I've decided that since I dusted off the ole' blog this week in honor of my annual Christmas letter, I might as well keep it going for as long as it may last. That's usually not long. Did I mention that I'm ADD? I don't know what happens...out of the gate I can go like gangbusters, typing away, but it soon loses it's luster for me. And I never really have pinned down a format for the blog. Guess that is why it's sub-title is 'celebrating randomness'.
So where are we? Two weeks before Christmas and mid-way through the month? Sidenote...this time two weeks from now my family will be on a plane to Utah, hopefully for the ski vacation of a lifetime. Can't wait. Just praying that everyone will be healthy. There's an awful lot of coughing going on in my house at the moment.
Anyhoo, as I sit here in front of the tree, sipping on my coffee and waiting for the world to wake up, I am happy to report that I am as ready for the holidaze as I'm ever going to be. Other than some baking, I'm pretty much done. Still have to buy something for the in-laws, which is always impossible, and wrap the Santa stuff, which usually happens on Christmas Eve. I've been listening to Christmas music for weeks to get in the spirit, which helps tremendously. That being said, after six years, I still find it nearly impossible to capture the true spirit of Christmas living in Florida. In my brain, I know that it has absolutely nothing to do with the weather, but in my heart I miss the cold, and the 'dreaming of a white Christmas'. Silly, I know. I can only attribute it to the place from whence I came...Westerville, Ohio. It's all about what Christmas was like as a little kid.
Lots of my friends around the globe won't know where Westerville, Ohio is...
It's actually a suburb of Columbus, the capital of Ohio. Seems silly to type that like someone wouldn't know, but it's a big world out there and not everyone can keep up with fifty states :)
I got a kick out of a recent project by Buzzfeed, where Londoners were given a map of the US to label the 50 states. Surprisingly, most of them did a great job, MUCH BETTER than 90% of Americans would do if they were given a map of Europe or Southeast Asia. Hell, they did better than I could. Haha.
Back to getting in the spirit with Christmas music, here's an amazing rendition of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' by Sam Smith. *swoon*...
While we're on the topic...how about some ideas for what to buy that impossible person on your list?
1> The Amazon Fire TV Stick. Just got one of these puppies as an early Christmas gift last week, and it's fanfriggingtabulous!!! Okay, it's out of stock until January 5th, but you can always order it and tell them it's on the way. I have Chromecast, but in my humble opinion, the Fire Stick is wayyyy better. Much more capability, with respect to adding applications, and a remote control so you don't have to 'cast' from your phone/iPad/laptop. I have had a couple people tell me that they think Roku is better, but I don't have one of those so I can't advise :) In addition to the standard issue stuff (Netflix, Amazon Prime, HuluPlus, etc..), the Fire Stick can run web applications. Super cool stuff. PC Mag recently compared all three: ROKU, Chromecast, and the Fire Stick. I have never been a huge fan of Amazon Kindle/Fire products, but this time they got me.
2> No More Rack, Overstock, and Ideel. If you're like me, the thought of going out into the shopping madness is more than intimidating. Ugh! This year, I really focused on trying to buy stuff online (including a few trinkets for myself, of course). No More Rack has a flat shipping rate of $2 per item and has great deals on electronics and small gadgets. Overstock rocks! It's my go-to place when I'm trying to find something weird...somehow they always have it and the prices are extremely competitive. Ideel has the designer brands and trends we all love, at up to 70% off retail. I have found tons of great products, and the prices can't be beat. If you're shopping for me per chance, I'd love these Burberry sunglasses.
3> A friend recently introduced me to this fabulous retailer, Uncommon Goods. For the person who has everything, you are sure to find something original and unique, without breaking the bank.
Some cool things...this twist wine decanter for $29.99.
Or this gourmet salt collection...$60
Lots of really cool stuff.
On that note, I shall close for the day. Whatever you decide to buy, just make sure it's given with love. In the end, that's all that really matters, right?
xoxo
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