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Below, Lizzy Greene shares what the holidays are like at the Greene household!

I get *really* into the holiday spirit. The last couple of years since I started Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, I've become so grateful for my time at home. Whenever I'm there—holiday or not—I really try to make the most of it. Each Christmas season I fill my days to the brim with festive adventures. One day it's ice skating, the next it's holiday shopping and I love to volunteer. Before any of that can happen, though, my family and I must decorate!

We don't fuss around with cutting down a real tree (who wants to do all that work?!). Our Christmas tree selection process consists of myself, my older brother, Garrett, and my parents all dragging our tree down from the attic, piecing it together and then crossing our fingers that the lights still work when we plug it in. 

We have always had all white lights with tons of ornaments from all different times in our lives. I kid you not, every. single. one. of my homemade ornaments from school since I was in preschool is on our tree, as well as Garrett's masterpieces. I remember once I decorated a picture of me and I put marshmallows all over it to make it look like snow—it's still on our tree today! My grandmother's creations are represented, too. She made many of our ornaments out of tea balls (the kind with the screw off top). They are gorgeous when loaded up with clear, crystal stones and red, sparkly decor. They make our tree look magical every year!

After we *slave* over the tree, it's time for some baking accompanied by Christmas tunes. I don't want to brag, but I've perfected my recipe for chocolate chip pumpkin muffins and they are delicious! My family loves 'em.

Volunteering is something I feel passionately about during the holidays, too, and I've been doing it for a *long* time. It all started when I was in the second grade. I asked my principal if I could set up a donation box at the front door of the school and ask the students to donate to the SPCA. They thought I was a tad crazy, but they gave me two days at the front door and I collected every penny kids would give me. $174.25 later I was making an appointment at our local SPCA to make the donation!

Actual Christmas day is incredibly hectic but incredibly fun. Every other year—along with 20 members of my extended family—my fam and I jet to Colorado to visit my papa. He lives on top of a mountain, so high up that there are barely any roads to get there. The scenery there is beautiful on an ordinary day, and when it is decorated for Christmas it's like a winter wonderland.

My memories there are epic. On Christmas morning, we dig into brunch with our sausage casserole—it's been a thing since I can remember. I spend the day hanging with my cousins, skiing, playing card games and cherishing the time we have together. After we enjoy an amazing dinner together, my grandmother's chilled Coconut Cake puts the icing on top of a wonderful family-filled day. 

When it comes down to it, family is Christmas to me.

How do you and your fam celebrate Christmas each year? If you don't celebrate the holiday, what do you do instead?

Photos Courtsey of Lizzy Greene.

by Lizzy Greene | 12/21/2016