By By Adrienne McKenzie
The cold hardwood floors on my feet whenever I hop out of bed in the morning, the frost on my car when I get ready to come to work and the chill in the air as I am wrapped in sweaters, scarves and gloves are a good indication that Christmas is right around the corner.
Christmas is by far my favorite holiday and time of the year. I enjoy the classic Christmas songs like "Silent Night," "Joy to the World" and "Away in a Manger." But, the fast Christmas songs are a lot of fun too, like "Jingle Bells," "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" and "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree." All the Christmas songs definitely put me in the holiday spirit.
Not only are songs fun, but Christmas movies are too. My favorite Christmas movie is "Elf" with Will Ferrell. I know most people would say one of the classics like "A Christmas Story" or "A Christmas Carol," but there is something about "Elf" that makes me laugh hysterically every time I watch it. I also enjoy the "Home Alone" movies. Whenever I lived with my parents we would make time to watch the "Home Alone" series every year and now they are some of my favorite movies.
And, it would not be Christmas without the delicious food. My mother has started a tradition of cooking cheese grits and monkey bread every Christmas morning. Around the holidays I could easily gain 50 pounds because of all the good food that is cooked.
At my grandparent's house, we always have traditional foods such as turkey, dressing, chicken and dumplings and corn bread. Seeing as I live off fast food most of the year, holidays are a special treat because I get good, homemade food and get to spend time with my family.
I went Christmas shopping with my sister Saturday and it was a lot of fun having the opportunity to spend time with her, but the mall was a crazy and hectic place. I would recommend not going on a Saturday for your Christmas shopping needs, if at all possible.
But, even though the day of shopping was wild, I did get a lot accomplished. I do have about half my Christmas shopping list to go, but that also means I have about half of it completed, which is a great start.
I hope to finish up my shopping here in Atmore. There are tons of stores in Atmore that sell great items. You can find electronics, purses, candles, flowers, clothes, tractor and horse riding supplies, jewelry, home decorations and much more within the city limits so it is easy to avoid the hassle of shopping in busier areas such as Pensacola or Mobile. You can even find a car in Atmore if you are really in the mood for giving during this Christmas season.
So, with Christmas nearing and shopping coming to an end, I hope everyone finds the right holiday gift items for their special someone, whoever that may be. I also hope everyone finds comfort in the stress of shopping through all the fun and entertaining songs, movies and yummy treats.
Adrienne McKenzie is a staff reporter for The Atmore Advance. She can be reached at 368-2123 or via email at lifestyles@atmoreadvance.com.