It's officially the month of Christmas and today I'm linking up with Leslie from Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After to share our holiday bucket list. Since I'm a list maker by nature, I won't share everything on my bucket list, but I'll highlight a few of the ones I feel are more important.
Ring Bells for the Salvation Army
I've done this for years and it's such a rewarding experience! Years ago, it was such an eye opener how people react to bell ringers. Most of the time people try to scamper past you, pretending you're not there. Since my first experience with that, I've learned to at least say Merry Christmas to the ringer even if I'm not dropping some change in their buckets. So I'm challenging you this year to do the same.
Enjoy Making Cookies with Friends
My friends in Kansas City have a cookie day every year and I have yet to make it. This year I'm hoping to break that cycle and show up!
Have a Gathering at Our House
Entertaining is a true passion of mine and what a better time to have people over to our house than when it's all decorated!
Make Fruitcakes for My Dad
My dad is one of the rare people who love a good fruitcake. For years, when my son, Ian, was little we would make Grandpa's fruitcakes together. He would stand on a chair next me and we would work chopping the nuts and mixing the batter. Since he's grown up and left the house, making fruitcakes has been kind of hit or miss. Well, this year I hope to make it a hit! Even though I don't have my son here to help, my dad still loves fruitcakes so I want to make some for him.
Mail Christmas Cards
This is a process I make way harder than it should be. First, I literally think about the picture on the card all year long. We tried to get pictures when we were on vacation in Cancun, Rome and Indiana. Just this morning I put Eric through a 45 minutes photo shoot that was truly painful. I need to just pick a picture already and get the darn cards ordered!! And just about the time I think I have a good picture I start second guessing myself about even doing a card with a picture of Eric and me. Is it weird for two grown adults to do a picture card? I love getting picture cards - but does anybody really care to see pictures of us? See, I make this way harder than it should be.
What's on your Christmas Bucket List? 'Tis the season so let's get cracking!
I love sending picture cards because I get so many of them ourselves. And yes seeing you 2 smiling I'm sure is a highlight of many of your friends :)
ReplyDeleteI got my Christmas cards ordered so I need to mail them as soon as they come! My bucket list includes seeing ALL the holiday lights. I want to see as many lights as I possibly can this year!
ReplyDeleteI love getting picture cards for the holiday! Also I totally overthink the process too which is probably the reason I haven’t sent them in ages—because I overthink and then nothing gets accomplished! I have a cute pic of Buster I might send out because who doesn’t want his face in the fridge?!
ReplyDeleteI didn’t know you were a bell ringer! I used to work right outside of Penn station in NYC and was totally guilty of scampering past quickly. Will make it a point to slow down and wish the greeter a very merry Christmas 😊
Also I love your fruitcake making tradition!
I keep trying to decide if I'm going to mail holiday cards or not this year. I don't usually (maybe every few years I do) but while cleaning out my grandma's house we came across several boxes of holiday cards so I grabbed a few for myself just in case. So, it may happen. haha Otherwise, the big thing on my list every year is to watch A White Christmas because it's my favorite Christmas movie.
ReplyDeleteBaking cookies is always on my list :)
ReplyDeleteSo funny that your dad likes a good fruitcake. When I read everyone's responses to the TBB Asks question about fruitcake, almost everyone turned up their noses at that traditional holiday dessert. What a sweet memory you have of baking them with your son.
ReplyDeleteOur news just reported that we have a shortage of Salvation Army bell ringers in El Paso this year. I had just commented to my PC that I hadn't seen any out. What an experience it must be to watch everyone's reaction and interaction with you.
Hope you are able to join in the cookie swap this year. My friends had one a half dozen years ago and NONE of my cookies worked out! I can't remember now what happened but I wound up in tears with nothing to swap, so stayed home, embarrassed to death. Hope your experience is a great one.