Holiday Favorites

If you know me, you know I'm not really big into holidays. Call me a grinch, but I really just like regular days much better. Except the 4th of July. That's my favorite holiday. But I do like the Christmas season. Because I don't have babies or a husband, this blog isn't about them, but about me. So, here are my favorite parts of Christmas.

The Movies

1. Jumanji. Hear me out on this one. I know this isn't a Christmas movie to most people, but to me it is. Remember how at the end they're all at a Christmas party and Alan is dressed up like Santa and then the kids come to the party with their parents? I always loved that part. Especially when the parents talk about going to Canada and Bonnie Hunt and Robin Williams scream "NOOOOO!" in unison. And I love that whole movie. That's why Jumanji is my must-watch in December.

2. Home Alone. If you've seen this movie, 'nuf said. If not, go watch it now. Sidestory though, my mom didn't want me to watch this until I was 12. She didn't like how the mom was so mean to Kevin and how Kevin talked back to her. Guess what -- I still watched it anyway.

3. The Holiday. I've written before about why I love this movie so much, so I think that's enough.


The Food

1. Cranberries. My dad makes awesome cranberries. Not from a can, but he'll take a bag of cranberries, boil them, throw in some nutmeg and voila! They're amazing.

2. Christmas Casserole. Okay, I'll admit, any other day of the year this would be sick dog nasty. It's eggs, bread, mushrooms and sausage all thrown together. But something about Christmas morning makes it taste so good!


Traditions

1. Reading "Material World." A group of photographers traveled around the world, and had families from dozens of countries pose outside their home will all their posessions. Seeing the families in Germany, England, Japan, Kuwait and USA, and then comparing them to Ethiopia, Mali and Guatemala really puts things into perspective to me. My grandparents got this book as a gift when I was about 8, and every Christmas Eve since then, I like to sit down and read it.



2. Going to California. Of my 22 Christmas days so far, 16 of them have been spent at 2343 Sunnyside Ridge Road, Rancho Palos Verdes, California. My mom's parents used to live there, and when all my classmates were singing "White Christmas" I was thinking "California Christmas." To me, it's just not the same not being in California. The fact that I won't be there this year really bums me out. My grandma would always set out m&m's, reeses, hersey's kisses, cookies, nuts (she hid the almond roca but I knew where to find it), and so many other good treats. As a little kid, I remember getting a running start down their long hallway, first going over green shag carpet, and then over black marble (gotta love 1970's decorators) to the living room and Christmas tree. It's my not-so-secret dream to one day buy that house back, or break-in and order its new owners out. Either way. Jk.

3. Music and the Spoken Word/First Presidency Christmas Devotional/Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert. Okay, I like Music and the Spoken Word the whole year long, but during December, the songs are all Christmas-y. During this year's devotional, did anybody else tear up a little big during President Monson's talk? I loved how the story he told was so simple, yet really encapsulated (is that even a word) what Christmas is truly about.

So there you go. This year, I'll be working on Christmas. But I am so excited for it! More details about that to follow.