32. Holiday Traditions That Feel Good in Midlife

In this cozy episode of Midlife and Glowing, Alicia and Nicole lean into the magic, meaning, and realness of holiday traditions in midlife. From nostalgic Christmas movies and family baking days to holiday music, gatherings, and redefining what “togetherness” looks like as life evolves, this episode is a reminder that the holidays don’t need to be perfect to be meaningful.

They explore how midlife brings shifting family dynamics, deeper emotions, and the opportunity to release pressure and embrace presence.

If the holidays feel joyful and exhausting, this conversation is for you. It’s about choosing connection over perfection, creating traditions that nourish you, and allowing yourself to actually enjoy the season you work so hard to make magical.

⏱️ Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 Welcome to Midlife and Glowing
 01:05 Why holiday traditions shift in midlife
 02:10 Holiday movie favorites + cozy nostalgia
 06:10 Hallmark movies + decision fatigue & comfort rewatches
 10:35 Polar Express memories + family movie traditions
 13:20 Holiday food + why cooking together matters
 16:55 Special holiday meals (prime rib, Swedish meatballs, crème brûlée)
 19:10 Hosting without stress (pizza + paper plates permission slip)
 20:10 Holiday music + when you start playing it
 23:40 Holiday experiences (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Nutcracker)
 25:10 Gatherings, games, and family laughter moments
 30:10 Bake-a-thon, lights, rapid-fire, and wrap-up

📌 Resources:
✨ Daily Glow Rituals Guide → https://stan.store/thedailyglowlife/p/daily-glow-rituals-guide
A simple, grounding way to support your nervous system, energy, and self-care through the busy holiday season.

Transcript

Alicia 0:00

Hey there. Welcome back to Midlife and Glowing. I'm Alicia.

Nicole 0:03

And I'm Nicole, and today we're getting into one of our favorite topics of the year, holiday traditions.

Alicia 0:09

Yes, the lights, the movies, the baking, the chaos, all of it. It's such a magical time of year, but it can also feel like a lot.

Nicole 0:17

Oh, totally. The holidays can be this mix of nostalgia and pressure. Joy and exhaustion, excitement, and like, how am I still wrapping gifts at Midnight energy. Especially in midlife, we're juggling a lot.

Alicia 0:31

Right, and it's like we're the glue that holds everything together, the holiday planner, the gift buyer, the chef, the memory maker, and even though we love it, there's this little voice sometimes that says, remember to actually enjoy this too.

Nicole 0:46

Yeah, right. We get so caught up in making the holidays magical for everyone else that we forget we deserve to experience the magic too.

Alicia 0:54

And that's really why we wanted to do this episode because for so many of us in midlife traditions start to change. Kids are growing up, family dynamic shifts. Maybe loved ones aren't around like they used to be. It can stir up a lot.

Nicole 1:08

Yeah, and the holidays can be hard. It can be this mix of stress or maybe sadness if you've lost someone and they're not there to experience it with you anymore. But then there's also so much magic and joy and little moments that feel special. The rituals, the laughter, the music, the lights, and the quiet moments too.

Alicia 1:26

So today we wanted to share some of our favorite traditions, the movies, the music, the baking, the Family Chaos, all the things that make this season special for us. And hopefully it reminds you to find those simple, joyful moments in your own holiday season.

Nicole 1:42

Okay, so let's set the scene fireplace crackling fuzzy socks on coffee in hand. We're just hanging out, talking about all the holiday things we love.

Alicia 1:52

All right, let's dive in.

Nicole 1:53

Okay. Let's start with holiday movies. I mean, we absolutely love holiday movies in our house. We're movies, buffs in general, but Christmas movies are just extra special.

Alicia 2:03

This is definitely the time of year where I actually will watch movies.

Nicole 2:06

Yeah.

Alicia 2:07

And some of my go-tos I would say are Elf Christmas Vacation Home Alone, the Grinch and the Polar Express.

Nicole 2:18

Mm-hmm. Those are good ones. Those are definitely some of our favorites too. If I were to choose an absolute favorite, Jim Carey's a Christmas Carol. It's like animated, but it's so good that we will literally put that on repeat in our house. And you, you gotta have the good old classics Rankin and Bass, like the stop motion Rudolph the Red Nose reindeer. And then what's the other one oh, the Year Without a Santa Claus. Those are classics. Those bring me back to childhood for sure.

Alicia 2:48

Yes.

Nicole 2:48

Nightmare before Christmas is great. And then Disney did a series called Prep and Landing. They're just 30 minute holiday movies, but they're so cute. They're about elves and they're really cute. So if you have Disney, I would definitely check that out. then

Alicia 3:04

those.

