Take Time to Enjoy the Season

Is it just me or does the end of the year feel like a whirlwind that sort of sweeps you off your feet? While this is my favorite time of year, preparations for Christmas and New Year's leave me feeling like I am constantly rushing around. I keep finding myself thinking, "How am I supposed to enjoy this season if I am always busy??" 

I think that sometimes we get so caught up in the busy-ness of the season that we forget to slow down, and really take some time to enjoy this wonderful time of the year. We get sucked into the rush of shopping, wrapping, baking, cooking, cleaning, etc, that we fail to allow ourselves to simply breathe in the magic that surrounds this season.

To combat this, I thought I would share some ways that I like to take time and enjoy this season.

One of my favorite things to do during this time of the year is to sit by my Christmas tree late at night when the house is quiet. There is just something about being alone with my thoughts and the glow of the Christmas tree lights that cannot quite be described. If you've never done this before, I highly recommend it.

Another thing I like doing is taking some time to write down some of my favorite memories, accomplishments, and blessings that occurred during the year. Seeing everything written out is a fun way to reflect upon the year, and it can even help you come up with some goals for the following year.

I also love keeping certain holiday traditions because it makes it feel more like Christmas! Some traditions include decorating the tree with my family, baking dozens upon dozens of Christmas cookies, and watching Christmas movies (some of my favorites are White Christmas, The Grinch, all of The Santa Clause movies, and Elf).

Don't let the business of the season keep you from taking time to actually enjoy it. Spend as much time as you can with the ones you love, spread as much joy as possible with everyone around you, and don't let yourself forget what this season is really all about. 

What do you like to do to really enjoy the holiday season?

Make Memories in Everything

Is it just me or do we sometimes think that we only make the best memories when we are somewhere special, like at a sleepover with friends or on a vacation? A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about how you can really have fun anywhere, and today I'd like to kind of expand upon that.

Over the weekend, I went shopping for a Christmas tree with my family. We drove to the store, picked out the perfect tree, and went home. It could have easily been quite the mundane task, but instead, we made some fun memories during that time. 

Also this past weekend, my sister came home from college to visit for Thanksgiving. She had a huge project to work on, and spent most of the short break working on it. I must admit that I am very proud of her because, though she could have locked herself in her room the whole time, sulking about how she wished that she didn't have to do the project, she chose to act differently. She chose to bring the project wherever we were, and we were all still able to have a fun time with her even while she worked on her assignment. (P.S. She finished it a few minutes before she had to leave! YAY!)

There are many instances in my life when things do not go how I want them to, and so I sulk and complain and remain in a bad mood for the rest of the day. But I am really trying to work on changing that about myself. Instead of being in a bad mood and keeping myself from having a good time when I am somewhere that I don't exactly want to be, I am trying to choose to make memories in that situation and have fun. 

Don't let a less-than-ideal circumstance stop you from making memories wherever you are. If you let yourself, you might just find that you are amazed by how many wonderful memories you can make out of situations that you had previously wished you were not in.

Will you choose to make memories in everything?

The Best Birthday Ever

Is it just me or are birthdays something to get excited over?! We each only get one birthday a year, so we might as well try and make it as awesome as possible, right?? Since my birthday is in less than TWO HOURS (I'm currently writing this at 10:30 on Friday night) I thought I would do a little reflecting on one of my favorite birthday memories thus far.

It happened last year (almost) to the day. My 21st birthday. And not for the reasons that most other people like to celebrate their 21st birthday. This birthday was extra special for me for other reasons. 

For a few years leading up to my 21st birthday, my birthdays had not really been so great. I was going through a really tough time in my life, and my birthday celebrations were often pushed to the back burner. But things turned around come the year of my 21st birthday, and I had one of the greatest birthdays that I've ever had.

In all honesty, I didn't even really do that much on that day! I basically just hung around the house with my family and boyfriend during the day, which I certainly didn't mind. At night, I went out to a hibachi place for dinner, and my mom had surprised me by inviting some of my close friends without me knowing! After dinner, we all came back to my house for dessert and gifts. 

Ask me about the details, and I probably couldn't tell you more than a few. But ask me how happy I felt, and I could go on all day. The love that I felt from my family and friends made my heart swell with so much joy I could cry! It was the best birthday I can remember not because I went out to an extravagant bar or got amazing gifts (which, by the way, I did :P). It was the best birthday I can remember because of the people that I got to share it with. Even writing this now, I feel so beyond blessed and happy thinking back on that night. 

You don't have to do something totally crazy on your birthday. Just try to share it with the people you love and care about, and it'll be sure to be a good one.

What is your favorite birthday memory?