seasonal favourites for 2023.

This is my favourite time of year. Even though there are endless lists of things to do (decorating, catching up with friends, mailing holiday cards, baking, cleaning, and more importantly, watching lots and lots of Christmas movies)...there is also a lot of joy. When I start to feel overwhelmed trying to balance it all, seasonal favourites to remind me how much this time of year means. They bring me back to a place of wonder and delight. Though there have been a lot of holiday-related items making me smile recently, from classic movies to songs on the radio...here are a few of the standout seasonal favourites for 2023.

New and Old Favourites. There are always all sorts of favourites, new and old, that come to the forefront at this time of year. (Recently, I've been looking back at old seasonal favourite posts of mine to see what stood out to me in those years. What a lovely way to reminisce!) The items shown above are a nice mixture of new and old favourites. The new? A necklace with lots of holiday charms gifted to me by my mom and a gingerbread wooden sign. The old? Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes. During my visit to the US last month, I was dead set and determined that I would be taking Christmas Tree Cakes home with me. It is a tradition to have them, after all! Thankfully, I was able to find some and bought several boxes of the tasty treat. 

Movies and Music. Though this time of year is overloaded with fun and festive movies and albums...I thought it would be fun to show one of each that has really added to this holiday season. The movie is The Swan Princess Christmas. It is an animated movie with the best music. This is a DVD that I found last year for a mere $5 in a discount movie bin. The music just managed to touch my heart the first time I watched and it continues to do so today. One of the songs has the following lyrics: "There's a magic that takes the fear out of living/When you have it, there's peace in your heart/That's what it does/There's a magic that's found when you're giving/And it's here in the season of love." I think that really sums up the holiday season for me. It's the hope and the magic that makes all of the fears and anxieties dim just a little. It's the giving. It's the love. It's the belief that the world can be a better place. As for the other item shown above, it is a new Christmas album from Brandy. She is such a talented singer and I have been a fan of hers since I was a child watching episodes of Moesha. Her Christmas album is wonderful from start to finish. Oh, and her new Netflix Christmas movie, Best. Christmas. Ever! is fantastic as well. 

Holiday Inspired Scents. It is no secret that I am holiday obsessed. Anything that reminds me of a holiday, especially Christmas, is wonderful. While out shopping for Christmas presents (I am now done all of my Christmas shopping...woo hoo), I found this Aeropostale Winter Wonders Body Mist Coffret set for $20 CDN. It was an immediate purchase, because not only do I love fragrances, but I especially love anything gingerbread scented. This set came with Golden Gingerbread, Pink Peppermint, Merry Berries, and Sugar Plum body mists. On the back of the box, there was information about the fragrance notes:

• Golden Gingerbread Body Mist: Top Notes (Crystalized Ginger and Cinnamon), Mid Notes (Rose Petals and Sparkling Jasmine), and Base Notes (Golden Amber and Warm Tonka)
• Pink Peppermint Body Mist: Top Notes (Eucalyptus and Citrus), Mid Notes (Candied Peppermint and Pink Rhubarb), and Base Notes (Whipped Vanilla and Creamy Musk)
• Merry Berries Body Mist: Top Notes (Bright Bergamot and Wild Frozen Berries), Mid Notes (Cotton Candy and Peony Blossom), and Base Notes (Cedar and Sweet Caramel)
• Sugar Plum Body Mist: Top Notes (Sugar Plum and Iced Melon), Mid Notes (Cool Sage and Sweet Strawberries), and Base Notes (Sandalwood and Vanilla Bean)

These body mists from Aeropostale smell amazing. They perfectly represent the holiday season. My favourite is, of course, the Golden Gingerbread Body Mist, because I have a serious obsession with all things gingerbread. It smells like a sweet iced gingerbread cookie. It is warm and inviting...just a real delight. The Pink Peppermint Body Mist smells like a sweet vanilla candy cane. I just love it. Then there is the Merry Berries Body Mist, which is ultra sweet. Sugar Plum is my least favourite of the four, but it is still fabulous, and it has a sweet but warm scent. While I adore the scents, these do not last for too long. It isn't something that will stay all day. That being said, I have been using these to add a little extra dose of seasonal fun to my work days...and have used them as room sprays as well. I just love these holiday scents. It is so nice to be able to use them.

There you have it...a few seasonal favourites for 2023. Each one acts as a reminder that this is a truly memorable time of year.

Do you have any seasonal favourites this year? Be sure to share your own standouts in the comment section below!