Month of Holidays: Day 26

I'm going to share some of my Christmas gifts, but later.

For now, this is going to be brief because I've been spending time with the family.

Look out for New Year's posts to be starting tomorrow, complete with my favorites of the decade! Yep that's right - a decade is coming to an end. As my sister put it, after the New Year, I will have lived in four different decades - and I'm only 23. That's crazy to think about.

Well, until then...

Song of the Day: "Silent Night"

Month of Holidays: Day 25

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you are having a great day.

I want to take a moment today to share my favorite Christmas memories of 2009. (in no particular order)

1. Shouting at a projector screen with my entire family as we play Super Mario Bros on the Wii. Laughing with the ones you love is a cherished thing.

2. We were all sitting around upstairs discussing when to open our presents, when suddenly we heard something being unwrapped downstairs. Kandy, our dog, had decided she couldn't wait any longer. She was tearing into a gift - her gift! Smart dog.

3. Smiling over a text message sent with Jilly while shopping in Dollar Tree. We were telling each other how much we enjoyed the gifts we'd given one another. I couldn't help but smile.

4. Watching my family members unwrap their gifts. That is always a classic.

5. One of our students followed us around the room on the last day of Christmas, begging us to open our presents.

What are a few of your favorite memories? Keep them short so that you can get back to making new memories!!

Happy Holidays everyone.

Songs of the Day:
"Happy Birthday, Jesus" by Alabama
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" (Disney version)

Month of Holidays: Day 24

Christmas Eve.

I have my Rudolph pajamas on, have opened my presents (tradition), and am enjoying time with my family. We've been playing video games together. All in all, the day has gone well. This is what the holidays are all about - spending time with the ones you love.

And that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to keep this post short, say Merry Christmas to all, and return to a fun-filled evening with my family.

No song today, but I'll give you two tomorrow.

Snuggle up with the ones you love, read The Night Before Christmas and enjoy your Christmas Eve.

I will talk to you all (briefly) tomorrow.

Happy Holidays!

Month of Holidays: Day 22

Onward with the countdown song and lists!

"On the eleventh day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me,
eleven pipers piping,
ten lords-a-leaping,
nine ladies dancing,
eight maids-a-milking,
seven swans-a-swimming,
six geese-a-laying,
five gold rings,
four calling birds,
three French hens,
two turtle doves,
and a partridge in a pear tree!"



Today's list is one of colors. Yes, that's right - colors. What are your eleven favorite colors? Need some help? Visit the Crayola website for a complete listing of current crayon colors: http://www.crayola.com/colorcensus/history/current_120_colors.cfm

My list of favorite crayon colors:
1. cerulean
2. carnation pink
3. fuchsia
4. razzmatazz
5. tickle me pink
6. antique brass
7. electric lime
8. jungle green
9. timberwolf
10. wild watermelon
11. violet

And to make this even more fun, click on the colors of that website to get the history of each!

And, a colorful song:

Song of the Day: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by Gene Autry

Month of Holidays: Day 21

This post is not going to be made of win for two reasons - I've got a cold (just in time for break) and there's some family drama taking place tonight. However, I was determined to keep with my daily record for the month. I have not missed a day of our holiday posts and I'm not about to start now.

So, onward with the countdown song!

"On the tenth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me,
ten lords-a-leaping,
nine ladies dancing,
eight maids-a-milking,
seven swans-a-swimming,
six geese-a-laying,
five gold rings,
four calling birds,
three French hens,
two turtle doves,
and a partridge in a pear tree."



Today's list was going to be ten things that make you leap for joy (or make you happy). I'm going to try my best to give you mine, but no promises.

My list:
1. writing
2. spending time with my family
3. teaching
4. pets
5. making new friends
6. shopping
7. reading a good book
8. watching a good movie
9. dragging out the old Barbie dolls and creating stories with them
10. getting comments from wonderful readers!

What are ten things that make you leap?

Song of the Day: "Jingle Bells" by Bing Crosby

Month of Holidays: Day 20

It's Sunday, my room is a mess, and I'm putting things in their proper place. It must be Christmas.

Every December, I have to completely reorganize my room to fit in the new stuff I get. Oh well, I guess it cleans me up for the new year.