Nicole 3:05

they're so cute. They're, they're just short little episodes, you know, like I said, they're like maybe 30 minutes,

Alicia 3:11

I think I could handle 30

Nicole 3:12

Yeah. Yeah. They're, they're cute. You'd like'em. Uh, and then one that I discovered is also close to, it's up there as far as one of my favorites for animated movies is Klaus. It's K-L-A-U-S. And we discovered it a couple years ago. But it's so cute and literally every single time I see it, I cry. No joke every time and I've seen it a a ton of times every single time. So it's so good. It gets you

Alicia 3:43

one.

Nicole 3:44

it. Oh, you'd love it. It's so cute. It's like got this cute little mix of like funny but also so heartwarming, it's cute.

Alicia 3:52

I'll have to give that one a watch. We'll have to maybe add that to the list this year.

Nicole 3:57

Yeah, I mean, movies just definitely like, it's part of the season, it just adds to the nostalgia, the comfort, the simplicity and connection. And, you know, just a, a fun way, like this time of year, you know, we're in the Midwest, so it's cold outside. You just wanna like be wrapped in a cozy blanket, watching a yes, watching a movie, maybe you got a fire going or something. It just is part of the holiday experience for us, I think.

Alicia 4:25

Yeah. I mean, I'm not going outside. I'm allergic to snow and cold.

Nicole 4:29

Yeah, no, thanks.

Alicia 4:30

yeah, I mean, when you're kind of forced to be inside, those are the nostalgic, cozy things.

Nicole 4:38

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 4:38

this time of year, you know, I'm not a huge, TV or movie watcher, so generally during the year, I don't do a whole lot of watching, you know, anything. But this is the time of year when I will watch something, you know, like these movies. It just like gets you ready for all of the,

Nicole 4:58

Yeah.

Alicia 4:58

Christmas experience, the holiday season. You know, I was, I think it was in October. And I turned on the TV and I'm like, oh, geez, I'm not here often, you know, like in front of the tv, you know, I was at loose ends, I didn't know what to do with myself and, my boys were having people over and I'm like, gosh, what do I, you know, like, what do I do? So I'm like, okay, fine. I'm gonna turn on the TV so I don't look like a loser sitting here on the couch. By myself. and I'm like, gosh, I don't even know what to watch. And then I noticed there was already holiday shows coming up and I'm like, can I do this now? Like, can I really turn on a holiday show or a holiday movie?

Nicole 5:41

Right.

Alicia 5:41

did decide against it because it was, it was early October. I wanna say. I ultimately, I did decide against it, but not because I thought it was too early or anything, which, uh, maybe, you know,

Nicole 5:54

Yeah.

Alicia 5:55

seeing like the holiday stuff come out, you know, the Christmas stuff come

Nicole 5:58

Yeah.

Alicia 5:59

that early, I'm like, oh gosh, you know, like, I'm not quite ready. You know, it was actually, we had a really unseasonably warm early fall

Nicole 6:07

Yeah.

Alicia 6:07

and know, we're like very unseasonable for the Midwest and then I'm seeing Christmas stuff. I'm like, no, we're

Nicole 6:16

doesn't feel right.

Alicia 6:17

it still feels like summer,

Nicole 6:19

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 6:20

you know, and you still have Halloween, you still have Thanksgiving, you

Nicole 6:24

Yeah,

Alicia 6:24

you're like throwing up the Christmas stuff already. I just was not quite ready for it. But, you know, I was considering turning on that Christmas show and I think that would've been acceptable, but

Nicole 6:34

that's funny.

Alicia 6:35

did decide against it.

Nicole 6:37

I actually called grandma and you know, we were chatting and I said, well, have you, you know, busted out the hallmark uh, stuff?'cause I know how much she loves those Hallmark movies. And gosh, around the holidays, like Hallmark movies are a thing. Like I've never really gotten into'em, but I know the ladies in our family, a lot of ladies in our family. Really get into the holiday, the Hallmark holiday movies. And so I asked her, and again, it was like early October, and she was like, oh yeah. She's like, actually, I've been watching holiday movies since June because she has the Hallmark channel. And she's like, they have'em all the time. So I've been watching them since June. I'm like, oh my gosh.

Alicia 7:17

She is,

Nicole 7:17

is,

Alicia 7:18

She's

Nicole 7:19

ready.

Alicia 7:19

spirit. Oh my gosh. You know, I can only do the Hallmark shows like in little spurts.

Nicole 7:27

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 7:28

you know,'cause a lot of times it's like. Full body cringe. You know, it is like a heartwarming, you know, it always ends in a kiss. You know, there's always like a Christmas tree lighting in the center of town. You know, they're very predictable. Okay. But if you're looking for kind of just a something on in the background, they can be

Nicole 7:49

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Alicia 7:51

'cause this always ends in a happy story.

Nicole 7:53

Yeah,

Alicia 7:54

you know, when we do get together and mom or other sister are in charge of the tv, it's the Hallmark channel and it's a hard sell.

Nicole 8:05

That's a hard one for me. Yeah.

Alicia 8:07

know, I typically don't watch, you know, I, I don't watch much, but I do find myself like kind of getting sucked in a little and then I'm like, oh, I need to look away. It's too cringey. Uh, but you know, if you need something mindless, there you go.

