What do you get when you combine half a liquor store, enough food to feed an army, presents marked with 'adult exchange' and family? A very fun, loud, family Christmas party, of course!
This Christmas Dustin and I are in Idaho celebrating with his family. One of their traditions is a Christmas Eve White Elephant gift exchange party! Now, I'm not exactly sure how the term 'White Elephant' came around (if you're really curious you can check here), but I don't think the origin is important to have fun and be entertained. All you need know is to show up with a present in hand, following whatever price guidelines were set out, and be prepared to fight for a good gift!
Among the lot of gifts this year were a popcorn machine (think carnival style, not just your everyday counter top model), a ceramic frog and caramel corn, Parcheesi (which I've informed Dustin we MUST play before we go home) along with an Idaho $1,000,000 raffle ticket, a Bob Marley table lamp, $50 QVC gift card with Margarita Mix, Eddie Bauer blanket, Spinning Beer Pong game with all the bells and whistles, Bucket 'o Beer, remote control helicopter, baking supplies, pint glasses and shot glasses, huckleberry vodka, and a roulette game with hidden shots inside.
Now I'm not sure how this type of gift exchange plays out at other family gatherings, but ours always includes stealing, yelling, hiding, bribing, persuading, deal making and after-game trading. All in all I'm pretty sure that everyone got something they wanted; Kevin and Saydee took home the popcorn machine for their basement, Grandma Barbar gets the cute ceramic frog, Jesse is the proud new owner of the beer bucket, Jimmy slyly ended up with the Bob Marley lamp, and Shayla and Rob took the remote control helicopter and roulette. More importantly we were all entertained!
I'm so excited that we were able to be here this year to see his family and celebrate with them. It would have been perfect if Didi and Barbar could have been here, along with the rest of the family, too!
...and stay tuned to see if Dustin wins the $1,000,000 on December 30th! ;)
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Holiday Traditions
This year I have been taken by surprise with how quickly the holiday season came upon us! It seems as though it just kept creeping up and then popped out and announced it's arrival. Finding that it is already Christmas made me even more aware that I had neglected my postings (also, with a nudge from Brittany). Anyway, back to my topic. :)
Not long ago, Dustin and I visited his cousin's home and started talking about all of our family holiday traditions. I reluctantly told them that I didn't think my family had any actual 'traditions'; we didn't have a certain movie we watched on Christmas day, nor did we have a particular present we always exchanged and opened on Christmas Eve. Then Libby looked over and said that a tradition didn't have to be anything spectacular, just something special. So I got to thinking about all the special things that made Christmas Christmas at my house.
First of all, we were lucky enough to have relatives that would travel to us for Christmas. We didn't have to get up super early and travel to someone else's home or spend the holidays cramped on a sleeper sofa. We were able to spend Christmas in our own home with our loved ones gathered around us.
Second, we always had numbered presents. This was one of my Grandma's (let's call it) quirks. While it may sound, at first, very OCD and borderline obsessive, it is actually VERY efficient and a brilliant idea! -- There are three kids in my family: myself and my two older sisters. And as you should all know (if you've ever watched kids open presents) kids can be a bit jealous at times... especially if Johnny opens a nice new bike and Susy opens a package containing socks. To avoid this situation, my Grandma was meticulous in her wrapping of presents. She would always buy similar presents for each of us, and they would be wrapped in the same wrapping paper and given a number. The number ensured that we all opened the same present at the same time and dictated the order in which we were to open presents. (this was also Grandma's way of saving the best presents for last)
Finally, Grandpa always hid money inside one of our presents. He always loved a good practical joke, and this one caught on! Whether it was inside a candy bar wrapper (back when they had the tin foil wrapping and the paper over the top), hiding in a pair of socks, or rolled up into the hem of a towel or bathrobe, we all knew to be on the lookout for our Christmas money. We all still joke about the year that the money was hidden inside a candy bar we each received in our stockings and Grandpa had offered Rachel $5.00 for her candy bar... and would have gotten away with it had I not decided that I needed to eat my candy bar right that second and discovered the money!
