BIC's 2025 Holiday Fun and Year End Countdown!!!

[greeneyedgirl107]

It's finally here!  BIC's annual holiday fun and year end countdown!  So many of us would love to see the boards more active so please post away!

I'm working on this piecemeal so there will be some tweaks.  Thank you for your patience!

12/1: What kinds of lip products are you reaching for this time of year?

12/2: Do you prefer modern or classic holiday music?

12/3: Which holiday movie/TV character needs their own spin-off or origins story?

12/4: How has your decorating style evolved?  What's your favorite decor item?

12/5: Best way to faux fur?

12/6: What fall fashions are you reaching for?  And what about pajamas?

12/7: Best winter comfort food or drink?

12/8: What creams and lotions are your go-tos?

12/9: Best outdoor activities?

12/10: What's your gifting style?  What do you like to give/receive in grab bags?  Any funny Secret Santa stories?

12/11: Favorite winter flora and fauna?

12/12: Post a holiday meme.

12/13: Best kind of stocking stuffers?

12/14: Ideal candles to light this time of year?  Preferred seasonal scents in general?

12/15: Post your own prompt. 

12/16: Favorite holiday sayings, quotes, etc.

12/17: Do you know any Grinches...or cousin Eddies?!

12/18: What beauty sales have you been enjoying?  Are you wishing for any in particular?

12/19: Best (and worst) thing about snow?

12/20: What's a winter holiday that you've never celebrated but would like to?

12/21: Best and worst designs for Christmas cards?  

12/22: Best items for a holiday feast?  Which ones do you steer clear of?

12/23: Which holiday traditions do you embrace, and which ones make you cringe?

12/24: Charitable causes that are dear to you?  Even small acts!

12/25: Best ways to keep warm figuratively and literally. 

12/26: Who's ready to do some more shopping?  Any returns in particular?

12/27: How to keep the spirit of the season going?

12/28: Best holiday snack food?

12/29: Finish this sentence: If I had more time this season, I would have liked to ______.

12/30: Most unique thing you experienced this season.   (It can be super simple.)

12/31: Best thing to imbibe on for NYE?

1/1: Beauty resolutions?

Extra credit:

Holiday themed jewelry: festive or tacky?

Candy canes: yummy or no thanks?

Wrapping paper or gift bags?

Cookie exchanges: do people really do that?

Made for TV holiday movies: make it stop or the more the merrier?

Gaudy or minimalist decor?

Krampus or the Grinch?

Thoughts on holiday tropes?

What are you really into this year?  It could be a tradition, decor theme, type of beauty product, a song, etc.

What kind of wrapping paper, bows and tags do you just adore?

Getting gift cards: yay or nay?

What do you think of all the merchandising tie-ins with the holidays?

Favorite sort of gift to get as a child?

Has the true meaning of the holidays gotten lost?

How do you celebrate with your pets?

[CorgiMommy]

 Christmas Story is a classic @Titian06 I recently met someone who never saw it.  I didn't know that could be possible.   Lol

[caitbird]

@CorgiMommy  I love Elf and Love Actually too! I also love the Charlie Brown Christmas special.

[CorgiMommy]

@caitbird I forgot about Charlie Brown 

[caitbird]

12/15: Post your own prompt. What is your favorite holiday gift you've ever gotten? For me, I don't know if I could pick just one, but some that come to mind are cozy slippers, a tin of one of my favorite teas, and the throw blanket with cats on it that my brother got me last year. 😺

[CorgiMommy]

My favorite gift is every year I get a puppy a friend gives me a puppy 's first christmas ornament with their name on it.  It never fails to make me cry @caitbird 

[caitbird]

@CorgiMommy  that is so sweet!

[Titian06]

12/14: Ideal candles to light this time of year? Preferred seasonal scents in general?  I don't burn candles mostly because of the cats.  I do like wax melts.  My newest fave is butterscotch and bourbon made by a local business.  Of course, pumpkin spice; any warm kitchen spice like nutmeg, clove, cinnamon; sugared or caramelized pecans...I'm getting hungry!

[danielledanielle]

Oh that local one sounds fantastic @Titian06 

[caitbird]

Answering the extra credit questions in a separate post, since the first one was already pretty long...