Let's continue with our countdown...

"On the ninth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me,
nine ladies dancing,
eight maids-a-milking,
seven swans-a-swimming,
six geese-a-laying,
five gold rings,
four calling birds,
three French hens,
two turtle doves,
and a partridge in a pear tree!"



Dancing. That requires music, correct? Well then...

Today's list is going to be my top 9 Christmas songs. (In order)
1. "Thistlehair" by Alabama
2. "Winter Wonderland"
3. "Little Drummer Boy"
4. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
5. "Frosty the Snowman"
6. "Jingle Bell Rock"
7. "Jingle Bells"
8. "The Christmas Song"
9. "12 Days of Christmas"

What are your favorite songs? I've been sharing mine all month long. Now it's your turn!

Song of the Day: "A Great Big Sled" by The Killers

Month of Holidays: Day 19

Christmas is drawing nearer! I'm excited, are you?

I finished (at least I think I did) my Christmas shopping today. I must say that I have found some exciting deals and gifts for people. It makes me warm and fuzzy inside.

We're continuing our countdown with a song. We're on day 8, so here goes...

"On the eighth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
eight maids-a-milking,
seven swans-a-swimming,
six geese-a-laying,
five gold rings,
four birds calling,
three French hens,
two turtle doves,
and a partridge in a pear tree!"



I spent the day shopping, so today's list is eight stores I shopped at for Christmas.

1. Wal-Mart
2. Target
3. K-Mart
4. Kohls
5. Harbor Freight Tools
6. Toys R Us
7. Big Lots
8. Barnes and Noble

This is by no means an all inclusive list. But, it is a few of my favorite stores (minus the tool store - that is a yearly visit for dad).

Where do you shop?

Song of the Day: "Let It Snow" by Dean Martin

Month of Holidays: Day 18

The countdown continues and so does our song. Plus, I have some exciting videos for you of my dog unwrapping a few of her Christmas gifts! My break has officially begun and I'm excited to just relax and probably write.

First up, the countdown song...

"On the seventh day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
seven swans-a-swimming,
six geese-a-laying,
five gold rings,
four calling birds,
three French hens,
two turtle doves,
and a partridge in a pear tree!



Today's list is of my top seven non-animated Christmas movies.

Here goes:
1. Borrowed Hearts
2. The Holiday
3. Love Actually
4. Holiday in Handcuffs
5. The Santa Clause (all three!)
6. Jack Frost
7. The Christmas List

What are a few of your favorites?
View a list of Christmas Movies here: http://www.auburn.edu/~vestmon/christmas_movie.html
From what I can tell, it is not a complete list.

And the fun videos:







Song of the Day: "Christmas Pipes" by Enya

Month of Holidays: Day 17

It's me again! With our Christmas countdown!

So, let's get to the lyrics for today. I have another surprise for you after them!

"On the sixth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
six geese-a-laying,
five gold rings,
four calling birds,
three French hens,
two turtle doves,
and a partridge in a pear tree!"



Today's list - what are your six favorite animated Christmas shows?

Mine are:
1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
2. Frosty the Snowman
3. Disney's Christmas Sing-a-long
4. Beauty and the Beast: Enchanted Christmas
5. Balto (Not really Christmas, but definitely winter)
6. Charlie Brown's Christmas

What are yours?

And...now...for...the...SURPRISE!!!

To: All of You
From: Me

The card below was made especially for all of my wonderful friends, family, and followers.



Song of the Day: "Jingle Bell Rock" by Neil Diamond

Month of Holidays: Day 5

The countdown continues! As does the lyrics to our song...

"On the fifth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
five gold rings,
four calling birds,
three French hens,
two turtle doves,
and a partridge in a pear tree!"



Five days into our countdown. That means there are seven days left until our countdown ends. Seven days until Christmas Eve. Seven days until the festivities begin!

Five gold rings. Gold is a color most associated with precious things in our lives. Gold has been held in high value for many years. It has deep historical roots. So, I thought we would celebrate this day by looking at what is precious in our lives. Specifically, who are precious in our lives.

