Christmas 2018 Revisited (Blogmas Day 20)

Amanda Cade

December 20, 2019

Christmas Tree

I began this blog right around Thanksgiving last year, so several of my earliest posts were related to the holiday season. For anyone who missed them, or wants to revisit, here they are gathered in one convenient spot. 🙂

Unconventional Holiday Music, in which I remind you of, or introduce you to, a collection of holiday tunes you probably won’t be hearing at the mall
12 Acts of Kindness, in which I prove I have no math skills (there are two #3s on the list, so it’s actually thirteen acts of kindness) and share some favorite ways to brighten someone’s day
Christmas Movies Across Genres, in which I prove that there’s a holiday film for all tastes, even the offbeat ones
My Gift Wrapping Adventure Proves I’m Ridiculous, one of my favorite posts, in which I introduce the lunacy that is “perfect Amanda logic” (note: if you remember this one from last year, I’ve added a brief postscript)

Happy reading!

Christmas memories

Anyone else looking back at your previous posts? Share a link to a favorite in the comments!

Traditions (Blogmas Day 19)

Amanda Cade

20 comments

December 19, 2019

Screenshot 2019-12-19 at 4.24.19 AM

Every year, the week before Christmas, my parents meet me and a few coworkers for lunch. My parents enjoy catching up with my friends at work, and my colleagues are huge fans of my parents (because Mom and Dad are awesome). It’s become an important tradition, and something I look forward to every year. Today is the day this year, and it’s gotten me thinking about the other traditions that make the holidays such a special time. Here are a few things that happen every year:

My sister Audrey and I see a movie (this year it’s The Rise of Skywalker).
My sister Amy and I do holiday baking.
I take all three of my nieces out for an experience or activity (so far, I’ve spent one on one time with Carly and Cassidy, with my third adventure planned for early next week).
My best friend Katie and I try something new (like last year’s glass fusing). This year, we’re leaning towards candle making, but we’re still discussing our options.
I Skype with Rebecca, a college friend who lives in Texas, and we open the gifts we’ve sent to each other (side note: I love that Amazon includes a gift wrapping option).
Christmas morning, my dad makes breakfast. Dad doesn’t do a lot of cooking, but breakfast is his thing, and he goes all out.
My brother-in-law gives everyone a family calendar, with each month featuring a photograph from the previous year. My favorite months are usually October, which always has the girls in their Halloween costumes, and December, with the previous year’s family Christmas picture.
My dad hands out letters from “Santa”, which narrate amusing events and things we’ve done that made Santa proud.

These traditions (and others) are so much of what I love about the holiday season.

Christmas chimney

What are your holiday traditions?

Overgifting? (Blogmas Day 18)

Amanda Cade

21 comments

December 18, 2019

Christmas Presents

I tend to spend a lot of money at Christmastime. In addition to my family, I buy gifts for coworkers and my circle of friends. I’m always on the lookout for the perfect gift, and I rarely consider price. I mean, I’m not going to go crazy and buy things that I can’t afford, but I’ve been known to be a little extravagant if I see just the right thing, or for someone who’s been going through a rough time, or is super important to me. Cost comparison has never crossed my mind, especially since I have more discretionary income than a lot of my friends (largely because most of them have kids).

So I was surprised the other day when a dear friend apologized for not being able to “match” the gift I had given her (we had exchanged gifts early). It hadn’t occurred to me to wonder if I was inadvertently making people feel bad when I splurged on their presents. I was glad she brought it up, because it gave us a chance to talk about it, and for me to reassure her that I buy gifts for the joy of giving, and I don’t care about the cost of what I receive in return.

That prompted me to have a conversation with several other people to see if any of them felt the same way. Most completely understood where I was coming from (and one happily proclaimed that I can splurge on his presents whenever I want), and a few requested a spending limit to avoid the possibility of feeling awkward.

In the end, I’m happy to have had this brought to my attention, and for the chance to prevent causing unintended guilt.

sleigh

What do you think about “overgifting”? Is it something you’ve encountered (as a giver or receiver)?

Let it Snow (Blogmas Day 16)

Amanda Cade

26 comments

December 16, 2019

The ability to access work resources remotely has greatly increased over the course of my professional life, and it can be a mixed blessing. Sometimes (not often, but occasionally) I regret being so plugged in, as it can allow work issues to intrude in situations where I’d prefer they stay more distant. Generally, though, I like staying connected, and today I’m supremely glad for those resources, because the weather outside is frightful.

We’re in the middle of a winter storm that’s been coming through in waves. All the schools are closed, the Missouri Department of Transportation is recommending delaying or avoiding the morning commute, and I’m spending the day working from the comfort and safety of my living room. Here’s what’s been going on:

Sunday, 10:00 am

The snow started around 9:00, and by 10:00 there was just a light dusting. However, it began to pick up shortly after I took the photos above.

Sunday, 11:00 am

By 11:00, the snow was definitely noticeable, but we were just getting started. The forecast called for heavy snowfall in the afternoon/evening, with the heaviest accumulation predicted at a rate of an inch per hour.

Sunday, 3:00 pm

By 3:00, we had a lot of snow on the ground, but the heaviest period was behind us. For Sunday, anyway.

Sunday, 9:00 pm

The snow stopped in the early evening, and the plows were out, but we were warned that it wasn’t over. The forecast called for freezing rain overnight, and more snow starting late morning and continuing into the evening. By this point, hundreds of schools and businesses had announced that they would be closed on Monday, and many people had decided, or been instructed, to work from home (I was very glad that my organization was one that made the choice not to have us come in today).

Monday, 4:00 am

I woke up early (as usual), and learned that while a lot of progress was made in clearing the roads, people were still being urged to stay home if possible, especially since there’s more snow on the way.

Monday, 5:00 am

Updated forecast predicts an additional 2-5 inches of snow before the storm moves out of the area around midnight. It will be interesting to see exactly when things taper off, and whether the plows are able to clear things up by morning.

happy snow

How’s the weather in your neck of the woods?

Adventures in Edible Decorations (Blogmas Day 15)

Amanda Cade

27 comments

December 15, 2019

As I mentioned in my Gingerbread House Day post, my plans to decorate a cookie house with my niece fell through, so I drafted my friend Mike to help me in the endeavor.