A Christmas that started off inauspiciously, with stress and empty pockets, ended up being one of the best ones in recent memory. This was the first Christmas in four years where I didn’t have to work Christmas Eve, or the week after; everyone was in a good mood and liked their presents. Here’s how we celebrated (clockwise from top left):
- Watched holiday movies while working on this Thomas Kinkade Christmas Wreath puzzle (50 cents at the thrift store).
- Ate gingerbread (made with Betty Crocker mix and Target cookie cutters).
- Rented Bachelor Mother
, which was even better than I remembered {film still via Livin’ Vintage; rent it for $2.99 On Demand}. David Niven and Ginger Rogers are just magic together, and the script’s so clever. In my opinion, it’s aged better than many so-called “classic” screwball comedies.
- Saw Arthur Christmas, the latest movie by Aardman Studios (Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep). My teen brother & I saw it in mid-December, and had the theater to ourselves. We don’t always find the same things funny, but we both laughed ourselves silly, especially at naughty Grandpa.
- Drank Crispin Honey Crisp Hard Apple Cider, another good & cheap holiday tipple.
- Also: Bought a bunch of snacks (chips, crackers, cookies, things we normally try to restrict), and made a giant batch of paella on Friday, and nibbled on both through the weekend. Watched the first episode of Rosemary & Thyme
, a cozy British mystery series with a gardening theme (Season 1 is available for streaming on Netflix).
How about you guys? What made your holiday break special (or at least bearable)?
Arthur Christmas looks really good. I’m glad to hear that it was funny.
Ann
So funny! I highly recommend it.