Happy holidays! I have been really dragging my feet with getting into the holiday spirit this year. Sure, I broke out the holiday mugs, and I even donned a Christmas sweater, but my apartment is seriously lacking holiday cheer. I convinced myself that I couldn’t enjoy the holidays until after I turned in my final assignment, severely limiting my exposure to the joys of the season (not my greatest idea, but necessary). Counting down the days until really embrace what this month has to offer.

Here is how I am finding balance this December:

Ice! At the Gaylord

“Ice!” is a holiday display of ice sculptures (two million pounds of it!) at the Gaylord National Resort. The attraction is kept at 9 °F and includes giant ice slides! This year’s theme is Charlie Brown (classic!). I have always been curious about this holiday attraction and I think this year it would be a fun outing to explore with my little brother.

Christmas Movie Marathon

Last year, I watched more Christmas movies than ever before. I’ve never been one for Hallmark Christmas movies, but Netflix killed the game last year. The streaming service delivered a bunch of Christmas movies that had just the right amount of cheese factor (A Christmas Prince, am I right?). Hopefully this year there are a few gems. Recommend your favorites in the comments below!

ZooLights

Zoolights at the National Zoo are one of the best, free holiday light displays in the DC area! This year, they have tons of new aspects including interactive light displays, special areas for children, and a Gingerbread Village! I’ve gone with my siblings a few times, but I think it would be great to take someone new along to experience it!

100 Rides Crew

I’ve been working towards this milestone for over a year, and it is finally within my grasps! Remember how I mentioned organizing my first event in my November Wrap Up post? Well, this is it! I decided to pedal into Ascend Cycle’s 100 Rides Crew with family and friends so that they can experience one of my favorite places. I am planning on writing a future post about my physical journey soon, so be on the lookout for that!

2019 Goal Setting

Do you know that feeling that you used to get when picking out your school supplies for a new year (or was that just me…)? The tingle of excitement, the thrill of new organization tools, clean canvases that you were ready to fill with a year’s worth of learning, not to mention the smell of fresh supplies. I get the same thrill from yearly goal setting, and this year, I’ll be doing it with a friend (even better!).

Master of Psychology

The time is almost here, friends! I am almost complete with my Master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. I can’t even focus on how close I am to finishing because I am more concerned with the rapidly approaching deadlines. However, once that final project is finally submitted, I will be a free woman and thrilled by the additional letters after my name.

Last 90 Days

In my November Wrap Up, I mentioned my progress with the Last 90 Days challenge. This challenge has been great for establishing habits that I believe will lead to success in 2019. I look forward to finishing the challenge by tracking this month!

Pressure Cooker Thursdays

On my November 2017 Bucket List, I challenged myself to have Slow Cooker Sundays. Since I am awful at meal prepping, I love that the challenge allowed me to have a stock of meals for the upcoming week. This year, I included a Crock-Pot Express Pressure Cooker (I got mine super discounted from Amazon on Prime Day!) to my appliances and I have been enjoying the ease of using it. I’m excited about this item because it will expose me to new recipes that are essentially “one-pot!” 

This month, balance may not quite be the word that I would use. I plan on finishing my semester strong, then completely indulging in all the fun things after.

How are you finding balance in December?

♥ Cierra