Christmas Cookies and other stuff (:

Tips for a Great Christmas

So if any of you know me, you know that I LOVE Christmas.  It's cold and everyone is happy and there a gifts and you put on weight from all the cookies and it's just great.  

However, I have had a few Christmas breaks that were even better, and after much thought and consideration (not really, I'm making this up on the spot...), I have determined why.

1. Cookies - whenever you eat way too much of anything, you start to get tired of it, even with cookies... JUST KIDDING.  You can never eat too many cookies (:

2. Giving, not getting - I know, give not get... the normal advice from your elders.  And even though everyone loves to get gifts, including me, there is a small spark of excitement whenever you find the perfect gift for your friends.  You can get gifts anywhere–walmart, target, or my personal favorite, amazon.  

3. Trying something new - The best Christmas I ever had was when I went to New Zealand.  It was really exciting because I got to experience new food, new sights, and new activities.  It was amazing, and my family made it even better.  

4. Hot Chocolate - Obviously, food is very important, but hot chocolate, well it's really hard to beat.  I highly recommend cuddling up in a blanket with a good book and cup of cocoa over your break. 

5. Snow - So while this is not scientifically possible in some places, snow simply makes Christmas better.  Everyone dreams of having a white Christmas, probably because it is always depicted in favorite holiday books and movies.

6. Food - Everyone has favorite holiday treats, including me (cranberry sauce is the bomb.com).  Even if you can't get all of the traditional holiday foods, a few of them make the break even better.


Enjoy your break and Merry Christmas!

Christmas is Coming!

I don't know about everyone else, but I can't wait for Christmas.  There's snow (at least where I live), cookies, a Christmas Trees, Santa is coming, and of course, everyone is giving gifts.

For a lot of people though, the weeks leading up to Christmas are stressful.  There are gifts to give, presents to wrap, and houses to decorate.   Getting presents for all of your family is difficult, and the goal of this blog is to give some great ideas for family and friends that vary in price range.

Amazon saved my life this holiday season, and all of these ideas can be found on amazon.

Idea 1: Rubik's Cube

Although these were created in the 1980's or whatever, they're becoming more popular again.  Most of my friends can solve them,  and my friend Devon just ordered about eighteen different types.

You can order a Sheng Shuo Rubik's cube on amazon for under $7.

Idea 2: Hoodies

If you live in a cold place like I do, hoodies are your life!  Hoodies make great gifts because there are a bunch of designs out there and are affordable for some of your better friends and family.  They also work for both genders. Did I mention that they are comfortable and warm?

You can get this hoodie, along with many others on amazon.  This hoodie is $25.  

Idea 3: Jewelry 

Yes, this may apply mainly to females, however unique jewelry means a lot to a lot of people.  Instead of getting the normal "best friends" split apart necklace, you can find some really interesting designs of jewelry online that would make anyone feel special. 

You can find great jewelry similar to this online at amazon.  You are sure to find one that fits the person you are shopping for! 

Idea 4: Coffee Cups

Coffee mugs are definitely on my Christmas list mostly because I'm currently living off coffee.  

Just kidding, however coffee mugs are practical and you can find many styles and designs that fit a person!

This adorable cookie monster coffee mug not only holds you famous warm drink, but cookies fit his mouth!  You can find this and many other cute mugs on amazon.  

Idea 5) Movie Gift Basket

Who doesn't love candy, popcorn, and movies?  A really great gift for a movie buff friend this Christmas is a popcorn bucket filled with their favorite candy and movies or a cinema gift card.  While these are super easy to make, you can also find them online.  

Yummy (:  I love food!  This gift basket can be found on amazon.

Idea 6) Fuzzy Blankets 

Affordable and warm, blankets are a great idea.  They come in many different colors, patterns, and designs, and you are sure to find one that suits your friends. 

This too is found on amazon, and even though there are millions out there, these are simple, bright, and incredibly soft! (Trust me, I have one)

Have a great holiday season and I hoped I helped to relieve some of the holiday stress this winter (or summer, if you live in the southern hemisphere).  

Happy Holidays!!!

Achieving the Impossible - Finding Time for Everyone

Last week I went to the most magical place on Earth.  No, not Disneyland... a plane.  I was on this magical plane for 15 hours on my way to Hong Kong. Yes, that's China, not Japan.

So maybe the plane ride wasn't so magical, but Hong Kong was.  I used to live there, and I know all of the best places to go, however TIME travel has some of my favorite things to do there.  Although I haven't ever done a helicopter tour there, I have gone to the Peak (with one of the most beautiful views of a city on Earth) and on the Star Ferry (which I almost got a heat stroke on the first summer I lived there, but love it none the less).

On my visit back, I was able to do a lot of these things again.  Although it was amazing to be back, I found it difficult to find time for everyone.

To be honest, my dad is gone a lot, and I hadn't seen him for a few months which is why I went back.  It was so amazing to see him again and spend time with him.  However, I also had a lot of difficulty seeing everyone I wanted to, mainly for three reasons.

Reason Number 1:  

Because I hadn't seen my dad for a long time too, I wanted to spend time with him.  He also had to work so I made sure that I could see him enough.

Whether it was going out to dinner or taking the MTR (subway) around the city, hanging out with my dad was awesome.   Even though I did spend a lot of time with him, it wasn't enough.  But it's okay because he's coming back to the United States to work, so I'll get to him every weekend!


Reason Number 2:

If I'm completely honest, I have to say this: I wasn't even close to being popular back in Hong Kong, but I did have a lot of friends.  I really wanted to see them all, but since they had school Monday through Thursday, I really only had Friday and Saturday to see everyone.

Although I did get to see my closest friends, or most of them, I didn't get to see all of them simply because I didn't have enough time.   I had to pick and choose, and I'm not going to lie, it was difficult.  It's not that I wanted to see anyone more than other people, and I tried my best to see everyone or hang out with people as a group.   Even though it wasn't all my fault (see Reason Number 3), I was really disappointed I didn't see everyone.


Reason Number 3: 

So as I said in Reason Number 1, I had a lot of friends in Hong Kong.  However when I went back to visit I faced disappointment when I wanted to hang out with some of the people I thought were my closest friends.  There were several people that I messaged and emailed asking if they wanted to hang out.  It was really upsetting when I didn't get responses, however it taught me a valuable lesson about who my friends really were there, so I guess it did have a silver lining!


Overall, I had a REALLY great time in Hong Kong.  I know that I probably won't get a chance to go back for a long time, and even though thinking about that is hard, I'm thankful for the chance for me to go back.

Sumi and I were really close and she is currently at boarding school... I literally started crying when she told me that she would be in Hong Kong over Thanksgiving too!

My crazy, amazing dad and I... gotta love picture phone quality, am I right?

Some of my closest guy friends from HK, Douglas and Calum, and I. We probably walked ten miles the night we hung out but it was so amazing to see them! We're all nerds ;)

Kiki, one of my closest friends from HK and I. We both ate way too much food that day...

Louisa and I (:  She's in one of my other blog posts because she is literally my best friend.  She pushed me over (on accident, of course) when she saw me (I might have surprised her).  

Thea and I... Thea and I got a lot closer last year and she always makes me laugh!  We both love food too, which helps build relationships (:

Sherry and I were in several classes together last year and she is one of the most talented people I've ever met.  It was great to see her–especially because she ALWAYS makes me smile!

Some of the cutest kids I know!  They used to live in my old apartment building and I always spent time with them.  They're like siblings to me and I had so much fun running around with them!

The view from a tower I found while exploring Hong Kong Park.  It was a 360˚ view and was ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS.