These are a few of my favourite things (about the christmas season) !

A little blog of many of my favourite things that come along with the Christmas season. Memories and traditions from my childhood - keep me excited for the holidays. I am very traditional and love doing and seeing the same things each year, it reminds me of fun times and memories I cherish.

There is no specific order here.... so I'm gonna start with a random Christmas Favourite and go from there. Oh and please feel free to comment about things we share or what you love about the Holidays :)

MUSIC

My absolute favourite christmas music - it came out sometime in the 1980's I rememer my mom listening to the tape, or maybe it was the record..... either way I love it - it's a mixture of well-know artists and it definitely brings out the holiday spirit. A few of the artist are: Madonna, Run DMC, Sting, Whitney Houston and Bruce Springsteen.

This must be the first one they came out with because so far I have seen "A very special Christmas 7"..... who knows what songs are on that one and in between, but this one is great ! 



Oh.... and if we are talking about Christmas music I have to add:

 Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas", Most of Celine Dions Christmas Songs, All of Michael Buble's Christmas songs and of Course Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers Christmas Album.

  CHRISTMAS MOVIES

(And yes, I'm 26 but all my favourite movies are childrens) 

                            

It just wouldn't be the same without watching all of these at least once around Christmas !

Mass on Christmas Eve

I was born and raised in a Catholic family, and have strong Christian beliefs and values. There aren't words that express the feeling of going to church on Christmas eve - everyone is dressed up, the kids in their dresses and suits. The church is decorated with trees and ribbon, candles galore are lit, and the manger scene always brings a smile and sometimes a tear to my face. I love the warm-fuzzy, content and joyous feeling that overcomes me, and the choir sings great christmas songs !

..... And I cannot forget my Precious Moments Manger Scene, it used to be my moms but it has made a comfy home along with my other decorations - its very special to me !



Mmmmmm.......

Eggnog & Starbucks Holiday Drinks.... Need I say more ?



Disney on Ice......

Every year since I was 13 my family has gone to see Disney on Ice. I think because we are such crazy Disney fans is what makes it so exciting and also now that I have a daughter to share it with too. Also the fact that a bit of Disney is in our home town and not a 3 hour plane ride away (which we do once a year anyway) is pretty cool as well. So this years show is called Let's Celebrate, its a whole bunch of fun in one show - just watch the link :)

http://disney.go.com/disneyonice/

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!

FROM PUTTING THEM UP ON THE HOUSE TO SEEING PEOPLE'S HOUSES ALL LIT UP.... I LOVE THEM :)

This year I am gonna put them up in the day time and soon..... so I dont freeze my fingers off like last year.

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW !

Who doesnt love a little snow - or a lot ? It is so beautiful, I love when the first snow comes.... at night I look out the window and up at the street lamp and watch the snowflakes fall - it makes me smile and be thankful to have a nice warm home to be in.  Im not gonna lie, I hate to see it go but enough is enough sometimes.

CHRISTMAS DAY

Christmas day is obviously a favourite for many of us, but I cant even begin to explain how much I love it. And it is much, much more than just a day where I get lots of gifts. I am especially excited this year - as my parents are divorced I usually have a busy day of travelling to relatives homes so I can spend time with everyone. Each year growing up I would open my gifts at home with my mom, brother and sister.... then go to my dads or aunts or grandparents (wherever they were having it) ..... then either eat dinner with them or get taken to my other grandparents house for gifts and dinner there. PHEW ! 

Now that I am married I have a couple more families homes to go to as well..... its fun and memorable, but beyond tiring, especially now having a little girl of my own.

This year I am staying home - or in other words going to my moms and not leaving to go anywhere else, you cant beat the feeling of home (we live in my moms basement ).

Anywho.... Christmas day is kind of like a birthday, you get that nice feeling - just warm and fuzzy. My moms house smells amazing on christmas - pot pourri and christmas dinner, coffee in the morning. Its warm from the fireplace, the tree is all lit up, and there are presents under the tree and most of the time leaking out into the hallway :) There is alwasy christmas music playing, and everyones in their pajamas. You can definitely notice what season it is in my moms.... the decorations are lovely and they are everywhere.... I always tell people my moms house at christmas is pretty similar to what santa's house would look like !

