My December Goals.

Hello December...

And just like that, our house has been transformed into a cozy Christmas wonderland the day after Thanksgiving. I know a lot of people who've already had their Santa blow ups out in their front lawns since Halloween and casino lights already strung and ready to go. The Rohman's, on the other hand, put everything up after Turkey day and then we are allowed to blast Nat King Cole all month long. 

A festive reset for me, I've got a few fun things planned, but honestly I'm just ready for all of the cozy nights in with friends and family. The holidays always make me appreciate being home, even though I've been home for over a year. Christmastime in Chicago just can't be beat. 

01. My mom usually has a specific theme for Christmas decor around the house: red trucks, red gnomes, red poinsettias, red nutcrackers—the whole lot! She's been cutting back on decorating each year though, but I've still decided to make my room festive with some new additions like glass Christmas trees, pink and gold ornaments, and an orange slice garland I made last year, but amped it up with miniature disco balls. You can't forget the never-ending Christmas throw pillows, of course. 

02. I've been going into the city a lot, not just for work, but for all of the holiday festivities like the Christmas tree lighting in Millennium Park and stopping at the Christkindlmarket for a cup of cocoa and a peruse of the German potato pancakes and homemade nutcrackers. 

Additionally, my good friend and I are actually going to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra this week and I can't express how excited I am to actually listen and experience live music again. I have a soft spot for classical music since I grew up listening to my grandpa, dad, and sister play the piano so much.  I've also just never heard the CSO play since I've lived here. 

03. Speaking of live music in Chicago, I'm also going to go see The Killers play their holiday debut "The Night We Stole Christmas" at the Aragon Ballroom (my favorite concert venue in the city). It's an intimate venue with a lot of charm and the last time I saw the Killers was at the Allstate Arena, so I'm curious to see how they perform in such a smaller setting. 

04. My family and I didn't really create travel plans for the holidays just to be cautious, but a couple months ago I planned a trip to go skiing with my cousins out west in McCall, Idaho next month. This quaint ski town is known to have a huge ice festival every year. I've never been skiing before, or have really even travelled during the winter months, so first time for everything amirite? They also go snow shoeing in the mountains and rent a house up there, so I can only imagine the cozy fires and all the wintery forest views. 

05. Okay, so maybe this isn't exactly considered "fun" but I am excited for much needed rest. These past few months have been go-go-go with lots of big changes and I'm ready to let this month fill up my soul with good food, good laughs, and good sleeps. 

With the mixture of working out, travel, socializing and staying on top of my writing, the days surely have flown by. Especially working from home, I've found it harder to stay motivated if I am not giving myself much needed rest. For awhile I started taking melatonin, which also helped me wake up refreshed, so maybe I should get on that again. I'm not really a fan of naps, since they do make my day much slower and I feel unproductive if I do decide to rest my eyes, but listening to what my body needs is going to keep me healthy because rest is essential.

What are you looking forward to this month?