Countdown to Christmas - 2024 Edition

Besides Halloween, I will admit my excitement for Christmas time has returned. Things just seem to be more magical in the month of December. Luckily enough last December, while hard, I was smiling and happy and I think it is because of this checklist as well as keeping myself surrounded with love and light as much as possible. Definitely glad I changed the pattern of unhappy holiday seasons. Christmas without my parents is still an adjustment period. While it is getting easier, having some traditions are keeping my spirit and light up. I will make it through the best way I can. Most of the things will be done either by myself, with David, or with friends and family. Also, just because there is a date attached does not mean it will happen on that date -- it is more of a checklist.


November 28th: Get holiday cards and start writing them out
November 29th: Order 2025 calendars on Amazon Done!
November 30th: Watch Falling for Christmas Done!
December 1st: Start advent calendars Done! Doing a Universal Yums advent calendar, an couples advent calendar with David, and a book advent calendar from The Book Grocer
December 2nd: Mail out holiday cards. Done!
December 3rd: Watch Violent Night
December 4th: Watch Scrooged
December 5th: Watch A Hollywood Christmas on HBO Max Done!
December 6th: Watch Anna and the Apocalypse
December 7th: Get a holiday inspired candle from a small business
December 8th: Watch Jingle All the WayDone!
December 9th: Watch Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square
December 10th: Wear Christmas inspired sweater
December 11th: Add to my holiday playlist on Spotify and share it with all my friends on social media for them to enjoy listening to Done!
December 12th: Watch Holidate on Netflix
December 13th: Watch Home Alone
December 14th: Go to Miracle on Mercer Brunch with DavidDone! It was fun.
December 15th: Watch Our Little Secret
December 16th: Start binging the Netflix seres Dash and Lily.Done! For next year remember that the first episode is set on December 17th.
December 17th: Get holiday inspired manicure Done at Sophie's Nail Studio.
December 18th: Wear reindeer ears headbeadDone!
December 19th: Watch A Christmas Story/A Christmas Story 2
December 20th: Watch Gremlins.
December 21st: Read the book Dasher: How a Brave Little Doe Changed Christmas Forever by Matt Tavares to my class
December 22nd: Watch 8-Bit Christmas
December 23rd: Watch Love, Actually
December 24th: Watch Die Hard/Christmas Dinner with David's family
December 25th: CHRISTMAS!!! Watch all of the Gilmore Girls Christmas episodes and spend time with my loved ones.

Countdown to Halloween -- 2024 Edition

My favorite holiday, besides my birthday, is Halloween. I am drawn to all things Halloween/Autumn -- vampires, zombies, werewolves, cheesy 80s horror movies, dressing up, anything pumpkin flavored or scented, sweater weather... Just love it! With that said I thought it would be cool to do a COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN activities list. Most of this stuff will be done by myself or with friends and family. I will admit that due to the pandemic, which at the time of this writing and publication is officially over as far as I am concerned, and the deaths of my parents -- I have lost my gumption and my spark of things that I used to love. However it is getting easier every day and I am still working hard to bring that spark back; to make myself feel good again; and to reculivate my happiness. Therefore this list, instead of being with dates, I will put 31 things to go to celebrate and countdown to Halloween. Here we go!

1. Purchase Halloween cards.
2. Watch The Raven
3. Give yourself a spooky manicure
4. Watch A Nightmare on Elm Street
5. Play Glow-In-The-Dark Mini Golf
6. Visit a haunted house
7. Try some cool face paint that could be your entire costume.
8. Share Halloween puns
9. Send Halloween cards out
10. Watch Get Out
11. Play Halloween Bingo
12. Go on a scary hayride
13. Go on a legal tour of a haunted place or a ghost walk
14. Bake googly eye cookies
15. Watch Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U
16. Make a Halloween playlist on Spotify and share said list
17. Bake pumpkin sweet potato cake
18. Take pictures of the changing leaves
19. Read a story in The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King
20. Read a tale in Toil and Trouble
21. Drink cider
22. Get candles with a cinnamon or pumpkin smell from Bath and Body Works for my room.
23. Make my own Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte at home
24. Bake something pumpkin inspired
26. Get myself a Halloween inspired flower bouquet.
27. Burn A Habit – Write down a habit I am attempting to kick (and would like to have broken by next Halloween) and either burn it in a cauldron or in a bonfire.
28. Dance the Monster Mash either by myself or with loved ones.
29. Visit the Addams Family Mansion in Westfield, NJ (corner of Elm Street and Dudley Avenue)
30. Wear bone headclip
31. HALLOWEEN!! Go see The Lost Boys in 35MM at Union County Performing Arts Center. Put out treats for trick and treaters.