Christmas Favorites.

One of my co-workers exposed me to a new blog, Iowa Girl Eats, and I kind of love it. She does this thing she calls "Friday Favorites" where she shows a lot of her favorites that she saw or thought of that week.... and, it's kind of great. So I thought I'd be a thief, steal her idea, and make it my own and have a Christmas themed Friday Favorites... because Christmas is almost here... Can you believe it? Christmas Favorites, here is the list:

Favorite Christmas Sight: The Plaza lights... Pictured above. I just love 'em.

Favorite Christmas Tree Ornament: I'm not very girly, so this is pretty atypical of me... But my favorite ornament is a sparkly, pink cupcake that my cousin Robyn gave me for graduation a couple of years ago. I don't know what it is... but I just love it.

Favorite Christmas Decoration: White lights. I especially love our white lights in mason jars that we have on our mantle this year.

Favorite Christmas Drink: Eggnog. Fo sho. I love eggnog. It's especially special that I only drink it one time of the year. Man, I want some eggnog right now.

Favorite Christmas Recipe That I WANT To Try: So, this recipe isn't actually Christmas-y at all. But I've been dying to make it since I saw it: Bite-Sized Baked Brie by Joy the Baker. I'm kind of afraid it may be a bit too... hoity toity for the men in my family, but I'm going to find an occasion to try it out over the holidays anyway... Just you wait. (A little more Christmas-y, I also want to try these Gingerbread Cheesecake Bites, but my fam doesn't like gingerbread either... Picky, picky.)

Favorite Christmas Memory: Every year my brothers would sneak down to look at the stockings on Christmas Eve rather than wait until Christmas morning and my dad would set booby traps for them to try to slow them down. This tradition passed down to my little brother Cory, and one year my dad literally tied Cory's door and my brother Kyle's door together so neither could open them. I remember standing between the two doors while 1. Cory was crying because he couldn't get out (he was pretty little...), 2. Kyle squeezed his arm through the crack of the door and used a knife to cut the rope. (Basically, I'm a horrible sister for just standing there watching them try to get out.) What a night... What a tradition...

Favorite Christmas Movie: This is SUCH a tough call. It's a tie between Home Alone and Elf. Am I allowed to have a tie? Actually... I'm the one making this list, so I decide, and yes, ties are allowed. Home Alone and Elf it is!

Favorite Christmas Card: I know, I'm biased, but the Christmas card that my brother Cory designed for our family this year is just plain amazing... Amazing, I tell you!

Favorite Holiday Baked Good: I actually bake/eat these sugar cookies all year round, but they are especially special during Christmas.

Favorite Christmas Tradition: Going to the Plaza for dinner as a whole family - Joel's treat.

Favorite Traditional Christmas Song: Carol of the Bells. I'm not really sure what version I prefer, a really traditional sounding version? I'll go ahead and say the Carpenters version (even though that's not true) because their Christmas album is dear and near to my heart. (PS The Carpenters Christmas album is definitely my Favorite Christmas Album.)

Favorite Non-Traditional Christmas Song: Sister Winter by Sufjan Stevens.