Floral Swing Dress || Waist Belt || Heels (old, similar linked) || Purse

 What an exciting and busy week ahead for all of us. If you follow me over on Instagram, then you already know I’m currently flying home for Thanksgiving. This week can be slightly hectic, to say the least, so I wanted to sit down and whip up a mindful blog post for you all.  

I know most of you are probably en route to friend’s or family’s houses and running around like crazy getting last minute items for your own Thanksgiving day feast. This is a jam-packed week, we have Thanksgiving Day, not to mention Thanksgiving Day football along with Black Friday shopping and traveling to boot. All in all, I wanted to take a second and write down 7 New England Holiday Traditions I’m Thankful For, before all the Black Friday content consumes. 

Okay, The Coastal Confidence is a New England lifestyle blog that aims to help you guys embrace all the charms and traditions of New England living. While this might mean different things to different people; I wanted to take time to share 7 traditions that really make New England home for me, during this holiday season. 

1) Seasonal Inspiration – New Englanders have a way of embracing seasonal textures, colors, and tastes and allowing them to inspire decoration within and on the exterior of the home. New Englanders really go above and beyond to decorate with seasonal and local items that bring to life an ambiance like no other. Each year, usually on Black Friday, my family and I go all out with decorating our home. My Mom goes above and beyond filling the inside of the house with holiday figurines. While my dad climbs up onto the roof to deck the halls. By the end of the night our home, inside and out, is literally glowing with holiday inspiration. 

2) Taking our annual Christmas Photo – Each year, my Mom has my siblings and I take our annual Christmas card picture with Santa. Yup, all four of us drive to the mall, sit on Santa’s lap, and get our annual family Christmas card done. We’ve been doing this exact photo set-up since birth, and it’s my Mom’s only holiday request for us each year. I will say it’s a comical sight, seeing all of us in our twenties dressed up on Santa’s lap, maybe I’ll share this year’s card with you all over on instagram. 

3) Seeing the Holiday Pops – Are you even a New Englander if you haven’t seen the Holiday Pops from the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This show has been a New England tradition since 1973 and it’s the ideal way to cap off a visit to Boston during the holiday season.  

4) Picking Up a Munson’s Advent Calendar – I have to admit this is a newer tradition for me, but a tradition I want to keep. Matt and I started purchasing Munson Advent calendars for each other last year, and it was a hit. It’s a delicious way to support a local New England business while putting on some winter weight, I kid, I kid. 

5) Publick House Historic Inn at Christmas – The Publick House is one of my favorite New England restaurants to visit, during the holiday season. This wide plank-floored restaurant in Sturbridge MA brings Yankee hospitality to life. Founded in 1791, The Publick House and inn is worth the drive to visit. In fact, I’m already planning on making the drive up next week, with my sister Tessa.   

6) Bright Nights in Springfield, MA – On November 24th, This Friday to be exact, Bright Nights in Springfield MA will open for its 21st season! With that being said, visiting Bright Nights has been a holiday tradition literally for 21 years. I have pictures of myself attending the event with my cousins Allison and Katie, at five years old. Fast forward to today, I have images from Matt and I visiting the event way back in high school. This Christmas Light celebration has a special place in my heart and I really make an effort to go each year, no matter what.  

7) Sleigh Rides in New Hampshire – New England communities really go all out come Christmas. Some of the fondest traditions are brought to life, like a holiday sleigh ride. My neighborhood often got together to pitch in money to hire sleigh riders to give rides for an evening however when that ended, I found this local farm in NH that hosts 30-minute horse-drawn sleigh rides lights and holiday scenes. While I haven’t been to this specific event personally, I’m already making arrangements to attend this year. 

All and all this post has me overjoyed for the upcoming holiday season. Truth be told I’m watching a Hallmark Christmas movie as we speak, and can I just say those movies get better and better each year! 

Anyway, I hope this post inspired you to embrace holiday traditions and I’d love to hear of any you have below. xx Aubrey 

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