Now that I am merely weeks away from winter break at school, I want nothing more than to settle under a throw blanket, sip some hot chocolate, and crack open a good book.  Scratch that.  I want to crank up the Christmas music, bake cookies, and wrap gifts.  And then I’ll resign to the couch with my cat and a pile of books.

While I’m in school, I like to daydream and plan for all the fun things I will do during the holidays and winter break.  Sites such as tumblr and Pinterest help me visualize various festive things and come up with good ideas.  Other sites such as DIY Cozy Home and Better Homes and Gardens offer tutorials and plenty of ideas for creating crafts, home décor, and holiday baking.

Once I am on break and have cooled down from my holiday mode, I like to catch up on a bit of recreational reading.  For those of you that prefer to get
cozy with a good mystery, you may be interested in cozy mysteries, which usually run in themed series and are a bit gentler in nature.  Popular authors include Lilian Jackson Braun, Alexander McCall Smith, M. C. Beaton, Donna Andrews, and Sophie Kelly.  Other writers, such as Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson, specialize in culinary themed cozy mysteries, which include recipes for baked goods and savory dishes.  If you have read one of these books and tried the recipe out for yourself, I’d love to know how it went.  Because honestly, what’s cozier than curling up with a good book and something to munch on?