Arlington TX for the Holidays

When you think of Arlington, what comes to mind?
The Rangers? Six Flags? The Cowboys? UTA?
When someone asks you where she/he should go to celebrate the holidays in North Texas, what do you say?
Grapevine? Dallas? Frisco?
What about Arlington?
Y'all.
Arlington is an AWESOME destination for the 2017 holiday season.
Let me tell you why...

Decorator's Warehouse

How many times a week do you drive by Decorator's Warehouse, at the intersection of Park Springs and Pioneer Parkway/303? I drive by Texas' Number One Christmas Store at least three times per week. But to go in...

Well, Decorator's Warehouse is a Christmas Wonderland. Anything holiday-related you could possibly want, from rustic holiday signs to gorgeous, sparkly ornaments and spunky holiday tees to jolly snowmen of all sizes, DW has it all. I dare you to spend some time wandering these halls and just try to not end up as giddy as Will Ferrell in Elf about the upcoming holidays! Not only is DW a fantastic spot to take your kiddos all dressed in holiday garb for a glitzy photo or two, DW is an awesome place to meet your girlfriends or mom/aunt for a delicious bite to eat at the onsite Tea Room. Soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts will revive you after an exhausting holiday haul in the larger-than-life Christmas store. (I can't recommend the asparagus soup enough. Yum. Yum. YUM.)

Downtown Arlington

After collecting all the items you could possibly need to deck your halls for the holidays, why not head to downtown Arlington? The downtown landscape is changing quickly, which is so exciting for locals and out-of-towners alike! Legal Draft Beer Co., a brewery and tap room on Division St., is a great place to meet friends for a cold beer, well, basically any time you crave a cold beer (or any time they are open, which may be a bit less frequently than the former). Open seating, friendly staff and cold beer await. There are board games on hand, indoor and outdoor seating and a beer for every kind of drinking (including a nonalcoholic Moot Beer for those who don't want to imbibe). I highly recommend the Cranberry Radler for something a bit fruity and festive.

Why not satisfy your sweet tooth after getting your drink on? Sugar Bee Sweets, located just a few doors down from Legal Draft, will curb your cravings in no time. From decadent cake balls to delicious cupcakes, Sugar Bee Sweets is, in a word, delightful. Spend some time admiring their wall of cakes showcasing the incredible talent of the staff before diving into a sweet treat. Have a fun event coming up? Birthday party? Holiday party? Just because party? Let Sugar Bee Sweets design your one-of-a-kind cake sure to wow your guests!




Urban Alchemy will soon be joining the list of awesome businesses revitalizing downtown
Arlington, and this place really speaks to my soul. It's like they get me. Coffee and wine. I mean, be still my heart! My inner Lorelai Gilmore is giddy over the coffee. And then wine! I mean... Wine! Take all my money please! Located just across Division from Legal Draft and Sugar Bee Sweets, Urban Alchemy is opening next month with the goal of becoming Arlington's living room... A place where you are always welcome and there is always something great to drink!

Six Flags Over Texas

After I visited Six Flags on Friday to try out the snow sledding hill (so fun, by the way!), I texted my sister-in-law to ask her if she wanted to go to Holiday in the Park with my girls and me. Her response? "I'm not really a roller coaster person, so I'm not sure what I would do there."

For real, y'all, how many of you have had that same thought? How many of you have stayed home when friends have gone because coasters aren't your thing? I hate to be the bearer of bad news here... But you are seriously, seriously missing out! Holiday in the Park is an experience onto itself. Even if you aren't huge on amusement park rides (I'll admit- I don't love them now in my mid-thirties as much as I did in my mid-twenties), Holiday in the Park will bring out your inner child and have you believing in the magic of Christmas again! From the snow hill to the hot chocolate and Santa Claus to thousands of twinkling lights, Six Flags Over Texas offers a gorgeous holiday experience that can be enjoyed by thrill seekers and non thrill seekers alike! Six Flags even offers a fantastic Santa experience where kiddos can sit and rest after strolling through the park and write letters to Santa (and even stick them in the mailbox) and then go see the jolly man himself! Treat yourself to s'mores throughout the park and bottomless hot chocolate in the refillable mugs to really feel like a kid again. And don't forget the sledding hill! Coast down a slope of snow in a sled build for one or two- see how fun I just made that sound! Spotters will catch you at the bottom. Don't skip Six Flags this season- holiday magic awaits!

Enchant Christmas

Enchant Christmas had me captivated from the absolute moment I stepped into the line to get in. Thousands of lights and flurries of snow immediately transported my girls and me from a parking lot at Globe Life Park to a Winter Wonderland Bing Crosby would certainly have sang about. I can't help but think even the grumpiest of Scrooges would have a hard time not feeling merry in the wonderful world of Enchant Christmas. Stroll through the shops and find gorgeous goods (and edible ones, too!) to take home. Don't skip the Christkindl Market row, which brings back many of the vendors we all grew to love when this event was separate from Enchant. Grab a Gluhwein, a traditional German mulled wine enjoyed at markets such as these, and take a stroll through Kathe Wohlfahrt to admire all the gorgeous German ornaments and trinkets for sale. Then grab a bite from the onsite food trucks (oh, the choices!) and enjoy musical entertainment up on the stage. Not really a save-the-best-for-last type person? Then proceed directly to the maze and get lost in the lights and wonderment. This maze will NOT disappoint. My girls and I spent more than an hour in the maze, trying to find all nine of Santa's reindeer. We paused often to snap a photo and simply admire the lights. It's such a gorgeous way to

spend an evening! And don't forget to bring $5 (or your own skates) to try out your balancing skills on the large ice rink that sits in the middle of the Enchant experience. There are benches surrounding the rink for bystanders to admire the skaters and a large rink for everyone to test his/her ice-dancing skills. Enchant will entertain your family for an entire evening and leave you feeling like a kid at Christmastime once again.

When your friends ask what to do this holiday season, make sure you tell them to meet you in Arlington and you'll make sure their holiday experience is second to none!

Disclaimer: These businesses all provided me with free entry or products in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.