Unexpected Gifts This Christmas

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12:00am
Dec 25th
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Not being able to fly back for the holidays is tough and this year, we were missing a part of the family. With my brother working hard in Las Vegas, he was unable to be home with the family. But genius that we are, with the help of my cousin, we were able to Skype him in on all the family fun. He participated in Secret Santa via Skype and even got to see the little ones open up their gifts. It certainly is going down in the books for one memorable and interesting Christmas.

courtesy of Skype

My friends and I celebrated Christmas the day after but was missing a good friend who currently resides in New York. But I got a text message on the morning of the 26th to check for mail delivery and this was sitting at my door step address from him to FRIENDS!

Garrison Confections

I was perfectly content to not get any gifts this Christmas, especially since I specifically ask to not receive any. Back in October, my boyfriend and I had the vacation of a lifetime-- a 1- week Italian Riviera getaway and 12- days Mediterranean cruise-- and that trip alone more than made up for Christmases, Birthdays and any other gift- giving days. To have the opportunity to travel and see the world-- the gift is in the experience and I was lucky enough to have someone who can afford such a trip and whom I can share these great experiences with. So imagine my shock when my boyfriend decided to ignore my simple request and upgraded my PowerBook to this! Completely unnecessary, but deeply appreciated. Thank you, G to my Q.

MacBook Pro

Have a Merry Nostalgic Christmas

I'm nostalgic for classic Christmas cartoons, the ones I grew up watching, but sadly have vague memories of the names. For years I've been describing this particular one near and dear to my heart as the cat and mouse Christmas cartoon where the cat dressed up as Santa to surprise the mice family. You can imagine my dilemma. So I finally decided to take it to the internet. Not having a name makes it a challenge-- one that I thought was probably pointless but just had to try. I started typing in key words like: cat, mouse, Christmas. And when that didn't work, I knew I had to be more specific. My combos include:

cat, mouse, Christmas, cartoon
cat, mouse, old cartoon, Christmas
classic cartoon, cat, mouse, Christmas
cat dressed up as Santa, Christmas, classic cartoon

And the list goes on. I can't remember how many different combination until this one:

cartoon cat dressed up as santa, "night before christmas", cat, mouse

It lead me to here-- A series of Christmas shorts and ultimately the second short story-- Alias St. Nick.

And.. with the power of YouTube, this! So on this special 25th day of December, a gift from my childhood to you. May you all have a wonderful, walk down memory lane, Christmas like mine!

F&F - Day 24

Today is a all about friends & family.

JLC's "fugly sweater" Christmas

Christmas with the MASSes

pictures of family Christmas gathering will be up shortly.

"Holiday" Sweaters - Day 23

fugly.


Have you got your holiday sweater yet?

Christmas Books - Day 22

reading.

Today is all about Christmas classics.. on paperback. It's a walk down memory lane for me so I hope you'll join me on this journey back. Visit your local public library or Borders.. hit up the kid's section and let your imagination go wild!

Movie Night on Repeat - Day 21

.themovie

We have had nothing but clear skies the past couple of days which is not unusual for San Jose even for this time of year, but I guess Mother Nature had other plans for today. With Christmas just a few days away, today's rain and chilly weather is the perfect day to catch up on classic Christmas movies and one of my favorite has to be Love Actually. Another all time must watch during this season-- Elf! It's the comedic relief we all desperately need after a long day of last minute shopping. So kick off your shoes and relax your feet-- preferably with hot cocoa and a snuggly blanket-- and enjoy the show!

.thequotes
(on sheets of poster board)
Mark: With any luck, by next year - I'll be going out with one of these girls.
(shows pictures of beautiful supermodels)
Mark: But for now, let me say - Without hope or agenda - Just because it's Christmas - And at Christmas you tell the truth - To me, you are perfect - And my wasted heart will love you - Until you look like this.
(picture of a mummy)
Mark: Merry Christmas.

othermovies.

I Won! Sort of..

A few weeks back, I posted my Blog of the Week - Free Boots Giveaway! from Shoe Envy and Style Bard Shoes has just announced the winner! And guess who won? Well.. sort of. I am one of the two finalists who almost won. But.. as a finalist, I did win a pair of innovative Jeans Straps. You all know how I love to tuck my denims in them boots so I'm super ecstatic to try them out. Merry Christmas to me!

S'mores Please.. - Days 19 & 20

baking.. sort of

I confess, I am not much for baking holiday cookies.. am better at eating them than baking them. But I admire those who revel in such tradition because it takes great passion and patience to whip out those batches of festive holiday treats. Me on the other hand am all about the quick fix sweet treat and am beyond excited for this great find. I am an avid follower of Kuidaore and her elaborate and mouth- watering entries and stumbled upon an oldie but a goodie which gave me a fun idea for this years holiday favors-- a DIY S'mores Kit!

So this weekend is all about holiday sweet treats-- whether you bake them yourselves, visit your favorite bakery, order them online, whatever floats your boat-- enjoy the many sweets of this wonderful season. I am spending the weekend putting together my mini s'mores kit.. with a few saved on the side for myself for those late night quick fix cravings I so often have.

Ma-I-Na-Ku-Ma-Na

alohaaaa!



and this.

