The third of The Five Blogs of Christmas is all about the lights and sparkle!
December is my least favorite month. The pressure of gift giving, which has dwindled to a precious few but can still induce anxiety. The constant bombardment of holiday sales, sales, sales/buy, buy, buy! The carb loading. The general expectation to be merry. And for the last few Decembers without The Mom, who adored Christmas, it’s painfully emotional.
But this dread of December isn’t new. Over a decade ago, I sat myself down and thought about what brought me holiday joy when I was a kid. And I remembered that touring neighborhoods of crazy Christmas decorations lit up my spirit like a cozy fireplace. Since then, nearly every year, we pick up our fave seasonal drinks (The Husband ~ Hot Vanilla, Me ~ Peppermint Hot Chocolate) and stroll around the Eagle Hills neighborhood in Brea (CA), to renew our Holiday Spirit and walk off those mini mince pies and Christmas cookies.
We start the evening picking up our drinks at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, then venture over to Birch Street. Fortunately, a nearby elementary school allows parking, so we arrive a little after 5PM on a weekday, when it’s still relatively quiet. When our tradition first began, we could park in the housing complex itself, but now, there are all kinds of rules, and even police presence on the weekends! This year, we got a little off track (it’s a huge neighborhood!), and scored over 8000 steps ~ LOL! The only thing that could make this more holiday-like would be if it was slightly colder ~ I started off in a jacket but ended up in long-sleeve shirt sleeves! Not complainin’. Just sayin’.
Here are some sparkly and jolly images from that night. Since I haven’t had time to work out how to insert moving pictures on WordPress, you can go to my Instagram to see video of animated lights, an impressive Star Wars-themed yard, and a tiny, animated tableau.
Puppies and a cardinal.
Doesn’t this look like a cozy place for a warm fire and a hot chocolate? ❤
Sparkly!!!
Pure joy!
Dinosaur joy!
Even Vader loves the holidays!
One of many Star Wars scenes. Don’t miss the video of a different yard on my Instagram!
I loved the use of lights on the cactus and plants in this yard.
Hee hee! We saw several of these along the route.
We saw the sign and obeyed, grabbing a quick kiss!
A visual cacophony, but I love Buddy, so I took the shot. Lots of Buddy’s on the route, too.
A pretty welcome.
Are there sharks at the North Pole?
View of just a small part of the neighborhood.
Jolly, jolly, and more jolly!
What are some of your favorite traditions? Let us know in the comments.
I'm Writing As Fast As I Can 
What beautiful decorations! They automatically lift my spirits and put a smile on my face. We’re cut from the same cloth with the Christmas feeling. We were out last night looking at houses and will go out again. As a kid, my family piled in the car, drove around looking at Christmas lights. It’s a fond memory in my lifetime. I take drivers by myself to get my holiday grieving done. I’ve learned that grieving is often done when driving, certainly has been my personal experience. It’s a chance to feel your feelings.
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