This year, after remembering all of our family Christmas traditions, I decided that it was time to remind Grandma of them, too! For her present I decided to give her a junk box! (I suppose this is another 'tradition' that we had. One of our presents was deemed a 'junk box' because it contained all the random, oddball or just 'too small' items to be wrapped by themselves.) BUT instead of just giving her a junk box, I decided to wrap and number each individual item inside. I was very impressed with myself and wrote out a little note to go along with her present:
So, after taking a look back, I've decided that I do have some Holiday Traditions that are near and dear to my heart, and I hope that one day I can continue them and even start a few new traditions with my own family. Until then, I hope to keep the traditions from my past alive... in action or in memory.
Merry Christmas!
Not long ago, Dustin and I visited his cousin's home and started talking about all of our family holiday traditions. I reluctantly told them that I didn't think my family had any actual 'traditions'; we didn't have a certain movie we watched on Christmas day, nor did we have a particular present we always exchanged and opened on Christmas Eve. Then Libby looked over and said that a tradition didn't have to be anything spectacular, just something special. So I got to thinking about all the special things that made Christmas Christmas at my house.
First of all, we were lucky enough to have relatives that would travel to us for Christmas. We didn't have to get up super early and travel to someone else's home or spend the holidays cramped on a sleeper sofa. We were able to spend Christmas in our own home with our loved ones gathered around us.
Second, we always had numbered presents. This was one of my Grandma's (let's call it) quirks. While it may sound, at first, very OCD and borderline obsessive, it is actually VERY efficient and a brilliant idea! -- There are three kids in my family: myself and my two older sisters. And as you should all know (if you've ever watched kids open presents) kids can be a bit jealous at times... especially if Johnny opens a nice new bike and Susy opens a package containing socks. To avoid this situation, my Grandma was meticulous in her wrapping of presents. She would always buy similar presents for each of us, and they would be wrapped in the same wrapping paper and given a number. The number ensured that we all opened the same present at the same time and dictated the order in which we were to open presents. (this was also Grandma's way of saving the best presents for last)
Finally, Grandpa always hid money inside one of our presents. He always loved a good practical joke, and this one caught on! Whether it was inside a candy bar wrapper (back when they had the tin foil wrapping and the paper over the top), hiding in a pair of socks, or rolled up into the hem of a towel or bathrobe, we all knew to be on the lookout for our Christmas money. We all still joke about the year that the money was hidden inside a candy bar we each received in our stockings and Grandpa had offered Rachel $5.00 for her candy bar... and would have gotten away with it had I not decided that I needed to eat my candy bar right that second and discovered the money!
This year, after remembering all of our family Christmas traditions, I decided that it was time to remind Grandma of them, too! For her present I decided to give her a junk box! (I suppose this is another 'tradition' that we had. One of our presents was deemed a 'junk box' because it contained all the random, oddball or just 'too small' items to be wrapped by themselves.) BUT instead of just giving her a junk box, I decided to wrap and number each individual item inside. I was very impressed with myself and wrote out a little note to go along with her present:
"At Christmas' past, presents trimmed the tree
Each one carefully wrapped and numbered for three
Number one was a doll, number five a new dress
But the question remained, what were the rest?
The money was hidden inside number nine,
But the junk box always was a favorite of mine.
Now the tables have turned and this year it's for you
So open your presents, first 'one' then 'two
Enjoy your junk box and all that it holds
And remember the money is hidden in the folds."
Each one carefully wrapped and numbered for three
Number one was a doll, number five a new dress
But the question remained, what were the rest?
The money was hidden inside number nine,
But the junk box always was a favorite of mine.
Now the tables have turned and this year it's for you
So open your presents, first 'one' then 'two
Enjoy your junk box and all that it holds
And remember the money is hidden in the folds."
So, after taking a look back, I've decided that I do have some Holiday Traditions that are near and dear to my heart, and I hope that one day I can continue them and even start a few new traditions with my own family. Until then, I hope to keep the traditions from my past alive... in action or in memory.
Merry Christmas!
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