24 Days to Christmas: Days 16, 17, and 18

Day 16: Where do You Spend the Holidays?

Every year, around this time, I begin to think to myself: why? Why do you torture yourself?

You see, every year I leave the balmy, 68 degree days of Texas winter, the swaying palm trees and the Christmas tamales, in favor of ... slush, snow, and cold that my Texas wardrobe just doesn't match.

However, I do it for these guys:

Day 17: Favorite Place for Christmas Shopping

I do most of my Christmas shopping online, but I do enjoy actually getting out with the crowds from time to time. In fact, since I do most of my shopping online, it makes going out a lot nicer, because there's no pressure to buy actual gifts while I'm at the brick-and-mortar places.

Probably my favorite place to go during the holidays is CostPlus World Market.  I enjoy looking at the ornaments and the wrappings, and all of the FOOD! It's so fun to see the Christmas fare from around the world - Turkish delight and Panettone, gluwhein and Christmas ale.

Yule log cake.
Photo: wikipedia

I had a funny moment in the  World Market food section a few weeks ago when a dad standing near me called his daughters over to look at a bûche de Noël, which is a Yule-log cake. It's a tradition in my family to have a "buche" - as we call it -- as my sister's birthday cake on Christmas Eve. The man thought it was absolutely crazy that a cake would look like a tree stump. I was laughing to myself as he kept saying, "Girls, do you want a cake that looks like WOOD!?! Girls, it's a LOG!" I guess he's not up on his French holiday traditions; his daughters definitely did not seem as awed as he was. 

It's got to be hard to be a goofy dad when kids have access 24-7 to entertainment that trumps the sight of a log-shaped cake.

Day 18: Favorite Decorating Theme

My friend Kelly suggested this category because Kelly is the official Queen of Christmas. She's not-so-secretly annoyed that she can't be allowed to win the neighborhood decorating contest every year (just because you've won before, doesn't mean you're not still the best).

Her theme is "Peppermint Palace."

I don't really have a favorite theme, but this year I was inspired by some magazine articles in decorating magazines to add more greenery to my house (it's all fake). I guess you could call it "Winter Woodland."