Nicole 8:21

part of the holiday experience for, you know.

Alicia 8:25

I mean that for sure. And

Nicole 8:27

Yeah.

Alicia 8:27

even like. Gosh, I think the whole part of like, the reason why I don't watch a whole lot is because you turn on the TV and it's like daunting. How do you even know what to watch?

Nicole 8:39

Oh wait.

Alicia 8:39

time you finally decide on something, it's an hour later and you only wanted to do it an hour before you went to bed. And. Now it's, you need to go to bed. So, and you didn't even watch anything. You've just been looking through it all. So I think

Nicole 8:51

Yeah.

Alicia 8:52

like, I don't even know what to watch at this point, so I just get frustrated trying to pick something out. But,

Nicole 8:58

That's funny.

Alicia 8:59

some of those, like if my daughter wants to watch something, we'll just turn on, you know, some that you can see on Amazon Prime or something, a little holiday, you know, same type of thing. It's not Hallmark, but it's the same type of thing. And you know, it is, it's an easy watch.

Nicole 9:14

Yeah. That's funny you say that about the decision fatigue. I feel like. Often if I'm in charge of choosing the movie, we watch a lot of the same stuff because I know what I like. And it's funny because he'll wanna suggest different things or new things or things that I haven't seen. And I'm almost always hesitant for some reason. Like there's something about like. Am I gonna like it? Also, sometimes he's tricked me before into watching scary movies, which I don't like. So I'm like, Hmm, what kind of movie are we talking here? You know? But it is funny that you say that it's, sometimes I find myself, I don't know what it is, it's like something about the unknown. Like I, I don't know. I'm not quite sure what it is, but I do find myself. Veering towards things that I've already seen.

Alicia 10:00

Oh, for sure. Yeah.

Nicole 10:01

like if I'm on

Alicia 10:02

there and I'm like, okay, I have an hour or whatever, you

Nicole 10:05

Right.

Alicia 10:05

to relax and not be on my phone.

Nicole 10:08

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 10:08

so I'm gonna choose a different screen, um, a bigger one. So, you know, I'll go back to. If I don't wanna sit and scroll through, I'll go back to ones I've seen before. It's the same thing, you know, like you can never go wrong with a Harry Potter or,

Nicole 10:24

you know something

Alicia 10:25

that I know I like and have seen, countless times before.

Nicole 10:29

Yeah,

Alicia 10:30

You know, and I know we talked about how movies are so nostalgic. You know, I think one of the reasons why the Polar Express is in my top favorites is because that was the very first movie that we took my Boys to when they were younger. You know, I think they were, I don't know, gosh, maybe two I'll have to look and see when that movie came out. But they were maybe two or three, and that was the first one we took'em to in the movie theater. And so that definitely has a little more sentimental,

Nicole 10:55

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 10:56

meaning

Nicole 10:57

for me too

Alicia 10:58

And it is a really sweet movie. I like that one.

Nicole 11:01

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 11:02

you know, and we, with my husband's family. One of the traditions, either at Thanksgiving or at Christmas, or sometimes even both, is we'll turn on the Christmas vacation

Nicole 11:15

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 11:16

know, it's like that one never gets old. And you can find new sayings

Nicole 11:21

every single time

Alicia 11:22

you watch it.

Nicole 11:23

right?

Alicia 11:23

all sorts of sayings that we, you know, we'll whip out. And it's, it's just so funny. It's such a funny movie.

Nicole 11:29

Mm-hmm. It is, yeah. There's definitely, you know, developing those traditions around certain movies, you know, is kind of a, a fun thing. Didn't you guys actually go to some Polar Express experience, though?

Alicia 11:41

Yes. Yes we did. we, oh gosh, it was so cute. I don't remember where it was, but we definitely had a little bit of a drive and, Mom and sister-in-law, sister and the kids. I don't think my boys were able to make it. I think they were at some hockey, something, you know, go figure. but my daughter and then, you know, my nieces and nephews. We all went to this and it's the train, you know, it's like a

Nicole 12:07

Polar Express.

Alicia 12:08

And we got, and you were supposed to wear your pajamas, you know, like in

Nicole 12:11

Fun.

Alicia 12:12

we got matching pajamas

Nicole 12:15

Oh my gosh, cute.

Alicia 12:18

The top said the bell still rings for, and then your name. So the bell still rings for Alicia. And it was like a red top. With, you know, white collar and, and trim around the sleeves. And then the pants were striped red and white, so they were so cute.

Nicole 12:35

Cute.

Alicia 12:36

them from, but we all had the matching pajamas. It was so much fun. And then you had hot chocolate and then you got your holiday, you know, polar express mug that you were able to take with you. And it was a really cute experience. You know, you

Nicole 12:50

That's so fun.

Alicia 12:51

had like lights out.

Nicole 12:53

Yeah. Mm-hmm. Oh my gosh.

