Christmas from the Store

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!

--Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Hello world!

It’s been a while I wrote a blogmas post here. Life has been pretty busy, overwhelming. Is it just me, or time is really running quicker than normal? Today is 21^st December, just 3 days and 17 hours to Christmas. By the time we realize, we have entered 2018.

Oh well, life itself just passes quickly by.

I was at work yesterday when it dawned on me that we have entered the 20s of the month, but I hadn’t had time to do a proper Christmas shopping for gifts and food. I then understood those who usually say they hadn’t got time to do anything.

Well, maybe, I do not know how to manage my time.

A thought came to mind. Christmas is not all about the physical things we use to celebrate. As I participate in the #LightTheWorld initiative, I realized Christmas is all about having time for your loved ones and the people who love you. I must not worry about not having time to do Christmas shopping, I must worry about not having enough time to spend time with family, friends and loved ones.

The #LightTheWorld initiative has taught me about the value of service and presence. Jesus Christ gave service to His fellow men, even though he is the King of kings. He took care of people and loved them.

The quote I wrote above came to mind. I have been watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas since I was younger, and this quote came in handy.

Do not worry about not having time and money to spend on the material things of Christmas, even though, it is so cool and fun to do such things. The most people thing is having the people you love around you during this time of the year.

The end!

Daily Gifts (An Excerpt from Christmas Stories for the Heart)

Another blogmas post is coming your way this morning. How has your December been so far? Mine has been full of work, work, work, and I cannot complain much. Between being a student and a worker, I have seen the difference. As a student, you get a little break but as a worker. There is nothing like break.

Anyway, I have been trying to enjoy every little moment I have to spare. I have been super busy, but I try to live life at peace.

For a minute, I didn’t know which blogmas post to write again, but as I was reading this festive book of mine, I read page 104 and it really touched my heart.

It looks so much like the Light the World initiative I am involving myself in, but it has more options and simple and daily things we should be practicing.

The book says we can call these daily gifts “our Christmas Projects.” We could practice one of these little projects, one moment/day/period at a time.

They listed some suggestions in the book and I will list some here

Mend a quarrel

Seek out a forgotten friend

Write a long overdue love note

Hug someone tightly and whisper “I love you so.”

Forgive an enemy

Be gentle and patient with an angry person

Express appreciation

Gladden the heart of a child

Find the time to keep a promise

Release a grudge

Smile. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more

Play some beautiful music during the evening meal

Apologize if you were wrong

Turn off the television and talk

Treat someone to an ice-cream cone (yogurt will be fine)

Pray for someone who helped you when you hurt

Encourage an older person

These are some of the many things they listed in the book. You can try and do some as time goes by.

Merry Christmas!

A Different Kind of Monday-Boxing Day

This Monday is kind of different. The one that doesn’t require shrieking of alarm clocks, and rumbling of buckets of water.

This Monday is the one that we get to stay in bed, and not think about any hustle and bustle, but instead, we think of left over foods, open our eyes and let them wander about the room. We begin to wonder how come the holiday is over, and we get up and look out the window.

Christmas is going away….

No, don’t go…We whisper to it.

But you see it going away, and you stare at the inexpensive ornaments in your room.

Ugh…you give up. In fact, you go back to bed.

Scrolling social media….

Still scrolling….

Still scrolling…..

It is a different kind of Monday.

A very different kind.

Keeping it real since One Christmas Day

Merry Christmas y’all.

Ooh, I can’t hide my excitement. It’s Christmas Day people! And my soul feels beautiful.🎄🎅🎆🎇🎈🎉🎊🍸🍹🍰

I remember when I was a little girl and wanted to grow up fast, buy more high heels and wear my hair, so that the wind can blow it.

Now I wish to be 12, or even 9.

Living your life as a young adult is not as easy as we see it when we are young. It has a whole lot of things we should warn our younger selves of. I think I need to write a book about being a young adult.

I was wide awake till I heard my phone ring. I answered it and heard “Happy Birthday, Silly!” I glanced at the clock and saw the time, 12:00am.

OMG! It’s two things: My Birthday! And it’s Christmas!

Exactly two years ago, I was on the search for a woman. A woman I have not met or seen before. I was wondering whether I could find her. I have seen a piece of her in my mother, so I had a fair idea of what part of her would look like.

It’s been two years and I realized, I am only 25% there. I wonder if it is a total waste of time.

But I am slowly learning that finding someone is not going to be an easy journey. You might get flat tyres, you’ll get hungry, eat bad food and get running stomach (diarrhoea), run out of money, meet good strangers and bad strangers. Finding someone is muddy, rough, scary, fun and overwhelming.

