It's the most wonderful time of the year! A chliché but it is true. I love Christmas time- the lights, the decorations, the music, the hot chocolate, the movies, seeing family, and the general festive spirit. The weather has been cooling down recently and since I have now come to terms with the fact that my summer is over, I cannot help but get excited about my next favorite season, Christmas (aka peppermint mocha season!

I am that girl that has a Christmas countdown on her phone- down to the second. Christmas has always been amazing in my family. Christmas Eve is usually spent with my dad's side of the family (my mom makes matching Christmas pajamas for me and my cousins on that side), followed by Christmas morning is spent at my house, and ending with Christmas night being spent at my mom's side of the family. I have a pretty large extended family so things can sometimes be a bit chaotic but its all festive fun and I wouldn't have it any other way. We have specific traditions we follow from year to year and that we have followed since I was a child which is part of what makes Christmas so magical for me.

I have always been an early Christmas celebrater, but I have noticed that I am even more so now that I am away at college. I think it partly has to do with the fact that I am unable to see my family for Thanksgiving so it makes sense that I am excited for Christmas- to go home and see my family. The other aspect is that I go to college on the east coast, which gets way more severe winter weather meaning that it cools down to California Christmas weather in like October. Last year it started snowing in early November, I had never really been around snow before so it really felt, to me at least, like a 'real winter wonderland'.

Honestly, college can e really stressful and if listening to Christmas music and drinking peppermint hot chocolate helps me get through the week then so what? There are already like 5000 Christmas movies out so even if I started watching some now, I still would not have watched them all before Christmas. For me as a college/ nursing student, everything else about the winter is chaotic, the ice everywhere, booking travel plans, and of course, finals, but getting ready for the Christmas season is one thing that makes me really happy and brings me peace- then let me be. It may be childish but starting to celebrate Christmas and beginning my Christmas traditions makes my heart so happy.

Look, I am by no means saying to simply skip over Halloween or Thanksgiving. I'm a big pumpkin spice girl myself and I love spooky season. All I am saying is, it's okay if you want to "deck the halls' a little early.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours.