holiday highlights (musicals, christmas tours, traditions, and more)

The New Years is always exciting...but sometimes, there is a hint of longing for days passed. More specifically, all of those special holiday moments. The lead-in to Christmas is always my favourite part. Calendars are full of dinner plans, family gatherings, holiday-themed events, movie nights, and well, lots of other special occasions. It is hard not to miss all of the magic and wonder. Which is exactly why I wanted to take a little bit of time to look back at some of those holiday memories. This season was just as busy as always. In the best possible way! I was able to see a Christmas musical, take a holiday castle tour, enjoy a day of shopping and traditions with my husband, see movies, decorate, wrap gifts, spend time with friends, and so much more. So without further ado, here are a few of my favourite holiday highlights.

Christmas Castle Tour + Holiday Train 

The month of December is always jam packed with special events. For me, that included a day trip to visit a castle (all decorated for Christmas, of course) and a visit to the Botanical Gardens to see a holiday train set and seasonal plants and trees. It was such a fun day. The castle was massive and absolutely beautiful - and I learned a lot about the Victorian time period and the history of the castle itself. Then it was lunch at a five star restaurant along the water and finally, to the gardens. It was an especially nice day because I was able to take the day off from work and spend it with my mom. Definitely a great way to kick start the holiday season.

Holiday Inn + Niagara-on-the-Lake

Another special holiday memory for me was heading down to Niagara-on-the-Lake with my parents. We had tickets at the Shaw Festival to see a production of Holiday Inn. It was fantastic. The lead performer had an incredible voice and really channeled his inner Bing Crosby! The entire cast was extremely talented and it was fun from start to finish. Before the show, we grabbed a bite to eat, and afterwards we did a bit of shopping along the street. It was a long drive there and back - but it was certainly an excellent way to spend a Saturday in December.

Fancy Mall Day + Christmas Light Displays

My husband and I have a holiday tradition that we like to call Fancy Mall Day. We drive out to a high end shopping mall and do some window shopping before Christmas. It's always a lot of fun. This year, we grabbed some Tim Hortons, drove to the mall, and spent a good chunk of the day browsing. We also had a lovely lunch at Moxie's. Another tradition we have is going to see the Christmas light display not too far from us. Every house on the street sets up elaborate display... and that always makes me smile.

Decorations and Christmas Memories

There is something so special about it all. The lights, the decorations, and the presents wrapped in brightly coloured paper. All of those little things add to the magic and wonder only the holiday season can bring. This year, there were lots of decorations to enjoy - both at my place and my parents. It took a lot of work to set everything up...but in the end, it is always worth all of the time and effort. The decorations add to that warm and cozy feeling only Christmas can bring. Above are a few of my favourite pictures of the decorations and decor this year.

Winterfest + End of the Holiday Season

Something new and exciting? Winterfest. A theme park that isn't too far from where I love (just over an hour away) decided to stay open on select days this holiday season. Normally, it is only open during the summer months and certain days around Halloween. This year? It was all decked out for Christmas and I couldn't be happier about it. There were rides, character meet and greets, performances, festive food offerings, and lots of lights. It was freezing cold but my family and I had a really fun time. I personally loved getting pictures with the Peanuts characters and enjoying hot chocolate in my new Winterfest mug. Plus, seeing the place all decorated and lit up for the holidays was a really cool experience.

What are some of your holiday highlights?