12.20.2011

5 More Days...

Christmas Quiz! So fun!
1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Hot Chocolate with marshmallows!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? What would Christmas be without opening presents from Santa??? I actually think that a mixture of both is good, but most of the time they should be wrapped. I remember when I was about 12, Santa brought my brother and myself a Nintendo 64 (wow, it feels super ancient to say Nintendo 64). It was all set up and hooked up to the tv and it was turned on and all ready for us to pay Mario Kart. We walked into the living room and were overcome with excitement. I think I'll always remember that. So, I think Santa was always very good at knowing when to wrap and not wrap, depending on what he was presenting.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Either white icicle lights or blue single strand lights.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? When I happen to find it fresh at the store, I do. I don't like fake mistletoe.
5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually late, whenever we have time, but this year we did it the night before Thanksgiving. It was so nice to have them up for a whole month to enjoy!
6. What is your favorite holiday treat? I make banana bread every year to share and it is so so yummy.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? As a child we always got together with our entire family, with all of my aunts and uncles and cousins. These days we're a bit too big to do that so we all break off into our smaller groups and celebrate that way. It was always a lot of fun having all of my cousins to play with. I also remember being about 12 and I got my very own boom box and the 5ive cd and the Bewitched cd (disney channel singing groups) and I was just on top of the world.I think the next year after that it was N'Sync and Backstreet Boys. Ha ha, good times.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I honestly have no idea, I don't remember. But I do remember one year I found the presents stashed in the closet (that's probably how I found out Santa wasn't real ha ha) and every year after that it was like a witch hunt, hunting down those presents.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? When I lived with my madre she would have us open our pj's every year on Christmas Eve. I think I'll try to talk Dave into letting me open one this Christmas Eve ;)
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? With random ornaments that are meaningful. We're still in college and don't do the whole, let's go out and buy Christmas Decorations thing yet.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it? I love it but I also really really love summer and the warmth. I love snowboarding and skiing and traveling for Dave's competitions, so I love it.
12. Can you ice skate? Yes!
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Probably the ones I remember the most which would be my water baby, the gifts I talked about earlier in this post, Marc Jacobs perfume from my mom, and last year was awesome because Dave got me a helmet for skiing and his mom got me goggles. Now I'm all set up!
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Spending time with my family. Getting them a gift I know they will love. I really enjoy time with my family, so holidays are a great excuse to just hang out.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? I don't know of very many holiday desserts but I do love pumpkin pie and berry pie.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Going to my Aunt Robyn's house for Christmas. We have been doing Christmas Breakfast the past few years.
17. What tops your tree? A glittery red star.
18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? Giving! Because the buildup for the giving is so much greater. You start thinking in November what you should get everyone and then putting everything together, wrapping, and giving your gifts is just all very exciting.
19. Candy canes: yuck or yummy? Yuck.
20. Favorite Christmas show? Last year I saw A Christmas Story for the first time, thanks to Dave. I love that and I have always loved How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the real version and the cartoon version). I love love love Buddy the Elf. All of the classics are amazing, its just too hard to choose one!!
21. Saddest Christmas song? The Christmas Shoes song.
22. What is your favorite Christmas song? I have always loved Greensleeves (What Child is This). It's awesome to play on the viola, so so pretty. I also love It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.

12.19.2011

Babysitting

I wanted to find something I could do for some extra income before the holidays. I knew I would have a month off of school and I figured it would be perfect to fill my time up with a money making activity. At first I was thinking, "I could totally do the barista thing at Starbucks." But then I was thinking it would be a huge pain to be tied to a certain schedule. The schedule would probably conflict with my schedule at my full time job. Then my best friend Katie mentioned that she had been babysitting and the families in NYC were paying her up to $20 per hour (in UT I make about $12 per hour)! So I quickly jumped on that bandwagon and made myself an account on sittercity.com, the site she recommended. It took a little while but by early November I had a job with two different families, babysitting about twice per week. From then till now, I have made about $350 babysitting. It has paid for my family's Christmas presents and made the budget feel a little more comfortable. Last week family A gave me $20 extra and said "We gave you a little extra for Christmas and for being such a great babysitter!" Aww! I love that! Then last night family B gave me a card and when I opened it there was the sweetest message about how it has been so nice knowing someone great is watching their children so they can feel comfortable leaving on dates and such. There was also $40 in the card. These people are so sweet! Needless to say, it has been awesome babysitting. It's fun to go play hide and go seek and do puzzles and watch Beauty and the Beast and then I get to go home to my much quieter life when I'm done, with some extra money. I am meeting with a third family in January after they are back from holiday travels. We'll see what fun that brings!

12.06.2011

Santa Baby

I have been looking and looking and looking at things I want online for the past 6 months...but I am such a budget freak that I refuse to buy pretty much anything unless it's a necessity. Like black leggings, those are a necessity mmk? Here is my list to santa this year...

Pink ear buds I saw at Wal Mart

This purse I fell in love with at the Fashion Place Mall (the kiosk right outside of Macy's in case Santa wants to know)

This Black & Decker food processor

These black leggings that Bodyc won't let me copy the picture of


This super cute sweater dress in medium

This cardigan in size medium (black)

These boots that I have been wanting for a long time in chesnut, size 8.5

and last but not least....

See, that's not a very long list! Just things I have been wanting for a while. Now here I go sending my list off to santa in the north pole.....=)