So, here goes my list of five golden individuals:
1. Crystal, my sister and best friend
2. Brenda, my awesome mother
3. Dwight, my wonderful father
4. Kandy, my loveable dog
5. Sandy, my first dog who passed away in 2003

Who are five of your golden individuals?

Also, keep any eye out for an announcement about next month's theme!

And, remember to stop by Two to Write and check out the contest section! We're hosting our first contest and I'm really excited about it. I would love to see more participants.

Song of the Day: "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Jars of Clay

Month of Holidays: Day 15

So, we're continuing with our countdown to Christmas. We're on day four of the twelve day countdown.



"On the fourth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
four callings birds,
three French hens,
two turtle doves,
and a partridge in a pear tree."

What are four things you dislike about the winter holidays?

My list:
1. Parking
2. Lack of cheer in shoppers
3. The up and down weather
4. You can fill this one in. I tend to like most things about this time of year.

My fall classes officially ended tonight. This made me look at the books on my shelf today and realize that I have at least three books I bought this year that I have not gotten a chance to read yet. Then, I thought about the many books I put on my Christmas list. I am sure there will be numerous books for me to read.

So, I debated which book to start reading on. And that's when I remembered I have a novel to read. It's the novel that my sister, Crystal, and I wrote this past summer. Our goal is to read and start rewriting and revising it over the break.

So, while others are reading the great published novels out there, I will be reading this:



All 400 some odd pages of it.

We were talking of snow at the dinner table tonight, so:

Song of the Month: "White Christmas" by Alan Jackson

Month of Holidays: Day 14

Today is an exciting day for many reasons.

1. If you're counting down to Christmas, then you have ten more days to make it through.
2. I'm counting down to the start of my winter break. I have four more days to go.
3. I made it through tonight's exam and only have one more "presentation" to go. I'm procrastinating on it right now!
4. I opened a gift from my sister last night and it was quite appropriate - a Barbie coin purse.
5. I received a blog award from Kristi at Random Acts of Writing. More on that in a bit.

Let's continue with our countdown.

"On the third day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
three french hens,
two turtle doves,
and a partridge in a pear tree."

So, in honor of today, I am going to name three of my favorite French things.

1. Le Tour d'Eiffel (The Eiffel Tower)
2. L'Arc de Triomphe (The Arc de Triumph)
3. Les baguettes (the bread)

What are three of your favorite French things? No need to put it in French!!

Song of the Day: "The First Noel" by Sarah McLachlan

Month of Holidays: Day 13

A very kind friend pointed out to me that the twelve days of Christmas actually start on the 25th of December and run until Epiphany. This meant that I learned something new. To read more about the twelve days of Christmas, visit http://www.crivoice.org/cy12days.html.

This being said, we will simply use the themes in the song to countdown to Christmas on this blog. Thus...

"On the second day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
two turtle doves and
a partridge in a pear tree."



Turtle doves are birds and you can read about them here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle_Dove

What are two of your favorite birds?

The first favorite bird I would like to share with you is the owl (which, coincidentally, are featured in Night's Final Hour as "the roosters of the night.") I was excited to find small owl ornaments at Target this year!

My second favorite bird would be the red bird. I absolutely adore the vibrance of their color!

Song of the Day: "Last Christmas" - Taylor Swift

Month of Holidays: Day 12

Today brings a two part blog post. The first part will focus on Hanukkah, as it begins today, and the second part will focus on the first day of Christmas, which also begins today.

Up first: Hanukkah

Here are some sites of interest for learning more about Hanukkah:
The History of Hanukkah
Sixteen Ways to Spell Hanukkah
Hanukkah Decorations
Hanukkah Games

Song of the Day: "Hanukkah Blessings" by Barenaked Ladies

Up Next: The First Day of Christmas
"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree." It's the first day of Christmas and the countdown is truly beginning. There are five days left in school for the kids in my area. There are two days left of exams for the college. Many people are preparing for trips to see family. Lots of trees are up, featuring tiny lights and festive ornaments. The season is truly here, with the stores bustling and people wrapping.

What are you up to on this first day of Christmas?

I'm writing, shopping, and enjoying the day.

Song of the Day: "The Twelve Days of Christmas" by Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters

Lucky you, you get two songs today!

Image from Microsoft Clipart.

