December: A Blog Post

December started off with a bang because guess what - I spent the very first day of the month in THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER.

That's right, Hogsmeade, Hogwarts, Olivander's, The Three Broomsticks - my mom and my sister and I were all up inside all of it. And, if the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was not magical enough, when you go during Christmas time it's even more magical. HOW can that be, you might be asking?? I don't really have a good answer but it probably has something to do with all the Christmas decorations, the hot Butterbeer, the fake snow that falls from the sky at night, and the Christmas light show projected onto Hogwarts castle after sunset. So on second thought I do have a good answer because it's all of those things. All of the magical Christmas-y things.

You all know by now that in 2018 I re-read the Harry Potter series for the first time since I read through the actual series. As in, since I was a kid and they were coming out and finished Deathly Hallows for the first time, I had never again picked them all back up and re-read them. This year I did just that and I actually finished on Thanksgiving day. So, a holiday trip to the Wizarding World was like an early Christmas present and a reward for myself for finishing the series!

To get ready for the trip I had my mom (and literally all the rest of my family) take the Sorting Quiz on Pottermore to see what House they belonged to. Both my mom and my sister were sorted in Ravenclaw, and so we all got matching House scarves.

Not gonna lie, our matching scarves were one of my fav parts of the trip...they just really make me feel like a real Hogwarts student and I'm really into that you know? Also in case you were wondering, in total - my mom, dad, sister, and her husband are all Ravenclaw. Nate was sorted into Gryffindor and I as you know, am a Hufflepuff. We have some more Hufflepuffs (and Gryffindors) on the Townsend side of the family because believe me when I tell you I also had Nate's entire family take the Sorting Quiz over Thanksgiving. I know, I'm so annoying with it but I can't help it. 

After our journey to Hogwarts December was off and running with all the Christmas-y things! Including baking:

 Christmas tree shopping:

 Decorating:

...And our annual Christmas weekend trip with the fam, this year back to Prescott!

Christmas was here in no time and we celebrated in our pajamas, with lots of shrimp, and Christmas games.

Nate had to work all week, so we had our own Christmas early Christmas morning after he was off shift. After that he went to sleep and I had mimosas by myself, took a nap, and watched lots of hours of the Hallmark Channel in my PJ's. 

You can judge me if you want but I'm telling you, it was a glorious day.

Other December notables include - brunch with my dear friend Stephanie who was in town from the east coast:

As per the usual we discussed at length Harry Potter, Crimes of Grindelwald (and its whack ending), politics, the upside to her moving back to Arizona, and a bunch of other stuff.

My cousin-in-law's baby shower:

PLEASE just look at this precious Winnie the Pooh cake:

And of course, the Reputation Stadium Tour on Netflix:

It was a wild New Year's Eve.

And a wonderful December.

And you guys, that is all of my 2018. Recaps are all done, albeit way late, but done. 2019 is well underway and the slate is clean and ready for new adventures...and new blog posts!