Stephany Writes

Categories: Holidays

Five for Friday: My Favorite Christmas Traditions

Happy Friday! I can’t believe it’s the weekend before Christmas. Honestly, this holiday season has felt both long and short. Since Thanksgiving fell early this year, we seemingly had an extra week of the holidays but that time went by fast.

The holiday season can be exciting, but it can also be hard. And for me, it’s hard in ways that are difficult to talk about on a public blog. Suffice it to say, the holidays look so different from family to family, and there is no one right way to celebrate the season. And if you need to delete Instagram and Facebook from your phone for the next week because the barrage of family photos is too much, I totally, totally understand. (And I may end up doing the same!) I want everyone to take special care of themselves over these next few days and know you are not alone, even if it might feel like you are.

However, I want to talk about the holiday season a bit! I don’t have a ton of holiday traditions myself, but there are a few of them that mean the world to me, things I’ve cultivated over the past few years to make this season as meaningful as it can be. Let’s take a look!

1) Decorating Christmas cookies with my family.

This is always one of my favorite holiday traditions, and it’s something that my family has been doing for years and years. I have pictures of my brother and me sitting around our scuffed-up kitchen table, smiles on our faces as we hold up our horribly decorated Christmas cookies. (Please note: that the above photo is not of any cookies we’ve ever decorated… or will ever decorate.)

Nowadays, my brother, my nephews, and I come to my mom’s for cookie decorating. We cut out Christmas cookies using all of the cookie cutters my mom has collected through the years. The cookies are baked (and it never fails that at least one pan of cookies has to be thrown out because we placed them too close together and they’ve congealed into one massive cookie) and cooled, and then we get to work decorating. We’re all terrible decorators, so there’s a lot of trash-talking involved as we laugh at some of our “masterpieces.” And then, my mom sends us home with our own baggie full of cookies, which I munch on little by little throughout the next week.

We’re planning our cookie decorating day for Sunday, and I am oh-so-excited.

2) Going all out with decorating.

Oh, how I love decorating my little apartment for Christmas. I have a fake tree because I cannot deal with the setup process of a real tree anymore, but I make sure to have a fir-scented candle going as often as possible to get a semblance of the Christmas tree scent in my home. I have colored lights and white lights, garland, a tree full of ornaments, Christmas knick-knacks, a countdown snowman, and even a tiny tree that I bought from Trader Joe’s at the end of November. My home is usually pretty minimalist in terms of decor eleven months out of the year, but come the holiday season, I go all out.

I even decorate my desk at work! I have more lights, more garland, and more Christmas knick-knacks to make my desk as festive as possible for the holiday season. (One year, I put up Christmas gel clings on the glass partition between my cubicle and the person next to me, but the residue took forever to remove, ha, so I haven’t done that again.)

I just love decorating for Christmas because reading by the light of my Christmas tree or seeing my home so cozy makes me so damn happy. (Although, I’m usually equally happy to take everything down and restore my home to order by the end of December.)

3) Celebrating on Christmas Day.

I’m always so intrigued about how people celebrate the actual holiday, as I know a number of families celebrate on Christmas Eve. We’ve never been a Christmas Eve-celebrating family. For a while, my extended family got together on Christmas Eve night to exchange small gifts and just be together. In fact, I think the last Christmas my grandma was alive, we all got together on Christmas Eve and that’s a memory I cherish so much. We watched a Carrie Underwood performance together and I told her about a new guy I was seeing. It was really special. But that was the last time we did one of those gatherings. Now, I usually go out to dinner with my mom and stepdad.

Instead, we celebrate on Christmas Day. This year, my mom is hosting a small gathering at her place for my brother, his family, and me. We’ll eat ham and turkey, open presents, and just hang out. We usually meet later in the afternoon, although I usually head to my mom’s a bit earlier just to spend a little extra time with her and my stepdad. It’s Christmas, after all. Who wants to spend it alone?

4) Annual Secret Santa gift exchange.

