'Twas the Night Before Christmas | The ELEVENTH Day of Blogmas!

On the eleventh day of Blogmas, Leeann's blog gave to me...Christmas Eve traditions Christmas Eve.

No matter where my family is for the holiday season is, Christmas Eve is my favorite part of the festivities. Everyone pulls on their best holiday outfits and we eat until we can eat no more. When we're in Indy, that's seafood chowder full of every shellfish you can name with oyster crackers on the side. In West Virginia, that's french fries and oysters and ham and cookies and root beer and trail mix and crackers...

Spending time with family is the most important part of the evening. With my mom's side, we initially all eat an early dinner before dressing in our best and heading to church for the Christmas Eve service. Afterwards, we all gather around in my grandparents' sun porch by the tree and open our presents to each other while snacking and drinking sweet tea or water. We laugh about the stories behind each other's gifts and shout "thank you!" all around the room. Afterwards we look at our new things and show them off to each other, the "kids" (okay, we're teens/young adults now) running off to play with Leighton's game or flip through Caroline's book. Slowly, everyone drifts out the porch door with bags of goodies, wrapped in wool coats and plaid scarves. Piling into their trucks and SUVs, everyone drives off until it's just my family and my grandparents. We settle down in front of White Christmas and wait for Santa Claus to come.

With my dad's side, we dig in to steaming hot bowls of seafood chowder and oyster crackers while talking about school or work or simply what we did that day. After eating seconds and thirds, we gather into the living room to drink coffee or hot chocolate. After circling up, someone, usually one of the "kids," passes around the gifts to each person until we each have a stack of boxes and bags next to us. One by one, we go around the circle and open each gift, thanking the person for the present and showing it to the rest of the family. Everyone ooos and ahhs until each present is open. Then gifts are further explored: books are flipped through, clothes held up, CDs unwrapped and examined. Then, one by one, each family slips through the front door to the bite outside, waving goodnight with promises to see each other in the morning, decked in Christmas gifts and red, ready for turkey and mashed potatoes.

Christmas Eve is important to my family; it's the tradition we value most. Whether there's snow gently falling on the tips of the brown grass or rain dripping from the window panes, the night before Christmas always results with a "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight."

On the eleventh day of Blogmas, Leeann's blog gave to me:

Christmas Eve traditions, a Christmas travel story, six final to-reads, decked halls a-twinkling, a Christmas tag of sorts, two Christmas book reads, FIVEEEE FESTIVE MOVIES! Memories filled with snow, one blog tag, the best study tips, and 10 Christmas songs to sing!

Deck the Halls | The EIGHTH Day of Blogmas!

On the eighth day of Blogmas, Leeann's blog gave to me...decked halls a-twinkling Nothing spreads Christmas cheer in my family's house quite like Christmas decorations. My mom does a great job every year putting up the stockings, garlands, trees, and other festive decor. It always feels like Christmas in our house, from the tree in the living room to the holiday cookie soap in the bathroom. Today, I wanted to share a few of my favorite decorations in the house:

A few baubles on a side table

Stockings hung by the chimney with care and a few friends in the foreground

Garland on the mantle

The baby tree in my room with Winnie-the-Pooh, Mickey & Friends, and Santa mini ornaments

Our family Christmas tree with a few presents adorning it (and, sometimes, a cat)

What are your favorite holiday decorations?

On the eighth day of Blogmas, Leeann's blog gave to me:

Decked halls a-twinkling, a Christmas tag of sorts, two Christmas book reads, FIVEEEE FESTIVE MOVIES! Memories filled with snow, one blog tag, the best study tips, and 10 Christmas songs to sing!

A Christmas Tag of Sorts | The SEVENTH Day of Blogmas!

On the seventh day of Blogmas, Leeann's blog gave to me... a Christmas tag of sorts! When I saw this Christmas tag, I didn't care that technically no one had tagged me; I wanted to answer the questions anyway (#rebel). So I took the questions Cait asked on Paper Fury (yeah, I read it a lot) and decided to answer them here for Blogmas Day 7!

Here are the "rules" (they're more like guidelines...):

• Post the picture on your blog.
• Answer the questions
• Tag up to 12 bloggers
• Make up 10 questions for the other bloggers

1. What does your Christmas Tree look like?

Like magic:

2. What are you reading in December? (Anything festive?)

Posted about this yesterday, but my answers are still Holidays on Ice and A Christmas Story.

