It's Christmas Eve! I hope everyone is off having a great time with family today and tonight:) I've been baking, wrapping and watching Elf all afternoon so far. Today I want to talk about traditions and how much they impact our lives and the lives of those around us.
For as long as I can remember, my family has done a huge fish fry for Christmas Eve dinner. Apparently in Italian-American tradition, the Festa dei sette pesci, or the Feast of Seven Fishes, is customary Christmas Eve dinner and includes the consumption of at least seven different types of seafood. This tradition originated with the Roman Catholics, who refrained from eating meat or dairy for Lent and instead fried fish in oil.
For my family, we usually have calamari, which is raw or fried squid, fried shrimp and haddock, shrimp scampi, something we call "pizza fish," and chicken nuggets with french fries...for the kids, (although I've been known to sneak a plate full...no judgment). "Pizza fish" is simply a white fish with bread crumbs, tomato sauce and parmesan cheese placed on a baking sheet and cooked in the oven. It is to die for! I love everything about this meal and it's something I've looked forward to every year for Christmas since I was little. Getting together with my Italian family makes my heart soar:)
Since getting married, I have had to alter my traditions ever so slightly to accommodate my husband, who also has a family, (I know, right?). This year is his year, so we will be going to his aunt and uncle's house for chop suey and a movie-themed Yankee Swap. I had never done a Yankee Swap before I met my husband, so the concept is still a little new to me. I guess usually the hosts of the party pick a theme, (Alphabet, color, etc.), and each guest has a price limit to spend on a gift for the swap. Once the swap has started, each person draws a number and they pick presents at random in the number order. Depending on where each person falls on the number line, whenever they pick up a gift they have the opportunity to swap with another person who has already gone. The person who has picked the number one spot has his or her choice of any of the presents.
We had a tough enough time last time we went thinking of a gift with a movie theme...so this year was just as difficult. Luckily we found something perfect! We have only been to his family's gathering a couple of times since being together, but it's always fun to see everyone and it's so warm and inviting. I'm still getting used to not being with my family every year, but it's been a lot easier this year and I haven't cried yet! So I'm keeping my spirits high and looking forward to eating and spending time with the Lapierre clan:)
Another thing about tonight is that we have to bring a dessert or an appetizer. I probably should have gone with an appetizer, because the brownies I made look less than satisfactory... I tried a new recipe, without testing it first, and doubled the ingredients so it would feed everyone at least once. Unfortunately I think my plan backfired because I definitely used too much of something, (I'm guessing brown sugar, since that's basically all it is at this point). I'm hoping they still taste good, but I'll have to cut them up and taste test before packaging them up for tonight.
That's all I have for today! I have to get back to wrapping, but if you have a cool family tradition for Christmas Eve or for Christmas day, let me know in the comments! I can't wait for tomorrow, I am so excited!! All the joy and happiness makes me feel great and it's what Christmas should be about. The real spirit of Christmas is alive and well inside of me, so I hope my good vibes rub off on you today! Enjoy your family, enjoy the food and enjoy Christmas! I'll be back Thursday for the woes of after-Christmas retail returns and tips to survive the after-holiday blues. Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
Welcome to Blogmas Week 3! This week, we will be counting down the best Christmas movies to watch during the holidays. Unfortunately, I'm not well versed in the classics like Miracle on 34th Street or White Christmas and I get sick and tired of the A Christmas Story marathon, so these are just my personal favorites and don't reflect any sort of majority ruling over holiday movies, but I think they're pretty awesome!
10. A Wish For Wings That Work- This one is hard to explain, but it has become an important part of my new family tradition. My husband's family watches this movie every year on Christmas day, all huddled together around some cinnamon rolls. It is hilarious and you should definitely give it a shot!
9. The Polar Express- Everyone knows about The Polar Express, and if you don't I feel bad for you. It's another book turned to film story about a boy taken on a joyous train ride to the North Pole. Definitely a feel-good family movie for those of you who'd like to sit together for almost two hours listening to Tom Hanks speak. My idea of a good time.
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas- A definite classic, if you can't get over the fact that Halloween is over, but you still love Christmas, this movie is for you. It's not one of my main picks, but it's on the list because when I am in the mood to watch it, nothing can stop me. I enjoy it more during the Halloween season solely because it's one of the only "scary" movies I can handle, but still a great Christmas film with an awesome soundtrack to boot!
