How To Do Christmas Right: A Series of Top 5 Lists

Let's talk about Christmas for uno momento.

Christmas is a fabulous time of year. And, if you're anything like me, you've been trained excellently in the many traditions and rituals that should accompany your Christmas celebrations from year to year.

But maybe you're not like me, and your Christmas festivities and knowledge are lacking - and maybe you don't even know it. Well, don't worry friend. I'm here. And I'm about to give you, in a series of marvelous Top Five lists (yay!), the recipe for a having a magical Christmas, every. single. year.

First, let us all please remember that celebrating Christmas starts promptly, (like, the moment you wake up) the morning AFTER Thanksgiving. Not a moment sooner. And shame on you if it starts any number of moments later.

So, obviously the first thing you should do on the day after Thanksgiving is start decorating. And if you're doing that right, it will mean that there will be a lot of glitter. Like, everywhere. Don't fight it. Embrace it. Be one with the glitter. Let it remind you of elf magic, snowflakes, twinkling lights, or stars.

Top 5 Christmas Decorations to Have: (in no particular order)
1. A Christmas tree. Yes, this is a very good place to start. Your Christmas tree will set the tone for the rest of your decor. Pick a theme - or not, your choice. I for one, am a huge fan of the themed tree. In fact, here's an example from my own tree this year:

We went with a 6 foot Noble Fir. Fake trees are also acceptable due to their sheer convenience and malleability. 

This year's theme? Gold, silver, and white, with white lights. 

2. Door swag. What is door swag, you ask? Oh, it's just the new wreath. That's right, wreaths are SO out. Swag is in. Wreaths are just so round and...old fashioned. But Swag? Swag is refreshingly triangular. Besides, who doesn't want to be able to say that their front door has "Christmas swagga?"

I got my Swag this year for $29.99 courtesy of our friendly neighborhood Costco.

3. A Nativity. It's important, in my opinion, to implement Christmas decorations that remind us all of the true meaning of Christmas: the birth of Jesus. Confession. I don't actually have a Nativity. But, luckily my roommate does, so our Christmas decor is still all intact.

4. Some sort of snow globe. Since I am NOT an advocate of actual white Christmases (me and precipitation of any kind really don't mix), I like to keep myself feeling the Christmasy, wintery magic with snow in a globe. You know, the kind that doesn't get slushy or ugly or cold or all over the bottoms of your jeans and then wet on your ankles. In snow globes the snow is pretty, with a delightfully Christmasy scene that makes your heart feel warm inside, and it's controlled. And you don't have to drive in it.

5. A Smelly Christmas Candle. This is important. The wrong candle can be a disaster. You gotta get something that smells like Pumpkin or Apple cinnamon spice. Possibly even some sort of pine tree. What you're looking for is something that makes your home smell warm, cozy, and like freshly baking Christmas treats.

Okay, now that you're all ready to decorate for Christmas, I should warn you that you shouldn't actually start decorating until you have the right Christmas music to listen to. You can't get the decoration-inspiration you need without Christmas tunes. That's why I've compiled these wonderful Christmas Music Top 5 Lists for you:

Top Five Christmas Songs You Will Want to Belt in Your Car:
1. All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey
2. Oh Holy Night - Celine Dion (I will also accept Josh Groban)
3. What Child Is This? - Andrea Bocelli and Mary J. Blige (I'm assuming you don't have this song. Go purchase it. Now. You won't reget it.)
4. Oh Come All Ye Faithful - Celine Dion
5. Joy to the World - Faith Hill

Top Five Christmas Albums that will Secretly Drive You Nuts, but Must Happen for Tradition's Sake:
1. Christmas - Alabama (Thistle Hair the Christmas Bear, anyone?)
2. Christmas with Patti Page - Patti Page (Listen to Pretty Snowflakes, The Mama Doll Song, or I Wanna Go Skating With Willie and you'll understand)
3. That's actually it on this one.

Top Five Acceptable Renditions of Oh Holy Night:
1. Celine Dion
2. Josh Groban
3. 'N Sync (I know, right?)
4. Chris Mann (Haven't heard it? Go listen. Seriously.)
5. 98 Degrees (Again, I know, right?)

Top Five Christmas Songs That I Think Everyone Should Own:
1. White Christmas - Bing Crosby
2. Mary Did You Know? - Donnie Osmond
3. God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman - Sissel
4. The First Noel/Mary Mary - Sarah McLachlan
5. Emmanuel - Orla Fallon

Okay, now that you're set on decorations and music, you are ready to start doing your Christmas baking whilst you watch the best Christmas movies.

