Preparing for the Christmas Season

Fa la la la la lalalala

Hooray for the holidays! Yipeeee, me is happy.

I adore the holidays. For me, it is such an awesome time of the year. Why?

-Well, for one, I/we get to rest in the middle of a semester, and the illusion that we've tricked the semestral calendar (to become shorter) works for me.
-I also love the feeling that almost everyone I know is getting fired up for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
-And though we've never had a chimney at home, I always have this picture in my head--of a couch by a chimney with a family reading by it (Little Women style). Meaning, I always imagined this time of the year as the time when we cozy up and rest from the demands of our world.

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Anyway, I am an enthusiast for planners/todo-lists/to-buy's/& stuff same (note: I just love doing/writing them, not always able to do what's on the lists). And I have big plans for this coming Christmas break, and here's how I'm preparing for it:

1. (Never-ending) Christmas list (of people I'm gifting to & their gifts)
            I love giving gifts! Yes, I do. But, I haven't been always able to give gifts religiously esp when budget doesn't allow it. Here's the catch: Yearly, I write a list of people to give gifts to (regardless if I'm able to give or buy the gifts). Haha.
            For this year, I decided to give people personalized items! Haha and I'm afraid they'll get frustrated if I won't be able to do it right, but I'm still pushing to create these crafts. It'll take so much of my time, but I'd still love to do it.

2. Christmas playlist
            What's Christmas without its season's music? I remember when I was younger, my Dad would always buy the latest Christmas albums so we'll play the latest Christmas grooves (and I have to admit that these are really um weird (?) novelty Christmas songs), and it wasn't until I was already able to download and create playlists that we stopped playing the last album my Dad bought. Haha, so it's been a lot of years that we're stuck with the 2004 Christmas trends. Anyway, the last years, I played my fave bands' versions of Christmas songs, and the older people didn't like it, so for this year, I downloaded classical Christmas songs, ugh and it's really lovely.




3. Films for the break
            Ok, of course, it's gonna be some time off from the busy world, so it's movie marathon time. I just dunno if my family would be so glad with the films I chose to prepare (download) for the season, because they're all classics. I thought that it would be really charming and cozy to have classical films on while we're slicing the hamon de bola (either that or Christmas songs on). Hehe, esp that I am collecting classic films of classic novels. Hmmm exciting!

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4. Personal Wishlist
            I quite love myself a lot, chos, haha. Nope, lately, I haven't given myself presents for the Christmas, hahaha, I think it's important to save some for myself, too. So, I listed my "surprises" to myself. Er. My wishlist for myself consists simple requests, and I'm excited to have them all. Waha. My #1 wish: CRAFT BOX w/ craft materials in it (ehem, friends, who'll get to read this, you prolly can help me a lil with this, ehem) Oh well, I really need to give myself this soon, so I can start creating my gifts to other people.
     

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5. Christmas reads
            I haven't listed my Christmas reads yet, but I really wanna read a lot for the break. I want to feel the season with what I am gonna read, and I'm planning to read Christmas-themed novels or just happy reads if they won't be about Christmas. Actually, I'm planning to pick A Christmas Carol by Dickens up, whew, it's always been in my to-read list, I hope I can get started with it soon!

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6. Christmas Eve programme
            I'm quite the planner and organizer in the family, and I plan to have a plan for our Christmas eve. Yearly, it's always waking up at 12mn and eating and exchanging gifts, and some talent show if we're with our relatives. This year, I've heard it's going to be just us sibs and mom, and so, I'm thinking of creating a mini-party for us. And it wouldn't hurt if we do it the classic way. Hahaha

7. Christmas shopping
            I think we're going to miss a real lot if we forget or didn't care to shop during for this season. This is the activity we're gonna be sharing with millions of people, bumping against other humans in the malls, and buying and window shopping nice items-- I think it's valuable for all its worth. Ha. My family already cancelled our supposed-to-be first Christmas shopping because I'm sick this weekend. I wish to get well by next week, so we can already start the "shopping" next weekend. Shopping sure sounds luxurious, but it doesn't need be. Hehe, especially if there's Divisoria! :) Ain't Christmas shopping more fun in the Philippines?

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            These photos make DV look a lot like a pain when it comes to shopping, but for those who haven't tried shopping in this kind of crowd yet, ha, you should try it. It is really fun. Tiring, yes, but there's some kind of Christmas-y fulfillment in it. :)

8.  Christmas decorations
            We haven't decorated our home ever since we started spending our Christmas breaks in Pangasinan (since we do the decorating there), but for this year, that we have a rough plan of spending it here in Manila, I hope we can, at least, put some decors on. For me, decorations shouldn't be too annoying and flashy, I prefer the simple yet sweet feels of Christmas decors around the home. Hehe.

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Really giddy about it. Of course, I am, because I am lady ehehehem. A lady must want this season very much LOL JK.

