1. Red cups at Starbucks. I know, I know… I am sucked right into the most obvious commercial ploy known to man. But.
2. Starting early.
3. The Christmas Train in Stanley Park.
4. The smell of the cinnamon/nutmeg/clove mixture we keep simmering on the stove all day long from November onward.
5. White lights everywhere.
6. The quiet of a perfect, icy night.
7. A Child’s Christmas in Wales — we listen every Christmas eve.
8. My Christmas category.
9. Dreaming of snow (not Vancouver 7-Up Slurpee snow, but TRUE SNOW.)
10. Making fun of my grandfather at Christmas dinner, just before he steals half the turkey from my plate in retribution.
11. My mom’s 14,000 Christmas trees around her house.
12. A veritable infestation of mandarin oranges.
13. Little girls in their Christmas dresses, all velvet and new patent shoes. I remember having a new one every year.
14. Busting out the sparkly rings at parties. (No, I don’t own it. YES, I wish.)
15. “Sharpening” the ends of candy canes and threatening people with my “holiday shiv”.
16. The boxes of chocolates that need “guides” (I like caramels, orange cremes, and cherries.)
17. My mom’s holiday (I think she actually wears it year round now) lotion that makes her smell like a cookie.
18. Our $3 Santa hats.
19. Pretending that it’s environmentalism that prevents me from wrapping gifts when really I JUST SUCK AT IT. Well, I don’t suck at it. I just don’t LOVE it. And try putting your gifts next to ones my mom has wrapped. Shame.
20. Someone to truly appreciate the mistletoe with this year.

Love to all!