Don't get me wrong, I love pumpkin spice and apple pie just as much as the next girl. Fall is my favorite season; I adore the changing leaves and crisp weather. Thanksgiving and Halloween are both great holidays, and I'm fully embracing the beginning of sweater weather. But part of me just wants it to be December already!

If fall is my favorite season, why do I want to rush into December? I can't say I'm particularly ready for winter in Connecticut, where I'll be subject to below freezing temperatures for much of the season. It's much harder to look cute when I'm fully bundled up in a puffy coat, pom-pom hat, fluffy scarf, and gloves. I much prefer fall weather, when I can wear flannels and sweatshirts without breaking out the snow boots.

I also don't want to fast forward through the season that offers some of my favorite food items. Carnival food in itself deserves a shoutout; popcorn, fried dough, and caramel apples are some of the best snacks offered at many of the fairs that pop up in New England throughout November and December. Dunkin Donuts' pumpkin coffee is another fall staple (and a major contributor to my declining bank account balance). Additionally, every item on my Thanksgiving table (especially stuffing and pumpkin pie) is incredibly delicious and leaves me looking forward to the last Thursday of November.

Clearly, there are plenty of reasons to love fall, but part of me just wants to skip ahead to December for one reason: December is the Christmas season. Whether you celebrate the holiday or not, there is a special Christmas spirit that flows through the final month of the year that I think is felt by all. And this is why I always look forward to December.

While fall is amazing, something about the holiday season puts me in such a great mood. For one, it comes with such a cozy vibe. I love spending a weekend in the kitchen, baking and decorating Christmas cookies while blasting Christmas songs. Drinking hot cocoa and snuggling up to watch a holiday-themed movie is another activity quintessential to December that gives me such a warm and comfortable vibe.

I also love the process of gift-giving; shopping for the perfect trinket for my family, best friend, and boyfriend is another reason I look forward to December. I love selecting something that I know the recipient will love. Or better yet, I love spreading out my art supplies on the floor of my bedroom and sitting down to make the perfect gift when something store-bought just doesn't cut it. While the anticipation of giving is hard to deal with when I'm someone who usually has my gifts prepped the first week of December, it's worth waiting knowing that I've put thought and effort into the perfect gift. And while I truly do love giving gifts, getting gifts is pretty great too.

I could truly go on and on with reasons why I love December. Gingerbread houses, ice skating, decorating the tree, wrapping presents, driving around to see the lights... there are so many holiday themed activities that put me in a happy and festive spirit. So while I will definitely continue to enjoy fall throughout the next month, a part of me will still be hoping December will hurry up and get here already.