What's important though aren't the items nor the parties nor the foods, what's always been important for this season is to know its essence-- the real reason why we're all called to celebrate this awesome.

(Playing while writing this post: Classical Christmas music)

Happy holidays! 

How the semester ended

My "fourth" year-first semester ended last Friday, and um, yea, it was FUN.

Never in my entire life (in UP) have I ever experienced the weariness and exhaustion I felt during that last week of the semester, and I am hoping that it'll be the first and the last. Er. I know, I know. I said I am just hoping.

I honestly felt like I was crawling under stacks of papers and equations and medical terms, and I just can't breathe and I badly wanted out, thank God, I am so done with that (for now, for the thoughts of my grades are haunting me right now). Remembering that chaotic week even gives me goosebumps, it was a really bad week. 

Here's a peak on how it went:

Monday evening to Tuesday morning

Review at McDo with my roomie, Ila (this lasted from 9pm until 2 am):

Tuesday 

Last minute review for Clinical Psychology at the UPDEPP ehem "garden" (I look so studious there, ain't I?):

Then, after a stressful exam and before going home to more schoolworks, tada! the kids played at the Air Force Playground to shove the stress away. Hehe. (Um, more like took some photos than play, though)

Then, Wednesday, October 9 came, and hey, that's the date of birth of the most gorgeous lady ever. Ehehehehem.

So, a birthday amidst all these, huh?

Some bday presents:

DJ's gift is wrapped

tada! It's poop.

                   

Nikki's message. This was embarrassing, because this is the library computer and she left it like this for like hours there. Oh, but this is really sweet, ain't it?

 Then off to studying again

@ Starbucks. And dya see those Chemistry reviewers? (heh~ just browsed those though)

Presents again

Soleil's letter to me. Hehe. I have a deep appreciation for letters! Super sweet. And the stationery she used is also really cute.

Soleil's and Jessica's gifts to meh! :D Happy kid. (Jessica: DIY rabbit(?). Soleil: mixed CD, planner, letters. Both:  DIY bookmarks hehe of "some" guys)

halfway thru reviewing, Soleil and I "rested" to read a magazine, and rate the guy we are most likely to be attracted to

Off to Le Tigresses' Semender

More presents

from Jean and Yna & Yra. Um, I don't really know what my girls are up to with these gifts, but I find these gifts really personal haha. Sweet(?) More like making fun o'me though, haha. JK. Loved them (Jean: Wreath with purple, peach, and teal roses. Yna & Yra: Amelia's Boy Survival Guide Book)

They were not as busy as I was

the tigresses are playing this cute little game Jean introduced to us. The modern and virtual tayaan. I dunno what's this called though.

Thursday

Everyone in our apartment unit was busy, so this was how it was there. Hehe. No, this isn't a guy's room, we're all girls here.

  Picnic Grounds, Clark. (no, this isn't a picnic, this is review)

Snacks

They were preppin for a "therapy session"

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Boneil & Baldo

Mourning over Ch...

Decided I can't take these anymore, so...

I threw the reviewers away.

As if throwing them would take the hurt away. Retrieved them at once though

 Pictorial...

Staked lying on a not-so-clean bed of grass for a bunch of photos

(insert a tearjerking quote here)

Sunny. <3

Soleil, Jessica and I decided we couldn't study in the Picnic Grounds (for obvious reasons), so we rested for a while and went to Starbucks instead

I bet they're tired

Hehe. Serious mode

Soleil and her antidepressants & uppers

Then, let's not talk about Friday (Chemistry final exam day).

My body felt so heavy and tired that week. When I went home, as my sister was opening the gate for me, she was laughing at my eyebags, because those black bags were visible even in the dark. She told me afterwards that I looked like I came from war when she saw me. Huh! That week, I barely had sleep. </3 and I told the people at home not to wake me up the next day, but because my body is already used to no sleep, I woke up early. :'( until now, my body clock is still broken. 

But I am very glad, I feel hopeless and hopeful. Well, during times like this one, I see more of God's love and grace and I realize that His arms are my bed through whenever. Cool, yes. I mean I feel sorry for feeling really sick of all these things, because I always miss the point that God is with me, but He always assures me that He'll be with me when I walk thru the fire and waters (Isaiah 43:2). I am so thankful I got through it, and I got this awesome friends to be with me, too! :D Awesome people meet their own kind. Ehem

And when I got home, my family and I officially celebrated my birthdayyyy!

Because they love me they tell me the truth. Need I say more?

Naligo kami, promise, mukha lang hindi.

It was a very mini celebration because it's my 19th already, but I loved the intimacy and the sweetness of it all. :D I thank God for all these awesome people in my life.

Haha, and now, I am just waiting in faith for the results of my "hard" labor this semester that has just passed! Huhu. Waiting in faith will pay well, I believe. Oh yeah.