Advanced Merry Xmas

I know that Christmas is still a few weeks away but last night I got bitten by the Christmas bug. All of a sudden, I got excited about the upcoming holiday season. I have always been open about my LOVE for CHRISTMAS and this year is no different - I cannot wait till the holidays are officially here. I started working on my Xmas list and even started shopping online. Jojo and I usually do our holiday shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend. For starters we have those days off from work plus we avail of the big, Black Friday sales. But this year, because of my pregnancy, I may have to resort to online shopping. Which to me is just as fun, if not a tad more convenient! =)

What makes this year even more special is we get to celebrate Xmas at our home. Every year (if we don’t fly home to Manila to be with my family), we celebrate the holiday season here with my in-laws. We each take a turn hosting one of the major “Ber” holidays at each of our homes. This year, by luck of the draw, we picked Xmas. So for the upcoming holiday season, our schedule is as follows: Halloween at Lee and Edel’s; Thanksgiving at Jojo and Tracy’s, Christmas at our place; and New Year’s at Roy and Marik’s.

I love the fact that Christmas Eve is at our place. I am so excited to start bringing out my boxes of Christmas decors. Last night, I actually wanted to hang our parol (Xmas lantern) on our porch already. Jojo convinced me though to at least wait till after Halloween so the neighborhood kids don’t get confused when they come over for Trick or Treating. The thing is not only do I love Xmas eve and day but I actually love the anticipation that comes with it. I love hearing Xmas carols on the radio and seeing Xmas decors up at the malls. I love picking presents and actually enjoy gift wrapping them. I absolutely enjoy seeing all those brightly colored packages under our tree. I love the cool weather that comes with the holidays and getting to bundle in thick sweaters and bulky coats. And then, there’s planning the Xmas Eve menu. At our family parties, the host usually provides the main dish and the rest bring side dishes – this year I am thinking of a Balsamic Roast Pork with roasted harvest veggies. I saw a recipe the other night from Good Housekeeping that doesn’t look too daunting. If all else fails, my mom also taught me a super easy roast pork recipe that I’ve made a number of times with roasted potatoes, that has been a real crowd pleaser. Or maybe I should do roast beef this year? Hmmm …

Anyway, I just wanted to get a jumpstart and wish everyone an Advanced MERRY CHRISTMAS!