MILA

A Very MiLa Holiday

Living in LA during the holidays can be amazing, the temperature is fabulous, there are no weather delays, I can get the most incredible, fresh, organic foods for our feasts...but I will say, I feel a slight disconnect from the holiday cheer and excitement that I recall feeling growing up in Michigan as a young girl.

My fiancé laughs because I have a few things I have to do the moment Thanksgiving hits until the ball drops at midnight on New Years to get me in the spirit! 

I thought I'd share what this California girl does to make it feel a little more like home...

Harvest Decor

Roll out the pumpkins and hay...I wish I was joking! Last year I had a huge bail of hay with white pumpkins displayed around it posted up in the middle of my yard in the Marina! 75 degrees, tons of boaters and paddle boarders gliding by in their swimsuits! I also love to cook Thanksgiving dinner, entertaining is by far the highlight of my existence! The best part might be the table though...I get out my grandmothers dishes, do a formal place-setting and create a cool-gorgeous center-piece. 

The Nutcracker Ballet 

Every year, the first week of December we go to a production of the Nutcracker Ballet. I have fond memories of going with my sisters and grandmother to the FOX Theatre in Detroit, getting all dressed up in our fanciest dresses, fur-trimmed coats and hand muffs. It was such a special, glamorous time for my sisters and I! On top of that, the ballet is my favorite production...I love the expression and magic the dancers bring to the stage. I feel transported into that world for just a few hours and it certainly gets me in the holiday spirit!

Mariah Carey Christmas Album

"All I want for Christmas is You" is on repeat, blasting in the house and in the car. I can't help it, anyone that knows me will tell you Mariah is by far, my favorite artist of all time. So you know this album and every song on it are my go-to jams! I remember sitting in our living room listening to these songs, in front of the fireplace watching the snow fall out the front window, and if I had to pick one thing, this is my favorite...the music just does it for me.

                 

Holiday Films

Holiday films are such a great way to get in the spirit! I love snuggling up on the sofa in my ridiculous flannel Hello Kitty pajamas with (spiked) hot drink in-hand and turning on one of the following:

A Charlie Brown Christmas

A Christmas Story

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation

The Holiday

Home Alone

It's a Wonderful Life

Ice Skating

December 2 is my birthday and all I ask for every year is for someone to go ice skating with me the week of my birthday! The W Hotel used to set up a cool faux ice rink where you could lounge outside, get dinner and cocktails... lace up your skates and glide around on their interesting-- to say the least, make shift rink! My preferred option is Downtown Santa Monica, they do a wonderful job at setting up this incredible real ice rink in the heart of the city. Adorned with perfectly strung white lights, hot-coco stands, holiday music blasting and there are surprisingly cooler temperatures being that it is so close to the ocean. I love to wear my favorite sweater, hat and gloves and circle around for an hour or so!

Ski Trip

For New Years, or just after, we try to take a ski trip every year. I love to ski, I'm certainly not the greatest but after 2-3 hours of getting my confidence back on the Bunny Slopes I am happy to jump on the blues and greens! I love it because I feel so much solitude, so blissful being in nature, challenging my own strength and fears...breathing in fresh, crisp air and having that feeling of full concentration yet complete surrender to the open slopes. The snow is what does it though. There is nothing a Michigan girl loves more than a little snow during the holidays...it just seems to pull it all together.