Just a Quick Run Through...

Blogmas 2014 - Day 1: Favorite Christmas Tradition

Hi everyone :)

So sorry I haven't been blogging, been going through some hard times but you know what, got to pick yourself up and move on sometime right :) haha

Anyway I just wanted to come in and catch up on my Tia's Blogmas, I am quite far behind lol and I was excited to do it, but circumstances.....yeah let's just not go down that road.


Right...my favorite Christmas tradition would have to be the wrapping of the presents and placing them under the tree nearly everyday of December until Christmas Eve, just the excitement of seeing my parents walk out of their room with all these presents is unexplainable. I remember as a little girl I would always go to the presents under the tree and find my presents and if they were big and felt like a box then I was ready for Christmas Eve to just arrive LOL

Another tradition that I love is all the Christmas movies and songs that you don't only see and hear in your own home. When you walk into the malls and stores the Christmas music will be playing and all the decorations will be up and it just brings on that excitement and all that Christmas cheer. Every year after Christmas, or sometimes even before, my mom would read us the story of the birth of Jesus Christ and the true meaning of Christmas.

Every year on the first few days of December from like the 1st to let's say...the 5t

h, we would put up the tree and start decorating the house. Back in South Africa we had an artificial Christmas tree because they never used to sell real ones, that's why when we first got here and my Tia was like "let's go buy a real Christmas tree", we were all so excited and fascinated by the idea of a real pine tree in the house :D kind of like in the movies LOL

This was our first "real" Christmas tree (meaning the first real tree for the four of us from South Africa)...isn't it pretty??

Blogmas 2014 - Day 2: What Christmas Means to You

As a child Christmas to me was all about the excitement of staying up late, the stories of Santa Clause coming to visit and leave presents behind, and of course...The Presents!

As I grew older and became more mature, my mom made it a tradition to read the story of the birth of our savior Jesus Christ <3 and only then did I realize that Christmas wasn't only about the presents but about the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior. 

Christmas to me is also about family and loved ones, and about giving and receiving love whether it is through presents or food or even just laughs and conversations. The bottom line is, Christmas is celebrated for the birth of our Lord and to share that moment with our families.

Blogmas 2014 - Day 3: Favorite Christmas Movies

I never used to be the type to watch Christmas movies during the month of December, but now all of a sudden I want to watch nothing but Christmas movies. I think now that I'm older, it just comes naturally ;) haha

I would have to say my favorite Christmas movies are: 

The Polar Express

Santa Clause 1,2 & 3

Christmas with the Kranks

The Grinch

Home Alone (The first one)

Elf

Mickey's Once and Twice Upon a Christmas

Santa Paws

National Lampoons: Christmas Vacation 1&2

Deck the Halls

Blogmas 2014 - Day 4: Favorite Christmas Music

 I grew up listening to my grandfather sing different times of Christmas songs on the night of Christmas Eve before opening presents LOL, I just love Christmas music, it gives you that cheerful kind of feeling and to me that is the best feeling ever.

My favorite Christmas music is: 

Michael Buble'

Jingle Bells

Santa Clause is coming to town

All I want for Christmas is you

Santa Baby

Blogmas 2014 - Day 5: Favorite Christmas Food

In South Africa we would spend Christmas Christmas Eve with my dads side of the family and Christmas Day with my moms side of the family. When we went to my dads side of the family, because the family is Portuguese, you can just imagine all the yumminess going on in the house :D 

The food that was made on Christmas Eve was, as my Tia mentioned in her blog: 

Bacalhau Cozido com Grao  (Boiled Cod with Chickpeas)

Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa (Cod Fish with Potatoes and Eggs)

Basically everything else is mentioned on my Tia's blog LOL

Now my mom's side of the family is a little bit different compared to my dad's, when we go there on Christmas Day, the house is filled with the smell of Gamon (ham) and Turkey, roast potatoes and my Gran's amazing sweet potatoes. We have a huge lunch at the table, but first we always pray to God and His beloved son Jesus Christ before enjoying all the yummy goodies.

Blogmas 2014 - Day 6: When Do You Open Presents

The tradition we did for many, many years was, like I said before, Christmas Eve at my dad's side of the family and Christmas Day at my mom's side of the family. We would open presents on the night of Christmas Eve at 12:00 PM, well I guess that would count as Christmas Day kind of, but you get what I'm saying LOL. We would all wait for the countdown and once the clock struck 12:00, we all wished each other a Merry Christmas with lots of hugs and kisses all around the house then we would find our own little spot in the room and have someone hand out the presents. It was all exciting and and the energy was wonderful and being in a Portuguese family...let's just say there were a lot of gifts and love to go around LOL just ask my Tia :)

Now after opening presents on the night of Christmas Eve, we would all thank each other and head home for some well deserved rest, but the most exciting part for my brother and myself was going to my Gran's house the next day....and we all know what that meant :D 

MORE PREZZIES!!

And of course the food LOL, the family wasn't as big, but there was still a lot of gifts and love to go around <3 

After we sat down and had an amazing lunch we would all clean up and head into the living room where we would find a spot once again and wait for my dad to hand out all the gifts. 

I miss those amazing times with my family back home, but now we get to spend Christmas with our family here and I can tell you, it is amazing for us considering we haven't spent Christmas with them in a very, very long time.....well my Tia, last year was our very first Christmas spent with Uncle Curt and the kids :)

Blogmas 2014 - Day 7: Handmade Christmas, Your Favorites to Give or Get

To be honest, I have never gotten anything handmade for Christmas as a gift before, the first time I ever got something handmade was from my Uncles aunt who made me a scarf for Christmas last year and of course, knowing my Tia, probably made me a scarf or hat too, but if not for Christmas then that has already been done just out of the kindness of her heart....why?.....because she loves me and because I am her favorite niece!! :D LOL

Nah just kidding haha

I have never made anything for anybody before either and now that I am still learning how to arm knit, I might just use that as an idea for next Christmas or even just as a gift for my family back home or here...if I'm feeling generous that is LOL

So that is the Blogmas up to date and on track, hope you enjoy reading my traditions and stories I will peek in to read some of yours :)

Have a good night everybody

God Bless 

xxx