Magical Merrymaking

Tomorrow is the first day of December and you know what that means!
Christmas season will officially begin :) although judging by the decorations in many stores, you would've thought it had started immediately following Halloween!

I love the winter holidays, especially Christmas traditions. Decorating the tree, drinking hot chocolate, snuggling by the fireplace...it's just such a magical time where everything is cheery and festive and bright.

Last year, I bought my very own Christmas tree and had an absolute blast decorating it. We had two sets of red and gold ornaments but the rest were a random mix of stuff we picked up second hand from garage sales. I couldn't stop admiring those ornaments and how delicate and intricate some of them were. If it were up to me, no ornament would be the same -- they'd all be unique, like snowflakes.

Part of the motivation for wanting a tree was because Secret Santa exchange was being held at my house and I really wanted a place to put the presents. The tree looked nice on its own but it wasn't until there were presents underneath that it felt authentic and genuine.

At the risk of sounding materialistic, I thoroughly enjoy presents. Not just receiving them, but also buying and giving them to other people. I know most people find Christmas shopping to be super stressful, but I tend to have lots of fun hunting down little treasures that showcase how I feel about my loved ones.