Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes for the New Year

The holidays are upon us and our typical family gatherings and perhaps even traditions are much different this year. That doesn’t mean we can’t find the joy and happiness in whatever way we might be celebrating!

Part of my holiday joy involves taking my granddaughter to pick out a birthday and Christmas outfit to wear for pictures. Mr. FTF and I have taken her since she was two years old. Her birthday is December 14th. She just turned 11. Now I ask her if she still wants to go with us; so far the answer has been YES! It’s a special moment for me to see her feeling so beautiful and feeling so special. We were able to go shopping this year, which brought me great joy! However, we had to cancel the photography appointment as all three of them had Covid.

2020 Covid Christmas Card

Since we weren’t able to pull off getting our favorite girlie photographed and because this year has been so heavy, I thought it would be better to send out a funny card – definitely not my typical card at all! However, I love to laugh and have fun so it seemed fitting that this would be the year for that kind of card and a little levity! We did actually log onto Zoom to take pictures and we had a lot of fun, many laughs and bloopers! It felt so good to see them even via Zoom! The hour we spent on Zoom together brought me great joy!

I’ve always enjoyed having Mr. FTF drive me around to look at the lights during the holidays! We’ve done way more of that this year; and it’s great that more houses seem decorated and over decorated this season! Driving around listening to Christmas music, sipping a coffee and laughing as Mr. FTF serenades me has filled my heart with joy!

Breakfast with Santa

Part of my holiday joy has been going to breakfast with Santa and my favorite girlie! I have been grateful each year to be included with her other grandparents and see the joy and excitement in her eyes! She has been absolutely sure he is the REAL Santa without a doubt! We were able to go last year and I took in every minute knowing it might be the last not because I knew we were headed into a pandemic but because she’s older and potentially wouldn’t be interested in going any more. I’m not sure if she knows that Santa is a believe in you heart verses an actual person. She didn’t want to write a letter to Santa this year but hasn’t told us that she knows he’s not a real person. It brings me joy looking back on all the breakfasts we enjoyed with her going to see Santa!

Adventures with Our Favorite Girlie

Since our favorite girlie has been little, we’ve always taken her on outings and adventures to have lot of experiences and create lots of great memories together. Last year on the day after Christmas, we took her ice skating for her first time in Millennium Park. I can’t remember the last time I was on the ice but this grandma didn’t do too bad! LOL. We went to the new Starbucks downtown Chicago. It took forever waiting in the lines but we made the best of it; and I just enjoyed having all that time to talk with her! She chose where we went to dinner. Dinner was followed by the light show at the Chicago Botanical Gardens. A day of pure joy!

This year it’s been very hard to get tickets to outdoor events especially on the weekends but I did manage to get tickets for the Jack Frost Winter Walk. Afterwards, we went to Rosemont (a town not far from Chicago) and walked among the lights. I’ve always admired them from afar as we drove on the highway in the car. The lights were even better up close and in person! Still finding time with her and cherishing those moments is what the holidays are for me and fill my heart with joy! She’ll still go and do things with us; and I hope that never changes but I also know that she’ll want to start spending more time with friends!

Being Fancy

You already know that being fancy brings me joy! Despite working remotely I still get up and get dressed up! I made it a point to wear something each day of December that was glittery or sparkly and made me happy! I think it even brought those who saw me via Zoom a little joy…I might have had a blinking light up necklaces and holiday hats at my disposable to put on and brighten up the day!

CHOOSE JOY

No matter what your holidays and traditions look like this year, my wish for you is that you can find a little sliver of joy each day! My mantra runs true today and all year long: It’s the little things that are really the big things worthy of celebration! May you have lots to celebrate! Choose Joy!

Fashion Trends and Friends wants to wish you a very happy holiday season! Our wish for you in 2021 is peace, love, health and happiness. May magic fill your days and all your dreams come true this holiday season!

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What brings you joy? How have you found joy during the holiday season? Leave us a comment! We love to hear from you!

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