Wrap It Up! - Day 18

wrappings and ribbons and boxes.. oh my

So I know it's not all about who gets what for Christmas but it has always been tradition for us to have presents under the tree. This year may be less than the last, the economy has no doubt affected us all, but that doesn't mean we can't make it work. If not for the big kids (me), than at least for the little one. And I'm not even talking about real presents here for the under age 4 category.. because we all know, that for them, it's not about what's underneath.. it's all in the unwrapping! I remember my mom use to wrap up her old empty shoe boxes just so we can have something to tear open on Christmas day. Now that was fun!

So today, I decided to wrap up a bunch of empty cardboard boxes.. one for each kid, big or little, with a heartfelt message for each, in hopes that the fun.. is all in the wrapping!

Plus the tree doesn't look so naked after all.

.. Is You - Day 17

Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas album is a seasonal must!

December Babies - Day 16

18.

My kid brother no- more turns 18 today. Now I don't know about you, but in my world, we celebrate a lot of December birthdays-- at least twice a week (4 this week!). But it's terribly sad to be a December baby in my opinion. You only get that combined present that is suppose to make up for both Christmas and birthday. So where's the fun in that?! Well I figured if I can get two gifts every year, one for my birthday and one for Christmas, than so can my brother. It shouldn't matter that his birthday happens to be so close to Christmas.

So on this 16th of December, I hope this is a reminder to you, should you know anyone who celebrates their day of birth in this month, celebrate each, both equally great occasion, separate from one another.. because they deserve it too.

Christmas Lights and Naked Tree - Day 15

let there be light.

So I may be late in the game but better late than never, right? This year, I believe my mother is just one Christmas light short of losing her marbles when it comes to decorating, but I guess she'll wake up and smell the coffee soon when she sees the electric bill. My task this year.. setting up the tree. And don't even think about knocking on our naked tree. It's been with us for years and have made every year a breeze to set up and break down. The difference this year, we decided to go red! Years past was blue, blue and blue. Change is good. So if you haven't yet started setting up your tree and lights, I'm just saying, you still have time.

Blog of the Week - Old Navy $1 Fuzzy Socks

Bargain is the New Black has just announced a steal- of- a- deal! This Saturday, Old Navy will have their fuzzy fleece socks for $1 a pair. Even better, you can save 30% with this coupon and pay just 70c a pair. Can't beat that.. even if you are unemployed. In fact, all the more reason! And think what perfect stocking stuffers these will make.

The 30% off one item coupon is valid all week long and expires on 12/19.

For Narnia! - Day 14

.themovie

With high anticipation for the 3rd installment of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in theaters next Christmas, this Christmas is all about reliving the fantasy with the first two!

.thequotes
You take one more step, traitor, and I'll chew you to splinters!
Is magic or not, it brought us together.. and together, we have a chance to take back what is ours!

Cigarettes.. Not Just For Smoking

hacked.

Ever wanted to take indoor photos at night but hate the washed out look which your built in flash creates? lifehacker just shared their Best of 2009: Most Popular Photography Hacks of 2009-- a list of a variety of hacks for a DIY (do it yourself) guide to a better photo and ways to get professional results without spending an arm and a leg on camera accessories. Among the many genius tips.. a how- to create a flash diffuser using an empty cigarette packet.

Step 1 - Equipment-- SLR, cigarette packet, pocket knife.
Step 2 - Quite smoking, empty packet.
Step 3 - Remove, reverse, reinsert the foil.
Step 4 - Attach to the camera.

For the full DIY instructional guide, click here.

Checking it Twice - Days 12 & 13

gifts.white elephant

With Christmas just around the corner, this weekend is all about the shopping! First on the agenda is a couple of out- of- the- box White Elephant gifts for several separate Christmas parties with friends-- 3 to be exact. My White Elephant one stop shop is Bed Bath & Beyond. Unfortunately, I cannot leak what I'm shopping for just yet so as to not ruin all the fun. But here are some possible contenders:

What ideas do you have for a perfectly fun white elephant present?

This year for the family, we decided to do Secret Santa. We all picked names and went over the terms, $50 min/ max, as well as emailing one another a Dear Secret Santa wish list. We figured, if you're only getting one gift this year, it might as well be something you want. There is still an element of surprise since we do not know who is giving who what.

Early Gifts Are Great Gifts - Day 11

juicy.couture

Today is all about receiving early gifts. Whether it be holiday cards or fruit cakes in the mail, early gifts are, one word: AWESOME! I had lunch today at the Cheesecake Factory with my ex- boss in the beautiful city of San Francisco where I ordered my usual, Thai Lettuce Wraps. We exchanged Christmas gifts and this is what I got-- Juicy Couture Striped Mittens-- the middle black and white pair to be exact. So here is to a happy early- gift- receiving holiday!

All About the Kids - Day 10

.concert

December 10th is all about the kids. Today, my little 3 year old rocker of a niece performed a short holiday concert with her classmates and it was the cutest thing ever! Even cuter.. her 1 year old brother decided to steal her thunder with his own cute self. Bet you can't call this back seat driver annoying.

A Lovely Cheese Pizza - Day 9

.themovie

No countdown to Christmas is complete without MacCaulay Culkin and Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

.thequotes
You guys give up yet, or are you thirsty for more?
I made my family disappear.