7. A Charlie Brown Christmas- Always on TV anyway, Charlie Brown always meant Christmas to me. Although he has amounted a plethora of escapades, some of which involving him with an unfortunately encounter with a football, Charlie Brown's Christmas special is still my all-time favorite and really sings through the meaning of the holiday season. No one can forget the musical styling of Schroeder!
6. How The Grinch Stole Christmas- Jim Carrey is a God among men for these miraculous acting skills. He personifies the Grinch in every aspect of the word and commits to the character flawlessly. I will always like the original Dr. Seuss cartoon, however, this live-action movie blew me away with it's wit, satire and moving performances all around. Always a crowd favorite. Cindy Lou Who is a gem!
5. The Muppet Christmas Carol- I am not ashamed to say that I actually watched this today because I FINALLY found it online somewhere and I fell in love all over again! This is the Charles Dickens's version, obviously with a twist. The muppets brings the light-hearted hilarity in this classic story. Michael Caine isn't too bad as Scrooge either. If you've never seen it or even heard of it, GO FIND IT and watch it right now! You'll be glad you did. How could you say no to muppets?!
4. The Santa Clause- This movie has always been one of my favorites. The originals are usually the best, and this is no exception. It's the kind of movie you'll wait around for until Christmas comes along. The story between the father and son make this movie family-friendly, (and a bit tear-jerky...). Tim Allen's not bad as Santa either, but you'll have to watch to find out! Another great classic.
3. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York- Again, I couldn't help myself, so I watched this yesterday. Another great family film, but different from the original in the sense that he ends up in New York, the best city in the world to be in at Christmas time. Who wouldn't want to do what Kevin does? Tim Curry and Rob Schneider give rousing performances as well. This one will always be my favorite out of the three existing Home Alone movies.
2. Elf- Obviously this has become a cult classic Christmas movie among the holiday elite. The strangers you meet every day out in public know this movie and can, (and probably will), quote it with you. It has become almost everybody's favorite Christmas movie of all time and remains the top pick in my house for next week's Christmas movie marathon. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear...
*1. Rankin Bass Trifecta (plus The Year Without A Santa Claus)-
If some of you are confused, I lumped these movies together into one category for two reasons. The first is that they usually come in a boxed set anyway, so listing them as separate movies just seemed wrong. The second is that they are the epitome of Christmas classics and I couldn't choose just one. If some of you are still confused, these movies are Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, The Little Drummer Boy, and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. I included The Year Without a Santa Claus because it's still a Rankin Bass production and it's one of my favorites, (plus nobody really watches The Little Drummer Boy anyway). All the movies are filmed in stop-motion animation, which require a great deal of skill, time and effort. These were TV specials, first introduced in the 1960s, have become some of the most recognizable characters of Christmas and have melted the hearts of many viewers. You can find most of these films on YouTube, so if you're unfamiliar with them I suggest you make yourself familiar before Christmas. These are what classics should be.
So there you have it, my Top 10 favorite Christmas movies of all time. I have already gotten through half of this list by now, so I plan on finishing strong within the next week. If your favorite movie didn't make my own list, leave it in the comments! Only 6 more days until Christmas!! And it's my birthday today!!! (which is why I posted early). Next Tuesday is Christmas Eve, so I'll be talking about family traditions and tips for Yankee Swap! Until next time, I remain your faithful Christmas correspondent.
We're celebrating week two of Blogmas with your favorite Christmas songs! Here are my Top 5 favorite Christmas albums, counting down to number one, all for your listening pleasure:)
5. Pentatonix Christmas- This album is brand new this year. For those of you who don't know, (or who didn't read my last post), I am a HUGE fan of The Sing-Off, which Pentatonix won last season. So, naturally, I had to research their Christmas album. As I suspected, it's pure gold, with their A-Capella rendition of "The Little Drummer Boy" receiving a lot of publicity as of late. A definite must-grab if you're in the mood for something different!
4. Michael Buble Christmas- Obviously I had to put Michael Buble on here, solely because of his Sinatra-esq sound and undeniable charm. His voice just makes you want to go ice skating, get hot cocoa and curl up on the couch in front of the fire. It's just that good. He can serenade me any day.
