11 December 2024
Being away from home for years meant I missed a lot of events, like Christmas and New Year celebrations. We enjoy this holiday every year and put up a Christmas tree every December, whether we make it ourselves or buy one from the store. I lived abroad for years and could only see Christmas trees outside my stay because the people living in the house were Buddhist and didn't like putting up Christmas decorations.
I went to the city again with my sister and niece to have a short stroll, shop for basic necessities at home, and buy some Christmas decorations. Before going for a walk, we stopped by McDonald's to eat and buy my niece her favorite ice cream and fries.
The funny thing is that we would dine in at McDonald's, but she would call it Jollibee 🤣 because that's the first fast food she became aware of. Many Filipino kids like Jollibee as well since it's a Filipino pride.
If you want to check what we did that day, feel free to click this blog about a day with Breiana
While heading to the mall, where we planned to buy some Christmas decor, the kid spotted a Dunkin Doughnut stall and requested to buy one. The fact that she just ate at McDonald's shows that she really has a good appetite. When we reached the mall, the kid sat on the staircase and ate her doughnut. Such a funny scene.
She's too naughty and liked running around.
We once had a long-running Christmas tree, which I bought in 2010, but its life ended just last year. It had been with us for over a decade, and only the strong typhoon had ruined it. I bought a simple Christmas tree and some decorations. I'm saving money for more important things, so this year's Christmas plans are budget-friendly.
I'll admit that I've been spending a lot since last year, but one of my goals for the new year is to save more. I meant to get a white Christmas tree, but there wasn't one around. Instead, I got a green tree and some white decorations. I found out later that the pink decorations would go with the white ones. Gold and red were also added to my tree because I think they look nice. For my desk, I also got Christmas lights and some LED lights for our living room.
After that, we headed to Savemore Mall to shop for our basic needs at home. We put the child in the big cart because she won't stop running around when we're out in public. We liked that better, and we didn't have to chase a kid around. Surprisingly, the kid even liked it more. She even had a chance to watch Cocomelon while on the cart. What a life!
Usually, if she was with us shopping, she would help push the cart and put anything she wanted inside. But one day, the cart fell onto her, and she hit the floor. We made the choice to put her in the cart so it wouldn't happen again.
Before heading out of the mall, we spotted a Christmas display in the lobby area, but the kid feared the big Santa. She's afraid of statues, I should say.
We started to set up our Christmas tree at home. The kid, of course, volunteered to help, or the other way around, I should say, since she would put and remove decor from time to time. Seeing her doing that made me want to become a kid again. With daily life struggles, one would want to return to being a kid; relaxed, happy, and worry-free.
And my workstation...
We went to town at night when the Christmas lights were already up. People loved the bright LED lights and Christmas ornaments on the municipal hall, and music was playing. The kid looked so happy as she danced to the beat of Christmas music.
I'd like to see the city's Christmas displays because the decorations are better with snow effects, but we can't because the last trip back to our town is at eight in the evening. Getting around would be easy if my dad were still alive because he could drive us anywhere we wanted to go. We really miss him, and this will be the second Christmas without him.
The countdown to Christmas began. Are you all excited?
Thanks for your time.
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Jane is a Filipina wanderer in a foreign land who finds comfort in nature and freedom in writing. She loves watching raw picturesque landscapes, listening to the symphony of nature, breathing in drops of sunshine, walking through scenic trails and cityscapes, tasting new culinary flavors, capturing pretty little things, venturing into hidden gems, and dancing with the flow of life.
Her new experiences, adventures, challenges, lessons, small successes, and joys are colorful paints that fill up her canvas of life. She hopes to see it beautifully painted while she can.
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