Christmas is fast approaching and as I sit here and reminisce on the season so far, I can't help but think that this is a wonderful holiday season so far. I don't know about ya'll but my perception of the holiday season is greatly affected by the temperature. LOL. If it's cold, it must be falll/winter! If it's hot (because we Floridians know that there's only a few types of temperatures with the majority being similar to a hot wing sauce scale. You know, hot, hotter, hottest, Fire, Insane, ect. And maybe a drive by cool front that's gone faster than it came.), then it's summer! I hate to break it to you, but there's no "spring" down here in Florida. It's always 75 degrees or higher. LOL.

This year, there was a nice week or two of cooler weather (you know, the 50's...). I got to don my sweaters, cozy socks, and actually enjoy warm drinks, hanging out outside, and wearing beanies, ect. It was wonderful.

I have this memory from maybe 5 years old. We lived on a dirt road in a house my parents built and the most exciting thing those days was the shaking of fists at people who would whip around the curb in the road that our land was settled on. There was a large stone fireplace with a warm hearth, and my mom always had those little LED candles in the windows of the house that made it so warm and welcoming. It was one particular Christmas evening, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer must have been on. I felt so special and grown up that night because I got to have mint hot chocolate.....in the living room!!! Whoooaaaa! I'm still making it a to-do this year to have mint hot cocoa again. Last year, it was hot all year, with not a bit of cooler weather. So this year with an increase of cooler weather, It's a goal to drink the hot cocoa again. :)

While I'm on the topic of things I love to do during Christmas, I thought I'd share a list of a few classic/traditional things I love to read, watch, eat, and do around the holiday season. To be honest, if I don't get to all these in a Fall holiday season, I make it a thing to do them at least once a year at some point.

1. Drink Mint Hot Cocoa ;)

2. Bake Christmas Cookies

3. Wear Christmas PJ's (my mom still buys my sister and me matching jammies every year....) ;)

4. Make Chili, Chicken Noodle Soup, and Chili Mac to eat on cooler days.

5. Read through the Little House On The Prairie Series (there's some great winter spirit stories in there!)

6. Read all the American Girl Christmas stories I own.

7. Watch Christmas Movies/Winter Shows (My faves are Little Women, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Grinch, Christmas In Cranford, Anne of Green Gables, A Christmas Carol, and a few more I don't remember but would squeal that I "love that movie/show" if I saw it on Netflix....

8. Christmas Shop (of course...) ;)

9. Christmas Mini's!! (They're my favorite seasonal shoot, I swear!!)

10. Slowing down and savoring the season with Josh. You know the feeling after having washed off the day, slipped into your comfy clothes, having eaten a wonderful meal, snuggling on the couch and just hanging out? Yeah, that feeling. However you get to that feeling.

Anywho, what things do you like to do during the Christmas season? We are not short of thanksgiving, advent, and remembrance of Jesus' birthday around here, for sure! As the cultural seasonal theme gradually drifts away from Jesus' birth, we love finding ways to make it more authentic, organic, and true to the Gospel, finding it is sweeter and more meaningful.

Merry Christmas!

P.S. The Animals sent some Christmas sentiments. They are listed below.