1st Day of Christmas!!

My holiday entry will be forthcoming later and it will be a jam packed one.

However, for now, enjoy a holiday contest as it is the first day of Christmas!!

Head on over to The Neverending Shelf and enter!!

Month of Holidays: Day 11

I apologize for this post being so late. Day 11 was a rather busy day for various reasons that I am not going to mention here.

According to my calendar, tomorrow (today by now) is Hanukkah. So, I included "The Hanukkah Song" in the playlist.

And, finally, pictures:

The entire tree, without lights or presents. We decided to decorate it differently this year. Instead of using our festive, fun ornaments from over the years, we went with simple bulbs in purple, pink, and red. I feel it gives it a new feel.

The final touch to those bulbs was the red bird for a tree topper. I bought this adorable fellow at Target and I feel he really completes the tree.

And, a final (blurry) picture with the lights on:

Day 12's post will be a busy one!

Song of the Day: "The Hanukkah Song" by Adam Sandler

Month of Holidays: Day 10

Ten days into the month! 14 days until Christmas Eve. The tree is up, the house is decorated. Presents are bought (they still need wrapped). The temperature outside is steadily dropping. I think the season has finally arrived!

I bought a red bird topper for our tree today. I did not get a chance to take a picture, but that is forthcoming!

Tomorrow night, my sister and I will be attending a large light display at a local county park. It's lots of fun with pretty lights, walking, and marshmallow roasting.

What are the fun holiday things in your town/city?

Song of the Day: "Happy Holidays" by Alabama

Month of Holidays: Day 9

It was in the 70s today. 70s! Everyone on the internet seem to be talking about cold weather and snow. And what do we get here in South Carolina? 70 degree weather and a downpour. I love it here, but every now and then I do wish for snow.

On a happier note, we got our tree up tonight! I just need to buy a new topper for this year because we didn't like the way either of the old ones looked with this year's color scheme. Yay!! Pictures and my opinion on Christmas trees will be forthcoming soon!

Until then, I want to know what some things about you and your Christmas tree! Five questions - that won't take you too long to answer, will it?

1. What color is your Christmas tree? (I'm surprised by the variety available!)

2. What is your favorite ornament you own?

3. What is your least favorite ornament that you have ever seen on a tree? (Perhaps growing up?)

4. How many presents are under your tree right now?

5. What is the topper of your tree?

I can't wait to hear from you? My answers will be coming tomorrow!! Hopefully along with some pictures!!

Song of the Day: "Mary, Did You Know?" - Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd

Month of Holidays: Day 8

It's the eighth day of December! That means Christmas is just 17 days away. And Hanukkah is a mere 4 days away. Stores are bustling and people are shopping, searching for that perfect gift. Students are cramming for their finals and teachers are trying to keep children engaged in learning as their minds drift to the break ahead. People in the north are experiencing (or hoping to experience) a snow day, while those in the south are wishing they stood a chance at snow. All in all, there's a merriment in the air as houses light up and children pose for pictures with Santa Claus in a crowded mall.

Where do you fall on this eighth day of December? Are you super busy? Or just relaxing? Are you embracing the spirit of the holidays? Or are you the humbug in the corner?

I, personally, am trying my best to get in the spirit of Christmas. I have found each year that it gets more difficult to get in the spirit. I don't know why that is. Christmas is my favorite time of year - I don't want to lose the excitement of it to an unknown source.

Next week, is the faculty Christmas party at my school. I need your help on something. What should I buy/make for a white elephant gift exchange? (There is a $10 limit.) If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them!!

Song of the Day: "Do You Hear What I Hear?" by Bing Crosby

Month of Holidays: Day 7

So, tonight and tomorrow night will be spent putting the final touches on a children's book I'm writing for one of my classes. So, my head is filled with thoughts of children's books. Therefore, today's blog post is going to reflect that.

It's another Top 5 list!!

My Favorite Holiday Children's Books
1. The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore
2. If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff
3. Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner and Mark Buehner
4. The Pokey Little Puppy's First Christmas by Justine Korman
5. Merry Christmas, Curious George! by H.A. Rey and Cathy Hapka

Song of the Day: "The Christmas Song"