We are all in anticipation of Christmas morning. For weeks we’ve been talking with the kids about what they want to ask for from Santa Claus, what they want to give, and which traditions we will embrace in these last days that are rapidly flying by. We went up to the tree farm that Justin has been going to every Christmas for the past 30 years and cut down the 7’ spruce that is propped haphazardly in our living room. The popcorn and cranberries are waiting to be strung and placed gently on its branches that are all drooping with heavy ornaments placed lovingly by little hands. I usually am fairly particular about how the ornaments are arranged, but this year I let the kids do all of the decorating. It’s so much better this way. I only hung the new Advent calendar yesterday and each pocket is still barren, but the kids don’t know the difference and they’re positively lit up each morning to move the Santa figurine one pocket closer to the end.
The atmosphere inside and out of our home is laden with the spirit of the holidays. There’s love and laughter mixed with magic and chaos, a true embodiment of our lives every day of the year, exactly as this time of year should be. As a child I remember being so enamored by the details of our lives boiled down into one month; the traditional Greek cookies we’d bake with my mother that reminded me of our family, the ornaments we made as babies that we hung on her tree every year (and still do), the sleepless night before Christmas morning and the twinkling glow of the lights in the room still dark from the night. I appreciate the sentimental parts and as a mother those are the things that I want to put my energy into creating for my own family. Gifting seems frivolous to me in many ways, but the excitement it brings to my kid’s eyes is exactly what I look forward to and work so hard to achieve. Gifts go under the tree, but they always run straight for their stockings, first, just as I did when I was their age. There’s something about the sweet and gentle way they are filled that feels incredibly special and thoughtful. I’ve been picking up little things throughout the year, but the chocolate LINDT BEAR will be the first thing they see peeking out of their stockings like a lovely golden ticket, a fairly new tradition but one that the kids love. I appreciate classic things, especially during the holidays, and these LINDT BEAR chocolates are nostalgic, beautiful and timeless in their gold wrappers and red bows, an enormous chocolate treat that kids know is special and reserved just for the holidays.
We’re winding down now to the final days before the big Christmas morning reveal, the culmination of the year full of milestones and triumphs, challenges and ultimately learning experiences for all of us. The most beautiful time of year, spent honing in on what truly matters by celebrating and paying tribute and giving to each other and others. In the moments when I’m racing around trying to put together the final touches, it’s really comforting and a relief to have a tradition like LINDT BEAR, as well as the rest of Lindt Chocolate’s holiday offerings that are perfect for gifting, decorations and of course, for filling stockings. There’s a feeling of excitement and nostalgia that comes with seeing these classic chocolates adorning our memories every year, despite the fact that I have a really hard time not indulging on a regular basis. That familiar creamy chocolate taste feels like a hug directly from Santa himself. I’m trying to take each of these days in stride and appreciate what is ultimately the best part of Christmas, the anticipation and thought that goes into spending each day preparing with my family. It only recently dawned on me that I should be enjoying these moments leading up to December 25th because those are exactly what make up the beauty of the season, and all of the months leading up to it, too.
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