Believe it or not, there was a time in my blogging life where I blogged regularly. Every two to four days I had something to say on this space, but these days I am lucky to squeeze out one or two posts a month. I used to share my daily life happenings, but I have morphed into more of a “just hit some of the highlights” blogger.
Not to be confused with “just hit the positives,” sometimes highlights are the struggles too.
November and December move into a slower time of year for adventures and I don’t have many epic new hikes or travel escapades to share. My daily excitement comes from things like the size and frequency of my cats bowel movements, what ancient artifact I have pulled out of my moms attic to dispose of, and surviving the monotony of working in corporate retail.
I still like to throw in the reality of life amongst photos of mountains and new to me places, but the inspiration to write doesn’t strike as much as it does when I have something worthwhile to share.
While I haven’t traveled anywhere far in a long time because of my sweet fury child, I did have a surprisingly busy December. Each weekend of the month I had something scheduled starting with Duncan’s company Christmas party. Duncan has worked for the same company for nearly four years, but this was the first Christmas he decided to attend the Christmas party.
When he described the event to me I was stoked. I was hoping to see a plethora of plumbers letting loose with an open bar (call me crazy, but I love people watching those who have less of a filter from afar), but as it turned out the after party is where the real chaos ensues. Duncan and I are both in bed early folks, so we left before anyone got too rowdy.
The very next day, we went to my pal Caitlin’s house for a cookie decorating party.
When I say party, I mean it was Caitlin, her sister, and her nephew, plus me and Duncan. A small party. I couldn’t eat any of the cookies, but that didn’t stop me from decorating the above photographed handful. I think I’ve found my calling. Please note the cat cookie on the far left in the middle. I was trying to give this cat a realistic…orifice, but instead it looks like he needs a trip to the ER.
To round out this first weekend of the month, after cookies we took Little for his first of two Christmas themed car rides. I would say it was a success.
The second weekend of December was dedicated to exercise and gluttony. In an attempt to keep the holiday spirit alive I signed up for a Christmas themed 10k. I ran a Halloween themed 10k in October and loved the idea of running another holiday race. I didn’t dare show up to the start line without the proper attire, and I found the most perfect sweater to wear.
A moment of silence for the most beautiful sweater to exist.
I think I was more excited about this sweater than I was for the run itself. The run was beautiful, but COLD. (Go figure, it was cold in December.) I am loving getting back into running races because the community of runners is so fun and uplifting. Running is such a personal sport, but people come together to support the personal growth and accomplishments of each other as if we are a team.
I’m not a fast runner, but seeing small progress is always fun. I no longer run to chase faster times, but I do enjoy challenging myself. I ran this race in 1:01:13 with a 9:51 pace. I was quite chuffed.
Duncan was my number one support, and braved the cold to be there with me. After I was finished we made our way to my favorite GF bakery that was just around the corner (the runs in this town might be somewhat planned around the bakery too.) We each got a sweet and a savory, and this was the perfect end to the fun morning.
Weekend number THREE of the month was reserved for cultural refinement. I love classical music, I love listening to the combination of instruments, and I love Antonio Vivaldi. When I saw there was a local concert of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons I knew I wanted to go. The concert was also one of the candlelight concerts I have seen floating around the internet for years, but I always thought they were fake/a scam.
They are not fake, they are not a scam, and they are very enjoyable!
Annnddd for the last weekend of December I went for a lovely winter hike with Caitlin and Duncan. We brought a stove/fuel so that we could make a cuppa and enjoy the warmth of the dark beans outside. We hiked the Duckabush River Trail just to the viewpoint for a round trip total of around 7 miles. (It was very cold, but still a worthy outdoor adventure.)
Some other honorable mentions for December are: I read five books putting my yearly total at 70 books. My goal for this year is 60 books, but I anticipate I will surpass that. – I wore my cat sweater to work on Christmas Eve and it was the best day ever. After work I took Little for his second Christmas lights drive. – Christmas was calm, cool, and collected.
NYE was also calm, cool, and collected. Duncan and I went for a hike New Years Day, and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to ring in the new year!
On that note, I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season. I always enjoy mine, and I always enjoy when mine is over! Maybe this year I will blog more. (Probably not.)
