me a comment.

Christmas Music: Harper was excited to see her Christmas books and I was excited to see my Christmas CD's. I am crazy about Christmas music and take advantage of every minute I get to blast it in our house. My holiday music collection is quite eclectic: She and Him, Frank Sinatra, Mindy Gledhill, Barbara Streisand, Hilary Weeks, Boyz II Men, Harry Connick Jr., Bobby Vinton, and Dolly Parton are among my favorites. I've also developed quite an obsession with Pandora's Indie Holidays Radio (thanks, Misty!). I'm actually giving Christmas mix CD's as part of my neighbor gifts and I'm so excited about them.

P.S. If you could hear Harper sing Santa Claus is Coming to Town, you would most likely die because it is the cutest thing ever.

Christmas Candy: Candy Cane Kisses. Enough said.

Christmas Shopping: I love giving and would much rather give than receive (I might just be the most awkward and ungracious gift receiver that ever lived). This year has been really fun, mostly because of Harper. She was still sort of clueless last year but now that she is three, she knows what is going on. She is so excited for Santa to sneak in and eat cookies that she can barely stand it. I can't wait to see her face on Christmas morning when she opens her new Ariel bedding (I'm eating my words here, I know) and her Lalaloopsy Mermaid Doll. We are only doing a couple of toys for Harper because I don't want Christmas to mean nothing but presents to her (don't feel too sorry for her, however... she is the only grandchild and will be well taken care of on all ends, no matter how many times I tell her grandmas to hold back) as well as some practical things (if you can call satin princess nightgowns practical). We have also made a big deal out of choosing and purchasing gifts for other people. I'm hoping that she will come to love giving as much as I do.

Christmas Ornaments: I am not really one for uniform trees, mainly because I don't have the patience fo them. I like our tree to be a visual representation of our lives. We purchase Harper a new ornament each year (she received and Ariel ornament last year and this year's will be a carousel, since she basically set the unofficial record for most rides in 2012) and Colt has a big collection that his mom chose for him (this year, she gave him a Ridgeback ornament that looks just like Tucker). I plan on buying ornaments to commemorate all of the big moments and vacations that we experience together because I want our tree to tell the story of our family so that each year, as we put it up, we can reminisce about happy times and memories made. When people look at our tree, I don't want them to say, "What a beautiful tree." I would much rather them say, "What a beautiful life."

Christmas Movies: It has been so fun to share holiday movies with Harper this year. I have so many favorites and I want her to watch them all at once. So far, she loves The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Grinch, and Rudolph (which is, by the way, so much creepier than I remember- that Santa is so ornery!). We have our DVR scheduled to record all of the good ones and I plan on having numerous Christmas movie/snuggle parties before the month is out.

We have some other fun pre-Christmas things planned. I'm excited to take Harper to see lights and to meet Santa (she keeps informing me that this year she won't cry and that she is going to ask him for "two Ariels"). We are taking her to a kid-focused version of The Nutcracker this next week. I will also be taking her to see my good friend and former piano teacher, David Glen Hatch, perform. His Christmas arrangements are amazing and I am sure that seeing him live again will be the highlight of my Christmas season.

I'm not the only one around here that loves this time of year.

Harper can't get enough Christmas in her life.

What about you? What are you favorite things about Christmas?