enjoying the magic of the season.

Christmas is so much more than a day. For me (and many others), it consists of many seasonal events that lead up to one massive celebration. Those smaller moments are actually my favourite part of this time of year. Little things like decorating the tree, drinking a hot chocolate, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends. Or attending a special event, curling up with a good book, or driving around to see all of the glorious light displays. There are so many experiences that add to the enjoyment of the holiday season. This post is dedicated to those special moments that have made me smile over the last several weeks.....

Attending a Karen Swan Book Signing 

I suppose the moment that really kick-started the holidays for me was a book signing that my mom and I attended. Karen Swan is known for releasing a Christmas-themed book each year (and one other book in the summertime) and is a staple on the New York Times Bestseller List. So imagine my surprise when it was announced that she would be doing an autograph signing at my local library. My mom registered us both to go, where we spent time learning more about her life and writing process. It was super inspiring! She was charming, witty, and managed to capture the attention of everyone in the audience. After the Q&A session, she had books for sale and did a signing. Since my husband bought me one of her books for Christmas last year....I wound up getting that one signed as well as her latest. It was a fantastic night full of inspiration and laughter.

Decorating the Apartment

I have always loved decorating. (Though there is an awful lot of it to be done at my parents house....and that can get to be a bit much at times!) Something I really love doing is decorating my apartment. It is usually an enjoyable experience with lots of reminiscing, watching Christmas specials, and listening to holiday music. This year, my husband brought home a white hot chocolate to drink while I decorated the tree. Definitely a nice surprise. The tree wound up looking super cluttered (because I have a ton of ornaments) but I like it that way. It is full and fabulous.

Seeing Elf the Musical 

There are many things I love in life. Musicals are definitely high up on that list! Especially Christmas-themed musicals based around one of my all-time favourite holiday movies. As part of an early Christmas present, my mom bought us tickets to see Elf the Musical in Toronto. We took the train down, saw the show, and did a tiny bit of shopping afterwards. It was the perfect distraction. The musical itself was amazing - with great musical numbers, colourful costumes, and some adult humour to shake things up. It was enjoyable from start to finish. I only wish I could go see it one more time!

That is what I have been up to so far this holiday season....but there are also some seasonal favourites that I have been loving lately. Which is what inspired my latest YouTube video. Take a peek at my top 10 favourite holiday items!



What have you been doing to celebrate the holiday season?

xo Shannon