The Holiday

Halloween to New Year's is my favorite time of year, and I spend the majority of the other ten months out of the year wishing it would come back around again.  Now that  the height of the season is finally here, I can share my longtime coming 101 Things to Love About the Holidays list.  Am I getting a little carried away on the whole list/countdown concept?  I hope not, because I sure do love it...

1.  Turkey and dressing

2.  Christmas wreaths

3.  Poinsettias

4.  Salvation Army bell ringers

5.  Holly

6.  Laying on the floor under the Christmas tree to look at the lights

7.  Letters to Santa
8.  Passing cars with Christmas trees tied on top
9.  Christmas music
10.  Hanging the stockings
11.  Christmas ornaments
12.  Watching families come together
13.  The Radio City Rockettes

14.  Drinking wine by the Christmas tree with friends
15.  Beautifully decorated Christmas trees
16.  The third verse of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
17.  Christmas lights

18.  Nutcrackers
19.  School Christmas programs
20.  OPI holiday nail colors
21.  Trans-Syberian Orchestra
22.  Reading Christmas stories together
23.  Holiday party invitations
24.  Tacky Christmas parties
25.  The nativity
26.  Paperwhites

27.  Leaving cookies for Santa
28.  Auld Lang Syne
29.  Quoting Christmas movies (namely, Christmas Vacation and Home Alone...)
30.  Holiday weddings (is there anything more beautiful?)
31.  Christmas tree farms
32.  Pine garland
33.  New Year's Eve parties
34.  'Twas the Night Before Christmas
35.  Judy Garland's Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
36.  Christmas cards

37.  The smell of a Christmas tree
38.  Carving the turkey
39.  Traditions
40.  People sleeping all over the house so you can all wake up together on Christmas morning
41.  Cheesy TV Christmas movies
42.  Spending time with family
43.  Jingle bells

44.  Egg nog
45.  Sugar cookies

46.  Holiday baking
47.  Hope for the year to come
48.  No school
49.  Bing Crosby
50.  Tacky Christmas sweaters

51.  Gingerbread houses
52.  Apple cider
53.  XM Holly
54.  New Year's brunch
55.  Riding around looking at Christmas decorations
56.  Advent calendars
57.  Gingerbread cookies
58.  Hot chocolate
59.  Holiday postage stamps

60.  Champagne
61.  The kids' table
62.  The reason for the season
63.  Christmas presents
64.  Holiday food in all its glory
65.  Peppermint pie
66.  Sweet potato casserole
67.  Taking a nap after Thanksgiving dinner
68.  Twinkle lights
69.  Wrapping Christmas presents

70.  Frosted windows
71.  Pictures with Santa
72.  Smell of Christmas candles
73.  Thanksgiving leftovers
74.  Countdown to the new year
75.  Paper chains
76.  Bowl games
77.  Red, green, and white plaid
78.  Christmas movies
79.  Christmas tree for the birds

80.  Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
81.  Mistletoe
82.  Stocking stuffers
83.  Christmas carols
84.  Christmas episodes of TV shows
85.  Stringing popcorn and cranberries
86.  Holiday commercials
87.  Friends home
88.  Christmas parties
89.  The magical feeling in the air
90.  Decorating the Christmas tree
91.  New Year's resolutions
92.  Peppermint ice cream
93.  Dirty Santa
94.  Reminiscing about past holiday memories
95.  A Charlie Brown Christmas album

96.  Singing Christmas hymns at church
97.  Looking back over the past year
98.  Salvation Army Angel Tree
99.  Sarah McLachlan's Song for a Winter's Night
100.  Traveling
101.  Christmas Eve church service

I hope your holiday season is off to a wonderful start, and I wish each of you a Happy December!!