For the past few years, my girlfriends and I have done a Secret Santa gift exchange. We go to a delicious fondue restaurant, get all dressed up, and exchange gifts. It’s honestly something I look forward to every year. I love how personal we can get with the gifts because we’re only buying for one person and we can focus all of our energy on finding the perfect gifts for her. We also use this dinner to talk about all the fun times we’ve had throughout the year and plan events for the new year. Some of the things we want to do in 2019: take a girls’ trip to Boston, go to a hibachi restaurant, volunteer, have some game nights, and go shuffleboarding.

5) Watching my favorite Christmas movies.

We all have our favorite Christmas movies, don’t we? Every year, I try to watch my standards which include The Santa Clause, Elf, Love Actually, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. I also try to throw in a “classic” Christmas movie I’ve never seen. I’ve still yet to watch A Christmas Story, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Miracle on 34th Street! I need to watch one of those this year. But I just love watching a Christmas movie while wrapping presents or baking cookies. It’s something that fills me with so much joy and happiness!

What are some of your current Christmas traditions?

Categories: Holidays

What’s On My Christmas Wish List

Can you believe it? There are six days left until Christmas! All of my holiday shopping is done, the presents are wrapped, and the holiday parties are over. All that’s left is to decorate Christmas cookies with my family, watch all of the Christmas movies, and enjoy reading in front of my twinkling Christmas tree every evening. Yay!

Every year, I like to make a Christmas wish list post. In my family, we’re big about gifts because there’s just something sweet about finding the perfect gifts for your family members and anticipating what they will get you. Christmas is about togetherness, of course, but there’s nothing wrong with writing out wish lists and wondering what will be waiting for you under the tree this year. We make it easy, sending out lists in mid to late November so that there are no stressful guessing games. I wasn’t even sure what I was going to ask for this year because, honestly, I’m at a stage of my life where I can buy most of the things I want. But, alas, I managed to come up with a list for my family, and here are some of the things I included:

1. TOMS ($60). I love my TOMS. I have very weird feet and can’t wear flip-flops or sandals if I’m planning on walking or standing a lot. They just don’t give my feet the structure they need, so my arches start aching and the balls of my feet start burning. TOMS are different. They perfectly support my feet, and if I know I’m going somewhere where there will be a lot of walking or standing around, I wear my TOMS. I’ve had my current pair for a few years now, so it’s time for an upgrade. I put a regular black pair and a pink sparkly pair on my wish list this year.

2. A quilt ($70). I don’t think you want to know how long I’ve had my current quilt, but I’m going to tell you anyway: five years. I love this quilt. I actually bought a comforter when I moved in 2015 and within just a few weeks, I was back to using my quilt. I don’t know what it is about it, but it is just so comfy and I love wrapping myself up in it right before falling asleep. I keep my apartment cold (I can’t fall asleep unless it’s 73 degrees or colder in my apartment), so I need a cozy quilt to keep me warm. Anyway, it’s time to upgrade my quilt and this one is so colorful and fun!

3. Echo Dot ($50). Do I need an Echo Dot? Should I be concerned about Alexa listening to all of my conversations?  I don’t know, but I added this to my Christmas list because I wanted to find out what all the fuss is about.

4. Spa bath pillow ($22). I take a bubble bath on a near-nightly basis, but it’s usually as low-key as possible. I just use body wash as my “bubbles,” there are no candles or glasses of wine nearby. And I think it’s time to upgrade my bubble bath experience. I put this bath pillow on my list because I’d really love a more comfortable way to lean back in the tub. I bought a pillow a year or so ago, but it didn’t suction to my tub at all and I was so disappointed that I gave up on bath pillows altogether. Maybe second time’s the charm?

5. Waterpik water flosser ($60). This is probably the most boring item on my Christmas wish list and younger Stephany is appalled. But I really want a water flosser! Sure, I can handle the whole manual flossing routine, but using a water flosser is way more effective. And with that, I’ll see myself out.

6. INFINITIPRO by Conair hair dryer ($35). I’ve had my current hair dryer for a few years now, and it’s nearing the time when it needs to be replaced. I’m lucky in that I don’t need anything super fancy when it comes to drying my hair, although I typically need to swipe my straightener through my hair after drying it to smooth it out. This option seems like a nice upgrade from what I’m using now.

