12 days of christmas

12 Days of Christmas: Day 12- Christmas Traditions

Mary6 Comments

day 12

Merry Christmas and Christmas Traditions

Merry Christmas Everyone! This blog post is later than I wanted it to be for several reasons, however, the main one being I couldn’t open Google Chrome and I couldn’t login on Firefox. It was a trying experience.

Today was a day of traditions. Julia woke me up, but not really because I’m still jet lagged so I wake up by 7 everyday. Then we waited for my dad to be ready for us to go down stairs. I broke the tradition of cinnamon buns this year and made french toast casserole. It wasn’t that good in my opinion.

Anyway, we always open our stockings first, apparently that’s of some controversy on my sister’s bus, some people see them as an appetizer and some see them dessert, I suppose we are appetizer people. Then we go down to our second tree and open our presents.

I got a few books this year, which is great. I will be getting some fun reading done for once rather than all school reading.

We also always host Christmas dinner at our house. This year it was pretty early because of schedules and such but that’s fine, then I had the whole day to do nothing. I was going to do something but I didn’t. The jet lag has made me so tired. I had three cups of coffee and a diet coke today just because I’ve been so tired.

I know this post was just riveting. I should’ve done it earlier but I didn’t.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas/ any other holiday you may celebrate! Tomorrow I shall rejoice in the Lush sale (online because I have to work). How was your holiday season?

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12 Days of Christmas: Day 11- Christmas Eve OOTD

Mary1 Comment

day 11

Christmas Eve OOTD

Now I’m not a fashion blogger but every now and then I like to do a fashion or beauty post. Today is one of those days.

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What I’m wearing:

Dress: Zara
Shoes: Payless (in black)
Bracelets: Alex and Ani CLADDAGH and SAILBOAT (both in silver)
Necklace: Pearls from my grandparents

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On my face:

Lipstick: Milani
Eyes: Benefit They’re Real Liner, Almay black liquid liner, ELF Eyeshadow, Ulta mascara in the silver tube, Ulta Glitter
Earrings: My Mom’s
Glasses: Walmart

If you want more specifics I can give them to you. Obviously I can never take these posts too seriously.

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And here’s just a few more snaps of my Christmas Eve. First we have all of the cousins (minus Sean) trying to take a group picture. Then we have a close up of the tree, and then we have an out of focus shot of the tree as well.

Hope you are all enjoying the holiday!

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12 Days of Christmas: Day 10-My Favorite Christmas Treats

MaryLeave a comment

day 10

My Top Ten Favorite Christmas Treats

Now if I had as much time that I imagined in mind I would have made all of these cookies or had pictures, but no. I’m just putting Pinterest recipes in because again I have bit off more than I can chew it seems. I did not account for jet lag in this equation.

  1. Hershey Kiss Cookies– A traditional favorite in my house.
  2. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies– Typically we wrap the Reese’s with cookie dough too.
  3. Chocolate M&M Pretzels- Salty and sweet the perfect combination.
  4. Puppy Chow– Make it. I never have it on Christmas but it would make a great addition to a cookie platter
  5. Ritz Peanut Butter Chocolate Sandwich Cookies– We’ve had these ever year for as long as I can remember, it’s amazing.
  6. White Trash– Strange name, but it’s the only thing with white chocolate that I like.
  7. Sugar Cookies– I couldn’t tell you the last time that I made these but they make me think of Christmas
  8. Gingerbread Cookies– I love ginger cookies and ginger bread is amazing even though I never have them on Christmas, just something that makes me think of the season.
  9. Chocolate Dipped Pretzels- Kind of inline with the M&M ones above but they are really good and kind of a tradition in my house
  10. Ginger Snaps– I have obviously run out of ideas and I need to go to bed so I’m writing ginger snaps because I have an unhealthy obsession and I ate like two packs a week in Dublin.

The ones I didn’t include recipes to are self-explanatory in my opinion, if you disagree, comment and I will give you my own recipe to go by step by step. Also let me know your favorite cookies that way next year I can have ten without cheating!

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12 Days of Christmas: Day 9- The Best Bits of Christmas

Mary1 Comment

day 9
My computer is currently resting while it waits for a screw so I’m using my iPad. Therefore, today’s post will be kind of short and simple because I hate typing on my iPad. 

  1. Seeing and spending time with  family. This year it is especially important to me because I missed Thanksgiving so I’m really missing everyone. 
  2. Lots of sweets. I like to try all of the cookies and other things that people bring for dessert. 
  3. Everyone is happy on Christmas. Everyone might be cranky leading up to Christmas but I feel like on Christmas everyone is happy. 
  4. Christmas Eve mass is just beautiful and celebratory and I love that it makes me feel festive every year. 
  5. The food. It’s a feast. 
  6. I love all the decorations. It just shows how much people care about the holiday which I think is pretty cool. 
  7. I find that people ar more generous around the holidays and I’m glad that they are helping and caring for more people.  
  8. The youthfulness it brings to people. I love that people have a childlike attitude at Christmas time. It’s like everyone wants to believe in Santa. 
  9. Festive wear. Holiday sweaters, need I say more?
  10. Love. Everyone loves and shows their love at Christmas time. 

