Deck the Halls

I haven't exactly decked the halls, but I have decked out the home in Christmas attire and if I do say so myself, it's lovely. There are few things that make me happier than Christmas preparations. For the past couple of weeks, I have been baking up a storm. Between 5 different kinds of goodies, I probably have close to 500 in total. Between my mom's baking and mine, the house has not only looked fabulous, it has also smelled divine!

Last weekend marked first advent, and as such, the trees go up and the decorations come out! There is something so happy about unwrapping ornaments that have been tucked away for the past 11 months (actually 23 months for me this year) and reminiscing. My favorite moment of the day has been the mornings when I enjoy my perfect cup of coffee in the living room around the glow of the Christmas Tree lights. Perfection!

The upstairs tree

The downstairs tree

This year for advent I am spending time contemplating gratitude and figuring out what that has looked like in my life and how I want that to look in my life in the years to come. More to come on that another day though :) How are you choosing to focus your thoughts this advent?