7. The complete set of Anne of Green Gables ($85). One of my goals in 2019 is to reread the Anne of Green Gables series. I read it when I was in high school and loved it, and have grown interested in rereading it lately. (It’s so beloved by Bookstagram, which makes me want to revisit the series!) This boxed set is pricey, for sure, but includes all eight books with beautiful covers.

8. Bathtub caddy tray ($50). As I mentioned earlier, it’s time to upgrade my bubble bath situation. First, with a bath pillow and second with a tray so I can have a place to prop up my book, keep my phone handy, and even enjoy a beverage while I’m relaxing.

9. Bomber jacket ($55). I have been on the hunt for a lightweight jacket for a while now, and I can never find anything that fits well or makes me feel good. I found this one from Old Navy when I was putting together my Christmas wish list for my family and I kinda love it. It looks like the perfect jacket to pull on for those days when the temps dip below 60 degrees. (OK, fine, 65. I’m a baby when it comes to winter, okay?!)

What’s on your wish list this year?

Categories: Holidays

A Thanksgiving Recap

Yesterday was Thanksgiving here in the US, and while it was a difficult day – the first one without Pops – it was also a good day. I thought it would be fun to recap my day the way Amber usually does for her Canadian Thanksgiving, recapping everything she did and listing out what she’s grateful for. Here we go!

***

I woke up on my own a little before my alarm was set to go off and decided to spend that extra time reading before I needed to get up for the day.

I am so thankful for my love of reading. Reading sustains me, encourages me, comforts me, makes me think, and makes me laugh. I would not be the person I am today without reading.

After spending some time reading, I got up and got ready and then headed over to my mom’s. We went on a long, hour-long walk with Chip. It was 60 degrees, sunny, and so, so beautiful.

I am thankful for my relationship with my mom. We grow closer and closer as the years pass, and I wouldn’t trade our relationship for anything. She’s the best mom and the best friend I could ever ask for. I am thankful for Chip and how he has helped stitch my heart back together after it was shattered from losing Dutch. And I am so thankful for clean, healthy air. It never crossed my mind to be grateful for that until I watched news story after news story about these terrible California wildfires and schools and businesses closing because it’s just too dangerous to even walk outside. 

I left my mom’s apartment a little after 10 and zipped right over to Starbucks to order a peppermint mocha, my very favorite drink that I wait for all year long. I had great service, the kind that put a smile on my face.

I am so thankful that I am financially stable that I can order a drink from Starbucks whenever I want. There was a time in my life when even a $5 drink was out of my budget. I am also very thankful for peppermint mochas. 🙂

I came home, drank my peppermint mocha while posting to Instagram Stories and scrolling through social media, and then got ready for Thanksgiving dinner while listening to a podcast.

I am thankful for social media and podcasts – two things that help me feel less alone. Social media helps me connect with people and share my life, while podcasts keep my apartment from feeling too silent. Podcasts have also opened my worldview, encouraged me, and kept me laughing even on days when I thought laughter wasn’t possible. I am so, so thankful for the joy that podcasts bring me.

Our reservations for Thanksgiving dinner were at 1 p.m. at a restaurant downtown, and it was my first non-homecooked meal Thanksgiving. It was… weird. I don’t particularly enjoy all the work that goes into Thanksgiving dinner – the cleaning, the meal prep, the cooking – so I wasn’t sad to give all of that up for a restaurant meal, but it was still a weird experience. My brother, sister-in-law, and two nephews came to dinner (sadly, my stepdad had to work) and it was nice to have a very low-key meal. I have a big family, so Thanksgiving can typically be overwhelming and overstimulating for me, and this was the opposite of that. So, in that respect, it was nice. The food was pretty delicious, although I wish I could have gotten a to-go box for leftovers, haha. But still, nothing beats a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal. Maybe next year… or maybe not. We’ll see.

I am thankful to have family to celebrate the holiday with, family I love and who fills my heart up. Family can be difficult… probably the most difficult aspect of the holiday season, but I’m glad to have my family. The boys were cute and fun, and it was so nice seeing my brother (the last time I saw him was at Pops’ funeral, sigh) and chatting with him.

