image via
I’ve said it before, I really, really love lists. The “To Do” kind are the ones I use most often, but I don’t discount the Wish List. (Raise your hand if you have an interactive Wish List saved on your desktop). Not only do these bulleted babies keep me on track during the work-day (things I have to do), but they can serve as helpful tools in my personal life too (things I want to do).
I moved to New York City in 2008. Two years later, I had never been to Battery Park, the Empire State Building, or even laid eyes on Miss Liberty herself. Ridiculous. SO, I whipped up a “NYC To Do List” to avoid a lifetime of kicking myself for missing out on some classic New York experiences. Did I cross off everything on the list by the time I left? Obviously, no. But my list motivated me to actually do some stuff, like eat at Freeman’s, take a sunset cruise on the Hudson, and ride a bike around Central Park. NYC, I miss you.
With these memories in mind, I decided to make a Holiday To Do List full of things I’d like to do by year’s end. That gives me just about a month and a half to do ten things! Here it goes:
1. Purchase and decorate a Christmas tree. I wanted to do this on Saturday, but Drew said it was “too early”. The grinch.
image via
2. Master a pumpkin recipe. I normally avoid Paula’s recipes, but these Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes should just happen. That’s right. An entire box of powdered sugar.
3. Make a snow angel (pretend snow is fun while doing this)
4. Give myself a holiday mani. How pretty are these? Have a feeling I don’t have the patience, but I can try.
image via
5. Start a tradition. We have our own little family now, and in 5o years, it’d be fun to say “We started doing (insert amazingly creative tradition here) the very first year we were married.“
6. Start and FINISH a holiday craft. Maybe a wreath like this one from West Elm?
image via
7. Host a holiday party. And serve the cocktails that Erin Gates posted yesterday.
8. Send out Christmas cards.
9. Wrap gifts (and not beg my mom to do it on Christmas Eve).
10. Start a collection of… something. My mom has collected really pretty, handmade Santas for years. Hoping I see something I like this year, so that I can start a collection of my own.
I can’t WAIT to get started. Wish me luck!
the history of ever 
Finally i quit my day job, now i earn decent money online
you should try too, just search in google – blackhand roulette
system
Pingback: My New Thing: TeauxDeaux | the history of ever
Pingback: Scenes from a Birthday Weekend | the history of ever
Pingback: Holiday To Do List #2: Master a Pumpkin Recipe | the history of ever
Pingback: # 6: Start and finish a holiday craft | the history of ever
Brianna ~ LOVE your blog and you inspire me!!! I too live by lists and could not survive without them! Am thinkin I may just use many of your “Things to do before Christmas” as well:) Truly love everything you write and look forward to you sharing this with us!!!
love you, steph
Sweet Girl this was so much fun to read!!! Thank you for sharing your gift Brianna.
This is so delightful! You are your grandfather’s girl! He is the King of lists……On our first Christmas we had absolutely no money so the first decoration that I made was a newspaper wreath. It was gorgeous! Also ordered a box of small porcelain bells from my favorite cheap catalog ( Lillian Vernon) for our little tree. i think they cost $1.00! Amazingly, a few of them have survived and are hung on our tree every year. That was a very long time ago.
This Christmas will be Miracle Mile for you! I think Chicago is even prettier than NYC at Christmas….
I LOVE lists too!! This is so fun to read your very creative blog…thank you for sharing this with all of us. You are so very gifted at writing along with so many other things and look forward to reading often. Love you sweet girl!!
Silly girl, you started and finished many a holiday craft when your Aunt Cath and I were in charge-I will look for some pictures for proof for you- lol. LOVE your blog. You have a great gift for writing. I have started a few blogs these past few years but my stupid memory won’t tell me what sites I started them on. Jeesh! At any rate – I have an idea for a Christmas collection for you…Nutcrackers! I started giving Parker one each Christmas when he was about three. I admit, I have been giving him the cheap CHEAP knock offs but I told him he would get the real deal some day soon. It was going to be this year but, yeah, um no, it will have to wait until next year haha. Or you could collect Santa Fairies – Love Mark Roberts Fairies – but Tuesday Morning has some pretty cute ones this year too- So let us know what collection you decide on – we will get you started:-) Can’t wait to see you.
Haha! I guess I DID finish crafts, but I need a coach!! OMG Christmas Fairies–I just looked up the Mark Roberts ones, and they are beautiful but so. expensive. I’ll keep looking around/thinking; thanks for the awesome ideas! xoxo