Well, the Italy end of the holiday fun list has drawn to a close, and the time has come to rev up the home-time end: as of today, I have 17 days to enjoy in my childhood home, and I’m hoping to savor these precious moments with my parents (hard won, after how the past year has gone) as much as I can.

1. A day or evening with my college best friend – the first time I will see her after two full years apart! – Full disclosure: this already happened – I spent Friday evening and the better part of Saturday with her and it was wonderful. We talked through all of our updates, from major life changes to current skincare habits. I was worried that it wouldn’t be like before, that too much time would have passed, but… it was wonderful. Sigh. I hope I can see her again soon.
2. The Nutcracker with my mother – we haven’t seen a Nutcracker together in ages, but it is a production that is near and dear to our hearts, since I was in our local one for ten years running as a child/teenager. Very fond and warm memories and I hope this will make them live again in our hearts.
3. Putting up the Christmas tree with my dad – a long-standing and precious yearly tradition, made all the more so by his health challenges this year.
4. Baking Christmas cookies with my dad – ditto.
5. Go Christmas shopping wtih my mom and enjoy everything about it – the decorations, our conversations on the drive there and back, maybe indulging in a special snack, and of course, choosing gifts for people.
6. Enjoy movie nights with my mom – holiday classics (Chevy Chase’s Christmas Vacation holds a special place in our hearts, and it may be time to watch Love Actually again, too), and also our current favorite shows to watch together – Modern Family and Call My Agent.
7. Watch A Christmas Carol (the George C. Scott version – recommend!) with my dad – another long-standing and much-beloved tradition.
8. Revel in trips to my good old home library and leisurely afternoons reading for fun.
9. Indulge in favorite home-time treats – Thai food, Indian food, Chipotle (don’t judge), and home-made nachos in lieu of a fancy New Year’s Eve dinner.
10. Also indulge in totally frivolous holiday trappings like Mrs. Meyer’s holiday themed hand soap. Look, the Acorn Spice one made me smile every time I used it this fall, and I intend to fully delight in the winter-themed ones too. I ordered them from Amazon yesterday (along with my prenatal vitamins to make the order seem slightly less silly, but who am I kidding?) and I intend to enjoy the crap out of them.