What are your favorite parts of the holiday?

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12 Days of Christmas: Day 8- Salted Caramel Mocha Brownies

Mary6 Comments

day 8

So basically as soon as I got to Ireland I found this recipe for Salted Caramel Mocha Brownies on Tumblr, but I didn’t have an oven so I had to wait three months to make them, so that’s what I did yesterday.

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This is what you need to make the caramel. We had caramel sauce, which would have been the easy way out, I wanted to see if I could make it myself.

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The final product. It did turn out a little runny, it should have been thicker but I let it be. I didn’t want to mess with it too much.

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After you make the caramel you make the rest of the brownies. This is what you need.

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Then you have to melt the butter and chocolate together.

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Then you just mix everything together.

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This is where it gets a little different. You put half the batter in the bottom, then take the Nutella and spoon it out in sections, then put most of the caramel over it.

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So it doesn’t look that appetizing, especially since I didn’t drizzle the rest of the caramel over the top. Since it didn’t work out right, I decided that it would be too sweet and too runny to put more on top and I had store-bought caramel as well, I just was not in the mood to put more on top. All in all they were absolutely delicious. They are cakey but gooey at the same time and if you ask me that’s the best kind of brownie.

What’s your favorite baked good for the winter time?

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12 Days of Christmas: Day 7- Dashing Through the Snow Book Tag

Mary2 Comments

dashingthroughthesnow2

I was recently nominated by B from Getting Through Anxiety to do this tag and I thought it was perfect for my 12 days of Christmas!

Rules

Thank the curator (Astra @ A Stranger’s Guide To Novels). Thank you!

Tag five people to spread the Christmas joy

Have fun!

Questions

1. Name a book you would like to see under your Christmas tree.  Mindy Kaling’s Why Not Me– I read the first one last year and I really want to read her second one, she’s hilarious and inspirational in my opinion. 

2.) A book you’ll be reading over the Christmas season. I’m not sure, hopefully the one above, or maybe Grace’s Guide because I really need to learn how to be an adult. 

3.) Favorite Christmas movie. I’ll use this for promotion of my post earlier this week, but also I’ll answer it with probably The Polar Express. 

4.) Do you like snow?  No. I like when it looks pretty and I don’t have to go outside, however, there are very few times that I don’t have to go outside when it snows, therefore, I usually hate it. 

5.) Name a character you’d like to spend your Christmas day with. I think it would be fun to spend Christmas day with Harry and Ron when they stayed at Hogwarts, however, I would want to be the same age as them then, not the age I am now because that would be weird. 

6.) To give or receive. I love to give people Christmas presents, I think it’s because I like to shop. I also like to see the reactions when I get someone something they love. 

7.) What fictional place would you like to spend Christmas at? I guess I already answered this but Hogwarts. 

8.) Fondest Christmas memory? I just love spending Christmas Eve and day with my family every year. 

9.) Can you say Christmas tree ten times FAST in a row (pronouncing it correctly). Like B said I whispered it to myself and I could do it haha. 

I tag all of the Christmas lovers to do this post!

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12 Days of Christmas: Day 6- Last Minute Gift Ideas

Mary7 Comments

day 6

We’ve all been in that place where you just can’t figure out what to get that last person on your list and suddenly it’s the 19th and it’s crunch time. Here are some ideas for when you are completely and utterly stuck for ideas!

  • Gift cards- Although they seem rather impersonal sometimes the best thing to do is just let the person you’re shopping for pick their own present.
  • Those impulse buy items I told you not to buy yesterday. If you’re stuck sometimes it’s best to make a little gift basket of little useful things, not the junky things that will get thrown away, but makeup bags, anything that could be used everyday makes a good gift. If someone just moved out little things for the kitchen, anything really.
  • Donations in their name- If you are buying for someone who would rather give than receive find out their favorite charity and give the money to that instead.
  • Food- Okay so maybe this only works for teenagers/college students/younger people with a small income, but they will love it and cherish it for as long as it lasts.
  • Anything useful. Think about their life and what they need, and if they really don’t need anything go back to the donations.
  • Inside jokes-  I love when people get me things that have meaning. For example, for my birthday Eric got me a Maryland state flag because I always make fun of it, and cow gummies because of the time I thought cows exploded, and that made me laugh and I loved it. This shows that you pay attention and appreciate someone.
  • Something funny- If all else fails just go the joke route. While it will probably be junk that will go in the trash in a few months or years it’s fun in the moment and it will always be good for laughs and memories.

What are your last minute gift ideas?

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12 Days of Christmas: Day 4- Analyzing Christmas Songs

Mary10 Comments

day 4

One of the best and worst parts about Christmas is the music. As my dad says, there are about five good holiday songs, now we probably disagree on which songs they are, however all songs have some interesting lines so today I’m going to analyze them.

