Well, we're one week from Christmas...two weeks from New Years! These are some of the most stressful weeks of the year! Yesterday we talked about how we pare down from all of these stresses, so I thought today we'd talk about what we really like about the season...what doesn't stress you out? What do you love about this time of year? Are you doing anything new to fit into your new lifestyle?

I actually like buying presents - it makes me think about the person I am buying for and makes me feel closer to them (most of my relatives are at least 4 hours away). I love seeing the lights up on houses and businesses at night - it's just so pretty.

My new thing this year is making it a "Florida" christmas. I have always had to struggle to get into the season down here and I'm just going with it. I"m going to grill pork tenderloin for Christmas dinner (skipping the ham) and going to the farmers market on Wednesday to get fresh veggies for sides. The weather is great down here and I"m going to take full advantage!

Mel

Decorated sugar cookies and Christmas lights on the tree. I could sit in the dark for a long time just looking at my tree.

Everything else I could take or leave about the day. (Okay, presents certainly help things...)

Laura

The music. Sitting in a dark living room with just the tree lit and listening to the music.

Also, there seems to be a sense of good will about people - even in the busy malls. Wish this would pervade the rest of the year.

lmj

I guess the tree is my favorite thing about the holiday season. I love the way it makes the house smell. I have a cherished collection of ornaments, some that belonged to my parents and grandparents, and they all bring back memories. It's been great to see my ds (he's 3) determine which are his favorites. He even had very specific opinions about which ones to hang where. Now every evening when I get home from work, we turn on the tree lights together and just spend a little time looking at it.

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Originally posted by SheriaVa:
Now, I have a little pre-lit 3-foot tree with only have 2 kinds of mini-ornaments so far... I'm finding that a Christmas tree doesn't have to be large or have fancy ornaments...I am getting as much joy out of my little tree as my big one and maybe more, because I'm not resentful about the hours it takes to put it up and take it down!

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We got one of those little trees when ds was crawling. Ours is only about 24". It is still my favorite tree. After the holidays, we put it in a garbage bag (still decorated) and store it for the year and just pull it out, already decorated, the following year.

I really love seeing how excited DS is about all the Christmas decorations. (DH & I enjoy them also.) Giving & receiving all the Christmas cards, the overall "feeling" of this time of year, family & friends, the beautiful music and the warm feeling I get from only having the tree lights on in the house.

Family, Friends and Food... I especially enjoying eating food with family and friends... it really is a winning combonation...

The Tree. I love sitting and looking at the Christmas tree. I used to spend hours putting up, lighting and decorating a huge tree only to find that I didn't enjoy it that much because of all that work. Now, I have a little pre-lit 3-foot tree with only have 2 kinds of mini-ornaments so far (all my other ornaments are too big for it). I'm finding that a Christmas tree doesn't have to be large or have fancy ornaments...I am getting as much joy out of my little tree as my big one and maybe more, because I'm not resentful about the hours it takes to put it up and take it down!

Christmas morning. Whether I'm spending it with my family or my dearest friends, there's just something special about that time. When I spend Christmas in Delaware with my friends, as I will this year, they have a tradition of having a little scavenger hunt on Christmas morning to find your stocking stuffer. We all get a clue and then we run around the house trying to figure out the clue and find our little gift. It's SO fun.

Snow. Being from Ohio, I still have a soft spot for a white Christmas. Having lived in Virginia for 33 years, I've become a total snow wuss, but I still love to see the snow as long as I don't have to drive somewhere in it!

I love spending time with family. christmas is one of only 3 days that most retailers are closed so I am guaranteed to have it off. I also enjoy doing little things for others. This year at the store I am currently working at, we are all putting the money we would have spent on grab bags into adopting a family. And added side to this is that the mother is the size i was last year so i also just emtied 2 bins of nice barely worn winter sweaters that we will add to the gift.


Laurie

I love the music, wrapping presents and the look in my daughter's eyes : )

I really like our traditional Christmas Day hike. Fall and Winter usually means great hiking weather here. So, after we've opened presents, had breakfast and chilled out for a little while, the whole family puts on our boots, grabs some water, and heads for the trail.

What makes it extra pleasant is seeing lots of other families (including babies in carriers, grannies, and dogs) on the trails, and everyone says, "hi" "good morning" and "merry christmas!"