close
CLOSE
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

Holiday/ Fashion/ Living / 17 Nov, 2017

7 Ways To Make The Most Of The Holiday Season.

0 comments

mia mia mine wearing aurate gold jewelry and a red velvet camimia mia mine wearing a red velvet cami and a gucci marmont bagfashion blogger mia mia mine wearing a red velvet cami and a gucci belt fashion blogger mia mia mine wearing a gucci double g buckle belt and aurate jewelry fashion blogger mia mia mine wearing a velvet cami and aurate delicate jewelry  mia mia mine wearing a cable knit cardigan fashion blogger mia mia mine wearing a red velvet cami and cable knit cardigan fashion blogger mia mia mine wearing a gucci marmont bag fashion blogger mia mia mine wearing a red velvet cami and a gucci marmont bag fashion blogger mia mia mine wearing a white cable knit sweater and aurate jewelry I can’t believe Thanksgiving is already next week! This time of year just flies by. Christmas is my favorite holiday, but every year I feel like I don’t take enough time to enjoy it. This year we got a bit of a head start on decorating – Phil hung our Christmas lights a couple of weeks ago before it got really cold and we just decided to turn them on this week. We’re currently in the middle of a mini home remodel so we can’t put our tree up yet and I’m dying to get it up. In the meantime, we’ve been doing little things to enjoy this time of year more. It’s such a great time to establish new traditions and rekindle old ones too.

How To Make The Most Of The Holidays

1. Get a head start on decorating – I used to insist on waiting until the month of December to start decorating, but then that always got pushed out later and later and it felt like Christmas was over way too soon. This year we decided to get a head start on decorating the exterior of our home mostly because it got cold so early this year, but we are both loving coming home to see our Christmas lights. There’s nothing like spreading holiday cheer – our neighbors quickly followed suit and put up their lights too.
2. Plan out your holiday shopping – I always start by making a list of everyone that I want to buy for early in the season. That way if something pops up when I’m browsing online that I think they’ll love, I can cross it off my list early.
3. Shop online & skip the headache – I rarely shop in store anymore and on Black Friday especially I don’t head out to many stores. Most Black Friday sales kick off earlier online so you can still score great discounts and avoid the crowds.
4. Change up your gift giving policy – Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but opening presents is becoming less and less appealing to me. Last year, my family went a little crazy and our entire living room was filled with presents – which took hours and hours to unwrap. We were all so tired by the end, it wasn’t fun at all. After that we all agreed that this year we’d do fewer presents in favor of charitable donations.
5. Give back – As I mentioned, this year giving back is a bigger focus for my entire family. We already got together one night last week and packed gifts for kids to send out. Phil and I always look forward to giving back in some way each holiday season. It breaks my heart to think about all of the children that don’t get anything for Christmas. Even the smallest gifts make a big difference. When we lived in LA, we lived near a K-Mart and got really into being “Layaway Angels” – it was so fun that it’s now become a tradition. There’s the “Drive-Thru Difference” too which is such an easy way to a stranger’s day.
6. Meal plan now – It’s no secret that this time of year centers around eating. From Thanksgiving on, there seems to be no shortage of food. Personally, I don’t love cooking, but I do like searching for recipes. I love planning out festive meals which always gets me in the holiday mode. Over the last few years of experimenting with new recipes at family get-togethers, I now have a few highly requested items. It’s fun to bring things I know everyone will enjoy.
7. Get outside – I love when the seasons change. That’s the one thing I missed most when we lived in LA. Even though it requires a few extra layers, Phil and I have loved going on walks in the mornings lately. There’s nothing that’ll wake you up more than a little cold air! You really appreciate the season change more when you can physically see it too.

xo, Maria

Outfit Details

Similar Cardigan (more affordable version here)
Free People Velvet Cami (wearing an XS)
AG Denim (wearing a size 24)
Christian Louboutin So Kate Heels
Gucci Belt (wearing a size 70)
AUrate Solid Circle Bracelet
AUrate Inverse Ring
AUrate Icon Ring
AUrate Mini Earcuff

Comments
Shop myinstagram