Now that Thanksgiving break has come to a close, it is time to prepare for Christmas! I always love getting in the holiday spirit, transitioning into winter, and spending time with my friends and family. Here are my 10 reasons why I love Christmas:

1. The food

There’s a reason everyone is put into a holiday food coma around this time of year. It seems as if we go from holiday to holiday very rapidly during the transition of fall to winter. Although, holidays=good food. My favorite dishes during the holidays are mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, any type of stuffing you can think of (my favorite is oyster), turkey during Thanksgiving, honey-baked ham for Christmas, and of course cranberry sauce.

2. Christmas carols

OK. So Christmas Carols can definitely get annoying. Especially when they start to play them before Thanksgiving/during Thanksgiving. Although, I have always loved Christmas carols. Growing up in a family full of musicians, you can bet we’re definitely singing our Christmas carols during the holidays. This is one of my favorite reasons why I love Christmas. Every year my mom sits at the piano and plays a variety of Christmas songs, while the whole family sings along. My favorite Christmas carols are: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Judy Garland, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” by Michael Bublé, and of course “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey.

3. Christmas trees

Who doesn’t love the smell of Christmas trees? I love going to the nursery and picking out a tree with my family. My mom and I have made it a tradition to decorate the tree together.

4. The Scents

During the holidays, Bath and Body Works has the absolute best smelling candles! Every winter, you can expect to see the Twisted Peppermint and the Cinnamon Caramel Swirl light up in my room.

5. Cold weather

I don’t know about you guys, but I absolutely LOVE cold weather. Winter is by far my favorite season, and for some reason the cold weather just puts me in such a better mood. Who doesn’t love curling up next to the fire with a big blanket, whilst drinking hot chocolate. If you don’t, are you even human?

6. Winter clothing

Cold weather means dressing warmly. I absolutely adore winter fashion. My winter go to’s consist of leggings, oversized sweaters, scarves, gloves, boots, and stockings. Stockings are my absolute favorite because you can find so many different patterns, fabrics, and they keep you super warm. Plus, the sales during Christmas time are amazing.

7. Gingerbread houses

Even though I find them to be super difficult to make, I love making gingerbread houses. Partially because I love gingerbread and peppermint, but I also think it’s something fun to do with either your friends or family. This Christmas put it on your checklist to make a gingerbread house!

8. No school

So after weeks of stress and anxiety about midterms, everyone gets two weeks off school to relax and enjoy some free time. School can get super stressful around this time, and everyone enjoys getting some time off. No homework, no tests, and no projects, that sounds amazing right about now, right? I can’t wait for Christmas break!

9. Starbucks holiday flavors

Starbucks, aka the greatest place on Earth, has the best coffee flavors during the holidays. My absolute favorite is the peppermint mocha. Also, this holiday season if you buy a holiday drink you get a coupon. For every five coupons, you get a free coffee!

10. PRESENTS

Presents. Presents. Presents. I love presents. I love giving presents, receiving presents, picking out other peoples presents. I also love donating presents to Toys for Tots. Presents are just something that you can give to brighten someones day. You don’t even have to buy presents, you can make them, too. Sometimes, I like decorating picture frames, printing out a picture, and giving my friends cute pictures of us!

Have a Merry Christmas!

P.S. don’t forget to donate some toys to Toys for Tots this year!