Q: How was your holiday season? Are you ready when the holidays are over, or do you wish they lasted longer?
Blissfulbritt 
51 thoughts on “Days of December”
Peg
I always enjoy your posts, and I totally understand about blogging less than you used to. I stopped blogging altogether because I found myself repeating the same thing every year. It just seemed to be so repetitive and boring. But I still enjoy reading a few blogs and yours is one. Your furbaby looks so much like mine, but then all black cats look the same to me. I think I am about ready for the holidays to end so I can get back to my routine, and hopefully lose the four pounds I gained! Happy New Year, Brittany!
Brittany
I’m honored you continue to read mine! I sometimes feel like I can be repetitive with my posts, but this was more common for me in my mid to late 20’s. I think I was growing through some things and blogging was my outlet for that. Now I try to mix more fun stuff with just a sprinkle of real life emotion. 🤣
I love all black cats. Doesn’t matter the breed, doesn’t matter the gender, I love them all!!
EJ Blogs
I wish the holidays lasted a little but longer, they always seem to be over in the blink of an eye!
Brittany
I find they somehow go insanely fast and also drag a bit at the end for me. I’m not a big celebrator of New Years, so if we could do away with that and extend the others I’d be ok. 🤣
EJ Blogs
😂 It’s the Christmas side I love, maybe we could push new year to the 5th so we get a few more days of festivities before we have to celebrate new year 😂
Brittany
Yes, I agree with this! More Christmas lights, less fireworks.
Thistles and Kiwis
All the best for 2025! We had a food filled Christmas and New Year, and as it is summer here, we are adding on annual leave, so I won’t go back to work until 13 January.
Brittany
Good for you!! Enjoy the extra time off. I have always wondered how it feels to be in the Southern Hemisphere during the holidays.
Because this is what you are used to, do you associate Christmas with warm weather? I suppose there are states within the US that are also warm, but still cooler than their summer months.
Do you think of Christmas and think of snow because of some of the popular movies? Do my questions make sense? LOL.
Thistles and Kiwis
We’ve only lived in New Zealand for 12 years – I grew up in Scotland, my husband in Sweden and we both lived in Denmark before coming here. The first year of Christmas in summer was a bit different, but now we are used to it and enjoy the way it joins on to the main holiday season. It is like Christmas marks the start of summer somehow!
Brittany
What a cool journey for you both! Thanks for sharing.
lifeat6mph
Sounds like you had a wonderful Holiday Season.. great sweater 🙂 The fact that you like Vivaldi caught my eye.. I thought that you might enjoy this clip. We were so fortunate to see Lea Desandre and the Jupiter Ensemble about 2 years ago in Easton PA. It was a long trip from Maine, but we combined it with visiting relatives. so it worked out well, and the concert was amazing. The fact that they stuck around and chatted afterward was a very special bonus.. hope you like the piece! https://youtu.be/ZxrBSad5FWQ?si=6sZ_uUOznCLZ9gCo It hard to match this level of musicianship and intensity!
As for your question.. The Holidays were wonderful here in Maine – a little sad to see them end, but I will keep baking Christmas cookies well into January 🙂
Brittany
WOW! That clip was amazing, and to have seen them live?! Worth the trip for sure. Thanks for sharing.
I love that you plan to keep baking. I ate my fair share of treats and am trying to wean myself back off too much sugar. 🤣 One day at a time.
lifeat6mph
glad you enjoyed it! they were awesome , for sure and very gracious too. I made about 160 cut out cookies, and we packaged them up and delivered them to our neighbors on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. keep up with your posts. especially enjoy the stories about hikes..
Rootchopper
No worries about the blogging thing. I blog a lot when I am on a tour and then at the end of the year. (One more to go after today.) In between most of my blog posts go unpublished because they bore even me!
Your running time ain’t have bad. Go girl!
As I write a snow squall with super high winds and thunder is passing through. Time for a nap.
Brittany
I don’t plan to push my running time too much faster. Even in my prime my fastest 5K was at an 8:30 or so pace, and that was NOT my normal. Those days are long gone. Anything under a 10 minute mile for me these days means I’m working hard. 🤣
Duncan
You made me laugh with the recollection of your troubled cookie cat! That concert was an absolutely lovely way to spend our evening as well, I look forward to more in the future.
