It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and yes that means it is crunch time because Christmas is approaching. With the holiday season now here there are many things you can look forward to enjoying with your family and friends.

If you are traveling home for Christmas here are some places you may want to stop and see. Toronto has its annual Christmas Market where you can eat, drink and shop for Christmas gifts for your loved ones while listening to live music and Christmas carolers singing songs of Christmas cheer. Victoria Park in Niagara Falls has a Winter Festival of Lights you can walk around and enjoy the scenery with a warm cup of cocoa and your loved ones.

And if you are staying in Brantford for the holidays you can always catch a Christmas show at The Sanderson Centre. They have The Nutcracker and The Brantford Symphony Orchestra ‘Ring the Christmas Bells!’ As well as spending some time with your friends skating in Harmony Square, once the weather is on track. If you are planning on spending time with the ones you love here are some simple things to do: ice-skating, Christmas movie marathon, driving through the neighborhood while looking at the lights, a walk in the park with hot cocoa, making gingerbread houses, Christmas shopping and Christmas baking.

I am looking forward to all of the food on Christmas day and just being able to spend time with my family and friends. My favourite Christmas tradition my family has is to write down three things this year that we are thankful for. We can look back at how our lives have changed over the years with new people coming into the family and reminiscing on the ones who are no longer with us.

I think whether or not your family celebrates Christmas or has traditions, it is a great time to just spend time with the ones you love. School is over so you can be stress-free for some time before reality sets back in. You can also focus on yourself just relaxing and spending quality time with your friends who you don’t get to see while in school.

Remember during the holidays to be safe with the icy roads and bad weather, and responsible when drinking your families’ special eggnog and all the other Christmas drinks. Have a safe and Happy Holiday!