holiday tradishh

I've been trying to make a Christmas list for 'Santa' this year & I have had a bit of trouble. 

'Santa' wants to take me shopping this next weekend & I haven't really come up with anything specific that I want.

This is the best I could come up with.

Keep in mind these all are purely wants. 

So don't judge me :)

 

1. Steve Madden "hood" boot - Nordstrom
2. Nike Free Run shoes - nike.com
3. New headphones - mine are broken
4. New ipod touch running band - again, mine is broken
5. Ray Ban aviators 
6. Iphone 4
7. Sequin Shorts - J Crew
8. Ampliacion Ore Necklace - Anthropologie
9. Held Dear Ring - Anthropologie
10. Northface Hey Moma Boma jacket

I'm an expensive child.

I know.

 Day 9: Best Holiday Traditions

Every year at the Gardner Residence, my mom's side of the family gets together & makes a Norwegian cookie called a bockel. Its an all day event. But it is totally worth it! 

They are soo yummy.  

It is an acquired taste though.

Most people don't like them, but I grew up eating them so we love them!

Made of:

Cardimum

flour

wine

butter

whipping cream

sugar

& love

ha I may have left out a few ingredients. 

I'll post pics later

xoxo

Mal Gal 

  

.sugar please.

Day 8: Holiday dessert of your choosing

a balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.

Its NOT beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Does anyone else hate that it looks like October today? I mean don't get me wrong, I hate the snow, but I like it when I'm listening to Christmas music in my car! Its just surprisingly warm today... a storm coming our way? Probably. 

Anyway. School is almost donzoo! Thank goodness! Just had my last group presentation today & I'm sooo relieved! Can't wait for the break! I'm going to be the laziest person in the world.

ha a lot like last year. 

I literally locked myself in my room & finished seasons 1 & 2 of Gossip Girl. & drank probably 500 cans of DC with lime. It was heaven! 

I need a new series to get into for the break. 

Not one that already has a million seasons.

Needs drama & hot men. 

Any ideas??

Day 7: Favorite Memory

Hmm... favorite memory..

It would probably be one Christmas when my grandparents had to stay at our house & me & my sister were kicked out of our beds & had to sleep downstairs. We were a little POd.. to say the least.

Soo at like 3 in the a.m. we went upstairs & looked at all of our presents! 

I remember we made over our rooms that year, so there was a bunch of furniture and shelves we wanted. 

It was pretty cool & we thought we were soo sneaky.

Definitely ruined the element of surprise though.

We didn't tell our parents for a couple months.

They were bummed.

Ha we still joke about it.

the best way to spread Christmas cheer

Soo I"m really bad at posting everyday, that I have to catch up again! I was really busy all weekend helping my mom set up Christmas and then my laptop broke. So I couldn't blog! Tragic.

Day 4: Best gift ever given

Okay I'm really lame when it comes to giving presents. Well sort of.... I love to spend a lot of money on people and giving them exactly what they want. But that means my gifts usually aren't surprises or very creative. & I'm definitely not a crafty person. A talent I wish I possessed. So when it comes to Christmas presents I've given, one doesn't really stand out. But I remember back when I was in Young Womens, we would do a sub for Santa every year. I loved it. A couple of us would group up with the young men and take a family to buy gifts for. This one year me, my sister, & my dad (who was Young Mens president at the time) took a family who was supported by a single dad. He had three daughters. One was my age and the other two were pretty young. We collected things from Walmart for them, and spent all the money we could. I remember thinking I would never want clothes from Walmart, but the girl my age needed some clothes. I went to my closet and looked for things that I had out grown or didn't really wear any more. I told my dad to spend more money on other things for them, cause I had clothes for this young girl. I gathered up some really nice shirts and jeans that I had. 

When we finally went to deliver our gifts, I remember thinking I didn't want to go into the house. I was nervous that this girl would feel embarrassed to get a bunch of gifts from complete strangers. But my dad talked me into going. Kayy I'm not even kidding when I say they lived in a cement box. Their kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom were all one room. It was the saddest, most humbling experience of my life. I can't image living like that. When I gave the young girl her gifts, she immediately began to cry. I don't even think she owned as many clothes as I gave her. She was so appreciative and so sweet. It broke my heart. 