After dinner, we strolled through downtown for a little while to walk off our meal. There was a Christmas tree and lots of Christmassy decorations to look at. We took family photos in front of the tree and then watched the boys chase each other for a little while.

I am thankful for the gorgeous weather that allowed us to walk outside without a) shivering or b) sweating. It was the perfect temperature yesterday! I am also so thankful for my nephews who made me smile and laugh on a difficult day.

I arrived back home a little before 3 p.m. and I immediately took off my makeup, got in comfy clothes, and slid into my bed with a book. And then I napped for… oh, three or so hours. YES.

I am thankful for napping! Oh, man, do I love a good nap. I look forward to my naps and feel zero guilt about taking them. It’s one of the perks of singlehood – napping whenever I want. I take advantage of this any time I can.

After a wonderful, long nap, I took time to post to social media (including a very cute post on Chip’s account) and then had a low-key evening. I watched a few episodes of Friends, ate a snack, and colored.

I am thankful for TV shows that help me take my mind off my sadness whenever I need it to – and Friends has definitely helped me through this season of grief. I am thankful for coloring because it’s one of my favorite methods of self-care. And I am very thankful for chocolate chip cookies. 🙂 

The end of my Thanksgiving was spent working on this blog post and reading blogs. It was the perfect ending to a rather emotional day!

I am so thankful for this blog and the joy it brings me. I have recently realized how much blogging truly fills up my life, helps me to feel less alone and sort out my feelings. I’m not sure what my life would look like today without blogging!

Other things I’m thankful for this year: football, my cute apartment, the ability to move my body in the way I want to, medication that moderates my anxiety symptoms, proactive doctors, a job I love, sweet friends, online shopping, my comfy couch, kittens, travel, and homemade pumpkin bread.

What are you thankful for this year?

Categories: Holidays

A Christmas Wishlist – the 2017 Edition

Can you believe we’re less than a week away from Christmas? Time flies when you’re an adult and not waiting on Santa to bring you presents. 🙂 I can’t believe how fast this month has flown by and that it’s nearly time for me to begin my “Year in Review” posts (which kick off a week from today). But one of my favorite annual posts to write around this time of year is my Christmas wishlist. Even though my brother and I are in our thirties, we still send my mom a wishlist because what’s more fun than putting together a list of things you want? Obviously, I’m at the point in my life where I can typically get anything I want (even if that entails saving up for it for a month or two), so it can be harder and harder to put together a list, but I found a few things that I’d love to see under the tree this year!

1) A Miami Dolphins hoodie ($60). I am really craving a warm and cozy hoodie to wear at this time of the year. The one hoodie I have is more form-fitting and has those annoying thumb holes (I think I may be the only person who hates thumb holes!), so I never want to wear it. This one is much more my style and bonus: I’ll get to rep my favorite football team.

2) Clarisonic Mia 2 ($170). I have wanted a Clarisonic for years but they are so damn expensive! Nearly $200 just for a brush to wash my face? That seems fairly ridiculous, but I have heard so many rave reviews about the Clarisonic that I put it on my Christmas list because, let’s face it, that’s the only way I’m ever getting my hands on one of these. I definitely have my own issues with my face – lots of breakouts, redness, and an oily complexion – so I’m interested to see if a Clarisonic will solve some of my facial woes.

3) Harry Potter boxed set ($75). I used to own all seven Harry Potter books, but I gave them to a coworker’s daughter because I never thought I’d reread the series. Turns out I was wrong! I reread the series last year and now I know it’ll be a once-every-few-years thing, so I’d love to own a boxed set.

4) Trivial Pursuit, Classic Edition ($19). I love board games more than anything and I love Trivial Pursuit more than is probably healthy. It’s just such a fun game to play, even if I don’t know the answers to most of the questions, ha. I’ve had all different editions of Trivial Pursuit and I’d love to see this classic edition under the tree for me this year. (And then, of course, force my family to play it with me on Christmas.)

5) Sueded pointy black flats ($20). Black flats are my go-to for work because they go with everything and I hate wearing heels. I tend to need a new pair of flats at least once a year and the pair I have now are super worn out and… well… kinda stinky. This simple design from Old Navy would suit me just fine.

