The holidays are here, can you believe it? I feel that this year completely flew by and suddenly the holiday season is around the corner! I am really excited that this month my husband and I are finally going on our honeymoon which was delayed for a year because of the pandemic.
While honeymooning in South Africa for two weeks in November is going to be fantastic, it also means that I’ll be out of the country during holiday preparation time, so I am making my holiday to-do list right now! Here’s everything I want to get done during the holidays this year:
Holiday Gift Shopping
I am a sucker for a good gift, and that’s no surprise because gift giving is one of my love languages! I pride myself in giving thoughtful gifts that I hope the receiver will truly love. For me, it’s not just the shopping that takes time, but the thought that goes into the gift before I even roll into a store. I’ve already started thinking about gifts that would be perfect for my family and my friends!
Holiday Movie Marathon
I love holiday movies, both the classics and the cheesy ones! I am so excited to jump into the holiday season by watching Nightmare Before Christmas, The Santa Clause, Miracle on 34th Street, Frozen, and A Rugrats Chanukah.
I like to start the marathon on Thanksgiving and watch at least one holiday movie every night until Christmas Eve. My favorite part is hosting a sleepover with my close friends who live in different states. For a weekend, we all get together and watch holiday movies while munching on cookies and sipping cocoa all night.
Cookie Baking (and eating!)
My husband and I really enjoy making cookies with his grandma. Admittedly, she has all the talent and we simply work as her assistants in the kitchen. We make fingerprint jelly cookies, peanut butter kiss cookies, sugar cookie cut-outs, and so many more. They all come out delicious and we love spending the day with his grandma. We’re looking forward to doing it again this year!
Family Time
Baking cookies with Ryan’s grandma is just one way we spend time with our family during the holidays. We host Christmas Eve at our house where my siblings, our niece and nephew, my mom, and my aunt join us for dinner, gift exchanging, and games. The next morning, Ryan and I head over to his parents where we have breakfast with his siblings, our other nieces and nephew, and his parents. It’s not just these days though. Leading up to Christmas, we make lots of time for family. From shopping with my sister and mom to watching movies with Ryan’s mom, we make time for all of it. Any time we can make an activity a family affair, we’re all in.
Creating New Year’s Resolutions
I am a Type A person to the core. I am goal-oriented and motivated by challenges. This means that setting New Year’s resolutions is something that I look forward to every year! I love setting goals for the year, and often have at least 12 resolutions. These resolutions are truly yearly goals for me to meet or exceed. I create goals in different categories, such as career goals, finance goals, travel goals, learning goals, and general life goals. For example, in 2021, some of my goals included reading at least 12 books, reconnecting with at least three old friends, and raising $75,000 for Disability EmpowHer Network. These goals motivated me and also kept me grounded. I am excited to set new resolutions for 2022!
About Stephanie Woodward: Stephanie is a brand ambassador advisor for Quantum Rehab® and works as a disability rights activist. She has received many awards for helping communities become more accessible, as well as for her actions in fighting for the rights of disabled individuals as it relates to Medicaid and other support services. Click here to learn more about Stephanie.