I thought of asking people to help me find that woman. Yes, I asked family, friends (my good friends), the church, the community, the workplace, books, the stars in the sky, the past and the present. I wanted to ask the future but it would spoil the fun.

I asked God. You know our Heavenly Father already. He has things in place to help me find her, but I will have to do my part. It’s like asking God to have sufficient money. He won’t send you gold and money, but He would give you strength and wisdom to work hard to earn money.

The woman I am looking for is the woman I want to be, and I am only 25% there.

I hope to find her.

Life has been fun and overwhelming and heartbreaking, but we are still surviving.

Yes, we are.

I have been keeping it real since the day I was born.

I feel like I am writing a post all about myself.

Hehehe xx.

That is the power of a personal blog.

How is your Christmas day?

The Life before Christmas

Welcome to the dawn of Christmas Eve! It is Saturday, and I am highly awake. Tomorrow is Christmas, and my birthday! I am fully determined this year to celebrate it, though it won’t be in grand style. This Christmas won’t be like the last years. I fell ill in November and most of our Christmas savings were used to pay the hospital bills.

So, it is the life before Christmas, and all through my dark room. Not a creature was stirring, not even the mosquito, except for the dog that just sent the barking signal for others to follow. I won’t be surprised if I use a longer time to write this post because I pause continuously, and frequently. I do not have visions of sugar plums dancing in my head. Father Christmas wouldn’t be around this dawn. He would come this evening, the night before Christmas.

So, today is the eve. I have nothing much planned for today, except for hanging out with friends, playing games and taking selfies and pictures. I might as well, go round the neighbourhood and see what other churches are doing tonight. Or just go out and take a couple of pictures.

I am currently silently playing Christmas music. I might as well, tune up the volume to annoy the Scrooges. (Silly Me). After publishing this, I am going to bed.

Can you believe tomorrow is Christmas? I am overjoyed.

What are your plans for Christmas Eve?

The Christmas Conversation over Hot Chocolate

Hey there! Happy Tuesday.

Today, I just want us to sit and talk. You know, just sit and talk…..virtually. Sometimes, we need to set aside some time, to talk, and sip some chilled drink or hot one.

So, today, let’s sit, sip and talk. It’s Christmas.

Now Playing: The First Noel by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

I know, it is dawn…..early morning. What do you normally do during the early mornings of the holidays? Have you noticed it is very beautiful? Morning are beautiful times. I wake up early to experience early mornings. Christmas mornings are beautiful. I never experienced early mornings when I was a little girl, because I never woke up early. But as I got older and adapted the habit of waking up earlier, I have noticed some changes and experienced some moments, and I enjoy them.

Now Playing: I’ll be home for Christmas by Josh Groban

I have never celebrated Christmas without my family. I know, I won’t be in the same house with my maiden family forever. Marriage would send me out, and I’ll start to celebrate with my new family. To those of you who have celebrated Christmas without family before, how did you feel? What did you do to make it sound cool?

Now Playing: Mary’s Little Boy Child by Mandisa

When I was a little girl, I thought the story of the birth of Jesus is being played over and over again in Jerusalem. I always thought on Christmas Eve that Joseph and Mary are looking for room. I wanted them to come over to our home and give birth, but I also thought that, the prophecy is already written that He would be born in Bethlehem, so they can’t come over to my home, or else the story of the child’s birth would change and people would get confused.

Now Playing: Santa Tell Me by Ariana Grande

If there was a Santa Claus, I would tell him to bring back some people into my life. I really need them back. Those who have passed on and those still alive. But I know he can’t do that even if he was real.

You want more hot chocolate? Head over to Twitter.

Decorate with MarieNoel: Christmas Ornaments Must-Haves

Good morning and happy Wednesday to y’all. It is a good day to get your ornaments out and decorate if you haven’t already. The elections are over and we are ready to move on.

So, if you haven’t decked the halls before, do not worry. If you are also wondering what kind of ornaments to use, don’t worry. Today, I want to share with you five traditional ornaments you can start with.

Christmas Tinsels

Christmas tinsels are a classic. You do not need a Christmas tree before you can use them. Tinsels can be hanged around the room, your bed, the chair, the table. Tinsels go anywhere.

Christmas Baubles

Christmas baubles are very popular. They can be hanged on the Christmas tree plus other ornaments which makes the tree so festive. I do not know what the balls/baubles represent, but they make everything beautiful and bright.

Miniature Father Christmas

Even though Father Christmas is not the reason for the season, he is there to find out who is naughty or nice.

The Christmas Angel

Isn’t she gorgeous? If you do not have the Christmas Star, the angel can be used.

