Hey everyone! It’s finally Friday! And that means it’s time for the Friday Five Linkup with Mar, Courtney, and Cynthia! This week’s theme is Friday Favorites, and since it’s finally December I’ve got a lot of favorites right now!
1. Christmas decorations! Our tree is up and we’ve got the “Christmas Miracle” up too! What is the Christmas Miracle you ask? Well, it’s a lovely story. Once upon a time back in college, my roommate and I bought a light up Christmas garland for our apartment. It stopped working, and we were really sad. And then one day, it randomly started working again after being broken for a while! We dubbed it the “Christmas Miracle” and now all garlands after that one have had the same name.
Garlands everywhere! And yes, I took this laying down on my couch. It’s been a long day.
2. Christmas music! I cheated and started a few days before Thanksgiving. I can’t help it! I play it at the office, at home while I’m cooking, and especially in my car while driving around. My absolute favorite is Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”. It’s especially magical with snow falling!
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
3. And on that note, IT FINALLY SNOWED! Yeah, we only got like an inch. But it’s a start! It finally looks like stereotypical Alaska now! Every day there are little periods of super light beautiful snowfall. It doesn’t stick to anything but it’s beautiful!
Mostly excited I got home from work without driving off the road. It’s slippery out there!
4. Cookies. All the cookies. Mostly chocolaty and pepperminty ones. I literally can’t stand peppermint until the holidays roll around and then I put it in all the desserts and coffee that I can eat! I was holding off on baking any since I’m still not over pumpkin (pleeeeeease don’t let pumpkin season end!) but the education department of my company has decided to throw a little holiday party next week and we’re all baking cookies for a cookie swap. The twist is that 3 of us work in Anchorage, one works in Juneau, and one works in Kenai! So we have to mail our cookies out this weekend to make sure they get to the other offices in time. The cookie swap theme is chocolate, so I’d love to hear all your amazing chocolate cookie recipes!
5. Holiday themed races! I always make sure to run some kind of race in December because it’s always a lot of fun. Ever since I started running I’ve signed up for the Kris Kringle 5 Miler in Reading, PA which came with the best race swag – hoodies! I obviously won’t be there this year, which I’m actually not too upset about because every year there seems to be some sort of weather disaster that I have to deal with at that race. Last year I also ran the Ugly Sweater Run in Philly with Andrew and it was so much fun running around in the fake snow wearing silly costumes with him. And I am super happy to report that Andrew has agreed to sign up to run the one and only Christmas race here in Anchorage with me! We will be running the Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis on December 13th and I’m excited to be running in real snow this time!
Last year I made these costumes, but this year we’re going to rock some ugly sweaters!
Those are my favorite things about December! What are you favorites?
Mom in the Mtns 
I love your costumes from last year. I’ve gotten into the peppermint treats already but won’t forget about dear pumpkin. I’ll prob make one last batch of pumpkin cookies, until January rolls around.. since pumpkin is year round for me hehe.
I think it will be for me too! I just love it so much ❤
Love all of this! I think we need a little snow around here to make it really feel like the holiday season…although Im not ready for any snowstorms, just a light dusting would be nice:) Love your decorations! Im thinking about baking some cookies tonight:)
I hope you get snow and lots of cookies soon!
We pulled out the Christmas music while decorating the day after Thanksgiving. Love your garland (have some myself) – lights make such a difference!
They do! I love turning them all on as soon as I get home from work – it puts me in such a Christmasy mood!
I wish some of my decorations had turned into miracles. Instead they ended up in the trash. LOL. I obsessively listen to Christmas music even before Thanksgiving!
Haha that has happened to me many times too, that’s why it was such a miracle! Sadly the original miracle is in the trash somewhere. I guess these things aren’t meant to last forever 😦
I love December for so many of the reasons that you mentioned. If I could, I would play Christmas music year round!
Me too! It’s all I listen to all December long and I’m always sad when it’s over!
I tend to agree… Peppermint only belongs in December. It just doesn’t taste right any other time! I’ve started eating all the peppermint things this week! Cute Christmas costumes!
I’m in the middle of baking some chocolate peppermint cookies right now…and I had a Peppermint Mocha earlier today. Love it!
Cute race costumes! I can’t wait to see your ugly sweater ones this year! You be safe up there on those slippery roads!
I found some awesome ones at Walmart! So excited for the race now!
I don’t have a recipe to share but I love that your company is hosting a cookie exchange! It’s so festive. Every year my girlfriends and I get together for a Bakefest and it’s my absolute favorite time of the year!
Those are always so much fun! I love Christmas baking, it’s the best!
Hahaha, the Miracle of Christmas! That’s awesome!
I Haven’t heard much Christmas music yet 😦 I will when I get home though….7 days!
Yay! I’m sure there has to be at least one all-Christmas radio station in DC right now. You totally need to listen to that as you do homework! And yay for almost being back home!
I love those costumes from your holiday race last year! That cookie exchange sounds so cool.
Thanks! They were really fun to make. I can’t sew but I can definitely use a hot glue gun!
I love baking ginger snaps and I take them to work. I know people are trying to get away from it all but it’s the perfect thing for me to bring to the office.
Ooooh that sounds awesome! I’ve never made those but now I really want to!
so many great favorites! I didn’t sign up for one but am thinking about a Jingle run on Sunday last minute 🙂
I hope you did! This one was a last minute decision for us too but we couldn’t resist anything so Christmasy. It’s so much fun to dress up for a race like this!
Yay Christmas! And yay snow (though my wife would disagree on that)
Haha I’m excited that it’s covering the roads – it makes it easier to drive because it covers up the ice. We probably don’t even have an inch of snow but it’s a start!
Oh my gosh I love this post so much Kristen! You literally described everything I love about christmas. Peppermint, christmas lights, homemade cookies, christmas music…..this is perfect! P.S. rock your ugly sweaters girl, they look so great in photos! X
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Haha yay! So happy to have found someone who loves Christmas as much as I do!
Pretty snow! Yes, that does look like what I have in my head when I think of Alaska. 🙂
Yay! I’m glad it’s finally starting to look like Alaska up here!