The days leading up to Christmas are always so much fun, but they seemed even better this year.

I love minimally and tastefully decorating our house, incessantly playing traditional and new Christmas songs, continually dreaming of snow for a beautiful white holiday, picking out and wrapping gifts for family and friends, and spending time just thinking about the previous year–all its ups and downs–and how happy and thankful I am for where we are in the world this holiday season and as we head into the new year.

We were way ahead on our shopping so I actually got to spend time trying out new cookie recipes that turned out to be a big hit:

• Double Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint Patty Surprise
• Vanilla Meringues with Sour Cherry Centers
• Peanut-Butter-Cup-Stuffed Ginger Cookies
• Cocoa Pretzels
• Chocolate Cookie Dough
• Shortbread Wedges
• Classic Frosted Sugar Cookies

There is just something about baking with Christmas carols and a lit tree in the background that puts me in a perfect mood.

When the fiance and I moved in together a couple years ago, we started a new Christmas Eve tradition of hanging out, watching Christmas movies and cooking ourselves a delicious dinner. Not terribly original or anything, but we usually have to travel all over on Christmas Day, which is true again this year, so it’s nice to have some time to ourselves the day before.

The movie watching was extra amazing this year as we found some classics from my childhood, some that the fiance had never seen! This included a Muppet Family Christmas, the California Raisins Claymation Christmas and Mickey’s Christmas Carol. They brought back so many memories, and I hope we add them to our list to watch in the coming years.

Christmas Eve morning we actually got up at a reasonable hour, and, with coffee and hot cinnamon rolls in hand, sat down to watch A Christmas Story. I had never seen it growing up (I guess I don’t know that for sure, but if I did, I don’t remember and it was certainly not a tradition) but was introduced to it by the fiance. I love the witty narration and keep saying I’m going to read the book. I actually just added it to Goodreads.com, so now there’s a chance.

A Christmas Story

Afterward, we decided to final make the half-hour jaunt to the west side of Cleveland to see A Christmas Story House, the actual house used in the movie’s filming. The house was renovated several years ago and is now open to tours with a museum and gift shop across the street.

While a perfectly themed adventure for the day before Christmas, we were not the only people who thought so. We parked way down the street and walked an icy and slippery sidewalk to our destination, which was overrun with families. The house was self-guided given the holiday–typically there are tours– so we crammed in with hundreds of other people to see and get pictures with some of the movie standards.

Overall the visit was ok–I think it would have been better had there been fewer people and a guided tour. Still, on the ride home I felt spirited and after a few last stops for final grocery items needed for dinner (roasted root vegetables, steaks and garlic dill rolls) we were home with a lighted hearth and light at heart.

Hope you had a wonderful night before Christmas!