This is my last Happy Things Friday post for 2023!! It’s hard to believe that Christmas and all the related events and experiences are behind us for another year.
We had a long day yesterday – leaving home at 8 am to get my father-in-law to the airport followed by running errands from 10 am – 5 pm (including some thrifting), and capped off with an evening major junior hockey game. Our local team (the Halifax Mooseheads) lost after overtime and a shoot-out, but it was an exciting game and lots of fun. We arrived home around 11:30 pm with sleepy, discombobulated kids, a trunk full of artificial evergreen (after our real tree fell down, I was ready to go artificial next year; A is incenced and gave us the silent treatment for at least an hour after the purchase, but it was $30 for a VERY nice artificial tree and if we hate it, we can always go back to real another year).
I have felt completely and utterly off-kilter today. I was in PJs until 11:30 and had cookies for breakfast at noon. But laundry is up-to-date, most of our Christmas gear is packed up for the year (aside from the tree and faux evergreens), and it feels good to have a few more days to get “back to rights” before ringing in the New Year.
Speaking of which, I am so ready for 2024. I learned a lot in 2023; more than any other year in my life, I think. And I’m choosing to view many of the experiences from 2023 as positive growth. But I think I’m ready to stop growing for a while?!
This Christmas season has been a wonderful end to a tough year. As per usual, I have some mild Post Christmas Depression (or PCD, as Jenny and I like to call it), but mostly I’m simply very happy about how the last week of festive events has gone.
I’ve already written about our holiday adventures, but here are some highlights from Christmas 2023 that make my Happy Things list this week.
THE FOOD
Goodness, I love food at Christmas. Turkey. Seafood casserole. Peanut butter balls. Squash and baked potatoes and stuffing. Unbaked Cherry Cheesecake. Cinnamon coffee cake and scrambled eggs. Orange juice. Coffee (bonus points if I was sipping it in front of the tree). We also did a great job of using up leftovers quickly so our fridge never got out of control (something I very much appreciated). And the happiest of happy things? I STILL HAVE CHEESECAKE LEFT.
THE KIDS BEHAVIOUR
We did have a chat in the days leading up to Christmas about my expectations and I put forward some basic ground rules. But I am still shocked (SHOCKED) with how happy and content the kids have been over this Christmas break. There has been minimal fighting and plenty of genuine love and affection which has made a huge difference in how pleasant everything felt.
HALLMARK MOVIES
We watched fewer classics and more Hallmark movies this year; one a night for four nights over the main “Christmas” break, and they were relaxing and predictable and fun. The kids are SO INTO these movies. I think they find the formulaic plotlines comforting. My parents adore Hallmark movies, as does my FIL. So our couch was piled full of pillows and blankets and people and it was lovely.
GREAT GIFTS
We had lots of gifts this Christmas and I was so happy with what was given/received; for the most part, everything is back in its place and new things have new homes. I’ll post a recap this weekend!
THE MENU TIMING
Another food-related highlight was how well the specific timing of different traditional meals worked out on specific days. I wrote everything down ahead of time and followed the plan exactly, and it was wonderful. I AM KEEPING THIS PIECE OF PAPER UNTIL NEXT YEAR (and/or writing it down in my Christmas spreadsheet). I had John do some meals, had my parents contribute specific things and it all went so smoothly. Why mess with a good thing, I ask? So, barring any major life changes, we will do the exact same thing next year.
CHRISTMAS MAGAZINES
I loved having a pile of Christmas magazines at the ready for impromptu quiet moments on the couch. Flipping through a festive edition in front of the tree was just lovely.
BONUS ROUND
- Good weather. Relatively warm temperatures, clear roads. Such a blessing.
- Our tree. Despite the shaky start to things (our tree fell down – while fully decorated), it has been absolutely stunning and brings so much cheer into our living room.
- Healthy kids over Christmas.
- My parents + FIL being able to join us. How quickly I can take for granted the fact my parents live close by in the winter or that my FIL is in such good health and able to fly down to join us. Oh, and that we have such a good relationship with both sets of parents.
- Good thrift stores. We found two Croc-brand sets of Crocs yesterday for the kids ($2.50 each). A fantastic artificial tree ($30), a new garbage can (very much needed in our ensuite; $5), a Magic Bullet blender ($7), new joggers for L (he is low on pants; $4). And, in addition to great thrift stores, having kids and a husband who are so good at finding treasures.
I didn’t buy it, but this little sign I spotted yesterday made me smile…and nod in agreement.
Happy Friday! Now it’s your turn. What were your Christmas highlights this year? Favourite holiday food this year? Favourite gift? Are your decorations still up, or do you clear away holiday items on December 26th?
Lisa’s Yarns
Our decorations are still up. I am planning to take the tree down on Monday. There have been years I took it down on the 26th. I never leave it up until epiphany but my parents do! I love it but also want my living room back to normal.
We had a really nice Christmas too! We had fun at the Christmas Eve party. The boys got so much attention and so many gifts!!
Wow you had a LONG day yesterday!! What a great find on the artificial tree though! They can be very very expensive. I have had mine for 10+ years and probably should get a new one but they are so expensive and I keep putting it off!!
Elisabeth
I’m not sure when I’ll take the tree down. I can’t decide if I want to do it before the kids go back to school or after? Now that all the other things are down (which makes the tree seem MUCH less daunting), I’m leaning toward taking it down on Monday, too. So that we start back to school with a clean slate (and I’m not spending time they’re in school cleaning up Christmas things).
It was a LONG day, but I’m really happy with all the things we accomplished, it was really fun to take the kids to a quasi-pro hockey game, and today despite a slow start has been really great. I have decluttered A LOT of things and I just love that feeling.
