The Merry and Bright Tag

Hello peeps!

I was tagged by Daminika for the Merry and Bright Tag! Thanks girl! xD

Here we go...



Favorite movies to watch at Christmas time:

Holiday Inn. I own It's a Wonderful Life too, so we'll see if I watch that one this year too. ;) I should.

Some Christmas songs that make it Christmas:

The traditional songs, both hymns and the fun ones. The First Noel, O Holy Night... As well as Mary Did You Know. *smiles* 

Some books that I love in the winter (aka give me all the feels):

None, because I rarely re-read books. :P

Some Christmas goodies that make me smile:

Hot apple cider, and pretty much anything we make. I like food. *laughs* We usually made different cookies, but haven't yet this year.

Some Christmas-y words that make me happy:

twinkling lights. snowflakes. cozy fireplace. sleigh rides (never been on one tho). xP

Some things I look forward to every year:

Well, I really enjoy buying and wrapping up gifts. So much fun. :) I don't know if I'm really anticipating it so much before the time actually comes to Christmas shop though... *shrugs* xP
Getting a tree and decorating it is awesome too! Oh, and giving out the gifts I got for everyone. Opening mine is fun as well, of course! *laughs*

Favorite Christmas memories:

I guess making all kinds of creative homemade gifts when I was younger, and still now buying them and wrapping them. I just really enjoy that. This year we went to a small-town Christmas parade, and also got apple cider at a cute little market\cafe. That was fun too. ^__^

Shantelle and I with our hot apple cider, looking life we jumped into a Hallmark Christmas movie. xD *laughs* I love this picture

Some memories to be made this year:

A Christmas party of sorts with "new" people from the church Shantelle and I started going to.
Getting together with family that live near us.
My baby brother's first Christmas. ;)

Guidelines:

Take the banner and put it in your post

List as many things as you want in each category

Tag as many people as your heart desires!

I Tag:

The usual- whoever wants to do it! xP

IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BLOG, ANSWER THE QUESTIONS IN THE COMMENTS!! xD 

AND IF YOU HAVE A BLOG AND WANT TO COMMENT THE ANSWERS HERE INSTEAD, DO THAT! 

WHAT IS SOMETHING FUN AND CHRISTMASY YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THIS YEAR?

The Christmas Tag

Hey everyone! How was your week? Mine went well... the usual working for a few hours every morning, and whatever else I did. :P I sold a bar of soap to someone at work, and I think she just may be hooked... *winks* A couple of my other co-workers have also expressed interest in it, so I'm going to have to bring it again next week. 

The weekend has started off nicely as well. Got payed and everything. *cheering 'cause money is nice to have* haha.

So, I created another tag. Who's ready for some fun Christmas questions?? Let's go!

{p.s. sometimes blogger is stupidly stubborn, and rn it doesn't want to let my font be black here... so it's red instead. *groans*}

Favorite Christmas drink?

Hot apple cider or maybe a peppermint milkshake

Favorite Christmas color to wear?

Probably red

Favorite Christmas cookie or dessert?

I don't have a favorite. So far this year we've made cut-out sugar cookies, nissu (sweet Finnish bread), and another fruit\cream cheese bread. Oh, and my little siblings and cousins made some pretzel candies yesterday too. ;)

Some favorite Christmas flavors or spices?

Peppermint, cinnamon

Does your family do stockings?

Yes! Always fun, even as this newly adulted person. hehe.

Favorite Christmas hymn?

The First Noel, O Holy Night, etc.

Favorite "secular" Christmas song?

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, White Christmas... idek. What's with me asking myself "favorites" questions? *rolls eyes*

Do you enjoy Christmas shopping, or does it just stress you out?

I really enjoy buying gifts {must partly be my love of buying in general} and wrapping them up all nice. ^__^

Favorite Christmas decoration?

The tree and all the lights *winks*

What small thing gives you that special "Christmas feeling"?

Smelling the needles of a Christmas tree

Favorite pre-Christmas activity?

