The Holiday Story

The Holiday Story

Our house was full of decorations, the Christmas smelling candles were aglow, the warm fuzzy blankets and socks were brought out from storage, the Harry Connick Jr. Pandora station was on blast..it’s like a magical, cozy, wonderful world from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Everyone seems a little bit more cheerful. Typically, the day after Christmas (much like the day after my birthday..) I’m bummed. I have to wait a whole year for this fun month filled with holiday parties and seeing friends and family.

As a bride to be, here is what I am currently feeling 3 days after Christmas:

Round one of holidays is complete! Christmas is over! Wahhooo! Don’t take that statement the wrong way. I absolutely love Christmas, but it can certainly be exhausting. This Christmas was absolutely special in its own right: the first (and only) Christmas that I will be someone’s fiancé, the Christmas that it snowed, the Christmas I got my first Michael Kors watch and purses….but I am grateful that things can get back to normal.  Granted, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day are coming up, which has created a little bit of preparation stress, but since we are spending it at the cabin at the lake this year for a nice 4 day holiday, I am hoping to get some much needed R&R done. The weather is supposed to be extremely cold (possibly could see some snow, which might be nice if I can stay indoors), so I’m thinking a fireplace, my mom’s amazing homemade hot chocolate, and a nice book would make for a fantastic mini – vacation.

Here are a few differences I noticed this holiday season between my fiancé and I that required compromising:

Decorating. When it comes to decorating, the fiancé likes tons of decorations all over the place. I, on the other hand, think that this looks like Christmas threw up all over the house. I hate clutter. I don’t think there has to be something in every corner, in fact, I would prefer it didn’t. We ended up compromising. We had a ton of holiday items, but I got to pick where most of them were placed. I was more than ready to take them down this year, in fact, most of them were taken down the day after Christmas and the house already feels more comfortable and my anxiety level is down.

Formality. When I think of the holidays and the parties, events, etc. that you go to, I think of it all being formal. Nice dresses or sweaters, cocktail parties, classical holiday music playing in the background. The fiancé thinks more “tacky Christmas sweater party” with Elvis Christmas music blaring from Pandora. I’m realizing now, there is plenty of room for both of our Christmas traditions.

I have also been starting to think about how things will change in the upcoming year. Next holiday season, I will be a married woman! Shortly after that, we will be growing a family together. I have been on the lookout for some new holiday traditions that we can start once we are married. I am loving the tradition that people do with a new pair of pajamas, new Christmas mugs, hot chocolate mix, and a Christmas movie to watch on Christmas Eve, but since we typically celebrate Christmas with Charles’ family on Christmas Eve, I might have to switch this tradition to Christmas Eve’s Eve.

This may sound terrible, but I am always looking for people I haven’t shown my ring to yet. Yes, I’m guilty. So is every bride to be out there (don’t say you’re not or I will call you on your lie). This New Years Eve, we are going to party at a close friend and “lake neighbor’s” house and I cannot wait to show off the ring and share the proposal story! For bride to be’s like me, I think this is allowed (as long as your ring is clean and shiny!)

I’m sure I will have interesting stories and escapades after this weekend, and especially after dress shopping in a week!  Until then…

Xoxo

Michele