These are a few of my favorite things

The holidays are officially here! A recent study suggested that those who decorate early for the holidays are happier. 

But I know people who put their trees up early to lift their spirits, which suggests the opposite. As writer Nora Roberts once said, "Nothing ever seems too bad, too hard or too sad when you've got a Christmas tree in the living room."

I refuse to give into holiday stress. It's ingrained into our culture to take on this negativity, just as we're expected to be a stressed bridezilla when we plan our weddings. Nope. No thank you. I loved planning the biggest party of my life, and I love the holiday season.

With that in mind, I'm sharing a few of my favorite things - the holiday edition!

• Presents wrapped in brown paper and baker's twine.
• Sarah's Feast of the Seven Fishes

• Baking marathons with my friend Kristy, where the warm oven fogs up the windows, and the house smells like warm sugar. We fill up tins for friends and family, with Christmas movies playing in the background. 
• The smell of a fresh cut Christmas tree.
• Holiday lights! I'm a traditionalist, using mostly white lights, garland and red ribbons. That being said, I love a tacky light display, and have a soft spot for those C-Style retro lights - Charlie Brown style. Speaking of which - A Charlie Brown Christmas? Classic.  

• Speaking of A Charlie Brown Christmas, that's also the name of the best Christmas music album, by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. 
• Window shopping on bustling city sidewalks decked out for the holidays. The best display in Richmond is always Bygone's in Carytown (pictured top).
• Seeing The Nutcracker downtown, and drinking a tumbler of buttery Scotch in the lobby during intermission. 

• A sticky snow that piles onto tree branches and blankets the world in white. If you listen carefully, you can hear the crystalline twinkling as it falls. No matter how old you are, it's still a thrill to run to the window in the morning to see how high it piled up. Adults get snow days too, you know.  

Happy holidays - you got this!