Alicia 12:58

like you definitely remember, and you know, the kids, they remember those,

Nicole 13:03

yeah.

Alicia 13:03

um, fun experiences.

Nicole 13:06

That's so cute. I love that. Movies and just creating experiences around it just really do help you slow down and feel joy and really kind of be in that holiday spirit.

Alicia 13:18

Right. You know, and I think, when we would be together for the holidays, we would often go to a movie in the theater too. And I

Nicole 13:25

Yeah.

Alicia 13:26

like, gosh, I wanna say that the Harry Potters were always kind of released around that

Nicole 13:31

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 13:31

it was either between Thanksgiving and Christmas or something like that. We would go to those as a family.

Nicole 13:37

Yep. Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter's. Definitely.

Alicia 13:40

Mm-hmm. Okay. Let's switch gears and talk about holiday food.

Nicole 13:44

Yes. I mean, honestly, the best part isn't just the food, it's the gathering around it, right? Sharing meals and being together. I mean, yes, the Christmas ham or other delicious dishes are amazing, but it's so nice to just be together.

Alicia 13:57

Yeah, I, agree.

Nicole 13:58

I,

Alicia 13:59

this is the time where we get together and we're in the kitchen making the meals together or you know, so it's not so much on one person and it's not even just that, it's the experience of, Visiting and laughing and you know, having fun.

Nicole 14:15

Yeah.

Alicia 14:16

some of the kids in the kitchen too. You know, my daughter loves cooking and I will never turn her outta the kitchen. Hey, come

Nicole 14:23

Right.

Alicia 14:23

The more the merrier, Right.

Nicole 14:25

right.

Alicia 14:26

You know, when you're preparing for.

Nicole 14:28

20 people. Yeah.

Alicia 14:30

it can get overwhelming. But if you

Nicole 14:32

yeah.

Alicia 14:33

together, gosh, it's, it's so much more fun

Nicole 14:36

It's so much more fun.

Alicia 14:37

you're making those memories, you know,

Nicole 14:39

Yes. It's part of the experience and the traditions of it, you know.

Alicia 14:44

Right. You know, and I think the boys too will appreciate and kind of look back and be like, you know, seeing all the, well, traditionally all of the women in our family that are in the kitchen cooking, not

Nicole 14:56

Yeah.

Alicia 14:57

the men can't, I, heck, my boys are in charge of, apple snicker salad at

Nicole 15:02

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 15:02

Like, that's their dish that they have to make.

Nicole 15:05

I love how we, can I just say that I love how we put the word salad on the, on the end of a dish, like apple snicker salad. Let's just call it a salad and, and pretend.

Alicia 15:17

It's got fruit in it.

Nicole 15:18

Exactly. Oh my God, that's hilarious. we do have a lot of those kinds of things.

Alicia 15:22

No, but my boys are, they're in charge of

Nicole 15:24

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 15:25

So again, not saying that It's only the women that have to cook.

Nicole 15:29

Right.

Alicia 15:29

it. but that's just traditionally like when

Nicole 15:32

what?

Alicia 15:33

you know, and they can see us ladies making the meal

Nicole 15:38

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 15:38

and having fun. You know, I think that's special for them too.

Nicole 15:42

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 15:43

generally watching probably some sporting event or maybe even hunting. I don't even know.

Nicole 15:47

Right.

Alicia 15:48

it's just being together. And we generally have Christmas music on too, so it's.

Nicole 15:54

It's a fun experience. Yeah. It makes the experience, you know, it is what you make it

Alicia 15:59

Right. You're not, you're not in the kitchen working all day. Stressed out. You know, like it's a fun experience

Nicole 16:07

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 16:08

when you're doing it together.

Nicole 16:09

Right. And there's something

Alicia 16:11

so special about sitting down and sharing a meal.

Nicole 16:15

oh yeah,

Alicia 16:15

like,

Nicole 16:16

there's definitely a social.

Alicia 16:19

the laughter, you know, it, it just makes it so special.

Nicole 16:24

Yeah, sharing a meal together, like the nourishment, but also the nourishment of being together adds to the actual physical nourishment to the food. Right. It's, uh, it, there is definitely, obviously there's a cultural and social aspect to meals that just make them feel like more than just like, putting food in your mouth, you know, it's, it's an experience.

Alicia 16:47

Mm-hmm. You know what? And I, you generally have dishes that you don't have often.

Nicole 16:53

So it's like a little

Alicia 16:54

special treat, you know, and not, and don't even mean that in like a treat sense, but

Nicole 16:58

Right.

Alicia 16:59

it's special, you know? So every Christmas Eve mom will make prime rib and I think Swedish meatballs and creme brulee, and it's just like something that I look forward to. You know,

Nicole 17:10

Yeah.

Alicia 17:12

keep our meal items the same. You know, we have an

Nicole 17:15

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 17:16

that we will send out and be like, okay, everybody sign up for. Whatever. And we generally keep it the same every year.'cause hey, you know what, if it's working and it's good,

Nicole 17:25

That's right.