3. N*Sync Christmas- Playing to the 90s kid inside of me, this is a no-brainer. Everyone knows this album and hopes that they hear their favorite track play on the radio when the Christmas music takes over, (personally, mine is "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays," but who's isn't?). This is the type of album you can jam out to in your car while you're alone...or with a friend...or with your husband staring at you blankly, waiting for an explanation that will never come...
2. NOW That's What I Call Christmas, Vol. 1- The original is always the best, am I right? This album is no exception. They might be on NOW Vol. 87 by now for all I care, but their original Christmas album has ALL the classics you've been waiting to hear on one CD, including classic songs by Nat King Cole, Elvis, Dean Martin, Burl Ives, Brenda Lee, The Boss, Britney Spears and MUCH more. You would be crazy not to own this album by the end of the week.
*1. The Beach Boys' Christmas Album- The number one spot, for me, goes to the Beach Boys. This will always and forever be my all-time favorite Christmas album. My father owned the vinyl record and we listened to it EVERY year on Christmas day. Now we have the CD and it's just as great to look back at the good ol' days and remember what it was like to be a kid. It will always be a symbol of Christmas and family togetherness to me, and that's what makes it so special. You can't help but smile and sing along when these songs come on, so get to it!
So there you have it, my Top 5 Christmas albums of all time! If you'd like to listen to any of the albums featured in this post, I highly suggest YouTube. If you'd like to purchase any of these albums, however, I recommend Amazon.com. If your favorite album didn't make my list, let me know in the comments! Everyone has their own special Christmas albums that they listen to, so whether they're from your past or a part of your present, they will always get you in the spirit of the holidays! Tune in next week for Blogmas Week 3 and another Top 5!! Until then, I remain your faithful correspondent.
*(only 13 more days until Christmas!)
I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday and long weekend. I know I thoroughly enjoyed mowing the delicious and glorious home-made lasagna my uncle made, (on top of the usual fixings mind you). It has remained unmatched in my search for the best pasta dish.
Speaking of holidays, they are finally upon us! For me, it seems like Christmas actually started in October, because I work retail, but now since it is officially December, we can trade pumpkin for peppermint, listen to the continuous flow of Christmas music and decorate the crap out of our places of residence. I, for one, love the holidays, so this is truly the most wonderful time of the year in my opinion. As you can see, I take my Christmas tree very seriously and I never miss a year to go out with my dad to cut a fresh one down. This one is Theodore and he is marvelous, don't you think?
This year, for the month of December, I have decided to participate in "Blogmas," which is when bloggers post every day until Christmas. Although I want to participate to the fullest extent, I honestly don't believe I'm capable of posting every day just yet, (lack of planning, plus finishing up my fall semester coupled with work and other things will make it virtually impossible). So I compromised by setting a goal of twice a week. Tuesdays will remain my random posting days, with a slightly more Christmas-y theme and Thursdays I will post about specific Christmas happenings and traditions, including books, movies, songs and more. This way I can cover all the Christmas bases while still giving myself enough time to get all my mandatory work done and not overload. I am really excited to dive head first into the Christmas spirit and can't wait to post more favorites about the holidays:)
That being said, I would also like to inform everyone that I will hopefully be starting to live tweet certain shows on Sundays starting this weekend. Live tweeting, for those who don't know, is when someone follows a show or movie whilst tweeting, simultaneously watching and tweeting at the same time. I've always wanted to and since I don't have cable at my house, I will be participating while I'm at my dad's on Sunday night. The shows I watch Sundays are The Amazing Race, (season finale this Sunday at 8pm), and Once Upon A Time. Since they both air at the same time, I usually rely on the football schedule going over for me to catch both in one night. Sometimes that doesn't happen, but I'll keep you posted via Twitter if I don't think I'll be able to do both. I definitely want to catch the finale of Amazing Race, so Once may have to wait until Monday, but we shall see.
Other than that, that's basically it for me. I got to spend a lot of time with my families and enjoyed every minute of it! I wish I had more time with them, but the point of the holidays is to bring families together, especially if you don't normally get to spend a lot of time with them. Definitely looking forward to Christmas and seeing everyone again, giving people their presents, (I got some good ones already, I can't wait to see their faces!!), and eating more great food. I've also decided to decorate my apartment this year, so I'm looking forward to going shopping this weekend again for more presents and decorations. I'm certainly in the holiday cheer mode, so I hope you guys are too. Check back on Thursday for my first Blogmas post!! Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