Top Five Christmas Treats that Will Inevitably Result in Your Gaining At Least Ten Pounds:
1. Homemade English Toffee (if you'd like the recipe for this, and TRUST me, you do, leave a comment and I'll send it to you)

See how delicious they look? Now multiply that by 10 and that's how delicious they actually taste. 

2. Homemade Peppermint Bark
3. My Grandma's Homemade Apple Pie
4. My Aunt Ruth's Christmas Fudge
5. Erica's Snickerdoodles (there's nothing like 'em.)

Top Five Christmas Movies You Should Watch Whilst You Bake, or Just 'Cause:
1. Holiday Inn
2. White Christmas
3. Shrek the Halls (Yes, Shrek. The Halls. It's 20 mins of hilarity.)
4. A Christmas Story
5. It's a Wonderful Life
6. Elf
7. The Holiday
8. Miracle on 34th Street
9. The Year Without A Santa Claus
10. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
11. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
(Okay, sorry I got a little carried away with this one...)

And to top it all off, here's one more top five list:

Top Five Other Awesome Things to Do at Christmas Time:
1. Get creative with your stocking-stuffing (there's nothing better than an awesome stocking on Christmas morning)
2. Open Christmas PJs on Christmas Eve
3. Look at Christmas lights
4. If you live in UT, attend the Festival of Trees and see the lights at Temple Square
5. Play piano Christmas duets with your roommate (this is a new tradition Jayni and I started last Christmas and it's definitely a favorite.)

And now, for some pictures of some magical Christmas Trees I found at this year's Festival of Trees:

BYU Tree? Why didn't I think of this?! Okay, let's be honest. I did. I just haven't done one. 

Harry Potter Tree? Genius. 

Coca Cola Tree? A tree after mine own heart. 

And Awwwww.

Consider yourself Christmas-ucated. Your Christmases can now start being as fabulous as mine. 

Hawaii Top 5 Lists

If you haven't seen it yet, check out a sweet video of my trip HERE.

Top 5 Things I Learned in Hawaii: 

1. If you order virgin drinks, servers will automatically assume you are under age and start bringing you kiddy cups.

2. You have to be 15 to sit in exit row seats on an airplane...Iand I apparently don't look old enough for that. (No, seriously, when the flight attendant asked me how old I was, I was shocked. And then when I said "24" with a slight tone of disdain, the guy next to me started busting up laughing.)

3. Touching sea turtles is a $5,000 fine.

4. If you think that because you'll be inside a tour bus most of the day you won't need sunscreen, you'll be wrong. (My skin started to bubble! BUBBLE!)

5. I'm more attracted to polynesian guys than I thought. (I'm talking to you, hot Samoan guys at the PCC... Call me.)

Top 5 New Experiences I had in Hawaii:

1. Fresh pineapple. (I have never liked pineapple. It's got a stringy texture that I just can't deal with. But in Hawaii, oh my, I swear I could have eaten a whole pineapple a day.)

2. Paddle boarding. And paddle boarding with more than one person. Both are fun. Both are recommended. Both people standing at the same time is not recommended.

3. Maui Tacos. A taco shop that makes food worth loving and life worth living. (I miss you, delicious chicken tacos.)

4. Snuba. No, I did not just spell SCUBA incorrectly. Snuba is a type of diving you can do that does not require certification. And, after you learn how to not keep floating to the surface and how to equalize your ears without getting water in your mask that causes you to have minor panic attacks, it's actually pretty freaking amazing. This is also highly recommended. (You get to swim with sea turtles!)

5. Pearl Harbor. If you haven't been there, I highly recommend it. I also recommend that you are well fed before you go there. (Otherwise the Navy will take all your newly purchased food and make you starve until the tour is over.)

Top 5 Things that Surprised Me: 

1. Pineapple that I liked.

2. The bluest, clearest water I have ever seen!

3. I found a place where I don't mind the rain.

4. You can swim way out into the ocean and not worry about the current carrying you away to your imminent death by drowning or shark attack.

5. Maui is really windy.

Top 5 Things On My Hawaii Bucket List: 

1. Ziplining

2. Hiking/exploring

3. Parasailing

4. Night show at the PCC

5. Spend a day in Waikiki

Top 5 Miscellaneous Things that are Cool:

1. Snorkeling in the middle of the ocean where it's really deep and you should be freaking out, but you don't because the water is so clear that you feel like you're in a giant swimming pool.

2. New bathing suit from Tommy Bahama that was practically designed with me in mind.

It's so nautical! <3 P.S. Sorry about the icky pic.

3. Maui sunsets. And blowing in conch shells when the sun hits the horizon.

4. Pineapple ice cream. And Dole Whips.

5. Being in ocean water that doesn't make you feel gross.

And one small dislike item:

1. Reading 300+ pages of your book and then accidentally leaving it on the plane and now you're stuck in limbo land wondering how it ends!