  • “All I Want for Christmas is You”- I guess you could almost call this a Christmas classic at this point, anyone my age loves and adores this song it seems. “And I’m just gonna keep on waiting Underneath the mistletoe,” well first of all I don’t think her “baby” is coming to be honest, but also if you keep waiting under the mistletoe you are wasting a lot of time. Also ask for some books, or maybe someone that will come see you for Christmas. I do like to jam out to this song though, but I don’t want anyone for Christmas, just some books will do.
  • “Santa Baby”- Now if you ask me, this song is just creepy. First of all, compare this to “All I want for Christmas is You” this lady wants a lot and she wants Santa too! If you asking me she is a tad greedy and a little bit strange. “Santa baby, a ’54 convertible too, light blue; I’ll wait up for you, dear; Santa baby, So hurry down the chimney tonight,” this is just one of the first lines, I mean that’s a little bit strange.
  • “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”- There’s nothing wrong with this song, it just makes me sad. “I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.” Sad. Sad. Sad. I just want the poor man to be home for Christmas.
  • “Frosty the Snowman”- In general to be quite honest Frosty is just an upsetting story. The Snowman dies and leaves all of his children friends, how depressing! “Frosty the snowman knew the sun was hot that day, So he said, ‘Let’s run and we’ll have some fun now before I melt away'”  That’s a little strange, you have to admit. He was going to die, so come on kids, let go run around! That’s strange.
  • “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”-  This is a fun Christmas song in my opinion.  The only thing that I find a little bit strange about it is the actually “Rockin’ around the Christmas tree” part just because I just picture a bunch of people dancing around the Christmas tree and in my head it looks quite strange.

Analyze your favorite Christmas song in the comments, I would love to see some other ones!

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12 Days of Christmas: Day 3

Mary5 Comments

day 3

Christmas in Ireland

Christmas in Ireland is great, lot of lights, and Christmas Markets. Where I live there aren’t extensive Christmas Markets really, at least not that I know of. The only Christmas Market that I can really recall going to is the one in New York City, now my mom might text me to let me know that I’m wrong, but I think that’s the only one I’ve been to until recently. I love markets, I just love seeing handmade stuff, good food, cheery people, the whole shabang. In Ireland I have been to two which is great. So that was a newish experience, and the lights are just a great addition to that.

Dublin:

Well obviously we have to start with Dublin, that’s where I’m living! But I guess only for the next few days which is crazy! For some reason I only took two decent pictures. I literally have no clue why I only took two good ones, my camera was out almost the whole time. P1100622

This is Jayden, one of my really really good friends here in Dublin. We were enjoying our hot chocolates in cold, windy, Dublin.

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And here is the market. There’s a lot more to it, too. This is one of the only places in Dublin that sells soft cookies, and they were so good. I might have to make a stop back there before I leave.

The lights in Dublin are pretty cool.

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Belfast

I’m sorry to say Dublin, but I think that Belfast won the Christmas Market contest. They had the best food.

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I love this picture, but that poor lady does look a little confused or lost or something.

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This was amazing. It was brownies with hot Belgian chocolate poured overtop.

Christmastime is Ireland is quite nice, it would be lovely to experience Christmas here, however, I don’t think I could miss Christmas with my family.

What’s the best thing to do at Christmastime near you?

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The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 2

Mary3 Comments

day 2

My Top 10 Favorite Christmas Movies

Here’s the thing with me and Christmas movies, I’m not the traditional “Elf” kind of person, I like the super cheesy, overly thought out, with very convenient plot lines that usually air on ABC’s 25 Days of Christmas, however, there has to be a few classics on the list too.

  1. The Polar Express- It makes you just want to believe in Santa and the magic of Christmas.
  2. The Santa Clause- This is the first Christmas movie I really remember watching as a kid, it’s not Christmas without at least one of the Santa Clause movies.
  3. Snowglobe- Don’t you just want to get trapped in a snowglobe in the perfect world? It just makes you appreciate the real world and its imperfections.
  4. Desperately Seeking Santa- I just find the “sexy” Santa idea completely outrageous and ridiculous that I have to watch the movie every year just to laugh about it.
  5. Holidaze- It’s the classic love story with a Christmas spin, who doesn’t love that?
  6. Santa Baby- Because Christmastime is the only time of year when people actually have my name in movies, also she’s Santa’s daughter saving Christmas. It’s just the best.
  7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (real people)- I don’t like cartoons, but I do like this classic real people movie. I just think it’s fun and reminds me of my childhood.
  8. Home Alone- I distinctly remember watching every single Home Alone movie one day a very long time ago, like all of them, when they started replacing the kid. It’s just one of those classics that you have to watch every year. But just the first two with the real kid.
  9. Christmas with the Kranks- Because you could never skip a Christmas.
  10. Jingle All the Way- I remember watching this movie with my dad as a kid, and now it’s just one of those nostalgic movies for me. It is also pretty funny.

What are your favorite Christmas movies?

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