3. Are you an organised little elf or are you still shopping/preparing on Christmas Eve?

I'm fairly organized. I have everything to go by the day of, but sometimes I'm still running around the day before.

4. How early do you start to get into the Christmas spirit?

As soon as I can! Typically this means the week before Thanksgiving when school starts to get tough and I need a little holiday cheer. But I don't like to go all out until Thanksgiving it over--it's an important holiday too.

5. Do you make any Christmas crafts? Decorations? Send physical Christmas cards?

I used to be all about the Christmas crafts, but going to college means having no time. Our tree is decked out with some Leeann-original decorations, though! I did send physical Christmas cards this year, to help cheer myself. I even went to the post office for some Christmas stamps, which, needless to say, was a highlight of the week.

6. What’s the menu for Christmas Day?!

Whatever my uncle makes! But typically it's turkey, ham, country ham, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, sweet tea and lots of PIE! I'm sure I'm missing something, but I love whatever we have :)

7. What makes it FEEL like Christmas for you? (Weather, specific tradition, food, smell, person, etc.?)

Nothing feels quite like Christmas than watching Christmas movies on the couch under the thickest hand-knit blanket, our Christmas tree all lit up, and snow gently falling outside. Also, whenever I see the outside of my Indianapolis house all decorated for Christmas. Mom does a great job every year :)

8. Do you have relatives coming? Excited? Nervous?

We always see our relatives! I'm definitely excited, as always.

9. What famous Christmas character do you most identify with? (Scrooge, Elf, Tiny Tim, the Grinch, Santa, etc.)

I think I'd have to go with... Susan Walker from Miracle on 34th Street. A realistic kid who has big hopes but will also always believe in Santa Claus.

10. If you were to start a new Christmas tradition, what would it be?

One night where my family drinks hot chocolate/cider/tea/hot drink of choice, eats popcorn, and plays games (like Holiday Charades!) before watching Holiday Inn. It's kind of like our New Years Eve, but at Christmastime :)

If you would like to answer these questions feel free! To follow along with the rebel theme, I won't be tagging anyone, but invite you to answer your favorite questions in the comments (what makes it feel like Christmas for you?)

I look forward to reading them!

On the seventh day of Blogmas, Leeann's blog gave to me:

A Christmas tag of sorts, two Christmas book reads, FIVEEEE FESTIVE MOVIES! Memories filled with snow, one blog tag, the best study tips, and 10 Christmas songs to sing!

Top Five Christmas Movies | FIFTH Day of Blogmas!

On the fifth day of Blogmas, Leeann's blog gave to me... FIVEEEE FESTIVE MOVIES For the fifth day of Blogmas, I thought I'd go big. No, no golden rings here; just the five Christmas movies I have to see every holiday season. Films that fill me with that "holiday glow" finals insisted on dulling down the past week or so.

(Side note: finals are over and I couldn't feel more relieved. I celebrated with a three-hour nap this afternoon.

It was delightful.)

But now, for the main event: my top five Christmas movies!

1. Miracle on 34th Street. I've loved this movie since I was a kid. My grandma had a VHS copy I would watch no matter when I was at her house. Whether the air was filled with humidity or snow, I sat in front of the screen in love with Santa Claus working at Macy's. "Christmas isn't just a day...it's a frame of mind." Genius.
2. The Polar Express. The book always meant a lot to my sister and me as kids. We had our own bells that would hang on the tree every year. The movie means just as much, and I love the soundtrack. The Polar Express is that movie, the one that makes me smile and tear up every time. I love it.
3. Eloise at Christmastime. I loved the original Eloise books and movie, and the Christmas one is just as cute! Eloise is such a fun character to watch, and the love story certainly doesn't hurt anything.
4. The Santa Clause. Maybe now is a good time to point out that I really like children's movies... especially at Christmas! I'm actually watching this right now (thanks ABC Family!) and it's just so cute. I love Charlie. However, I've never understood why it's so bad at the beginning that Charlie wholeheartedly believes in Santa. He's 6! Let the kid believe!
5. Elf. Cliché, I know, but it's Elf! Cute, funny, heartwarming--what's not to love?

What are your favorite Christmas movies?

On the fifth day of Blogmas, Leeann's blog gave to me:

FIVEEEE FESTIVE MOVIES! Memories filled with snow, one blog tag, the best study tips, and 10 Christmas songs to sing!