Alicia 17:26

change it?

Nicole 17:26

Yep.

Alicia 17:27

so, you know, I definitely look forward to that. But I gotta say, the thing that I probably look forward to most every year is the creme brulee.

Nicole 17:35

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 17:36

my very favorite screw the screw the meal.

Nicole 17:40

Right,

Alicia 17:40

straight for the dessert because, you know, I don't do it often, but

Nicole 17:44

right. Uh, yum. Mm-hmm. it's so good.

Alicia 17:49

But those Swedish meatballs are so good too.

Nicole 17:51

Oh, prime rib.

Alicia 17:53

yes.

Nicole 17:54

thing. Gosh, yum.

Alicia 17:56

the dishes. I mean, the apple snicker salad, heavy on the salad.

Nicole 18:00

right.

Alicia 18:02

It's all so delicious. Gosh. Am I looking forward to this? My mouth is watering. Just thinking about this in a few days.

Nicole 18:08

Mm-hmm. Like tomorrow, Christmas Eve is tomorrow.

Alicia 18:12

yeah. Oh my gosh. I don't have to wait long.

Nicole 18:15

Nope. And when you're all together and you're enjoying these meals, you know, it really does shift from the hosting stress, if you're hosting to just being present, you know, just being with everybody and not fussing over everything.

Alicia 18:32

Well, last year, we hosted and, you know. it was fine. It was great because it was a little bit of a last minute thing

Nicole 18:40

and

Alicia 18:41

we didn't stress out. And what happened was we ordered pizza, so

Nicole 18:46

that was fantastic

Alicia 18:47

So, you know, we had it downstairs ordered in. I had paper plates and we made it easy because again, it was last minute.

Nicole 18:55

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 18:56

everybody brought drinks. We had some, and it was just a very chill experience. We ended up doing a white elephant and it was fine. It was totally fine. I didn't stress out too much. so I can host, but it's not my most favorite thing to do.

Nicole 19:13

Yeah.

Alicia 19:14

You just

Nicole 19:14

have to kind of hit the easy

Alicia 19:15

button

Nicole 19:16

yeah, that's what I was just gonna say. I think, you know, if you're in that position where you have to host and you don't really like to, just kind of being in that mindset of we're just gonna make this as easy as we can on ourselves and just do our best to just enjoy the experience, you know, and not making it. Trying to be perfect.

Alicia 19:33

Right, exactly.

Nicole 19:35

Because honestly, it's the moments around the table that are what stick with you. It's not the perfect place settings, right? It's the laughter, the chaos, the people you love.

Alicia 19:42

Yeah, absolutely. And speaking of things that make the holidays feel magical.

Nicole 19:47

Holiday music, who does not love holiday music? Okay, Alicia, question. Are you on board for Christmas music before Thanksgiving, or do you wait until after?

Alicia 19:57

Oh, I think I'm okay with it before Thanksgiving. I mean, not too much before, like, you know, we just talked about the Christmas stuff being out in early October. I mean, that's a little too early,

Nicole 20:08

Right,

Alicia 20:10

I like Christmas music. I don't think it's fair to just only listen to it for a month

Nicole 20:14

right.

Alicia 20:14

like it.

Nicole 20:15

I am with you on that. I'm all about getting that party started early with the Christmas music. I know some people are like, Nope, I'm not doing it until after Thanksgiving. They're really like, you know, hard set on that. But you're right, there's so much good Christmas music. Like why only give yourself a month to enjoy it? And gosh, it does just make the whole, again, same thing with the movies, but like music, it really does add a whole nother layer to making the season feel magical. You know, you've got that background of, of, you know, music to kind of set the scene and, make it feel special. And you can use music as creating holiday experiences too, that you can enjoy. Like we've done the Trans Siberian orchestra with our family, and

Alicia 21:01

done that several times.

Nicole 21:02

mm-hmm. You make it an experience that you really do just remember, have fond memories of, and. It's a special part of the season.

Alicia 21:10

Yeah. Like you said, you know, the music is like reflecting on past Christmases. You know, when I think of like, when I would be wrapping, when we'd be decorating, when we'd be in the kitchen cooking, when we'd be, you know putting the ornaments up on the tree when we would be like, even in, when I was be cleaning, I turn on that Christmas music and it does give you a little extra, you know, like it doesn't make when you're doing the cleaning or you know, things like that. It doesn't make it seem so bad because you're listening to the Christmas

Nicole 21:46

Yeah.

Alicia 21:47

exactly. You know, even when we're, a couple years, we drove outta town to go cut down our own Christmas tree and you know, we had like an hour drive or something. We definitely had the Christmas music going and it's just like adds to the whole experience. You know,

Nicole 22:01

Totally.