Im very proud of you for that run, it wasn’t the most beautiful day but you pushed through and did amazing!
Both hikes were splendid, but it was very peaceful to drink coffee on a massive rock overlooking the Duckabush!
Heres to more adventures in 2025!
xoxo
Brittany
I’m glad you got a giggle. I’m sorry I didn’t credit you for pulling the boxes out of the attic. Thank you for being the muscle to my mental machine.
C.A. Post
Happy New Year and belated Merry Christmas my blissful friend!
You RAN for over ONE FULL HOUR⁉️ I don’t know if I can do ANYTHING for an hour!😂
❤️&🙏, c.a.
Brittany
LOL! I believe you could walk/hike for an hour!! In April I plan to run for 2-2.5 hours. OY VEY! (Just kidding, I choose to do these things to myself.)
C.A. Post
Actually, Anita and I often go for 2-4 mile hikes which take between 45 minutes and an hour and a half. Movement is health!
But someday I hope to move entirely away from earth to my Heavenly Home with Jesus.🤠
Brittany
That’s wonderful! You two are living life well.
Atheria
I am in shock that a cat LIKES to take car rides! Is Little really a dog? 🙂 I went to Panama City for Christmas week and LOVED it! I really didn’t want to come back to the USA. The people were so friendly, it’s an exciting major city with people from all over the world, it was WARM and HUMID (my body much prefers that type of climate), and it was beautiful with monkeys and sloths! I am seriously considering buying a brand new home near the smaller expat mecca, Boquete (didn’t visit it this trip but need to from what I’m seeing and hearing), where you can get a 2 bed/1 bath house for $70K or a 3 bed/2 bath house for $120K! By the way, the restaurant and bar workers were very gluten problems aware! In fact, one bartender mentioned that some Celiac Disease folks also cannot eat corn. I was impressed. Thank God for Google Translate. It saved me! Anyway…happy 2025!
Brittany
Little and I have been doing these drives for ALMOST two years now!!! And it STILL shocks me he loves them. 🤣 I love when his tail is wagging and his nose is sniffing the air.
I’m so glad you were able to get out of the states for the holiday! What a wonderful experience. I am ALWAYS impressed when people who are not gluten free are still aware of the fact that it’s not just gluten that can irritate us.
Sometimes I day dream about buying a house somewhere foreign where I could probably afford to buy two of them. Meanwhile over here a basic house in a safe area is no lower than $350-$400k. 🙄
Atheria
Chatted with this nice 83 year old man on the trail I occasionally run into. He was upset that his normal 20 minutes per mile walks have lately become 22-23 minutes. I told him, “But you’re still taking walks! That is great!” He mentioned that he bought his Santa Fe tract house (i.e. basic house) 50 years ago for $26,000 and a woman down the street got into contract regarding selling hers for $460,000. But, she backed out of the sale when she realized she couldn’t afford anything else in Santa Fe. Yep.
mariezhuikov
Your Christmas sweater is truly a classic. I hope that you’ll cherish it always…
Brittany
Thank you, I will! I can’t wait to wear it again next year.
The Dark Alive
I have a very short attention span (assessments pending!) and yet I can always read your blogs. The fact you take your cat for car rides is beyond adorable, the sweater is such a joy, and well done for your fitness accomplishments. The cookies made me laugh! 😹 🤭 Excellent writing 💕 💕
Brittany
Your comment has made my day!! What a kind thing to say. I really try to not make my posts too long, because I too have a short attention span at times. I want people to not feel overwhelmed by my writing. LOL. Each car ride with my cat is just as exciting for me as the last, my favorite activity. ❤
The Dark Alive
💕 🙏🏼 🐈
The Dark Alive
Oh, and I’ve always wanted to go to a candlelight concert, so I’ll be looking for some! 🕯️
Brittany
You won’t regret it!! This was also very reasonably priced, possibly because I went to one in a smaller city, but still worth it!
Roy McCarthy
Well done on the 10k – you’d have stood a chance of the fancy dress prize in our Boxing Day (26th Dec) 10k for which I resolutely wore my usual race gear 🙂 And that is some reading accomplishment – I managed about half that number. Happy 2025.
