2017 Holiday Bucket List

For those who know me well (which, I'm assuming, is pretty much anyone who takes the time to read my blog posts--thanks again!), you know that I love to make lists. Grocery lists. To-do lists. Packing lists. Travel itineraries. Wish lists. And, yes, bucket lists. But life is busy these days, and I've fallen down on the job when it comes to checking off items on my New York bucket list.

Recently I came across an article on one of my favorite lifestyle sites, The Everygirl. (If you've never checked it out, I highly recommend it.) And I was inspired, because not only was the list already made for me, but I've already accomplished a few things this season. So I'm excited to share with you all my modified version of The Everygirl's 2017 Holiday Bucket List. Hopefully I will have inspired you to take on a few of these classic holiday activities as well.

1. Make a family recipe and give half to a friend or neighbor who might need a pick me up.

2. Run and/or walk in a 5K Turkey Trot or other seasonal run. Complete! Just as we have done for the past several years, I completed the Myrtle Beach Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning with my family!

3. Make homemade hot chocolate.

4. Drive around and look at lights. Or, you know, walk, since I can't exactly drive around New York City.

5. Give back to your local community.

6. Attend a holiday play, symphony, or ballet. As of next Saturday, I will have checked this off three times. Last week I attended a performance of New York City Ballet's The Nutcracker and it was, in a word, magical. This coming Sunday I'll be in the audience of The Yorkville Nutcracker watching students and coworkers from the dance studio perform the classic Christmas ballet. And when Mom comes to visit over my birthday weekend, we're seeing Anastasia on Broadway. Don't think this is considered a holiday classic? Think again. It features a little song called "Once Upon a December."

IMG_0483

IMG_0484

7. Put a tree in your bedroom. No tree for me (cough, cough, Rory), but I am planning on decking my front door with a festive wreath.

8. Purchase a sentimental ornament.

9. Go ice skating or sledding. Last winter I went skating with my sister in Bryant Park. This year I'm hoping to skate in Rock Center and/or Central Park.

10. Watch a classic Christmas movie. Complete! You may not consider The Nutcracker (1993 starring Macaulay Culkin) a class Christmas movie, but I certainly do. And I've watched it on a loop ever since I saw the live performance at Lincoln Center.

11. Send holiday cards (or at least, send a couple).

12. Go holiday shopping...in a REAL store.