Special Delivery

Yay! Christmas time is here!! I'm so excited for Christmas. I thought at 25 maybe I'd be less excited, but I think that having Mr. A around has made this year even more exciting! I've been spending time with his family (from here and visiting) so much that they're really starting to feel like my family. It's been a great vacation. If I can't be home with my mama and papa in Ontario, I don't think I could ask for anything better than this!

Also, this wonderful package arrived from home :) with stockings for me and Mr. A!

The last few days have been great (I'll. give more details soon). I can't wait to see what the next few days hold!

Ps - sorry for all the exclamation marks! I'm just really happy!!

Apartment Christmas

Christmas has invaded my life and apartment. Here's a sneak peak of what I've done with the small amount of free stuff that I've collected this year.

Stockings that mom and dad sent me last year :)

The mini-Christmas tree that we made, free lights (on the balcony), and the blanket I (or rather Mr. A) won at a Christmas party. Joop is clearly enjoying the Christmas fun.

Presents!!! (these just magically showed up!)

I know I've been posting a lot of Christmas things lately, but I just love Christmas time! It's been such a great time of year. I feel like I'm at home this year and it's been wonderful to fill up my life with Christmas joy. My bestie visiting from Ontario also makes it feel a bit more like home :) I'm enjoying the holidays so much already and they haven't even started!

Hope you're pre-holidays are going fantastically as well!

More Treats

I was inspired by my friend who is a soon-to-be-baby-mama to make some Christmas bonbons!

They are basically little balls of sugar. So good! But you can only eat one at a time. Unless you are me and my brother, circa ages 6 and 8, sneaking them from the garage fridge five at a time.

If you really wanna make them...

1. Get a brick of cream cheese

2. Add a tsp of vanilla

3. Add icing sugar until it gets to the consistency that when you scoop some on a spoon and turn the spoon upside-down it doesn't fall off

4. Split in two and add food colouring as desired

5. Scoop up with a spoon and drop on parchment paper

(6. roll bon bon in coconut if you want)

Super easy. Aaaand delicious! (one at a time). Yumm :)

ps - I also made nuts & bolts!

Tasty Treats

I've been on a bit of a crazy baking kick lately. I think it's due to a combination of five main factors:

1. I miss my mommy (who I did all the Christmas baking with!)

2. I no longer have homework or exams at Christmas time

3. I have a real job to afford all of the ingredients

4. I have a manfriend and his family that I like baking for

5. They're delicious!

They're just rice krispie squares but they look prettier :) You can find the link to the recipe for the treats I made here. Enjoy!

Christmas Cards!

I tried to make all of my Christmas cards this year. If you're lucky, you just may end up with one of these lovely creations :)

ps - none of the cards have money in them... just so you know.

pps - I made duplicates of most of them so there are lots to go around!

5 Reasons I Am Happy It's December 1st!

1. Gonna put up the Christmas Tree (someone.... made me wait 'til December....)

2. Holiday Baking :)

3. Joop's Christmas bandanas

4. Presents are bought

5. MY BEST FRIEND IS VISITING GP THIS MONTH!!!

....ok so this list is gonna be a bit longer...

6. I'm making a fresh batch of Nuts and Bolts on Saturday

7. I'm gonna send out home-made Christmas cards

8. I get to celebrate with a family again this year!

9. Christmas music starts on the radio

10. I get presents too :)

So, 10 reasons I'm happy!

Letters to Santa

Just in case you didn't know what Russ or I wanted.... Merry Christmas!

Preparing for the Christmas Season

It may be a bit early for a Christmas prep post, but here are my reasons...

1. It's the next holiday

2. The first snowflakes fell in GP today

3. I love Christmas time :)

So... another Christmas season that I'm gonna be away from home and I'm already sad about it. Skype is a huge blessing in my life - I really don't think

I'd be able to live this far away if I couldn't skype my mama once a week. I'm already anticipating the hard times being away from my family for another holiday season. It's strange to join with other families and learn about other families' traditions. I am going to miss having eggs and bacon in the morning, and having big piles of "stocking stuffers", and sitting around in my pajamas for 3/4 of the day, and eating Christmas bon bons.

Things I am looking forward to as we enter a new season:

1. Making Christmas cookies

2. Buying gifts for people I love

3. Making Christmas cards (hopefully!)

4. Sending Christmas cards

5. Getting new boots

It is going to be a great season, and I'm grateful to be surrounded by amazing people to spend my holidays with here :) (One amazing person in particular...)

Hope it wasn't to early to grace you with some festive cheer!

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

I don't really want a hippo, the song is just stuck in my head. Besides... I can't afford one even if I did want one, lol.

I've been getting some Christmas cards for Christmas from friends and family. It's been such a blessing. I love reading stories and messages from home. Makes me feel very loved and remembered even though I can't make it home for Christmas. I've been trying to do some things to get into the Christmas spirit although I can't make it home.

These include:

1) downloading the wonderful Vince Vance Christmas album. Family traditions will never die while I'm around! I just have to figure out how to get that old, non-stop rock n' roll Christmas album from my parents. I'm positive the boys aren't listening to it!

2) Baking. I made Christmas cookies obviously (see above), but I only had one hand so I couldn't do fancy cookie cutter shapes, but they tasted great! I also made a Lindi-sized batch of nuts and bolts for the pure deliciousness of it. Thanks mama for the recipe!

3) I didn't buy a Christmas tree, but I put lights on the balcony. Very festive.

4) I've been displaying all my Christmas cards and letters.

5) I bought Christmas presents!! I love buying gifts that I know people will like. Brings me joy. Wrapping and bagging them helps me get into the Christmas spirit most.

6) I'm watching made-for-tv Christmas movies, lol. They're all so lame, but it's one of my guilty pleasures. Don't judge me...

I love this time of year and despite the fact that I'm still working for a couple of days, I'm finding time to enjoy the holidays.

P.S. - only a hippopotamus will do. No croc-o-diles, no rhi-no-cer-os-es, I only want HIPPOPOTAMUSES!!