But, I dont remember a year where I wasn't whisked away by some paternal family member to go somewhere else - unfortunately having to leave my mom (my main caregiver) and siblings :(

It has sadly just hit me know in my adult years that it must have been really sad for my mom, for me to be there for a short while in the morning and not share christmas with her for the rest of the day. Well here's to many more wonderful christmas days with her - I will still have to juggle all the future christmas' but this christmas will be so nice, I have been waiting since last year when I announced to everyone that I was staying home this christmas !!

                                                       Above: Christmas 2008 - Bruce, Nic and Mom

                                                     Above and Below: Christmas 2009 - Nic, Curt and Victoria

Just a few of my favourites..... can't wait for christmas to come this year !!

Merry Christmas Everyone.... Happy Holidays !!

Portable North Pole - (aka) SANTA !!

Last year my husband and I came across a great christmas website through sympatico. Its a site with Santa where you can personalize a video to your child or spouse or whoever is on your christmas list. Through a short variety of questions (to get to know the person) it creates the video and Santa talks to you about such things as if you have been good or bad, what you want for christmas... and there is even a spot to upload a picture of the person - it really seems "real".
Although our daughter was too young to fully understand what this Santa video was all about, we both had fun making them for her and each other. This year she will be shocked that Santa knows all about her and if she has been good or bad.

And all you naughty adults out there.... you might just get a big lump of coal if you dont shape-up before Christmas Eve. This is really fun, and I know you'll have fun trying it :)

The webiste isnt running yet.... maybe a few more weeks, but I read they have added some new features to the 2010 video and are hoping for their best year yet since they created it three years ago.


Check it out.... http://www.portablenorthpole.ca/

My Latest Read.... I love it !

Browsing through Walmart 2 weeks ago.... I was just about finished my 3 hour store wandering when I went down the book/magazine aisle and saw my one of my favourite actresses on the cover of a book. There wasnt a doubt for a second about buying this book. Betty White is amazing and even more so since I started reading her newly re-realeased (with a new introduction) book - "Here We Go Again".
I started watching Golden Girls as a young child with my grandma.... and have been hooked, no.... addicted to the show ever since - I almost have the entire dvd collection, just missing season six... or is it two? Anywho, I didnt realize that she was one of the first ladies on tv in Hollywood. This book is amazing and Im only in Chapter 5. She is very inspiring as an artist and as a woman who has worked her butt off to be where she is -  I almost cried when I saw the photo of her receiving the "Life Achievement Award" from the Actors Guild.

I recommend this book to everyone ♥

First Day of Blogging.... and creating it (phew?!??)

I never really put too much thought into ever having a blog.... like who really reads this besides me anyway? Alright so today I saw one of my friends on facebook that had a blog, and after a big long complicated process of de-caching and de-cookie-ing my internet explorer I am here "blogging" for the first time !

I guess this will be beneficial for all those days where I have a million things on my mind, and cant fit them into my facebook status (yeah Im a fb junkie).  This will be a crazy blog filled with everything .... yep everything. Well mostly, nothing that can be used against me-he he.

Today Feb..... Nope Nov - where is my head at, November 5th - Uncle Bruce's Birthday we are going out for dinner, I really have to get out soon and by him a gift of some sort. On this tight budget people would be better off not getting a present from me, joking :)
Gonna pick Victoria up from preschool soon - its pajama day today and hot lunch (gotta love the days where you dont have to make lunch). And its apparently pajama day at home too and laze around all day until 2pm - sometimes these days are fun and other times I wish I had something to do.
Busy weekend ahead of me - 2 photo shoots Sat & Sun.... Exciting !

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE BRUCE 

Here's to your birthday.... and to me for the first day of blogging !

TTYL - Val ♥