Christmas Dinner at My Place

I finally decided to put up the tree and get some decorations for the holidays. My friends are celebrating Christmas at my place to keep me company as my BF is still in Hong Kong and couldn't get a flight back until the 28^th. Vanna has been a very good girl and I'm hoping she'll not wreak havoc and just leave the tree alone.

It will be a simple intimate dinner with seven of my closest friends. I'm not going to do all the cooking, they will be bringing in some food as well so I'm not gonna slave it up in the kitchen. I plan to serve fully cooked ham from the supermarket, and just heat it with my homemade honey-mustard glaze for that extra flavor and serve it with herbed potatoes. I'll be baking a few batches of my chocolate and white chocolate chip cookies so my guests can bring something home. I've stacked on wines already and Mike promise to bring some Champaign. Oh boy, It will be a fun night!

I'm looking forward to this Christmas celebration. It's been quite a while since my friends and I got together. This will be a good opportunity to catch up on things, just relax and have fun!

Have a Merry Christmas everybody!

Celebrating Christmas with Pets

Christmas is not only for us humans. Our furry little friends should also enjoy the festivities. After all, Jesus was surrounded by animals like donkeys, cows, sheep and camels when He was born thousands of years ago. There are many ways to include them in the celebration. Give your pets special treats to nibble on while you are having Christmas Dinner. Dress them up (as santa, elves, or reindeer) and take pictures. Don't just let them stare at you while opening your presents, buy them something special, a toy, a new leash, or an outfit, and don't forget to wrap it too!

Some decorations may pose danger to our pets. Make sure that strings of lights are high enough to be out of their reach as they love to play with hanging and dangling objects. Unplug Christmas tree lights when you are not around to avoid electrocution in case your pet nibbled on the wires. Don't leave lighted candles unattended. Pets might knock them off while playing.

Think twice before getting Holiday plants for decorations. Holly, mistletoe and poinsettias can be toxic to animals when ingested. Make sure that there are no wrapped boxes of chocolates under the tree. Your pets might munch on them. Chocolates have theobromine which is toxic to many animals. Properly dispose of ribbons and packaging strings as these could pose problems when ingested by pets.

Have yourself and your furry little friends a safe and happy Christmas!

Perfect Christmas Gifts

It's that time of year again. And your loved ones are expecting some nice gifts to open come Christmas morning. And we are not talking about a loaf of fruitcake or a coffee mug with their names on it! The following is a list of gift suggestions that will put smiles on their faces without depleting your Christmas bonus.

Nothing is more special than a gift that you made yourself. If you are good at baking, make several batches of your chocolate chip-oatmeal cookies. Package them in Christmas-themed boxes (usually available at the supermarket) and tie with red and green ribbons. The same if you are an excellent cook! That lasagna or pot roast will surely be well appreciated at the Christmas dinner table.

If you love to knit (though you have to do this well in advance or you might run out of time!), create sweaters, vests and socks in your loved ones' favorite colors!

Give a plant enthusiast a bonsai or a potted plant while a leash with matching pet outfit will surely please a dog lover.

The possibilities are endless. You just have to be creative. Think of your loved ones' interests and hobbies and start from there. There are just no excuse for a lousy gift. Who on earth would want to receive fruitcake this Christmas? Definitely not me!

No Fruitcakes, Please

Christmas is just around the corner and I am looking forward to giving and receiving presents and goodies. If there is one thing though that i do not want to receive this year or the succeeding Christmases of my life, it would be fruitcakes (and coffee mugs, but that would be another story)! I just hate it. I know there are people out there who will claim that they crave for and love the rum-laced loaf but I have yet to meet someone who actually bought one for his own consumption. I can't help but think that whoever invented this foodstuff designed it as a product to be given away rather than eaten.

I still wonder how and why fruitcakes became a very popular gift idea at Christmastime when nobody seems to take pleasure in eating it or get excited when receiving it as a present. During this time of the year, bakeshops and supermarkets offer a a wide variety of fruitcakes, from sugar-free to ones covered with frosting. The choices are just overwhelming. And I am so confused! If people truly like fruitcake how come it is not a regular fare at restaurant dessert menus? Or why is there no bakeshop that sell fruitcakes all year round?

Whatever the answers to these questions may be, i do not care. I don't like fruitcakes and don't want to receive them as presents. I am posting this article at PayPerPost so that you would know. And so that i could earn a few bucks to buy my friends decent gifts other than fruitcakes.