I ♥ Monday: December Edition

♥ The smell of pine trees

♥ No-guilt cookie eating (especially my mom’s chewy cinnamon sugar cookies)

♥ Decorating the tree with the ornaments The Playwright & I have collected over the years (my new favorite is a pink glass octopus) (but I also have a lot of glittery pink ornaments that make me really happy)

♥ Browsing Etsy for perfect presents

♥ Walking around Eastern Market, drinking hot cider, people and dog-watching

♥ Peppermint hot chocolate

♥ Wrapping presents while I listen to the RENT soundtrack

♥ Browsing magazines and Pinterest for decorating and dessert ideas

♥ Our annual Christmas party (this Saturday will be #9!)

♥ Starbucks’ cranberry bliss bars

♥ Wandering around bookstores, looking for the perfect book match for friends

♥ Listening to the GLEE Christmas albums while I write out Christmas cards (Lea Michele’s rendition of “River” is my new favorite)

♥ Napping with the cat by the lights of the Christmas tree

*****

I got my edit letter for book two today. It’s brain-breaking, but in an inspiring, exciting way. It’s going to require lots of work, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Still, it’s nice that I have all of the above things to do while my brain is twisting around all these new ideas. December can get so frantic, so busy, so must-do-ALL-the-things! With Feb 7 looming closer and reviews coming in, it would be really easy to get overwhelmed this year. I’m trying not to. I’m trying to find little pockets of peace and peppermint hot chocolate and “Silent Night.”

I hope you’re all enjoying your Decembers too.