For Christmas this year...

For Christmas this year..

Thankfully my husband & I will have Christmas day off work. It  pays to work for an organization that pays you to enjoy the day off with your family. We also get a half day off for Christmas Eve. Since we live in Florida, we are blessed to have sunshine but on that day, it doesn't feel like Christmas. I was born in Ohio so I used to have snowy or at least cold Christmas weather so it felt more like a holiday. I can wish all I want for snow but alas, it just won't happen here. So I live vicariously through my inlaws who live where snow is happening & will. 

Next month, my mom will be snapping our Christmas pictures of us and this year I am trying to find the right template to make a newsletter. Usually we do a Snapfish or Groupon deal for cutesy Christmas cards but it just got too expensive & I enter loan repayment right after Christmas. *What a fun gift to me from the Dept of Education.*

This year, I got reaallly excited for Christmas in September. I started buying gifts then and it didn't make my husband too happy with me. While its mid November, and nice to say I am 95% done shopping for others; I really wish I had just waited. Last year, I got everyone's Christmas presents for $50 and FREE SHIPPING. I was so proud of myself, and it was a great feeling. Next year, when I get the Christmas shopping bug -- I am going to push hard to wait. (My greatest joy is the Amazon black Friday sale or the other online ones).

I agree with Laura -- now that I am older -- I don't really have a flowing list of what I want for Christmas. People will ask but I am happy with gift-cards to Target. or Starbucks.  Give me a day at Target, with my wad of coupons, & the Cartwheel app -- I could wow you with the savings I find & all that I will end up getting. I will say, this year I am doing more homemade and trying to get into that as much as I can going forward because while its nice to get gifts -- that is not the underlining reason I celebrate Christmas. I celebrate it because of Jesus being born. I do get excited to go to the Christmas Eve services, seeing how churches decorate with candles, wreaths & Christmas trees -- that makes my day, or night rather. 

As far as I can remember, I had an real tree growing up. But my husband & I bought ours from Walmart at 70% off and its beautiful. My thing is finding ornaments from all the places we've gone that year or go to - this year I get to add our ornaments from our Disney Bahama cruise and from the Bahamas originally. I think it'd be beautiful to have a real Christmas tree, to breathe in the smell but with my pups out while I am at work, I'm afraid they'd try to eat the tree. 

But I think what I am most excited for -- is the cooking/baking involved & the reactions from family when they open their gifts. Also the big meal involved later that day with my mom's infamous homemade potatoes. Mmm. Deeelish. I'd rather spend the entire day with family than anywhere else. I will probably bring a dessert but I cannot wait to just celebrate the day with those I love most. 

Still a few weeks away but I am excited for Christmas THIS year. 

the last three.

I've said this so much in the past week that I feel like an iPod stuck on repeat. Here in central Florida, we don't really have seasons like those in the other parts of the country. I really miss the days when I lived in South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio, because y'all get to experience the four different seasons. While I love living where I do, I get one season: hot with a thick side of humidity whenever possible. But in the past few days, there's been a nice breeze. Like that makes you want to sit outside all day and just daydream, go to the beach/theme parks or just something outside. For example, my hubs & I took a walk tonight with our pups and you couldn't wipe the smile off my face. It was so dark, but there wasn't a peep in my neighborhood. I was able to enjoy being outside without any humidity and just get some exercise with my family. Usually, I can't stay outside that long because mosquitoes (who must all be waiting in a cluster for me to leave my house) swarm me and bite me, leaving quite attractive welts. It is a graphic, attractive image isn't it? ;)

Anywho, since we've had this cooler weather that I hope is here to stay for awhile -- it really is true that I really live for the last three months of the year. From my birthday month through December, you just can't get me to stop smiling. The weather, the holidays, the seasonal goodies that pop back up into my life -- just make me the happiest lady ever. Granted, I am almost done Christmas shopping much to my husband who isn't as thrilled -- these months just perk me up like the clearance rack. Which side note, helped me score some sweet gems this weekend, y'all :)

Soon the traditions of the season will be settling in. The Halloween decorations will come down, followed by the setting up of Christmas lights, the Christmas tree & all the other Pinterest inspired but husband approved projects that i can get my hands on. This really really excites me. Kind of like back in the day on a Friday night when Boy Meets World came on.

So, to all y'all who stop by my page and are enjoying their real FALL weather, the changing of the leaves and the wonderfulness of the season -- enjoy yourselves a bit more for me. Fall is beautiful and my absolute favorite season. :)

{jess}