Okay, it's time for the Christmas edition of MY FAVORITE THINGS:

1. Picking out Christmas cards. I hate buying cards in general. You go into the card store and there's six zillion cards to choose from and they all suck. But then the holidays draw near and the Christmas cards come out with their foil and glitter and I am utterly seduced. It becomes a challenge for me to only purchase what I need. I got this year's cards at Target and I swear I was standing in that aisle for thirty minutes going "OOH!"

2. Christmas Music. Whenever someone asks me what my favorite music is I tell them "Christmas music, what else?" Then they usually look at me like I've sprouted a third eye. I don't know, maybe they were expecting rock or opera or something? But I love the stuff. I even break it out in July sometimes.

3. Wrapping Presents. Okay, okay, I can feel the eye rolls already. Seriously, I love to wrap stuff up. And I'm pretty good at it too--I can get hospital corners on just about any shape package. But it's more than that. It's the pretty wrapping paper--way prettier than any other kind--and the bows and ribbons and the cute little to-from cards... someone stop me.

4. The tree. Everything about it. Picking it out, setting it up, decorating it (while listening to Christmas music, of course), putting the village under it, putting presents under it, turning the lights on, even taking it down. But two things most especially:

5. The scent of the tree. Wonderful, refreshing, homey.

6. Getting up early and turning the lights on and sipping my coffee next to the tree. The lights cast a warm glow into the darkness and I always experience such a feeling of peace. It's awesome.

7. Christmas cookies. One word: YUMMY!!!

8. TV Specials. I don't mean the new stuff or those Hallmark movies (though some of the new things are okay.) I mean the stuff I grew up with. Like Charlie Brown and Rudolph and It's a Wonderful Life and stuff. The Heat Miser and the Cold Miser and the Abominable Snowmonster of the North (otherwise known as "The Bumble"). The theme song to Garfield's Christmas ("Gimme, Gimme, Gimme") that always makes me laugh. National Lampoon's Christmas with the giant tree and the squirrel!

9. Watching people open presents I bought for them. This may sound weird, but it's actually very fulfilling and heartwarming.

10. Watching the snow fall when I don't have to drive in it. This is why we host the Christmas party every year. I don't like driving in the snow.