The two month countdown is on! What am I counting down to? Christmas, of course! Now I’m not a girl who has been waiting to play Christmas music or who is eager to make Christmas cookies, but I do love gift giving and gift receiving, so as the leaves have started to change colors and the temperatures have gotten cooler, I’ve started by Christmas list.

Now, each family is different about Christmas, so it’s important to keep that in mind, and each person is different. I like to give my mom a variety of very specific ideas so she can still decide what her favorite things to give me will be, but she also knows that I want what I’ve asked for. I also tend to ask for things that I may not buy for myself, either because of cost, or because I have something like it already.

Barefoot Dreams Circle Cardigan: Have you ever wished you could wear a blanket around all day long? Well now you can! This cardigan is even more comfortable than pajamas. My roommate has one, and as soon as I saw it, I had to resist all temptation to steal hers, and just add it to my Christmas list. (My roommate has the Graphite color, and it’s beautiful; I’m asking for the Taupe color because tan is basically my favorite.)

How to Celebrate Everything: Recipes and Rituals for Birthdays, Holidays, Family Dinners and Everything In Between: If there’s one thing I love more than the other things I love, it’s CELEBRATING! Not only would this be a fun book to receive, but I can think of so many people who I’d love to give it to. Women of all ages would love this book. It addition to being functional, it would also look great as a coffee table book. (More book ideas to come in a future post.)

New Balance Sneakers: I spend my whole work week in business casual clothes, which is fun and all, but I love being more casual on the weekends. However, I’ve found that while yoga pants and running shoes are very comfortable, I don’t feel put together running errands in them. I’m in the process of trying to add some weekend staples to my wardrobe. These shoes are a perfect addition because they’re shiny, comfortable and practical!

Marled V-Neck Tunic Pullover Sweater: I was in an Old Navy store today and really like the color varieties and the texture of this sweater, but it’s a longer (not quite tunic length on me) length, which is perfect for the winter. I loved the stone/pink color, mostly because I love warm tan colors in general, but I also love the bright red colors.

Teardrop Gemstone Necklace: I’m a sucker for statement necklaces, especially those that I can wear year-round. The rich emerald green would be a great color for the holiday season, if you’re looking to treat yo’ self! I’d pair this necklace with a dress, sweater or a fun shirt.

Black Toothpick Jeans: I can’t believe I’ve gone years without black jeans. They’re a staple for this season, especially if they’re distressed. These aren’t distressed, but I LOVE J.Crew jeans.

Shimmer Plaid Softened Shirt: Most days I’m dressed in J.Crew. Four plus years for the retailer will that to a person, but this spring and summer, I fell in love with LOFT’s clothes. Their dresses, tanks and tops were staples in my closet, and I hope that will continue for years to come. I definitely like their spring and summer stuff better than fall and winter, but this button up shirt is so cute! I love that it’s soft, easy to wear and versatile. It’s a very affordable shirt, too, especially if you catch LOFT on a sale day… and here’s a secret, they run sales so frequently that you should never buy something full priced.

I’m sure more things will make their way onto my list in the coming weeks. It’s so fun to see what retailers put out each holiday season!