Alicia 22:02

you know, cutting down your own Christmas tree is kind of fun, even though like it's in the snow and it's winter, cold winter here in the Midwest, but I actually enjoyed that. You know, like I didn't

Nicole 22:12

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 22:13

going to,'cause you have to get all bundled up and trudged through the snow. But it was fun

Nicole 22:18

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 22:18

starting it with, listening to the Christmas music was

Nicole 22:22

Set the stage.

Alicia 22:23

Mm-hmm.

Nicole 22:23

Yeah, set the scene. I love it. isn't it in Christmas vacation? Aren't they like trying to falala They're trying to like sing in the car. Like, on their way to their tree.

Alicia 22:34

Yeah.

Nicole 22:35

Yep.

Alicia 22:35

That's us. I think I probably was the one singing the loudest because everyone else is like, really Mom?

Nicole 22:43

have to? Yeah. Like,

Alicia 22:44

Like,

Nicole 22:45

funny.

Alicia 22:45

this.

Nicole 22:46

Trust me.

Alicia 22:47

Uhhuh.

Nicole 22:48

Oh yeah. And there's so many good Christmas classics. Like, you know, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole. They just are so good. Gotta love that.

Alicia 23:01

yeah. And you know, I gotta say, I love Mariah Carey Christmas music

Nicole 23:05

yeah. Mm-hmm.

Alicia 23:07

was the other one? Amy Grant.

Nicole 23:09

Oh.

Alicia 23:09

some really nice Christmas songs too. Yeah,

Nicole 23:12

Can't go wrong with the whole good old jingle, bell Rock, you know?

Alicia 23:15

yeah. Yep. There's some beautiful Christmas songs.

Nicole 23:19

Yeah. And I mean, like it really does set the vibe for things like, you know, decorating your house or the tree or wrapping the gifts or something like that. Having the Christmas music on with it, or baking, you know, or just even unwinding by the fire. When you have the music along with it, it just makes it feel like a whole different experience. It feels more special, more magical.

Alicia 23:44

Yep. And it's not just music experiences, but also plays, you know, we have a cousin that's a ballerina and we've gone to see her Nutcracker performance. She is not in the area, but she, you know, will be with different ballet companies. And she was actually performing. I don't know. I think it was like a little over an hour away from us, so we were able to actually go and see her and it was amazing.

Nicole 24:08

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 24:09

and I know when we were growing up, we also went to another Nutcracker performance. I think it was also, you know, like we had a little bit of a drive, but that was okay. And we, I, I still remember that and I think I was quite young.

Nicole 24:23

Likewise.

Alicia 24:24

a very

Nicole 24:24

are fun experiences.

Alicia 24:26

Mm-hmm. Okay. Let's talk about holiday gatherings, because this is honestly one of my favorite parts of the season, not because of the outfits or the food, though, let's be honest. Those are very close seconds for me, for sure. But because it's one of the few times a year where everyone just slows down long enough to actually be together.

Nicole 24:42

Yes, and the best kind of gatherings are the ones where no one's rushing off to the next thing, no schedule, no pressure, just hanging out, talking, laughing, maybe playing some games, lounging in your slippers.

Alicia 24:54

Exactly. It's like that unspoken permission to just relax and soak it in you know, and you don't have to be on, you don't have to be productive or multitasking or remembering whose hockey practice is tomorrow, you just get to enjoy everyone's company.

Nicole 25:09

Yeah, that's honestly one of the best feelings and I think we start to appreciate that even more in midlife, like we've spent so many years doing all the things for everyone else. It just hits different when you get to just sit back and just be present.

Alicia 25:22

Right. You know, I used to stress so much about everything being perfect, the food. The decorations even what I was wearing, which honestly, again, I do still care about. Um, but I don't put as much pressure on myself. And now I feel like as long as there's good company and everyone's healthy, we're good.

Nicole 25:41

Yeah. No one remembers if the table runner matched the napkins. They remember how they felt. They remember the laughter, the games, the stories that were told. The perfection of the house isn't that important.

Alicia 25:52

Right, and the games are definitely my favorite. I swear. Every family gathering has at least one moment where everyone's crying from laughing so hard.

Nicole 26:00

Oh my God. Do you remember? I can't remember what holiday it was, but one of the kids has this Snapchat filter that they were putting in front of everybody's face and seeing what famous person they looked like and, and it told me I looked like Nicholas Cage and oh my God, I was dying laughing.

Alicia 26:22

Yes I remember. remember

Nicole 26:24

my. You know, I think you got like a Beyonce or something like that, and I don't remember who got, everybody got these people and I looked like Nick Cage. Oh man. Oh good. Gosh

Alicia 26:36

Hilarious. Yeah.

Nicole 26:37

Yeah.

Alicia 26:38

you know, the kids are always good for bringing, you know, humbling us in some sort of way. Oh, so funny. I think, you know, they were also the ones that, uh, had the filter, and this was like when it first came out, that showed you what you look like as an old person. And I'm fairly certain your showed up as an old man and instead of an old woman.

