Sunday Night Survey: Consumerism & Camaraderie Edition

I'll never be a social butterfly or a person who loves shopping, but I can pretend for a weekend--this weekend to be specific. I officially started my Christmas shopping, which leaves me feeling strangely content and successful despite my distaste for the consumption of the season. I also caught up with two friends from different circles of my life. Altogether, the weekend was refreshing and a great kickoff to my subtle festivity (Subtle Festivity is coincidentally a proposed title for my pretend lifestyle blog).

Macy's: outdoing everyone else's festivity since 1858.

Making: chicken noodle soup from scratch (whole chicken, store-bought noodles).
Drinking: tea at home, tea at tea shops, tea in Starbucks, and tea before bed.
Eating: in a very crowded Macy's food court.
Traveling: up and down escalators in search of better views and to cross off my shopping list.
Finding: a few deals along the way.
Talking: about siblings and parents and heath insurance and life goals.
Picking: out my health insurance plan for next year. I can't wait to hardly use it (because knock on wood I'm luckily and purposefully healthy).
Marveling: at the amount of people out shopping.
Wandering: past and through the Christkindl Market (very briefly--it was packed on Saturday night).
Watching: the Badgers lose the Big 10 Championship spectacularly.
Breaking: in a brand new journal, a good time for...
Re-committing: myself to my personal writing practice.
Reading: Cooked by Michael Pollan.
Getting: my news from SNL.
Putting: away the orange-colored and pumpkin-flavored candles.
Pulling: out the reds, greens, pines, and cinnamons.
Arranging: one strand of Christmas lights over our living room window. Festivity!