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Let's Look

Let’s Look: How We Prep for the Holidays

Hello all! Happy Wednesday! I hope you are having a great week as we made it to hump day! I don’t know about you, but it is full on fall here, we have had rainy days, leaves falling and some sunshine peaking through, but the changing weather is getting me excited for the next few months.

Cool crisp fall mornings

This year has been flying by, I can’t believe we are already at the second week of October. It’s time for another Let’s Look, where we share different parts of our lives. Each month, I link up with  Shay and Erika to share my thoughts on different topics. 

Here’s what we have covered so far this year:

In January, we talked about How We Clean Our Closets.

In February, the topic was Things We Do Every Day

In March, it was all about what’s in our Grocery Carts

In April, we chatted about our Quiet and Prayer Time.

In May, we talked about Summer Staples.

In June, we shared our Summer Schedules.

In July, we chatted about our favorite TV Shows and Podcasts.

In August, we learned about our Pantry Staples

In September, we shared Easy Weeknight Meals

This month, the topic is how we prep for the holidays. I love all the seasons, summer is by far my favorite, but I do enjoy the “Ber” months…September, October, November and December. There is so much to look forward to, from the holidays, traditions, extra family time, and festivities. 

Fall, one of my favorite times of the year

As we get closer to the holiday months, I’m sharing how I prep for all the fun and I hope you will share some of your holiday prep hacks too! I don’t have my own home or family yet, so how I prepare may look a little different.

I always like to prep for the holiday seasons, by creating bucket lists, by writing a bucket or goal list, this ensures that things that I want or hope to get done, get accomplished. Some are big activities and others are little outings or things I want to cook or bake. For example, my fall bucket list includes celebrating Halloween, Thanksgiving, watching festive movies, enjoying holiday treats and Halloween activities.

I don’t know how I will celebrate Halloween on the actual holiday, but I do plan on making some festive treats, decorating and enjoying some Halloween movies. 

Some fall treats from last year

As far as Thanksgiving goes, we typically enjoy the holiday with family and then we have our own Thanksgiving dinner the weekend after. Preparations for Thanksgiving looks like figuring out what traditional dishes will be made, baking pies, and doing some decorating around the house. These are subtle ways to celebrate the holiday. There’s so much cooking and baking that goes into Thanksgiving that it is nice to just enjoy the time with family. 

A delicious, Thanksgiving spread!

Christmas always comes with the most prep. Once again, I make a Christmas bucket list of things I want to do around the Christmas season, from ice skating, baking cookies, shopping, looking at lights, and decorating. I like to make the most out of the Christmas season.

Prep for Christmas starts with decorating the day after Thanksgiving, it’s a tradition we have been doing for years and it’s always one of my favorite things.

I will also make a master list of people I want to buy for and set a budget. I keep a running list in my phone of who I need to buy for, what the gift is, the status of it, and how much I spent. Once all the gifts have arrived, I take time to wrap them all and watch a holiday movie. This method always keeps me organized.

I love to bake cookies around the holidays and one of the ways that I prep is by making one or two types of cookies a week leading up to Christmas. I will share some with family after I bake them and then store the rest for the holidays. This method ensures that I get all my baking done, but I’m not stressed getting it done.

After all the prep is done, it’s time to enjoy the holidays and relax. There’s only so much prep you can do, what matters is the end result and spending time with family and loved one around the holidays. They will be here before we know it, so I want to know what hacks you have to make the holidays smoother? Let me know in the comments below! Happy Holiday Prepping!

Categories
Fabulous living

Christmas Bucket List 2023

Hi All! Happy Wednesday!

It’s the first full week of December. I hope you are soaking up the Christmas cheer and magic of the holiday season, I know the big day will be here soon, so these next few weeks are all about enjoying the holiday season. To make sure I enjoy it to the fullest, I like to create a seasonal/Christmas Bucket List. A bucket list gives me ideas for things to do and makes sure I accomplish everything I want to do. If you are looking for some ideas this holiday season, I hope this list helps you.

2023 Christmas Bucket List

Decorate for Christmas (Swap Out Scents and Mugs and Cups)

Christmas Shopping

Set Deadline for Picking Out Gifts, Buying and Wrapping (to minimize stress down the line)

Give Back to Others (by donating time, gifts, and baked goods)

Try a New Christmas Recipe

Bake Christmas Cookies

Build A Gingerbread House

Enjoy Hot Chocolate

One Christmas Activity a Week

Go Ice Skating

See Christmas Lights

Read Christmas Books

Listen to Christmas Music

Family Christmas Card

Go to a Christmas Concert

Exchange Gifts with Friends

Spend Time with Family

Light a Fire 

Watch Traditional Christmas movies (Frosty, Rudolph, A Year Without a Santa Claus, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Love Actually, Christmas Vacation)

Watch the Santa Clause Series

Watch Apple TV Christmas Special

Get a Christmas Tree and Decorate it

Celebrate Christmas and New Year’s

It may seem like a lot to do in 25 days, but I have already made a dent in my Christmas Bucket List. I hope this gives you some inspiration and ideas for some Christmas cheer over the next few weeks.

 I hope you have a festive week!

Categories
Fabulous living

Fall Favorites

I saw this Q&A for fall on two other blogs I follow, The Blended Blog and A Little Bit of Everything Blog. I love fall and everything that comes along with it. Thanks so much for the great fall idea questions. Here are a few of my favorite things about fall.

  1. Favorite Fall Sweet Treat?

Candy apples or apple crisp

2. Red, yellow, or green apples?

Red

3. Favorite Fall Sport to Play?

I don’t play but I will watch countless soccer games or go to football games.

4 .Best drinks for Fall?

Hot Apple Cider

5. Favorite Fall Activity?

Going on walks with the leaves fall or going to any fall festival

6. Must have Fall Purchase?

Sweaters!!

7. Pumpkins? Pick your own or Store bought?

I would love to pick my own but I don’t always have the time, so store bought it is.

8. Real or fake pumpkins?

A few real pumpkins but more fake ones.

9. Favorite Halloween Costume?

Last year I went as Sandy from Grease. BEST. COSTUME. EVER.

10. College Football of NFL?

I watch both but you will find me rooting more for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

11. Fall or Halloween Decor?

Fall decorations. They last longer, I shared my fall decorating tips so you can see more here.

12. Raking Leaves or no Leaves to Rake?

Raking Leaves

13. Favorite Soup?

Nothing says fall like chicken noodle soup.

14. Favorite Fall Candle Scent?

Anything Apple and Cinnamon,

15. Love or Hate Pumpkin Spice?

Not a fan, I will have a small slice of pumpkin pie but that’s about it.

16. Short booties or Tall booties?

Short booties all fall long!

17. Favorite Halloween Candy?

M&M’s. I don’t feel as guilty eating them. HAHAHA

18. PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte) Yes or No?

Nope, not a starbucks or coffee fan. Sorry.

19. Hayride or Cornmaze?

Hayride!

20. Favorite Fall TV Show?

I can’t choose just one. I’m a big lover of tv, I would rather watch it live then binge watch it. This fall I’m watching This Is Us, SEAL TEAM, and the TGIT lineup which includes Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder. My tv time is my me time.

Tuesday 9:00 NBC

Wednesday 9:00 CBS

Thursday 8:00 ABC

Well, there you have it. My favorite things about fall. What are some of your favorite things about fall?