I’m so giddy that it’s Christmas week, so bear with me as I ramble a little bit today!  The list of informational posts I plan to write about is stacking up higher than ever, but my excitement for the break is kind of overwhelming my thoughts of nutrition, so … here are 7 Things I’m Excited to do this Holiday Break!  If you want more practical tips, you can always head back to my post on 7 Tips to Enjoy a Holiday Healthily and Happily!  And if you just want to see some Christmas baby pictures, scroll to the end!

1. Run.  I’m sure you’re shocked (sarcasm!), but I’m really excited to get in some relaxed runs to look at the holiday decorations – they’re so fun to look at.  At the end of each year, I also tally up all my running mileage for the year, and it’s looking like this one might be my highest yet!  I have my own “year-end tradition” of figuring out two cities with the exact distance span of my yearly mileage, so stay tuned for “where I ran” this year (yes, I’m a nerd).  I got in a nice-and-relaxed 18-miler yesterday (in the pouring rain)… As I wrote on Instagram, I’m really liking these Feetures! socks (which I got free as part of my participation in the ZOOMA Ambassadors program).  I usually don’t get into expensive running gear, but these socks are really great for preventing blisters – I didn’t feel a thing even after 18 miles with soaked shoes.  Another piece of gear that I’m loving is my brand new Garmin!  After a long debate and some help from Michael’s review, I ended up purchasing the Garmin Forerunner 110W.  This was my first run with it, and I haven’t yet fully explored it, but I’ll post a more detailed review if you’re interested!
2. Spend time with family. I am so excited to get to spend time with my little sister, who lives in North Carolina.  She’s an amazing person, and I can’t wait to catch up on her life!  Even though I live in the same city as my parents, I don’t get to see them as often as I’d like, so I’m really excited to enjoy their company as well.  And even though I live in the same house as Kevin (well, at least 3 days of the week!), I don’t get to spend as much time with him as I’d like either, so I’m excited for quality time with all of them. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful and supportive family, and it’s so easy to take that for granted, but I hope to spend some time really appreciating them this Christmas – and I hope you do the same! (picture source and picture source)
3. Sleep.  Every time I post about the things I enjoyed on a weekend or a holiday (like I did on Thanksgiving), it involves sleep.  What can I say, I love sleep!  I have been particularly stressed the past few weeks (I’ll tell you why in a few weeks!), and haven’t been sleeping well, but I kicked off the weekend with two long nights of sleep Friday and Saturday, and I’m looking forward to several more!
4. Cook. I give you a recipe (almost) every Friday for Foodie Friday, but most of the time I’m scrambling around on Sunday evening to make the recipe, while simultaneously trying to pack my suitcase, clean the house, and finish up everything I wish I had gotten done on the weekend!  For this break, I have several things picked out to make (including these pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies from Barr and Table, this delicious looking celery root and cauliflower puree with garlickly greens from Gourmande in the Kitchen, and a million other ideas floating between my brain and my Pinterest boards). (sources are the recipes linked above)
5. Organize blog-related “stuff.” In every day life, I’m a serious planner.  As in, I have hourly schedules for every single day, including weekends, and get stressed out when things don’t go according to plan.  But I started the blog during a busy time in my life, and I’ve been kind of flying by the seat of my pants for the past 7 months.  It kind of amazes me that I haven’t gotten myself organized enough to have a complete blog calendar, and I think it would make me feel much more relaxed and on top of my game if I did so.  (And maybe you’d get some more informational posts, too!).  I also desperately need to organize my Pinterest boards, do some company outreach to get you some fun giveaways, plan a few challenges I have in mind, make several site improvements that will make it easier/ prettier for you to navigate, and so much more!
6. Read.  I love reading, but it’s one of those things that just slips through the cracks so often.  I have several books that I can’t wait to read, including The In-Between (recommended by the wonderful Cori!), Nourishing Wisdom, and Wheat Belly (which, yes, I told you in May that I was going to read and do a review … oops!)
7. Breathe.  The holidays are a perfect time to pull yourself out of the crazy “go-go-go” cycle that we all find ourselves in regularly.  Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, and whether or not you get any time off of work this week, I hope you’ll find a moment to stop and breathe.  (picture source and picture source)

Spill it Sundays

OK … I promised you Christmas baby pictures, and I will deliver!  I asked my mom to send me a picture or two last night, and I can’t tell you how hard my parents, Kevin, and I were laughing over the phone.  I sure did like to eat, even then!  

I think the baby pictures are hilarious (and bring back so many memories!), but I’m also supposed to share one of my favorite Christmas traditions with you. I have three – one is sitting around a fire on Christmas Eve, spending quality time with my family and anticipating the morning!  (I have no idea why I am wearing a clown nose!)

The second is opening stockings in the morning – we always felt so sneaky opening our smaller gifts from Santa before our parents woke up!  When we spent Christmas with my mom’s side of the family, all 6 cousins would sleep in one room, and we had so much fun.  The last is the ritual of passing out gifts and opening in order, which we only did when we spent Christmas with my dad’s side of the family.  I love giving gifts even more than I love receiving gifts, and I really like to see everyone’s expression of happiness when they open the gifts, and the dialogue between the giver and the receiver.  So I like when we would go around in a circle and open gifts one-by-one … it felt so much more special than just a mad dash to tear into everything all at once! So tell me in the comments … what is your favorite holiday tradition (Christmas or otherwise)?  If you get a break from work, what is one thing you’re looking forward to?