It's time guys — the list we have waited for all year. How to correctly embrace the holidays the Amber Nicholson way. As far as I'm concerned, you're not living the right way if you don't have/do the following:
1. Scented Pine Cones
Scented pine cones in the house are what separate holiday season from every other garbage season that exists. Scented pine cones are one of many signals that let you know it's time to ditch yearlong seclusion.
2. Music
This does NOT mean Christmas music. There's more to this season than Christmas, dang it. Have a playlist made accordingly. Put on some ambient music, maybe smooth jazz or anything with nice acoustics. If you're a musician, then saturate the household with your sweet tunes. As we approach the end of a year, this time is used for self reinvention.
3. Look outside
If you're not one to stop the roses, now would be a good time. This season is both a critical time for nature and for your life. Don't wait until New Year's to reinvent your life.
4. Watch Hallmark movies
If you don't watch Hallmark movies any other time, do it for the season. This is what they are made for.
5. Thanksgiving!
Okay, this one isn't hard. You cook all day and how much you starve prior to dinner is completely correlative to how good of a sneak you are at grabbing food or your ability to drive yourself to the store in search of food. Then you gather with your family, eat food and be thankful for not only the food, but also each other.
6. Add lights and cue Christmas music
Now you may play your Christmas-exclusive music. It's also time to grab your dust-covered bins and pull out enough lights to blind passing drivers.
7. Christmas Tree
Simply buy a Christmas tree. Not so simply, set up Christmas tree.
8. Bust out the list
Yes. Take out the list I know you started writing on Christmas day last year. You know you did so pull it out and hand it over to mama. No literally, hand it to your mom.
9. Hot Chocolate
You should be drinking this all year, but this is the absolutely crucial time to drink it. If you don't think so, you're wrong. If you are of the .0008% that does not enjoy hot chocolate, you have not tried good hot chocolate and quite honestly, this list isn't for you. Get out (but please still like and share this article).
10. Christmas Eve
You must watch "The Nightmare Before Christmas." You gotta start it so it finishes exactly at 12:01. Then, you must open just one present, go to bed and open the rest upon waking up the next day.
11. Christmas Day
Invade various family members' households throughout the entire day and pillage their food inventory just as they did yours. Then tip-toe over to their tree and pick up your haul, marked by the chicken scratch courtesy of the giver's rushed manuscript.
12. Proper present etiquette
Say thank you before you even open the gift, and say it again afterwards. If you like it, show your appreciate by giving the giver a hug. If you didn't like it, do so anyways out of courtesy. Then, while they're hugging you, silently twitch as you repeat to yourself 'It's the thought that counts' only to realize your hug is in vain because you remember you gave them a list, checked it twice and they still couldn't get it together. No comment.
13. New Year's Eve
Pray the next year is better and that you suck a little less. Ponder all the things you want to do throughout the next year. Decide who you want to ring in the New Year with.
14. The New Year
Understand what each holiday was designated for. Thanksgiving is to reflect on the past, but not simply the whole past, mostly the positive aspects of it. Through acknowledging things that already make us happy, we can discover more ways to be happy. Christmas is about giving and receiving things to carry close to our hearts throughout the year — a little like a character in a show getting a new costume design for the new season. New Year's is the culmination of those two holiday experiences. While the past year plays a part, how well we embrace Thanksgiving and Christmas is what truly affects our New Year.
