Note I purposely did not call this my winter favorites because I full heartedly do not like winter. The frozen particles of death and I don’t really get along all that well. So this is titled my favorite things to do during the Christmas Season because I LOVE Christmas!!!

My December is always jammed packed full of things to do, so in a way I am sharing my calendar with you!

Decorating a Gingerbread House
I used to attend a Gingerbread house competition at a friends house, and I loved it! It was such a wonderful tradition and party that I truly do miss, so I have decided to host my own Gingerbread house competition this year! Stay tuned to my blog for all of the great pictures and details following the party!

Watching the Nutcracker
Little known fact, I was a ballerina for eight years.  During those eight years, and then some I would beg my Mom for a Nutcracker because I loved the Ballet! She refused for years because she just did not understand the fact that I loved nutcrackers. Finally one year for Christmas I unwrapped a beautiful snowy white very nontraditional nutcracker, which then became a tradition of my now Nutcracker collection/obsession/tradition . To this day, I do not have a single traditional nutcracker, as my parentals tend to spend months picking out the perfect nontraditional nutcracker or two for me each year.  Every year I watch the Nutcracker, I actually have two versions on DVD, the soundtrack and  our local ballet performs at the High School every year so I have lots of opportunities to see my favorite performance!

Giving to Adopt A Family
Ever since I can remember I have always shopped for an Adopt-A-Family this time of year.  When I was very young, the tradition was for me to choose one of the gifts that I most wanted from Santa, then I would donate that cherished gift to the Adopt-a-Family.  Generally our Adopt-a-Family is usually a local family through a charitable organization. I just love shopping for people that I don’t know, especially kids! How often do I get to buy toys?!?! Plus just knowing that these children will have a great Christmas because of something that I have donated my time and hard earned money to is also a blessing for me and such a great cause!

Buying Presents
I have a giver’s heart, I love being able to make someone’s day or buy them something that they love but would never think to buy for themselves. Because of this and the great excuse to buy gifts, I always make sure that I spend a lot of time shopping for my loved ones!

Celebrating Jesus’ Birthday!
For my family Christmas is a Birthday Party for Jesus!  We try and keep it small and intimate on Christmas Eve, we have a pizza party (what else would a kid want?) with homemade pizza; we enjoy visiting our local church for a traditional Christmas Eve Service (I belong to a mega church which does not have a Christmas Eve Service). Christmas morning the first thing that we always do after making our coffee is to read the story of the birth of Jesus!  The youngest family member that can read gets the honor of reading to us all.  Afterwards we sing happy birthday to Jesus and then enjoy his birthday cake (coffee cake). After all of this we finally open presents, spending time watching each and every gift being opened. (similar to a birthday party). I just love our family tradition, and celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.

What are your favorite things to do this time of year?