The holiday baking, buying gifts, decorating the tree... all the festivity and excitement. *smiles*

I TAG:

Sam @ The Light Meets the Dark

Shantelle @ Between the Pages of this Bookish Life

Jacky @ Where the Eagles Fly

Jaidyn Elise

And if you don't have a blog, I'd love if you answered some of these in the comments! *smiles*


{favorite picture??}

December 2017

Here for my monthly highlights post for the last month of the year! 

Hopefully I'll be able to throw together a nice end-of-the-year post for Saturday. ;)

HAPPENINGS \\

Drove around town with the sibs. #freedomsofhavingyourlicense

We dropped books off at the library, I stood in line to mail something at the post office for my mom, drove on a one-way street, went to Walmart to get some things we needed- and decided to pick up a discounted chocolate cake too...  *grins* #crazieswithsiblings

And the wierd selfie from the driver's seat. xP

That rare day when you get to be home alone for a bit! 

Haha, look at my mace, at the ready. xP

\\Driving alone for the first time. I went to the store to buy a present for a party the next day. Got stuck at the lights for... probably at least three red lights? *squeaks and face palm* YEAA. Driving alone is kinda weird. And then on the way home I got kinda scared, because there was these green-ish headlights behind me, and I thought the person flashed at me... I don't know if they did, but it was dark, and I was alone. xP I turned into our road, and they passed, and I just slowed way down and tried to calm down. Haha.


\\ Then I drove alond the 2nd time the next day- I went to friend's house, so I could ride with them to a Christmas party. It was fun. :) 

\\ We got a lovely tree!

\\ We sang Christmas songs at assistant living facilities and such, with our Bible study group. The last time we went, we went to Pizza Hut with the cousins afterward, for lunch. :)

\\ Christmas Eve eve, spend with friends. We went to a candlelight service, had delicious Mexican food for supper, and played Dutch Blitz and Mad Libs. *grins*

\\ Christmas Eve was a family day. We opened gifts from each other and Grandparents, played games, and watched a movie.

Christmas Eve dinner

We shrunk! xD (One of the present our older brother sent)

\\ Christmas Day also ended up just being a family day. We were going to get together with relatives, but there was some sickness and such going on, so we didn't end up doing it. We opened up stockings that morning, and just played games and such the rest of the day. :) 


 EDIBLE GOODNESS \\

The yummy chocolate cake we picked up. *winks*

Deliciousness

Went shopping with mom and sisters, and we were treated to drinks... this is my strawberry lemonade kombucka. It's the healthy soda, I think. Fermented stuff, guys. *grins and laughs*

MOMENTS \\

\\ Trying Tom Brady's Avocado Ice Cream. ;P

\\ Belting out Christmas songs as I drive alone. *grins*

\\ When the printer tries to eat ALL the paper! xP

I'll just close this post with some Christmas gifts I got, because that's always fun. ^___^

These are things we opened on Christmas Eve (a couple day before). 

Mine are above, family gifts below. *winks* (Those three little think in the right hand corner were from my little sister.^^ *smiles*)

And these are my stocking gifts, opened yesterday! ^___^ I got so many lovely things!

LifeStraw (filters water so it's safe to drink- would be good for camping, or emergency situations), chocolates, gel pens, boot socks, earrings, natural mascara + more. *smiles* 

Ugh, if only posts didn't take SOOO LONG, then I could make them nice and perfect. *sighs in despair* Ha.


HOW WAS YOUR CHRISTMAS? DID YOU DO ANYTHING INTERESTING THIS MONTH?

Christmas Songs I Like \\ a variety

Hey guys! My last leading-up-to Christmas post, and I'm going to share some Christmas songs that I like. ^___^ I wouldn't say these are all my "favorite" or anything- I just gathered up some nice ones for this post. *winks*

Normally, the "classic" Christmas songs are my favorite. The others don't feel much like Christmas, really. It must be a sentimental thing... the songs I grew up hearing (or pretty much always knew) are the ones I like best. Makes sense. However, there still are new Christmas songs that I like. *smiles*

CLASSICS

Silent Night (Alan Jackson)

Mary Did You Know (Scotty McCreery)

The First Noel (Scotty McCreery)

Oh Come All Ye Faithful (Moriah Peters)

Let it be Christmas (Alan Jackson)

This is kinda one of those "sentimental" songs for me, I guess. *smiles* One I probably grew up hearing, since we have the CD... I'm not sure if it works anymore? ;P The Silent Night one is on the same CD.

