DFW Christmas 2017

When the calendar hits November 1st, this is how I feel on the inside...

(Confession: I saw Elf for the first time LAST year! Why did it take me so long??? It is now one of my favorites!)

I start watching Christmas movies, wearing Christmas pjs, decorating for Christmas, Christmas shopping, and generally allowing the Christmas spirit to set in! 

I love all the ways DFW has to really experience and celebrate the holidays, but there are a few that stand out to me! I have conveniently compiled a list of my top three! 

1.) ICE! at the Gaylord! 

Each year the Gaylord has a new theme. In years past it has been Frosty the Snowman, Christmas Around the World, Charlie Brown Christmas, Shrek the Halls, and more! This year it is Twas the Night Before Christmas! Basically everything in ICE! is exactly that...ice! The video you can watch before you go in is great, and you really get an appreciation for all the work that goes it to making it what it is. It is 9 degrees in ICE!, so you may want to wear thick socks, brings gloves, and maybe a beanie. The super cute coats (insert sarcasm) they give you, will keep you warm enough, but I'd still suggest wearing a little something under it. 

2. Enchant at Globe Life Park

The Christmas Light Maze was more like a scavenger hunt, and you try to find all of Santa's Reindeer.

We found Rudolph! 

Within the "maze" there are so many great places to snap pictures! If you're going with a group, take your selfie stick and thank me later! 

I don't even really know what all these stalagmite type things are supposed to be, so we referred to them as stalagmites!

We found all of Santa's reindeer! You'd think my card would be the bottom, since it's scratched out all nicely. Nope. 

There is also a Christmas market where you can buy all kinds of things. Everything from candied pecans, to authentic Russian toys. We grabbed a hot chocolate as we strolled through.

There is also a real ice skating rink, which for us Texans is a big deal. With the weather being SO warm this season, I'm not sure how they are managing to keep ice on the rink! There were TONS of people ice skating, so we chose to avoid the rink! We were really surprised at how much we enjoyed Enchant. I don't think we expected we'd love it as much as we did! 

3. Highland Park Village/Highland Park

The first time I drove in to Highland Park Village at Christmas, this was my reaction...

I was with several other people, so I kind of had to keep it together. All I really wanted to do was jump out of the car and stare. It was one of the most magical things I've ever seen! 

I was not able to enjoy the trees near as much as I wanted to on that particular evening, so Matthew made sure to take me out there a few weeks later. Now we go every single year. We show up after the shops close, and wonder around the village drinking coffee (there's a Starbucks right in Highland Park Village), window shopping, and enjoying the magical lights. 

This is a picture from the first time we roamed around, and it has become a tradition each year! 

I only have the one picture of the Highland Park, which works because I don't want to spoil the magic for you! I promise, it is something everyone needs to see. The trees are huge, and every one is completely wrapped in white Christmas lights!

What do I suggest today??? I think it's pretty obvious!

1. Check out ICE! at the Gaylord. It runs until January 1, 2018, and is great for a date, family outing, or for groups of friends. There are great dinner options at the Gaylord as well. They have everything from Mexican, to a sports bar type place, to a great steak house!

2. Go to Enchant! Seriously, it was even better than I thought it was going to be. It runs until December 31, 2017. There are great dinner options close by, but my go to would be Pappadeaux! It's basically impossible to resist the shrimp and crawfish fondeaux, or shrimp and grits!

3. Go to Highland Park Village and enjoy the magic! You can head to Mi Cocina for dinner, Starbucks for coffee, and window shop at all the fabulous stores. (This is how Matthew realized there was a difference between Louie Vuitton and Louboutin!) There are also carriage rides that take you around the neighborhoods. Carriage rides aren't my thing, hence why I haven't done it. Though with little kids, it would probably be great!