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)?