Nicole 27:00

Oh my God, that would not surprise me. Uh, the filters usually are like, good for people. Like they make people look good. Filters apparently are, uh, not good for me. Yeah, they did me dirty.

Alicia 27:13

Oh

Nicole 27:13

Oh my God. Oh man.

Alicia 27:17

another time where I remember laughing so hard was, last Christmas we had the whole family sit on the stairs. And sing The Lady Gaga's Bad Romance song. I, it was all over social media. I'm sure you've seen it. But oh my God. Hilarious.

Nicole 27:36

That was a fun one. That was.

Alicia 27:39

full of musical talent, so,

Nicole 27:43

which made it even better. Oh, man.

Alicia 27:45

good. I

Nicole 27:45

So good.

Alicia 27:46

ahold of whoever has that recording.

Nicole 27:48

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 27:49

our brother?

Nicole 27:50

I think so.

Alicia 27:51

Yeah. We'll have to get

Nicole 27:53

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 27:53

Maybe we'll release it.

Nicole 27:55

Ooh.

Alicia 27:56

Probably not, but it'd be funny.

Nicole 27:58

You'll just have to imagine how funny it was. But yeah, it is just nice to be in that playful energy. You can just like feel like a kid again.

Alicia 28:06

yeah, totally. You can see everyone's personalities come out. The quiet ones suddenly get loud. The serious ones loosen up. The jokesters are in full force. You know, it's honestly just therapy.

Nicole 28:18

Yeah, and it's funny because during the holidays we're often surrounded by people, family, coworkers, community events, but that doesn't always mean we feel connected. So these low pressure, no expectation hangouts kind of feel like the antidote to that.

Alicia 28:32

Yes, it's that difference between being around people and actually connecting with them, and that's what the season is really all about, right? You know, the reconnection with friends, with family, and with yourself.

Nicole 28:43

and the thing is those connections don't have to look the same every year. Like maybe the big parties have turned into smaller game nights, or maybe you're creating new traditions with friends who feel like family. That's still special.

Alicia 28:55

Absolutely, and I think midlife teaches you that you can redefine what together looks like and it can be just as meaningful.

Nicole 29:02

It is the laughter, the stories, the inside jokes, the music in the background. That's what makes the holidays glow.

Alicia 29:09

So if you're listening to this and feeling like the holidays are coming at you a hundred miles an hour, maybe take a second to plan one slow moment. Invite a few people over. Order takeout, play a game, and just be together.

Nicole 29:21

Yes, no Pinterest board required just presence, not perfection.

Alicia 29:26

Amen to that. And speaking of being together, one of our favorite traditions every single year, the bake athon,

Nicole 29:33

Oh yeah, the ladies baking day flour everywhere. Christmas music blasting chaos in the best way. I haven't always been able to attend since I live a little further, but last year I got to partake and it was just nice to finally be part of that tradition.

Alicia 29:47

Yes, it is definitely something I look forward to every year. Me and our sister-in-law, we have a Pinterest board that we, you know, we'll add different recipes to, and we kind of stick to the same thing. Sometimes we'll add in something new, you know, we have taken things out. But it's just so nice to do it together. As we said before, you know, it takes the stress out of it when you're doing it together, you know, everyone's in charge of certain ingredients and then we'll come together, turn on the Christmas music, you know, have a lot of laughter and all of our favorite treats are ready for when we all gather for Christmas and Christmas Eve. And I don't know, we have several days that we kind of gather and it's just nice to not have to worry about always being in the kitchen, baking or cooking, you know, having those already and it's just so much fun to do it together as a family, you know? We'll,

Nicole 30:41

even

Alicia 30:42

Wear our Christmas pajamas or whatever and just enjoy it. We get the kids involved, you know, if like they can't screw up those, we always do the pretzels with the Rolo and then the m and m on top

Nicole 30:53

Mm-hmm.

Alicia 30:54

and that's easy. You can even get the small kids involved. So, you know, it's something that I definitely look forward to every year and I think all of us do, you

Nicole 31:02

Mm-hmm.. Yeah, it was nice. It was an experience.

Alicia 31:06

Sure. Another thing this time of year that we always look forward to is driving around and seeing all the lights.

Nicole 31:13

Hmm.

Alicia 31:14

go to the park too, and they have the, where you tune into a radio station and they have the lights going with the music,

Nicole 31:21

Yep.

Alicia 31:21

so cool. It's so fun.

Nicole 31:23

Yeah, we used to do that growing up, driving around Lakeside Park and you just see all the lights in the park and, you know, also it is kind of fun to drive around into the different neighborhoods too and see how people have their houses decorated on occasion. You know, we'll see something on the news where There's one person that'll just go all out and, you know, be that, uh

Alicia 31:46

that you?

Nicole 31:47

oh. Clark Griswold. There's a Clark Griswold in every community.

Alicia 31:51

yeah,

Nicole 31:51

yeah, it's fun. It just makes it enjoyable.

Alicia 31:54

You know, and I love that traditions evolve over time.