Brittany
I used to exclusively wear normal running gear for themed races, but this year I wanted to spice it up a bit. Granted, I chose something I knew would be comfortable to run in. Some people I saw at this race and the Halloween race were wearing things I cannot imagine being comfortable to run in!
Roy McCarthy
Haha. I’m simply grumpy and refuse to enter into the spirit of things 🙂
Allie Zottola
You had a busy December! That sweater is EVERYTHING. You are the best cat mom for taking your baby to see the lights twice!
I am in awe of your bravery for running a race in the cold!
I’m like you with the holidays… happy when they’re here and also happy to get back to normal 😉
Brittany
I think my January will be MUCH quieter. So far I have zero plans. LOL.
terrepruitt
My Holiday Season was fine – uneventful (which is certainly NOT a bad thing, considering the “bad” things that can happen). I am not ready for the Holidays to be over. I am entertaining the idea that I have a version of SAD, but it is Holiday related. Not “seasonal” as in the changing of the seasons, but “seasonal” as the HOLIDAY season is ending. (ha, ha, ha) We still have all of our Christmas decorations up and I am thinking they should come down this weekend, but I am already pouting about it! LOVE that sweater!!!
Brittany
I laughed out loud at your version of SAD. Not because you get sad, but your thought process. I totally get it. I was ready for the holidays to end, but my SADs get stronger once January hits for sure!
My mom keeps her Christmas decorations up until mid January, and HAS BEEN KNOWN to keep them up until it’s time to decorate for Valentine’s Day (she’s one of those, gotta love her.) So you’re not the only one who has a tree up still. 🤣
terrepruitt
🙂 I keep looking at my tree thinking, “Sadly, your day will come.” But it is a great tree in that it is not really dry/dead yet! I have received several replies about friends having their tree up still. I think that it could be something people don’t talk about because we all tend to get a little judgy about things. (All things, but in this case having Christmas decorations up for months.) I can’t keep some up and take some down because it is quite the game of Tetris to get everything in the storage space and the way (in boxes) I store things is too willy-nilly. So it goes up and down all at the same time. Oh, except for that one thing that always seems to hide until all the boxes are up and I see it weeks later. (Hasn’t actually happened the last two Christmases.)
The One Four One
I, too, am on the mission to blog more this year instead of my yearly Reflections of the previous year. I work for a trade school. My last day before Christmas Break was December 20th with a return date of January 6th. Due to the snow storms in Ohio, I have yet to return to school from Christmas Break! I love snow days just as long as they do not take days away from my Spring Break!
Every year, we put up twelve Christmas trees throughout our house. The final tree came down on New Years Day. We celebrated the new year with family and friends coming to dinner to begin the New Year together.
Happy New Year and I look forward to reading more from you in 2025!
Brittany
WHOA, what a break you’ve had. I hope the extra time off has been relaxing and not stressful due to missing more work.
Twelve trees!? Are they all full sized? I think in theory I would enjoy that, but then when it came time to muscle the labor for putting them up I would loose interest. I could get on board with twelve small trees, maybe even with separate themes!
Here’s to more blogging from us both. 🙂
The One Four One
Mostly full size. My husband and daughter put them up and take them down. I get to enjoy the work they put into creating memories together.
Time off has been fantastic. Without students, there isn’t any work to be completed. Today, will be madness but I welcome it to see my team and students!
Have an amazing week!! 🥂
Brittany
That’s a win/win! They enjoy putting them up, and you enjoy looking at them without any work. How fun. 🤣
Good luck back at work!
janicedoty
Holidays ring differently this year. We didn’t visit with family and we had renovations going on….but life happens and things go on.
Brittany
This is true! I only see my mom and my sister for most holidays, but that’s because we all live together!
mjeanpike
What a fun post! I am definitely going to spend some time looking around here…
Brittany
How kind, thank you!
Christy
I just found you after you liked one of my humble recipes on my site. Your posts are so refreshing. I’m looking forward to catching up on your posts and what you might have next.
Brittany
Oh gosh, that’s so kind to say. Thank you, and thanks for the comment! (Your recipes make me HUNGRY!)
stewedpears.com
The cat sweater is certainly a masterpiece! Hope it has ushered in a very happy new year.
Brittany
Thank you, it absolutely has! I can’t wait to wear it again in December. LOL