If you know me, you know that winter is my favorite season. There’s something just so magical about the snow, the fashion, twinkle lights, and bundling up to brace the cold. Also, I love peppermint hot chocolate with all my heart and it’s really only available during winter.

To me, winter break is the best time of the year! I love being home in my small hometown in Ohio, being with friends and family, celebrating the holidays, the snow, and all the food I get to eat. However, over winter break I always end up staying in bed, watching Christmas movies, and drinking hot chocolate. Not that that any of those are bad things, I just never get around to doing all the things I want to do. This year, I’ve decided to make a bucket list for the 19 days I’m home.

So here ya go!

Hannah’s Winter Break Bucket List 2016:

• Go ice-skating! Every year I tell myself that I’ll go ice-skating with my friends, and every year I never do. So this year, I will make plans to go ice-skating in Dayton, OH at the rink by the river. It’s such a beautiful place, to have the city on one side, and the Great Miami River on the other side.
• Start and finish a book! I’ve always loved reading, but since I started college, I’ve found it hard to make time to read, let alone finish a book. I have dozens of amazing novels and non-fiction books that I’ve wanted to read, like Devil in the White City, All Rivers Run to the Sea, and A Casual Vacancy. So this break, I plan on starting and finishing at least one book, or maybe all three.
• Donate old clothes! I have so many clothes that I don’t wear, and don’t need. So rather than keeping them, and letting them take up space I could use for other things, I’ve decided to donate them to my local Salvation Army.
• Bake cookies! Just like ice-skating, I also tell myself every year that I’ll bake cookies or other desserts and pastries with my mom. And yet, we never do, so this year will be different.
• Have a spa day with my friends! My friends and I love doing facemasks and painting our nails, so this year I plan on making a whole day out of it. We’ve already decided that we will do homemade facials, do our nails, make hair masks, and have tea.
• Set (and keep) a New Year’s resolution! This is another thing I never accomplish. Over break I will figure out what I want my New Year’s resolution to be, and then hopefully I’ll be able to keep it.
• Have a movie marathon (with friends)! Fortunately, I do this every year so it’s an easy thing to cross off my list. But this year, I plan on sharing my movie night with my best friends!
• Go shopping! Not only do I want to go shopping, but NEED to. So far, I only have Christmas presents for my friends, but I’m really excited to shop for my family for the holidays.
• Relax! I think most people spend their breaks relaxing, but I think it’s especially important for college students to take their time to relax after the stress of finals, and the semester. So don’t worry, I’ll spend a lot of time relaxing too.