Christmas Bells

The sound of them gives me good Christmas feelings. They are a necessity.

Which Christmas Ornament is your Favourite? I love Christmas Angels.

p.s. We are still doing the Light The World campaign!!! Details here.

Christmas Novel + Movie Review

Last year, I did a Christmas movie review of It’s aWonderful Life. I wanted to do a Christmas novel review this time around. I even wanted to write on my favourite festive novel, Christmas After All, but I will save the best for the last. So, I decided to write the review on Christmas novel I recently read, in the early days of November; Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.

I recently watched Christmas with the Kranks and it was a very interesting movie. I loved and enjoyed it, and it was hilarious. The beginning of the movie looked familiar. I had seen that scene somewhere before. As the opening credits were appearing on the screen and I saw that the movie was based on Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. I said Bam! I was watching the movie with my mom and she asked, Is that the story that John Grisham deviated? I said Yeah! That’s the one! I will tell you why I said John Grisham deviated. Probably at the end.

So, this post is more of a fusion of a novel review and a movie review. And I think this is the first of its kind.

I know John Grisham to be an author who loves writing about stories surrounding the law. I expected Skipping Christmas to be the same. The couple would go on the cruise they planned on going, a crime would happen there at the vacation spot, and the lawyers start flying in.

That was my expectation as I read on and on.

But, I was wrong.

Oh why, John Grisham? Why?

That’s why I said he has deviated.

It’s not that he did not write it well oo. He deviated from the normal, which is good if you ask me.

I mean, sometimes, we need something different. But I wasn’t expecting it, because the books he even writes for children contains law.

All right, I loved the book. It was hilarious, and I could actually imagine Luther and his wife, and the neighbourhood.

Such a festive neighbourhood. I wish I lived there, with my husband and kids.

Anyway, so I recognized some faces in the movie, especially Jamie Lee Curtis. I recognized her from scream Queens as Dean Munch.

She is very hilarious.

I loved the movie too. Very funny movie.

But I liked the book more. Maybe, because I am more of a bookaholic than a movieholic.

Movieholic? Is that even a word?

Haha. Never mind.

The way I imagined the neighbourhood was more beautiful than the one in the movie. That means, I have a good imagination.

Yep.

I’ll give the book 4.1 out of 5.0 stars, and a 4.0 out of 5.0 stars for the movie.

Have you read Skipping Christmas? What do you like/hate about it?

What about the movie version of it, Christmas with the Kranks? What do you like/hate about it?

Which one did you enjoy more? The book, or the movie?

Let’s Talk About Christmas Movies

What is the celebration of Christmas without watching some good Christmas movies, videos or TV Specials? Sometimes, we need that motivation to see that we get an urge to celebrate it.

I used to love watching movies, when I was a younger and in secondary school. I am more of a reader now than a watcher. But I love me some Christmas movies. These are some of the Christmas movies I love

The Muppets Christmas Carol

I remember when I was a little girl, I saw the commercial of this movie in our video cassettes. The commercial looked scary, so I had no desire to watch it. But as I grew up, the fear left and I had the courage to watch, and I tell you, it wasn’t that scary as I imagined.

Home Alone

I grew up with this movie. If you haven’t seen it yet, then you are not a Ghanaian. This movie is a bonus on television here in Ghana.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

This is the part 2 of Home Alone with the same characters, and the return of the burglars. But this time, the adventure was done in New York, not Chicago.

The Polar Express

This movie is so magical and beautiful. I just love it. I don’t need to say much, but go watch it.

Barbie in ‘A Christmas Carol’

I love this movie, because it is beautiful, fashion is fabulous and Catherine is pretty.

It’s a Wonderful Life

I just got to watch this movie last year. I even wrote areview about it. it is not entirely a Christmas movie, but the ending makes you feel festive and emotional.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

I have been watching this cartoon since I was a little girl, and this movie makes me nostalgic. It reminds me of my childhood and makes me laugh, because cartoons of those days look funny.

Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas

Funnily enough, I watched this before seeing Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas. So, I fell in love with it. That doesn’t mean, I do not like Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas. I love that one too.

LDS’ Joy to the World

This is a great movie to watch on Christmas Eve. It is about the birth of Christ, and the accompaniment of the voices of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir made it so heavenly.

Charlie Chaplin’s Gold Rush

I do not know why I added this to the list, but the song Auld Lang Syne by Mariah Carey is playing right now as I type this, and it reminds me of this movie, when Charlie Chaplin was stood up by Georgia (who was his crush) and her friends on New Year’s Eve.

I currently have more Christmas movies waiting for me to watch them. It is one of my December goals to watch more festive movies.

Any Christmas Movie Recommendations?