CHRISTMAS!!

It's almost Christmas! Only eight more days! :)

Christmas is my favorite holiday, rivaled only by Valentines Day (because who doesn't love sweets and hearts and teddy bears?), but even then, Christmas is still my favorite. I've been told that my excitement is a meer product of media hype, that I'm just being manipulated by the mass market. Perhaps that is so, but if it is, I honestly don't care. I enjoy giving presents (and okay, receiving them is fun too :) ) and seeing the smile on the recipients face and knowing that I picked the right thing. I love the shiny Christmas lights set up everywhere (especially the ones in malls!), the specials on TV, the soft, classic carols on the radio, even the more religious themes like the nativity sets and the cute little cherubs that seem to pop up this time of year (and I'm not even that religious at all, even if I do celebrate Christmas!).

The one thing I don't like about Christmas is the financial stress! I don't have a job and I have a very small allowance, so around this time of year I always bug my poor parents and neighbors to see if they have any work I can do for money so I can get nice presents for everyone! But it's all worth it on Christmas day. :)

I received and gave my first present of the year today. A friend of mine and I agreed to swap gifts today, so we exchanged presents today! I got very shiny clip-in bows (what's better for winter than shiny things?), a Hello Kitty Pez, and very pretty ivory fuzzy earmuffs! I was so happy! I gave my friend a small stuffed hamster (since she has a hamster) and a pink pearl necklace that seemed like her style. She loved both presents and even said the hamster looked like her own (I didn't know what her hamster looked like so I was very excited about that!) and she had several outfits she could wear the necklace with! I was so happy she liked it and can't wait to give more gifts! :)

So, sorry about the more personal nature of this post, but Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to you all! I hope whether you're with your family, your friends, or riding solo, you all enjoy yourselves and enjoy the season! :)