Author: Staci

Staci blogs about travel at TheVoyageer.com.

Christmas Tunes

Are you as sick of the new She & Him Christmas album as I am? I was into it when it came out but have heard it TOO many times by this point in the season. Becoming a bit jaded by Zooey D overall, but that’s a different conversation for a different day.

Here are three short Christmas albums you can listen to (and support the artists by buying) on bandcamp.com. I listened to them all and can heartily endorse them.

First is one by a local friend and amazing musician, Aaron Lee Martin:

(click the album covers to be taken to the music)

Second is one I happed across via Instagram of all sources… Jon Runion, whose album was “liked” by a number of people I know in San Diego:

Lastly is one that was recommended a while ago on a blog I follow, I believe, but unfortunately I can’t remember who enlightened me! The Lower Lights:

So, feel free to add these songs into your Holiday Shuffle on iTunes or Spotify or whatever.

Knock on wood, but I haven’t heard a single Josh Groban or Kenny G Christmas song yet this year! I plan on keeping it that way!

Snow.

If you live in Kansas, Snow is the topic of the day. Last night, around halfway through an episode of White Collar on Netflix, it began to snow, big heavy flakes. It had been raining ALL DAY and frankly I was more worried about ice than excited about snow.

It’s hard to believe that Saturday we were taking an afternoon walk in the sun with light hoodies:

And now I’m bundled up wondering just how much we will get when all is said and done.

What really gets me is that yesterday everyone was panicking about blizzard conditions, school snow days, cancelled events, and such, and as you can see above… it’s really not a lot. From what I hear, people here in town love to make a big deal out of things, and this is par for the course. My friend who works at Wal-Mart tells me that every time snow is in the forecast, the masses come out to stockpile their pantries, shopping like it’s the end of the world. Like snow is going to bury their entire house and they won’t be able to come out until April. I’m not even a Kansan, I’m a Californian, and I am acknowledging while pretty, it’s nothing to really get worked up about. Unless it snows for days and days on end like it did this spring–that was a real blizzard condition.

All that said, I’m glad my sister, who flies in Saturday, will get to have a white Christmas–possibly for the first time since we moved to California from Colorado? Correct me if I’m wrong, Steph! I can’t wait for her to come!!

Also, the first half of our Christmas cards just went out (I brought them to work for the mailman to pick up). I hope when they arrive at their destinations, they aren’t soggy!

A Christmas Party and a Confession

Here is my confession. I did not take any photographs of the I Heard A Lion Christmas party hosted at my house on Saturday. This is really inexcusable considering that I now have a phone that makes it really really easy to take, edit and e-mail some decent quality photos.

I will have you know that the party was great. Considering that half of the attendees were battling an illness of some kind, it was low-key and merry. We began with snacks (everyone brought something and we ended up with a great spread: little smokies, veggie tray, cookies, home-made chocolate bark, crackers and dip, pull-bread) and then did a small gift exchange. I love giving gifts (yes, I love getting gifts) but what I really love is seeing what other people get each other! As a kid, I loved to get LOTS AND LOTS of presents on Christmas day, but over the years I have found that giving one gift forces the giver to put more thought into finding the perfect item, making it more special. Ah, what growing up does to us. Loved to spend time with our little “family,” old members and new alike.

For my contribution to the evening, I made two delicious snacks, both snagged from a blog authored by one of my mom’s friends: Elderberry Street, which I totally stumbled upon via Pinterest one day. The world really is small!! Anyway, I made Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls (which, if I make again, I know what I want to change) and the Fiesta Christmas Tree (personal favorite–so easy and so good! And totally mild even though salsa is an ingredient).

The evening wrapped up with a laid-back board game (my favorite, Loaded Questions). I did the majority of the dishes and was in bed by 11:00… which is the perfect party for someone with a killer head cold!

Here’s hoping that the rest of the party attendees caught neither the cold or flu! So glad everyone could make it.