Take the time to enjoy the lights and decor of the holiday season with your family.

I absolutely love this time of the year! It's so much fun to drive around and look at decorated homes and store fronts in the area where you live.

The picture in this post is near my home and I wait with anticipation every year to see it. It makes me laugh and smile with a childlike giddiness!

Every year, I try to map out 5-10 holiday decorated homes in my area. If you need help finding them, either google "decorated holiday or Christmas houses" in your area or wait for the listings in the local newspaper as it gets closer to Christmas. My husband and I enjoy this “holiday tour” as much as the kids do.

If you are visiting NYC, check out the holiday store windows. They are all really good this year. I can't say I have a clear favorite - http://mommypoppins.com/nyc-holiday-windows-2013-macys-saks-lord-taylor-bloomingdales-department-stores-kids has a really nice description of what the decorated windows have to offer.

These are the eight holiday windows worth seeing:

1) Bloomingdales (59th and Lex Ave)
2) Barneys (61st and Madison Ave)
3) Bergdorf Goodman (58th and 5th Ave)
4) Tiffany and Co (57th and 5th Ave)
5) Henri Bendel (56th and 5th Ave)
6) Saks Fifth Avenue (48th-49th and 5th Ave)
7) Lord and Taylor (38th-39th and 5th Ave)
8) Macy's (34th and 6th- 7th Ave)

PS - Don't forget to stop at the Lindt chocolate store between 54th and 55th on 5th Avenue to enjoy some good chocolate to give you more energy to keep you going.

Have fun! YOLO (You Only Live Once)!