If the local adult contemporary radio stations hadn't been playing Christmas tunes since the day after Halloween, I might not know it's that time of the year.
That's an anomaly for me, as I usually break out of my cold, cynical skin for the month of December each year to rejoice in the madness that is Christmas.
But this year, something still feels a little off. Perhaps it's that the weather hasn't been too cold (by Michigan standards), or maybe that I've been overwhelmed with watching videos of live births and preparing LBA's pad.
So, in the spirit of all things holiday, I've used the past couple of days to do what any good old American would do in a situation like this: forced myself to schlep the boxes of tinsel and garland down from the attic (ok, so Kevin did that actually) and plaster Christmas all over my house.
To further my plan of Christmas attack, I've come up with a list of ways and reasons to get into the holly-jolly spirit right now.
Watching an entire collection of holiday movies.
"Buddy the Elf - what's your favorite color?"
A Christmas season simply cannot pass without a visit from Buddy or Clark Griswold, without a taste of Aunt Bethany's cat-food Jello mold, or a tentative knock on the Grinch's cave door. Even in my sourest of moods, watching these films always brings a smile to my face and a little joy to my heart. (Whoa, there was a lot of touchy-feelyness going on in that last sentence.)
Putting up not one, but TWO Christmas trees.
Something about having the dim, warm lights of the tree turned on while every other light in the house is turned off makes me feel all toasty and cozy in life. Since we have two living rooms, we need two trees, right?
Jamming to said Christmas tunes in the car, at home, and at work.
A few of my personal holiday favorites:
"Do They Know It's Christmas?" - Band Aid (the most ironic and sad Christmas song ever!)
"O, Holy Night" - Josh Groban (or anyone with a killer set of lungs) (p.s. can't believe I just admitted that I like Josh Groban)
"Dominick, The Italian Christmas Donkey" - Not sure who this is even sung by, but it's the weirdest Christmas song ever. Pretty sure whoever wrote it just threw the word "Christmas" in there and called it a holiday song.
Pigging out on Santa-sized piles of junk with friends.
Once Thanksgiving's here, I more or less throw dietary cautions to the wind and enjoy myself for several weeks. Last night, Megan, Erika, Julia and I chowed down on popcorn, Slurpees, and chocolate while watching 16 Candles. Not a holiday movie, sure, but that Jake Ryan is smokin' hot.
Throwing in a good, solid pieec of wood Duraflame log into the fire and warming up to it while I admire the glory of a well-trimmed mantel.
Don't have a mantel? Try decorating a floating photo rail/shelf instead. Don't have a fireplace? You could always go the hobo route and start a fire inside of a garbage can.
Anyone else not 100% into the Christmas mood quite yet? Tell me...
-What do you do that makes it "feel like Christmas"?
-Got a favorite holiday song/movie?