Now that we’ve made it through Black Friday, I’m ready to jump into my favorite time of the year. I am NOT a fan of Black Friday and all the hype leading up to it, but I absolutely love the four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I know that it stresses some people out, but I see it a fun and enjoyable time.

For starters, I thoroughly enjoy listening to Christmas music. As soon as I finish Thanksgiving dinner, I’m ready to start playing my Christmas playlists, CDs, , Pandora, and Sirius-XM holiday stations. I wish I could list all of my favorite tunes here, but there are just too many. I don’t know what it is, but Christmas songs are timeless classics for me.

Second, I really enjoy building up the anticipation of Christmas with the family. This time of year can be such a fun time for the kids, and I try to make sure they see it this way. I want them to enjoy so they will be able to impart the same feelings sense of excitement to their families when they get older.

Perhaps, most of all, I enjoy the get togethers and parties that mark this time of the year. It’s so much fun to get together, spend time with friends and family, and enjoy good food and drink. Even though I see my friends throughout the year, spending time with them over the holidays is even more special to me.

Finally, this time of year is a good time to reflect on the past year and get ready to start fresh in a new year. I like to live by the motto of learning from the past, living for today, and dreaming about tomorrow. In other words, I don’t dwell on the past, but I like to take what I can from the past year and apply to the next year to improve upon whatever areas need work. I’m not sure yet what I’m going to choose to focus on next year, but I’m pretty pleased about how this past year turned out. Hopefully, I’ll feel the same way next year at this time!