Suzanne
Our decorations are still up but I am SO ANTSY to take them down! Sunday, I think, will be the day. We put everything up really late so my family feels like we haven’t had enough… but I am READY. Buh bye, Christmas decor. See ya next year!
You had QUITE A YEAR Elisabeth! I am so glad that Christmas provided you with so many happy moments. Despite the falling tree.
Elisabeth
I’m so relieved everything is down…but the tree. Having just one big thing to dismantle feels great. I think we’ll leave it up until the kids go back to school on Tuesday?
Daria
All of the decor is still up! Somehow, somewhere, T convinced me to wait until three kings and I said ok. He must have slipped something into my coffee, but I said okay. 🥴 what is happening to me?
Thank you for the lovely and uplifting post. Our kids, too, have been moderately well-behaved during this week. Between then going on play dates at neighbors houses, movies, crafts and time outside- it all worked out! What is New Years like for you guys?
Elisabeth
Ha – well, I think it’s festive 🙂
New Years is very low key and we never have a set plan. I keep saying I want to change that – I think it would be helpful mood-wise to have something specific to look forward to after Christmas – but I never get around to planning anything. We did a few things on NYE right after getting married but it has been YEARS since we stayed up to midnight.
Kyria @ Travel Spot
Well it sounds like you had a great holiday! I really do love those days where you can have everyone over, and everyone is just spending time together and not bickering and it is warm inside and there are treats! Our holiday weekend was perfect for me. On Saturday I met up with my HS friends for breakfast, then we actually did our Christmas dinner on Saturday night with my Mom’s side of the family. Then my parents and I went home and spent Sunday and Monday taking hikes, eating, playing games and drinking cocoa with peppermint schnapps (my Dad’s idea and a treat I have not had in like 20 years!) It was a perfect mix of relaxing, family, games, activity and love! We always have my Dad’s side party on Epiphany weekend so it really extends the holiday but gives everyone a chance to regroup a bit before having another party. I am looking forward to that in a week!
Elisabeth
This all just sounds…wonderful. All of it. The special cocoa, the hikes, eating, games, and extended holiday celebrations. Three cheers for spreading out the joy.
Jenny
My PCD has also been mild (so far.) I think it’s because I’m enjoying having my son home so much (and this week is so peaceful, ahem, with my daughter on her trip!) It will be hard for me when my son goes back to school, but we have a couple weeks left.
I’m so glad your Christmas went well and the kids got along! And, whoa… an artificial tree. I’ve been thinking of that as well- I know the family will complain though. We’ll see… you’ll have to let us know how you like it.
My tree is down (well, it practically fell apart so that was an easy decision) but the rest of the decorations are up, and I’m enjoying them. They’ll probably come down gradually over the next week or so. My deadline will probably be when my daughter goes back to school, which is the 9th. Sigh. It’s sad, but it’s nice to look back on it, knowing that it was such a wonderful holiday!
Elisabeth
Ha – it’s okay. I GET IT. Life is calmer without a teen in the house. I hope she is LOVING Rome.
That seems like a really long winter break for your son? That’s amazing and I hope you really enjoy all these memories. I also think my PCD has been more mild than normal?
Our tree is the only thing up right now (well, and a few wreaths), but all the little things are packed away and that feels amazing.
I’ll let you know about the artificial tree. A is still quite grumpy about it, but I suspect she’ll forget about it soon and be more than happy to put it up next Christmas. Then again, she’ll be 13 then, so maybe not.
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
The holidays are so much easier when you have the food planned out. At this point we practically have our Easter and Thanksgiving routines memorized. Just because it’s in writing doesn’t mean that you can’t tweak or change things up if you get a better idea. This was the first year that we did a special Christmas brunch with just the four of us and it will not be the last.
Elisabeth
Brunch is the best of all the food worlds.
Christmas is our only BIG holiday feast. I call in Thanksgiving and buy rotisserie chickens and literally make our meal in 30 minutes. And Easter involves zero food traditions. Though I’d like to change that…
NGS
We leave up our decorations at least through the New Year and we’ll probably leave it up for another week or two after that, as well. I need the light from the tree to keep me motivated during the darkest part of the year! We put our decorations up a little bit later than many people, so I am not sick of it yet.
My FIL’s wife made this dish at Christmas that was some sort of cheesy hashbrown situation and she called it “party potatoes” and I laughed and laughed and had like three servings of it. It was so good. I’d never had it before and suspect that it will not make an appearance again, but I did enjoy that a tremendous amount.
Elisabeth
I *think* the tree will come down tomorrow. It’s sad, but I don’t want to do it alone and it feels weird to have it up after the kids go back to school? But the swag and the wreaths will stay up for weeks still, I think?
Party potatoes sounds amazing!
Anne
What a lovely time you had over Christmas, although I would have been a mere shadow of myself with your very long day with airport and shopping and hockey and… wow. That’s a LOT – but good things, it seems. I love your love of your Christmas foods, and I am so glad that everything went smoothly this year. Here’s hoping that everyone stayed well into the new year and that the kids are now back in school. The settling in that happens in the first week of the year is always a nice reminder of why ‘regular life’ isn’t that bad, itself. 🙂
Elisabeth
The kids are back and school AND IT FEELS WONDERFUL!
San
Our decorations are still up (and it’s January!). I definitely extend the holiday season as much as possible. Although we only put up our tree this year (and nothing else) because we were gone over Christmas break. I also always have a bit of PCD and try to ease back into “normal” life.
Elisabeth
I tend to decorate relatively early and I think with the kids getting back to school fairly early this year I was just ready for a reset.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
I did put my xmas things away exactly 4 weeks after you published this post HA.
So no, I do not do that right after the Christmas holidays.
It sounds like your holidays have been fun and filled with wonderful people.