6) Secret Garden coloring book ($13). I’m obsessed with coloring right now, and I probably spend 30-60 minutes a day coloring while listening to a podcast. That’s not even an exaggeration. I’m currently working my way through one of the coloring books I own and I know I’ll need a new one soon, so why not get the classic coloring book that essentially kicked off the adult coloring obsession?

7) Books. Of course, what Christmas wishlist would be complete without books? I gave my family a list of 10 books that I’d love to see underneath the tree this year, including Nasty Women, Beartown, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and The Book of Unknown Americans.

8) Bookish tees. I put this one on my Christmas list because it speaks to my soul so much. I have three bookish tees already and I just want to grow my collection because not only do they allow me to proudly express my love for reading (a love I tried so hard to keep secret for such a long time), but the shirts are usually so comfortable and I’m all about comfort right now.

9) Vera Bradley lunch box ($19-$38). I am always on the market for a new lunch box because I bring my lunch to work on a near-daily basis, so my lunch boxes go through the gauntlet over the year. I love all things Vera Bradley and these lunch boxes are exactly what I’m looking for, especially in a fun pattern like the one above.

What’s on your Christmas wishlist this year?

Categories: Holidays

A Christmas Wishlist

We’re less than two weeks away from Christmas! I can’t believe how fast this month is flying by. Last week, I finally decorated my apartment, although I don’t really have room for a tree. (My sectional takes up the majority of my living room!) I have a tabletop one, but there’s something about a big, full tree surrounded by presents that makes my heart full. Ah, well. Maybe next year!

Every year, I like to write out my wishlist for Christmas. It’s slightly narcissistic, I know, but it’s so fun! Of course, Christmas isn’t about the gifts, and I am looking forward to the traditions this season brings, like making Christmas cookies, watching holiday movies, and celebrating Christmas with my family on Christmas Eve. Oh, and drinking as many peppermint mochas as my body will tolerate. 😉 But presents are fun! And I like imagining what will be waiting for me under the tree.

Here’s what I’m wishing for this Christmas season…

wishlist

1) A Fitbit

I’ve wanted a Fitbit for a while now, but I’m hesitant to invest in one because I worry I’ll only use it for a few months and then get tired of it. But maybe not? Well, I put it on my Christmas list this year, so I guess we’ll see what I do with it if it’s under the tree for me this year.

2) Kindle Paperwhite

I’ve been using my iPad Mini as my Kindle reader for the past few years now, and it works well, but it’s basically impossible to read when I’m outside in the sunshine due to the glare on the screen. I’m ready to go back to a lightweight Kindle again. I miss it!

3) A microwave

Haha, what an adult-y wish! My new apartment didn’t come with a microwave and I haven’t bought one myself, even though I desperately need one. It’s one of the reasons I’m not meal prepping right now – I don’t have a way to heat up food! Santa…?

4) Bookish throw pillows

I love the Instagram feed of Bookworm Boutique and would like to own all of the things she sells, but I’ll settle for some cute bookish throw pillows for my couch. It’s very on-brand for me. 😉

5) A subscription to Book of the Month Club

Is there any better gift for a book lover? I think not. I’ve wanted to join BOTM Club, but I continue to hesitate because it’s not a cheap subscription service and I’m not huge on buying books (all library, all the time!). Every month, though, when I see the selections for the month, I get the itch to join because the selections are excellent.

6) The entire Harry Potter series, in hardback

I once owned the entire Harry Potter series, but in paperback, and I gave the series away to a coworker’s daughter who wanted to read the series. I don’t regret that decision, because I never regret giving away books, but after rereading the series this year, I find that I want to own the series, especially in beautiful hardback books. Yes, please!

7) A small bookshelf

Okay, okay. I know I’ve said I don’t really buy books, but I’ve recently amassed a tiny collection of books and it’s giving me the itch to add more to my collection. And I could really use a bookshelf in my bedroom to liven up the space. I doubt I’ll get this for Christmas, so I’ll probably end up buying this myself after the holidays.

8) Candles!

I remember when I was younger and thought getting candles as a present was soooo boring. Well, Younger Steph, the older version of you would actually be very excited to receive candles for Christmas. Adulthood is so weird.

What are you wishing for this year?