Holiday themed jewelry: festive or tacky? Festive! I have a couple of cat Christmas earrings that I love.

by WilderMindDesignsCo on etsy

Candy canes: yummy or no thanks? They are nice once in a while, but not my favorite, personally - if I'm going to indulge, I prefer chocolate.

Wrapping paper or gift bags? I generally like to use wrapping paper, ribbon, gift tags, etc. and get really artistic with it - the downside of this is that now I have a reputation to maintain as someone whose gift wrapping always looks nice, so now I feel pressured 😅

Cookie exchanges: do people really do that? there is a local church in my area that does one every year - I've always thought it sounds like such a fun idea!

Made for TV holiday movies: make it stop or the more the merrier? I don't watch them myself, but if people enjoy them, why not?

Gaudy or minimalist decor? whatever floats your boat! I think my personal style is probably more maximalist, but not necessarily gaudy.

Krampus or the Grinch? The Grinch - Krampus is kind of scary, lol.

Thoughts on holiday tropes? like in Hallmark holiday rom-coms? i.e. the whole "big city girl goes back to her quaint hometown for the holiday and falls for the rugged local hunk" type of thing? Tbh, I think it would be more interesting to see a movie/story that parodies or subverts those tropes in some way.

What are you really into this year?  It could be a tradition, decor theme, type of beauty product, a song, etc. I am enjoying unboxing my advent calendars - I have been looking forward to them for months now, and I haven't been disappointed so far! Those of us here on BIC who are doing the advent calendar thing have been sharing our unboxings here: Re: Advent Calendars 2025 

What kind of wrapping paper, bows and tags do you just adore? I love artsy gift wrap that goes beyond the usual red/green/gold/white color schemes and the usual motifs. Anything beautiful and unique that catches my eye. I also usually get a roll of Holiday wrapping paper with dogs on it every year, since everyone in my immediate family is a dog person 🐶

Getting gift cards: yay or nay? I never object to gift cards - I know some people find them lazy or impersonal, but since I love shopping for myself, I'm fine with receiving them. I prefer not to gift them myself most of the time, though.

What do you think of all the merchandising tie-ins with the holidays? Ehhh, I'm not a fan of advertising and merchandising tie-ins in general, though I will admit, if it's something I'm a fan of personally, sometimes it can be cute.

Favorite sort of gift to get as a child? books (which I still love to receive) - I was a big reader as a child - and toys, probably.

Has the true meaning of the holidays gotten lost? I don't think it necessarily has - I know it can feel kind of overwhelming how commercialized and over-the-top the holidays can seem these days, but I think if you focus on feeling gratitude for what you have and on maintaining personal connections in your life, you can still find the magic there.

How do you celebrate with your pets? lots of extra treats and goodies and special toys for them, and some cute stuff for me to enjoy, too! I ordered them each one of these fun bandanas from Chewy this year (I think they are sold out now, unfortunately):

[danielledanielle]

12/1: What kinds of lip products are you reaching for this time of year? I'm currently in a situationship with SEPHORA COLLECTION Colorful 8HR Longwear Transferproof Lip Liner 15 Molasses + PAT McGRATH LABS Legendary Longwear Lip Pencil Structure (in their previous lives 

12/2: Do you prefer modern or classic holiday music? I prefer a lot of Motown classics for Christmas music, or think like Eartha Kitt's Santa baby

12/3: Which holiday movie/TV character needs their own spin-off or origins story? 🤔 I really lined E.l.f. and I kind of respect Will Ferrell for not doing a sequel, but it would be that one

12/4: How has your decorating style evolved?  What's your favorite decor item? It's de-evolved actually 🤣.  I'll eventually get back into it, but I love my Dior star and a Hershey Christmas ornament I still have from childhood.

12/5: Best way to faux fur? Oh, the big pink one I have in my The Fit, The Fab and The Face: Outfit and Inspo Thread 

12/6: What fall fashions are you reaching for?  And what about pajamas? I'm dorky enough where I've gotten the fam but one, but two sets of Christmas pjs.  Fall fashion, we're doing scarves and faux fur ATM 

12/7: Best winter comfort food or drink? Current obsession is Trader Joe's Maple Espresso tea with their Maple Cold Foam

12/8: What creams and lotions are your go-tos? Hanni Salve, Buttah Shea Butter

12/9: Best outdoor activities? If it's not miserable, a walk will do or the occasional ice skating 

12/10: What's your gifting style?  What do you like to give/receive in grab bags?  Any funny Secret Santa stories?