Nicole 31:58

Yeah, and I think that's part of the beauty of midlife. Some things change, but the meaning behind them doesn't. It's about connection, laughter, and giving yourself permission to just be in the moment.

Alicia 32:07

Okay, before we wrap up, we thought it'd be fun to do a little something lighthearted because what's the holidays without a few laughs.

Nicole 32:13

Exactly. So we're bringing back one of our favorite segments, a little rapid fire holiday edition.

Alicia 32:19

We're calling it holiday rapid fire, this or that. We each answer fast. No overthinking. Just gut instinct. Are you ready?

Nicole 32:26

Always, let's do it.

Alicia 32:28

Hot cocoa or peppermint mocha,

Nicole 32:30

Definitely. Hot cocoa,

Alicia 32:32

same

Nicole 32:32

white lights or colorful lights

Alicia 32:35

white lights,

Nicole 32:36

same.

Alicia 32:37

home alone or elf.

Nicole 32:39

Ooh, that's tough, but I'm going home alone.

Alicia 32:42

That is really hard. I think I have to go home alone as well.

Nicole 32:45

Wrapping presents or opening presents?

Alicia 32:48

Um, really, um,

Nicole 32:51

Who made this question?

Alicia 32:52

opening presents. I

Nicole 32:54

Yeah. I mean, uh, right. I don't hate wrapping necessarily, but I am gonna say opening

Alicia 33:01

either.

Nicole 33:02

right.

Alicia 33:03

matching PJ's or fancy Christmas Eve outfit.

Nicole 33:06

I mean, if I had a preference and I wasn't gonna be a weirdo wearing PJ's to a party, I'd choose PJ's.

Alicia 33:14

I'm gonna go with the fancy Christmas Eve outfit

Nicole 33:17

Yep. real tree or artificial tree.

Alicia 33:20

real tree.

Nicole 33:21

Yeah, I do love the smell of a real tree, but we have an artificial one and it is easy, so.

Alicia 33:27

that's fair. Christmas morning or Christmas Eve.

Nicole 33:30

Ooh, that's a tough one. I, I'm a morning person. Christmas morning.

Alicia 33:35

I'm going with Christmas morning. Definitely magical.

Nicole 33:38

Mariah Carey or Bing Crosby.

Alicia 33:40

Mariah Carey.

Nicole 33:42

Okay. I'm gonna say bing.

Alicia 33:43

Okay.

Nicole 33:44

I wanna say bing. Yeah.

Alicia 33:47

Snow day inside or winter walk in the snow. Ooh.

Nicole 33:50

Uh, inside.

Alicia 33:51

Yeah. Same full body shiver.

Nicole 33:55

Yeah. Holiday party or quiet Night by the fire.

Alicia 33:58

Got obviously Quiet Night by the Fire

Nicole 34:01

Yeah, obviously, obviously same.

Alicia 34:04

Classic Christmas movie or new holiday rom-com.

Nicole 34:07

Classic

Alicia 34:08

Same Classic

Nicole 34:09

Ugly sweater or Christmas onesie.

Alicia 34:11

Oh gosh. Ugly sweater,

Nicole 34:13

Yeah. Same.

Alicia 34:15

Hallmark movie Marathon or game night.

Nicole 34:17

Game night. A hundred percent. Same. Caroling or karaoke night.

Alicia 34:22

neither. Um, I guess karaoke night, well, I don't know caroling because then I'm not the only one Singing

Nicole 34:30

right? Yeah. I get, I'll go with that.

Alicia 34:33

Online shopping, or in-store browsing with holiday music playing.

Nicole 34:36

Online shopping in sweats by the fireplace.

Alicia 34:40

Same.

Nicole 34:42

Yeah, with music playing. Yeah.

Alicia 34:44

Yep. I'll go with that.

Nicole 34:46

New Year's Eve out or Cozy Night in.

Alicia 34:49

Um, cozy night in for sure.

Nicole 34:51

Totally.

Alicia 34:52

Okay. That was fun.

Nicole 34:54

Yeah. It's such a good reminder that the holidays don't have to be picture perfect to be meaningful. It's about connection, laughter, and finding those simple, joyful moments that make you feel alive.

Alicia 35:04

And if you're listening and realizing your calendar's full, but your energy isn't, we get it, which is why we wanna remind you to check out our daily glow rituals guide.

Nicole 35:12

Yes, it's full of small, simple practices you can keep up with even during the busy holiday season or while traveling even. Ways to keep your self care going without feeling like another to-do list.

Alicia 35:22

You can grab the link in our show notes. It's the perfect way to stay grounded, calm, and connected through the rest of the season.

Nicole 35:28

Thank you so much for spending part of your holidays with us here on Midlife and Glowing.

Alicia 35:33

We hope this episode brought you a little laughter, a little warmth, and a reminder that you deserve to slow down and enjoy the glow too.

Nicole 35:39

Happy holidays everyone. We'll see you next time.