This holiday season our family has been focusing on finding moments of joy. It’s easy to get caught up in the disappointment of canceled holiday parties with friends, fewer people at family gatherings, and the lack of holiday concerts, so seeing joy in little things has been helpful.

 

▫ In the last few weeks, we’ve made an excessive amount of Christmas cookies. We’re not eating all the cookies, but we’re finding creative ways to give them away. The time spent together making the cookies is the fun part!

 

▫ We’ve enjoyed making fires in the fire ring just for the pure pleasure of watching a fire burn. It really can be magical on a cool evening. Sipping on a cup of hot cocoa and roasting a marshmallow also adds some tasty morsels of goodness.

 

▫ I bought some tulip bulbs on clearance and finally got around to planting them. My five-year-old son asked if he could plant some in random places in the flower beds and garden to surprise me. YES, of course! We’ll anticipate the joy of seeing if any of them come up in unexpected places next spring. 

 

▫ On evenings when we’re all just worn out, we cozy up in the living room with eggnog, chai, or hot cocoa and read Little House of the Prairie out loud. If you haven’t read the series, you really should. If for nothing else, it’s fascinating to hear what they ate 120 years ago! It’s real food!

 

Here are our favorite holiday drink recipes to make the evenings a little brighter.