I continued to do sub for Santa for the next couple of years, but never had an experience like that. So I think that was the best gift I could have given. I'll never forget that young girl and the blessing she was in my life, to look back and realize how great I have it. I challenge everyone to do some type of service this holiday season because it will truly bring you such joy. 

Day 5: Favorite Christmas Albums 

1: Kayy so my favorite Christmas album I've been listening to for years is by a local Utah girl named Paisley. I got her Christmas cd was I was like 13 from Jill Dahle for my birthday one year. Its absolutely amazing. 

 2. Mariah Carey- Merry Christmas

 

 3. 'N Sync- Home for Christmas

4. Glee Christmas Album (new obsession)

Day 6: Favorite Christmas movies: 

I watch Christmas movies year round. 

1. The Holiday

2. Christmas Vacation

3. Elf

4. Jingle All the Way

 

5. The Santa Clause

6. The Grinch

Happy monday

xoxo

Mal Gal

.day trois.

Day 3: Best gift ever recieved 

I remember this Christmas perfectly. I was in 9th grade & I remember going to Taylor Cate's house for Bonneville cheer practice at her house right before Christmas break. Taylor always had the coolest things. This one day after we finished practicing, some of us went up to Taylor's room. We were just kinda hangin out & that was the first time I had ever seen an Ipod. An Ipod mini to be exact. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. So I went on a campaign to my parents, convincing them that I NEEDED one! (ha nothing has changed, huh mom??) They kept telling me that they were really pricey and that I shouldn't get my hopes up. So when Christmas rolled around, I definitely had my hopes up. I unwrapped all of my presents really fast, in search of that darn Ipod. I got the Abercrombie outfit I wanted, shoes, lip gloss, perfume... everything but the Ipod. I was so disappointed. (How spoiled am I? geeez)  So we started cleaning up, when my sister notice two pairs of head phones strung across our Crhistmas trees....... and then two Ipod minis hidden in the tree!!! It was a Christmas miracle! We started jumping up & down. I thought i had died & gone to heaven. So ya that was probably my best Christmas present!

Sad that a year later, Apple came out with a bigger & better Ipod & mine suddenly became uncool.

 

My new campaign....... Iphone.

.perfection.

Countdown to Christmas

So I was bored at work today & I stumbled upon a countdown to Christmas blog challenge! I'm so excited for Christmas & this is a perfect way to get in the spirit of things! I'm a day behind so I have to play a bit of catch up!

Day 1: Post an audio of one of your favorite Christmas songs  

All I Want For Christmas Is You- Mariah Carey

(Absolute classic.)

Day 2:  Which has been your favorite Christmas of all time?

Wow this is tough. I've always had such amazing Christmases- thanks to Santa ;) But for real. I think probably some of the best Christmases I've had was when I was little. Believing in Santa, swearing I heard the reindeer land on the roof, waking up to a billion presents, listening to the radio on Christmas Eve to see if Santa was almost here, going to my cabin in Bear Lake, sneaking downstairs early in the morning with my sister, making my dad put together all of our toys right after we open them, getting a chocolate orange in the bottom of my stocking, the smell of my mom's 'Christmas Spice' candle burning, and getting the new backstreet boys cd or an ipod mini. You can't top that. So yes I cannot just pick one specific Christmas.

I'm sure this year will be no exception!

.Me & Alysa at our cabin in Bear Lake one Christmas.

.Playing 'Reindeer on the Roof Top' at the Watts' Christmas Eve partayy.

First day of Hanakuh today.

Mazel Tov!

Back to December

Welp its offically december first.

You know what that means don't ya?

.FINALS.

Yuck!

I'm taking a killer anatomy class right now & its kicking my trash. 

Our final is in two weeks from today & I'll be honest..... I'm not ready.

So for the next two weeks I plan to become a hermit. 

study. study. study. 

On the bright side..... Christmas almost here!

Its my absolute favorite time of the year!

I need to get some major Christmas shopping in though.

Which I have to say I quite enjoy..... not a shock to most of you ;)

I really love giving people gifts.

Receiving them is great, but lets be real here. I don't need one stinkin thing!! 

Whats on your Christmas list??

Well heres to a stressful two weeks ahead of me & 0 degree weather!