Christmas/Birthday Time!

Holidays

Hello everyone, thank you for your continued support and for staying tuned in! December is a very special month for me not only because of Christmas, but also because of my birthday.

That being said, I decided to switch things up in lieu of the holidays from my travel posts to give you a little insight into how I celebrated the holidays now vs. then. What I eat during the holidays, to some of the decorations we’ve put up, and what I’d like in my stocking stuffer. I’ll also mention cool ideas of how to spend your holiday, and some of my birthday looks over the years.

Disclosure: This blog post has affiliate links which means if you click and make a purchase I may earn a small commission at NO additional cost to you. These are my own personal suggestions based on products I love and use. The full disclosure can be found here.

Christmas as an adult vs. Christmas as a child

To be truthful, I have to say that there hasn’t been much of a change in how I spend Christmas now vs. then. I will say that a major difference is no longer waking up to multiple gifts under the tree, and staying up all night to open presents once the day actually arrived.

A tradition that has stood the test of time is definitely Christmas dinner, and putting up the Christmas tree. I really appreciate and love time spent with family.

Noms during the holidays|Decorations

Food is a big production in my family and the holidays are no exception to the rule. Typically during Christmas, we try to switch up the menu and have things that we didn’t already eat at Thanksgiving. 

For instance, if we had a whole roasted chicken for Thanksgiving, we’ll have Cornish hens for Christmas. If there were macaroni and cheese for Thanksgiving, Christmas we’ll have lasagna etc. We don’t always abide by these rules, and there are some items that are staples that we MUST have. Oxtail is one of them as well as Escovitch fish.

In regards to decorations during the holidays occasionally we’ll put up Christmas lights, but an absolute must would be the Christmas tree. The type of Christmas tree we’ve had over the years has changed. Sometimes we’ll use a faux one even having an all-white Christmas tree to switch things up. The favorite amongst everyone though, would be a real Christmas tree; It just smells and looks better.

Stocking Stuffers

I’m pretty simple with gifts I like to receive and give during Christmas and my birthday. I consider myself a practical person, so I like gifts that I can use in some way. In this day and age digital photos are all the rage, but I still like the look and feel of actual pictures. My friends know I’m big on taking pictures not because I’m vain, but because I like to have memories. I’ve been a picture junkie since forever, and like to keep photo albums. Some of the old school photos of myself and my friends would make us cringe at the fashions (or lack thereof lol), but it brings us back to a much simpler time in life. If you’re wondering what to buy someone who also likes to print their pictures, here’s an idea and here’s one more.

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What to do during the holidays

I switch my location a lot, but I primarily try to spend the holidays in NYC. NYC has a plethora of options when it comes down to things to do. You’d be living under a rock if you didn’t know about Rockefeller Center and the Christmas tree. I’ve gone to the see the tree many times as a child, and since I used to work in the city, I would pass the tree all the time.

A great thing to do besides visit the tree, is go ice skating in Bryant Park. More info here. My friends and I went together and we had a lot of fun.  After skating, I just have to have a waffle from the Wafels and Dinges truck/kiosk. You do not want to miss trying one of these scrumptious morsels! My personal favorite is the regular waffle with the rich and decadent Spekuloos and powdered sugar topping.

If skating isn’t your thing and you’re into history, NYC brings out the old school trains they used back in the day. It’s called the Holiday Nostalgia ride where vintage train cars are temporarily back in service. It’s the same cost to ride a regular train, but you do have to catch it at a specific time. All the deets here.

Birthday Looks|Fun!

My birthday falls right in the middle of the holiday season immediately after Christmas, with the official start of Kwanzaa first, and then New Year’s Eve and Day following right after. Did you figure out what day it is? ☺ let me know in the comments. 

I tend to make my birthday celebration a big deal, I mean why not? It’s a day where you can splurge and pamper yourself (although you can honestly do this whenever).

That being said, some of the things I like and have done in the past was to see a Broadway show, take a helicopter plane ride, have dinner with friends and family, or even something low-key like hit up a spa. The possibilities and ideas are endless, and I’m always looking to do things that I’ve never done before. Check out some of my birthday looks below, comment, and let me know which one was your favorite.

Ready to come to NYC? Click below!

Final Thoughts

Thank you guys so much for reading. Please comment below, and subscribe here. I’m on most social media, so let’s be friends! Click the icons located on the right side (desktop), and the bottom of the blog post (mobile) to find me. Please share, and click the icons located at the beginning of the blog post. Email me here if you’d like to collaborate: Lenore@thenittygrittytravelot.com.

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Disclosure: This blog post has affiliate links which means if you click and make a purchase I may earn a small commission at NO additional cost to you. These are my own personal suggestions based on products I love and use. The full disclosure can be found here.

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