Monthly Musings: Holiday Prep

Since we're over halfway through November, I'm starting to get a little excited about the holiday season. Although December is going to be busy, I really do enjoy the traditions which I look forward to every year. And I love finding new things to do with my family. Today I'm linking up with Holly and Patty for their Monthly Musings and today it's all about Holiday Prep.

 

1) Favourite holiday traditions?

A new favourite tradition is drinking cranberry tea, eating Applesauce Jumbles, watching a Hallmark Christmas movie, and addressing our holiday cards.

If we are home for Christmas, and getting a live tree, I love picking it up at our neighbourhood Christmas party. Then on Christmas Eve, we've started celebrating Jólabókaflóð, the Icelandic tradition of getting a new book on Christmas Eve and reading until way too late. We also enjoy all the appetizers on Christmas Eve too, including fancy cheeses and meats.

For Channukah, ironically my favourite tradition is our church small group Channukah party. We weren't able to host it last year and I really hope we can make it work this year. Otherwise, I really enjoy lighting the candles on our two menorahs every night and finding ways to make each night special. Sometimes it's a big thing (like a present) and sometimes it's a small thing like drinking hot chocolate and reading Channukah stories. And I love that Dave fries the latkes outside on our griddle :) (This is may not be Dave's favourite Channukah tradition! Hahaha!)

I also love going to the lighting of the menorah in our public square.

2) What holidays do you celebrate?

Welcome to interfaith life -- we celebrate Channukah and Christmas!

3) How early do you shop?

It really depends. For the past few years I've taken a Friday off work and Dave and I try to get all our shopping done then. It's usually around the end of November. This year we bought some of our gifts as early as the first weekend in October. I'm not really sure when the rest of the shopping will happen... 

4) When do you decorate?

On the Thursday before the first Sunday of Advent our church has a midweek program where we have a chance to walk the labyrinth. After it's done, we help clean up the labyrinth and take home the greenery. I use it in my window boxes and to make our Advent wreath so I decorate outside that weekend. And then I usually finish the decorating around the first weekend in December. 

December 1 is also when I start playing Christmas carols and making my potpourri which simmers on our stove for most of December.  (See below for the potpourri recipe.)

Dave doesn't see the point in decorating for Channukah early so I usually decorate for that a few days before it begins. Since Channukah starts on Sunday, December 18th this year, I'll probably decorate the Friday before. Maybe the Thursday and maybe not until the Saturday...

  

5) Do you host any holiday festivities?

Normally we host our care group Channukah party every year. And we host my parents for Christmas some years.

6) Favourite holiday meals or recipes to share?

 

My favourite holiday recipe is the cranberry potpourri that simmers on our stove for most of December. I got this idea from a blog friend and it has been a December staple at our house ever since. It's basically a couple of orange slices, a handful of cranberries, a couple of cinnamon sticks, and a sprinkling of whole cloves. Add water and simmer away, adding water as necessary. I mix up a new batch every couple of days.

7) Best holiday organization tips?

I don't have any. Hahaha!!!

 I guess I would say the real reason for the season (for Christmas, at least) is worth celebrating whether you have made all your holiday foods, participated in all of your holiday events, and decorated your house. In terms of Channukah, even if not every night is special, or the Channukah decorations are only half up, you can still light the candles every night and remember the miracle of the oil.

8) Gift wrapping? Love it or hate it?

Hate it with a passion. Dave does all the wrapping, or we use gift bags. Wrapping is the worst.

9) Holiday coffee drink? Yes please or hard pass?

 

That's a big yes, please!!! Last year my mom bought Kahlúa and it changed the way I drink coffee around the holidays. So yummy!!! The rest of you can have your Bailey's or whatever, I'm sticking with Kahlúa!

10) Are you a holiday baker? Recipes to share?

 

I love baking up a few batches of Jell-O cookies every year. I get brilliant colours with gel food colouring and make them yellow and blue for Channukah and a mix of red, green, and/or orange for Christmas. You can find the recipe here.

And of course, Holly's Applesauce Jumbles (recipe here) have become a staple of our holiday season. They're addictive!!!

 

So that's some of how we celebrate the holidays. This year is going to be especially crazy because Rachel has eight dance shows in eight days, Channukah is later this year (December 18 - 26), I work and the kids have school until December 23, and I'm super excited we're celebrating with my parents in Saskatchewan but that means getting ready to travel too. I'm off to read the other posts in the link up and soak up some more of the November calm before the December insanity hits :)