CONTEMPORARY

Glorious by For King and Country

Mistletoe (The Christmas Sweater Song) 

by Tenth Avenue North

The First Christmas by Tenth Avenue North

These last two are like, fun Christmas songs. *grins* They're from Tenth Avenue North's Decade the Hall Christmas album, which is Christmas songs themed from 1920's to, pretty much, nowdays. 

Here, watch the preview for it, because it's funny. ;P

I think Mistletoe is supposed to be 2000's, and The First Christmas, the 50's. It's Elvis-style. *winks and laughs*

So yes, some nice Christmas songs. :)

Christmas is only two days away! I'm looking forward to gathering with friends and going to the candlelight service tonight (we're going Christmas Eve Eve this time, *winks*). And I believe we might be opening the gifts we have tomorrow, on Christmas Eve, and just having a family day. On Christmas Day, we'll open stockings, and get together with family. I think we usually do our get-together on Christmas Eve, but I guess we're changing it up this year. Christmas time is coming! ^___^

WHICH OF THESE SONGS DID YOU LIKE BEST (of those you listened to, if any)? WHAT ARE SOME CHRISTMAS SONGS YOU LIKE? WHAT ARE YOUR CHRISTMAS PLANS?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Pistachio Almond Biscotti: Baking Video

Hey, I did another baking video! This one is kinda long... like nearing six minutes. But if someone wants to make some Almond Pistachio Biscotti, that's not too bad to follow along, right? *winks*

If you need any more Christmas treat ideas, you may want to try this out! *smiles* Because Christmas is coming fast! And these would make a nice gift as well... just so any other procrastinators out there know, if you need another gift idea. Last minute. ;D

*This video isn't supposed to have sound (at least not yet), but one part does... mistakes. ;P Just turn your sound off if you watch it. I didn't want to have to fix the problem and upload it to Youtube all over again.

WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS-Y TREATS?

Christmas Things

Well, Christmas is a little under two weeks away! Pretty close. I have done no Christmas shopping, because... I have no money that should be spent. *stick-out-tongue face* And it sure seems I'm needing money a lot these days. I have two Christmas parties coming up this week (yay!) which both require you to buy a small gift for a game. Plus there's other things I need to buy, pay people back for...

Okay, why am I talking about money? xP This is supposed to be a Christmas post! 

Here we go... Christmas doings in my house this season. ^___^ 

COOKIES

We've made cut-out cookies twice. ^___^

Christmas cookies and treats making day with the friends. *winks* 

THIS DOUGH IS SO GOOD! ^^ Wouldn't you just like to freeze raw cookie dough balls to eat sometime, instead of cooking them? xD Just make an egg-less recipe, just to be safe. *winks and grins*

Our friends made them with us. These are their recipe- cream cheese mint. *heart eyes* They're really good! We keep them in the freezer. ;)

Pistachio thumbprints are also delicious. *winks*

DECORATING

This is our Nativity scene (I dulled the colors in the picture on purpose ;P). 

We bought a Christmas tree for the first time in a long time, as well as some new decorations to add to our meager supply. ;P 

SO PRETTY...

Christmas light bokeh, of course. xP

PHOTOS

Yesterday we finally took our Christmas picture. I put my camera up on my tripod, set it on self-timer, clicked the shutter, and hopped over to my place to pose and paste on my smile. *winks* Family pictures are fun... and we always have a bunch of blooper-ous photos to look through after, to find a decent one. xP  

Okay, I gotta get to the store. I'll end with my one and only (I think) lovely Christmas picture blooper moment. Mousse decided to back out at the wrong moment. LOL.

 Merry Christmas about thirteen days early! xD

DOES YOUR FAMILY HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING A CHRISTMAS PICTURE WHERE EVERYONE LOOKS GOOD? HAVE YOU DONE ANY FESTIVE BAKING YET?