The talk of October is Halloween and all things fall. Everyone's excited about the change of season and all of the wonderful things that come with it. Once we get about halfway through the month, everyone begins to prepare for Halloween. The pins on Pinterest increase, the DIY ideas are brainstormed, and the party plans begin to unfold. Now, just a few days after Halloween has passed, the talk of this month is, of course, Thanksgiving (because who doesn't love some homemade mashed potatoes and stuffing?) as well as the debate about when it's appropriate to begin thinking about Christmas festivities and listening to Christmas music.

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. It's one of the few times I get to see most of my family from both sides and celebrate our time together with delicious food, good company, and of course… presents! It's the best part of December. The festivities and traditions leading up to Christmas is part of what makes it such a special holiday. We put up our Christmas tree together as a family and hang all of the ornaments, we break out the Christmas lights and decorate the bushes in the front yard and we save all of the stations that play Christmas music to the presets in the car.

Even though it's only a few days into November, retail stores are already getting ready for the winter season and setting up Christmas decorations, selling Christmas wrapping paper, the whole nine yards. Obviously, you can't help but get excited about the holiday that's ahead. Even though I am super excited to start the Christmas festivities, it's only the beginning of November. Fall is still in the air. The leaves are still changing colors. The weather is still warm enough that you don't need a heavy jacket. We have Election Day, Thanksgiving, and Black Friday to look forward to before December rolls around, which means it's too early to start listening to Christmas music. Honestly, what's the rush? Is a whole month of "Frosty the Snowman", Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas", or even the Justin Bieber's "Under the Mistletoe" album, not enough? I think it's too early.

Yes, I admit that I am one of those people who wait until December 1^st to switch over to Christmas music. It doesn't mean that I'm not counting down the days to December in the back of my mind; it just means that I want to enjoy the month of November, and everything that comes with it, to the fullest before December comes around. I'm definitely sentimental when it comes to holidays and I don't want them to go by too fast, especially when I look forward to them for so long.

Once the Christmas season and festivities end, we're already in the New Year and the next holiday isn't until mid-February. Let's be honest, after the winter holidays and school vacation, the rest of the year is pretty relaxed and uneventful. So why rush into all of the hyped up craziness? Let's enjoy the moment and experience special occasions to the fullest when the right time comes.