12/11: Favorite winter flora and fauna? Already answered below 👇🏽 

12/12: Post a holiday meme.

I'm not sure if that's how you spell "yamaka" but otherwise it's fitting

12/13: Best kind of stocking stuffers? Last year (or two years ago) I split up the Nars mini lip glosses with myself (of course) and two of my buds, it was nice, we all had a mini of what we liked.

12/14: Ideal candles to light this time of year?  Preferred seasonal scents in general? I'm always for MM by the Fireplace or Nette Sunday Chess, but I would love to get my hands on MM winter stroll if it's still available

[caitbird]

@danielledanielle  I love The Hanukkah Song! 🤣

[caitbird]

@greeneyedgirl107  yay, thank you for making this thread! I always look forward to it every year! 🎄

I have some catching up to do, oops...

12/1: What kinds of lip products are you reaching for this time of year? Mostly lip balms lately - tinted for daytime, non-tinted for nighttime. My lips always get so dry this time of year, so I am constantly reapplying. Today's lip balm is Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm Treatment for Hydration + Nourishing Shine Iced Coffee - sheer cocoa  (the mini from last year's holiday set)

12/2: Do you prefer modern or classic holiday music? Both! I love all kinds of holiday music, and I am always looking for new-to-me holiday music to add to my playlist every year. My "Christmas favorites" Spotify playlist is currently sitting at 200 songs - everything from medieval French Christmas music by the Boston Camerata, to The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky, to A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi Trio, to classics by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, to selections from all 6 of Kate Rusby's Christmas albums...

12/3: Which holiday movie/TV character needs their own spin-off or origins story? hmm, I've never thought about this before, but I think I'm going to second @CorgiMommy suggestion: Max the dog from How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

12/4: How has your decorating style evolved?  What's your favorite decor item? I don't really know how my decorating style has evolved...maybe, I would say that I'm less precious about having everything "just so" these days, and am better at just appreciating things the way they are, imperfections and all. A lot of my family's Christmas ornaments are ones we made when my brother and I were kids, so I love the memories attached to those. Some of my favorites of those are very simple, such as ornaments made of pinecones dabbed with white paint to look like snow.

12/5: Best way to faux fur? blankets! I love blankets, and faux fur blankets are so cozy!

12/6: What fall fashions are you reaching for?  And what about pajamas? sweaters of all kinds are a must this time of year, as are hand warmers/fingerless gloves (I have poor circulation, so my hands get super cold). I love my green and pink plaid Victoria's Secret pajamas.

12/7: Best winter comfort food or drink? Soups, stews and chilis are always favorites this time of year. For drinks, tea is a must, or the occasional hot chocolate.

12/8: What creams and lotions are your go-tos? lately, I have been appreciating Farmacy Honey Halo Ultra-Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer 1.7/50  since my skin barrier is a bit compromised at the moment, and this is very soothing

12/9: Best outdoor activities? going for a nice walk with the dog and appreciating the sights of nature in winter! ❄️🐕

12/10: What's your gifting style?  What do you like to give/receive in grab bags?  Any funny Secret Santa stories? I like to give gifts that are specific to the recipient - so for example, my mom likes to cook, so this year I am giving her a cookbook holder/stand and a new cookbook to go with it. Things that I would give/like to receive in grab bags could include hand cream, hand sanitizer, lip balm, tea, hot cocoa, socks, pens, etc. I've never done a Secret Santa.

12/11: Favorite winter flora and fauna? One of my favorite signs of winter are the dark-eyed juncos - they spend their breeding season north of where I live, but migrate "south" (for them) to here for the winter. When I see them, I know the cold weather has really arrived.

photo by Scott Martin via allaboutbirds (dot) org

12/12: Post a holiday meme.

12/13: Best kind of stocking stuffers? It depends on the recipient and what they like, but chocolates, lip balm or hand cream, socks, little stationery items (pens, stickers, washi tape, etc.) are all pretty safe bets usually (and things I always enjoy receiving myself)

12/14: Ideal candles to light this time of year?  Preferred seasonal scents in general? I am currently enjoying the Nest Holiday candle, which is one of my favorite holiday candles. Voluspa Noble Fir Garland is another nice winter scent. For this time of year, I like any scents with pine, juniper berries, cloves, cinnamon, cocoa, coffee, and more.

