It's the most wonderful time of the year!


I cannot believe how fast this year is going by!  It's already the middle of November and while I'm still trying to adjust to the fact that 2011 is almost over, I am completely in love with this time of year.  Autumn has always been my favorite season but I have realized over the past few weeks that this time right now is truly my favorite, the transition from fall to winter.  There are still some leaves stuck to the trees, just kind of clinging on displaying their beautiful fall colors while the bare branches let us know winter is right around the corner.  It's that time of year when we still get a few warm days in between the super cold ones so we can still enjoy the fall foliage as it falls to the ground and frosts over.

I also love the anticipation of the holidays.  This is sort of the calm before the storm as Thanksgiving is next week and then the preparation for Christmas begins!  Yes, the stores get a bit nutty and traffic takes on a whole new meaning with the snowy weather and the crazy shoppers but I still love it.  All I want to do is snuggle in cozy blankets, drink hot cocoa out of giant mugs (the kind that you have to hold onto with 2 hands), bake delicious things that make my home smell amazing and my tummy happy, listen to holiday music & decorate my place from top to bottom! I will be resisting the urge to decorate and listen to holiday music until the day after Thanksgiving (that's some sort of rule right?) but I will be doing all of those other things as much as possible over the next month and a half!  It might sound strange but I am even excited about bundling up in billion layers and playing in the snow.  I haven't played in the snow since I was a kid but this year it is happening!  I want to make a funny looking snowman, have a snowball fight and go sledding! 

I have spent more time than I want to admit on the computer looking up a bunch of fall to winter wonderfulness...here are some of my favorite finds!


via Pinterest

I can't decide if I want to make the snowman pictured above or below...maybe I will just make both!  Topher, get ready - we are gonna make so many snowmen this winter!! :)

via Pinterest


via Pinterest
via Pinterest
Yup!  I am totally making both of these delicious items!  I just want to fill my very fancy crock pot (which has never been used and I've had it for 2 years...sad, I know!) with a vegetable stew and let it cook all day and then make these little apple pie roll ups for dessert...this is happening and I am pretty excited about it!!

via Pinterest
This Christmas Tree is absolutely beautiful!  I always put up my little Charlie Brown tree that's all of 4 feet tall and looks like it is going to fall over when I put all of the decorations on it but I love it just the same.  I'm debating getting a larger tree this year but we shall see...

via Pinterest
One of my favorite things to do around the holidays is drive around and look at the Christmas Lights!  People put so much work into decorating their homes. I truly enjoy just driving around and admiring all of their hard work and the simple beauty of the lights on string that decorate the homes and trees in the area...the best is when they are lightly covered in snow but still shining through.

I'm so excited I can barely contain myself!!  Writing this post and looking at all of these pictures makes me want to skip around outside singing Christmas songs like Buddy the Elf  BUT I will hold myself back (at least until after Thanksgiving!) What are some of your favorite things to do during this time of the year?  Is anyone as excited about these things as I am?  

Lots of Love, 
Meg :)

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