Holidays are my favorite time of the year. The Christmas music listening, tree decorating, cookie making, parade watching... it's simply the best time of the year. Ever since I was a little girl, I looked forward to Christmas day, but at age 10, gifts were my favorite. With age, I've learned that there is so much more to Christmas than receiving gifts, there is just so much to enjoy.

FOOD

Home-cooked meals are the best meals...I now know that. Growing up, I really took the meals my mom prepared for granted, but now I've realized that Chick-Fil-A just does not compare to my mom's chicken...sorry CFA.

Around Christmas, we are always eating tons of good food. My family often cooks traditional Mexican food. If you've never had AUTHENTIC Mexican food....mi casa, es su casa. Seriously, you gotta try it. Holidays are always the perfect excuse for families to spend hours in the kitchen makes their favorite recipes, it's definitely ours.

TRADITIONS

Today, most people have artificial Christmas trees, because it's a lot more convenient. In my house, we think otherwise. We love the smell of a real tree and we cherish picking out the perfect one each year. There is a little Christmas tree shop in our town where we've bought our tree for the past 15 years.

Whatever traditions your family has, participate and cherish them. One day you'll have your own family and you'll be able to carry them on.

GIFTS

As a kid, I used to write Santa Claus a very detailed and long list of the things I wanted for Christmas. I was so caught up in the excitement of what I would wake up to on Christmas morning, that I forgot about giving.

Today, my joy comes from serving and giving to others. The greatest gift I can receive for Christmas is seeing others happy. Once I hit adulthood, I realized how much more important it was to give to others and provide them with joy during the holidays.

One of the greatest ways I remember this is the Christmas Story. God sent His one and only son to be the Savior of the world. Jesus was the best gift we could ever receive. Jesus also perfectly modeled what it was to serve others.

Think about giving joy to someone or somebodies this Christmas, it'll mean the world to them. Volunteering somewhere or making donations are always an excellent way to give to others.

HOMETOWN

I was born and raised in Greenville, SC and I know it like the back of my hand, or so I thought. I used to think that I had seen everything Greenville had to offer, so I couldn't wait to move away after high school. Well I never made it that far, I decided to attend Clemson, where I was close enough to home, that I could actually live at home.

Now, I can't keep up with all the new restaurants and new places to go. I constantly find myself wanting to explore my hometown, so I've decided to do just that and learn to appreciate where I come from a lot more. And what better time to explore the beautiful city of Greenville and its surroundings than during Christmas break with the company of friends and family.

No matter where you're from, take the time this Christmas to explore your hometown and find out what makes it so special. Enjoy it, you might not live in it forever.

FAMILY

My family is very close, but unfortunately they don't live as close as I'd like. Besides my immediate family in Greenville, the rest of my family lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Although we get to visit them a few times a year, we always make it a priority to spend a lot of time together during the holidays.

My family enjoys the time we spend together. We play an infinite amount of games and we laugh till we can't keep our eyes open. Needless to say, we always have a good time.

I've learned over the years how precious our families really are. Often times, they are my support system and the ones who constantly motivate me. This Christmas, I cannot thank the Lord enough that I get to spend time with my family.

Cherish the moments with your family. Time is precious and we aren't always promised tomorrow. Thank the Lord for the ones you love and remember to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with them.

Hoping that your holidays are filled with endless joy and all the perks that come along with being home. And remember giving is better than receiving, so remember to give unconditional love.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

God Bless 💕