[CorgiMommy]

12/14: Ideal candles to light this time of year? Preferred seasonal scents in general?  I don't burn candles do to the risks.  I do use the flameless candles instead.  I love pine scent this time of year.

[WinglessOne]

12/4: How has your decorating style evolved? What's your favorite decor item? I used to put up a midsize tree (4-5’ tall) and decorate it, but I stopped doing that years ago. The only thing I do now is add one new ornament/decorative item to my wreath each year. (It’s an ongoing thing with the same wreath.) I didn’t do it last year though.

12/5: Best way to faux fur? Hmm, not something I normally think much about unless something I want (coat, hat, boots, etc.) happens to have a faux fur trim. I don’t actively seek out faux fur stuff unless I need it for a craft or art project.

12/6: What fall fashions are you reaching for? And what about pajamas? Oh, we’re beyond fall in my corner of the world: our first serious cold snap of the season (teens to single digits) started this weekend. Whether fall or winter, I’m unlikely to follow any fashion trend unless I can’t buy anything outside that trend. (Glaring at you, high rise jeans/pants. What happened to true midrise pants, or even low rise pants? Some of us need them because we’re short and/or short-waisted, dang it. High rise anything is almost a onesie on me. 🤦‍♀️)

Pajamas: when lounging around home, I don’t usually wear pjs. I just throw on a zip-up robe or a pair of sweat pants + t-shirt. No special holiday pjs for me. When sleeping, I like to wear as little (or no) clothing as possible, especially now that perimenopause is kicking my butt. I did recently find the perfect-for-me lightweight, wool, loose-fit shirts: I can comfortably sleep in them without overheating. And I almost always wear wool socks to bed because my feet get too chilly.

12/9: Best outdoor activities? Walking around town during gentle snowfall, preferably with a cup of hot coffee. And stargazing, when it’s not insta-freeze temps outside and I can avoid light pollution (no full moon, fewer city lights). If I was still a kid, I’d say building snow forts.

12/10: What's your gifting style? What do you like to give/receive in grab bags? Any funny Secret Santa stories? Not sure I have a specific gifting style… I just try to gift things recipients will enjoy, so I tailor gifts to individual recipients. I do have a funny Secret Santa story but it’s probably NSFBIC so I shouldn’t tell it here. 😅

12/11: Favorite winter flora and fauna? All the small birds who choose to stick out a Great Lakes winter (instead of migrating to warmer climates). Also, snowy owls who visit my city in winter. Seeing them in person is always special.

12/12: Post a holiday meme.

12/13: Best kind of stocking stuffers? Depends on whose stocking it is. Candy (including sugar-free) is appreciated by most folks, so it’s a good stuffing base. I’d add other things based on the recipient’s likes: lip balms, hand creams, bag charms, warm socks, gift cards for coffee shops/bakeries/etc., packs of tea, hair accessories, small toys/plushies/figurines, etc.

One year, I helped a friend stuff her teen stepson’s stocking; they’d been a family for just a few months and she was still getting to know him, since he mostly lived with his mom at the time. He was an avid runner, so I suggested adding a few pairs of good quality shoelaces (that’d actually stay tied without quickly fraying/breaking) long enough for the way he liked to lace his running shoes, plus some of his preferred running socks. Another friend’s daughter had recently earned her pointe shoes, so her stocking included things she’d use to customize them and attach her ribbons.

Answering tomorrow’s question now: 

12/14: Ideal candles to light this time of year? Preferred seasonal scents in general? I don’t normally pick candle scents based on season; I love cedar, pine, pomander, and smoky candles year round, not just in December. It’s still hard to find candles that smell smoky enough for me. I wish Le Labo would create a Patchouli 24 candle.

[Titian06]

12/13: Best kind of stocking stuffers?  Those fun little things you find and think "that would be perfect for..." but don't have a reason to buy.

[CorgiMommy]

12/13: Best kind of stocking stuffers?  I recently saw a cute LED compact mirror and brought a bunch.  They come in lots of colors.  Other ideas makeup, fun socks,  mini hand cream,  mugs, and sweets.  

