holiday highlights (christmas tours, dinners, decorations, and more)

It always goes by so fast, doesn't it? Though it is hard to believe, we are at the start of a new year and all of those fabulous holiday festivities are a thing of the past. Sigh! This is always a difficult time. The month of December is loaded with event after event after event and then...poof. It is back to reality. To combat some of the post-Christmas blues, I wanted to take a bit of time to look back. These are a few of my personal holiday highlights.

Victorian Christmas Tour 

Around mid-December, it was all Christmas all the time. Which was further illustrated by the fact that I went on a Victorian Christmas tour. It was a day trip that took me to two different Victorian era houses....and they were both decorated for the holidays. It was a lot of fun. I especially loved seeing the different trees, the old toys, and some of the traditional seasonal dishes. It was also a lot of fun to hear about a totally different way of life. One extra special moment? Seeing an absolutely massive holiday village display. There were so many pieces and it was themed to perfection. Though that was not technically Victorian....it was a really fun addition to the day. This was a wonderful way to get into the holiday spirit. And looking back on the experience is just as fabulous! 

Christmas Brunch with Friends 

A couple of days before Christmas, some friends and I got together for a brunch. (Sadly one of our friends had to cancel last minute because she was sick....but there was still quite a large group of us!) It was a long trek downtown but it was well worth it. We all chatted, caught up, exchanged Christmas cards, and had a fabulous time. Eventually, it was time to leave. But a few of us decided to extend the day and do a bit of shopping at the nearby mall. It was so much fun to just hang out and spend some time together before all of the holiday festivities. As for makeup! You can see from the picture above that I chose something red, shimmery, and seasonal. What did I use? I reached for the Too Faced Dream Queen Eyeshadow palette (you can see it in action in my YouTube video) and had a lot of fun putting the look together. It was a wonderful day that I will not soon forget. 

Seeing Christmas Lights 

One of my favourite holiday traditions has to be looking at the Christmas lights with my husband. Every year, we drive to this one specific area. All of the houses there are decorated, themed, and look absolutely spectacular. It was such a fun night! We went and got cups of hot chocolate, drove around, and picked out our favourite houses. The one shown above is my husbands favourite. He loves that the house looks like a log cabin and that the decorations are whimsical and yet traditional. My personal favourite was too hard to get a picture of....but I loved it. There were spotlights, giant icicle lights, and a Christmas movie playing on a screen outside. So cool. I love holiday traditions and this remains one of my personal favourites.

Holiday Decor and Seasonal Memories 

There were so many special moments that happened on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. I spent Christmas Eve with my family. We baked lots and lots of cookies, watched holiday movies, and finished up all of the last minute details. Then my dad and I drove around to see some of the holiday lights in the neighbourhood. Christmas Day was a busy but wonderful celebration of love, giving, and family. My husband and I opened our presents very early in the morning, then went to his parents house for a few hours, and then to my parents house. I had such a fun day and there were lots and lots of laughs to be had. Then on Boxing Day, my mom and I went shopping and hung out before I went for dinner with my husbands family. The day after that was spent relaxing and trying to catch my breath after all of the fun and festivities! It was a truly wonderful holiday and I am so grateful for everything that happened. 

Even though the holidays are over...the memories will always stay with me. Looking back at some of the highlights has definitely brightened my day. That is one of the best things about Christmas. It isn't just about a single day. It is about the magic and memories that keep our hearts full long after the decorations have been packed away.

What were your holiday highlights?