[Titian06]

12/1: What kinds of lip products are you reaching for this time of year?  

- #Nécessaire The Lip Balm

- #Laniege Lip Mask Matcha

12/2: Do you prefer modern or classic holiday music?  Rock 'n' roll all the way! 🎶🎸🎤

12/3: Which holiday movie/TV character needs their own spin-off or origins story?  --

12/4: How has your decorating style evolved?  What's your favorite decor item?  I don't decorate.

12/5: Best way to faux fur?  Who needs faux fur when I have all-natural cat hair all over everything?! 🤣

12/6: What fall fashions are you reaching for?  And what about pajamas?  I don't follow fashions.  It's cardigans for me.  I've been wearing Land's End nightgowns for years.

12/7: Best winter comfort food or drink?  Food:  lentils; drink:  hot chocolate.

12/8: What creams and lotions are your go-tos?

- SEPHORA COLLECTION All Day Body Hydrator with Shea Butter 13.5 oz / 400 mL 

- Tatcha The Water Cream Oil-Free Pore Minimizing Refillable Moisturizer 2.5 oz / 75 mL 

12/9: Best outdoor activities?  Shivering? 🥶

12/10: What's your gifting style?  What do you like to give/receive in grab bags?  Any funny Secret Santa stories?  The best Secret Santa gift I ever received was my cat Arley.

12/11: Favorite winter flora and fauna?  I love white poinsettias!  I used to buy them every year from a work colleague's daughter who sold them for school fund raising.  I really miss that.

12/12: Post a holiday meme.

Extra credit:

Holiday themed jewelry: festive or tacky?  Festive.

Candy canes: yummy or no thanks?  Most are yum.

Wrapping paper or gift bags?  I crochet gift bags.

Cookie exchanges: do people really do that?  We had one yesterday at work.  It was great! 🍪

Made for TV holiday movies: make it stop or the more the merrier?  I don't watch the, so it doesn't matter.

Gaudy or minimalist decor?  Minimalist.

Krampus or the Grinch?  Grinch.  Who's Krampus?

Thoughts on holiday tropes?  I don't know what this means?

What are you really into this year?  It could be a tradition, decor theme, type of beauty product, a song, etc.  Looking forward to my time off.

What kind of wrapping paper, bows and tags do you just adore?  Something that looks like the giver put thought into it.

Getting gift cards: yay or nay?  Yay.

What do you think of all the merchandising tie-ins with the holidays?  Nay.

Favorite sort of gift to get as a child?  Record albums.

Has the true meaning of the holidays gotten lost?  Probably not since it started out as a pagan holiday and was commandeered by the Christians to fit their purposes.

How do you celebrate with your pets?  Treats and toys.

[caitbird]

the struggle is real 🤣

[Titian06]

I can so relate, @caitbird ! 🤣

[CorgiMommy]

Your answer to winter activities is hilarious @Titian06 

[CorgiMommy]

Extra credit:

Holiday themed jewelry: festive or tacky?  I think it is adorable 

Candy canes: yummy or no thanks?  Totally yummy except maybe the pickle flavored ones

Wrapping paper or gift bags?  Wrapping paper,  gift bags are not my style 

Cookie exchanges: do people really do that?  I havent done one in years

Made for TV holiday movies: make it stop or the more the merrier?  They are a great way to kill a few hours wrapping gifts 

Gaudy or minimalist decor?  Minimalist decor but that is my style year round

Krampus or the Grinch?  The Grinch is the man!!

Thoughts on holiday tropes?  Not something that crosses my mind

What are you really into this year? It could be a tradition, decor theme, type of beauty product, a song, etc.  Mannhiem Steamroller and wishing for snow (it is too warm here)

What kind of wrapping paper, bows and tags do you just adore?  Loving plaid wrapping paper and anything Grinch themed

Getting gift cards: yay or nay? No

What do you think of all the merchandising tie-ins with the holidays?  kind of sad

Favorite sort of gift to get as a child?  Legos 

Has the true meaning of the holidays gotten lost?  Only if you let it

How do you celebrate with your pets?  the holidays wouldnt be the holidays without them!  The fun revolves around them as it does the rest of the year.