Christmas Tree 2018

I know it's almost Valentine's but because my primary objective in blogging is to document, let me post the highlights of our 2018 Christmas. Let's start with our tree.

We moved here in our new home on November 20, 2018. And with me recovering from a procedure, sangkatutak na ligpitin, at visitors (Pod's parents came here to spend the holidays with us), talagang nagahol kami for Christmas. In fact, I was only able to decorate our tree on December 22!

I really had no intention of buying a new set of tree ornaments kasi nga gahol na, saka maraming gastos sa paglilipat syempre, so I planned on using our 2015 Christmas tree decors na lang. Kaso hindi talaga namin makita-kita sa garahe (kung saan nakatambak pa ang lahat ng gamit namin). Kaya nga nagtagal ang pagkakabit ko ng decors, I was really hoping na makita pa namin pero wala talaga.

Hence, I had no choice but to use the 2014 ornaments. Hesitant akong gamitin talaga yun kasi nga hindi pambata pero wala namang choice. We only had two sets eh. Noong December 2016, wala na kaming bahay kasi nakalipat na kami dito sa BC (tapos nasa Pinas kami noong Christmas season). Last 2017 naman, hindi na kami nagput-up ng tree kasi ang sikip at ang pangit naman sa apartment.

At eto na nga ang kinalabasan. I modified the design para hindi naman kaparehong-kapareho noong 2014. Goal ko talaga na huwag maulit ang design ng Christmas tree para may distinction naman sa annual pictures hehe.

As expected, hindi masyadong trip ng anak ko ang naging Christmas tree namin. Ang sabi nga niya, "Mommy, ang pangit naman ng Christmas tree natin. Eh kasi pink."

Sorry naman, anak. At least ang pogi mo namang mowdel ng tree hehe.

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Ford wants to have a new tree by next year. Medyo high ceiling kasi itong bagong town house namin kaya parang biglang lumiit tingnan ang 7-ft Christmas tree. Pero ayaw ko, masasayang naman kasi ito eh ang bago-bago pang tingnan. Saka would you believe na $11.00 lang namin ito nabili? Closing sale na kasi ng isang store nun kaya nachambahan namin ito.

Next year, we will have a white-silver-red theme. I was able to buy most of the ornaments already from Walmart last December 26, naka-50% off na. Sana maganda ang kalabasan. I was never a fan of silver/white Christmas theme eh. Doon ako palagi sa traditional colors of gold, red and green. But since I want a different tree look every year, sige susubukan ko nang maiba naman.

#CessieShops: Ballerina Nutcracker

I have a new nutcracker doll. Ang cute noh?

I bought my very first nutcracker in January 2014 and promised myself that I will start collecting these decorative Christmas figurines. Kaso nga hindi ko na nagawa. Budgetary constraints din kasi lol. I buy a lot of personal stuff na (clothes, bags, shoes, stationery, etc) kaya ubos na ang bala ko sa asawa ko. Hindi ko na majustisfy ang pagbili ng nutcrackers haha!

Anyway, I saw this ballerina nutcracker in Joann (Carson, California) last Sunday and I was drawn into it. Hindi ko talaga maiwan. Its original price was $24.99 pero 60% off kaya $9.99 na lang (plus tax, so USD10.93). Ayun, binili ko na kasi naalala ko ang dami-daming kong USD coins. Puro barya talaga ang pinambayad ko kalurkey!

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I am excited na for Christmas! We won't be decorating our cramped place this season (I have no interest in beautifying a place that's not ours) but I'll buy a few Christmas pieces para ma-feel naman namin ang pasko kahit papano.  =)

Christmas Tree 2015

It's already 2016, I know! But I have so many backlogged posts so please bear with me.

This was our tree last Christmas. It's simple but I liked it. I went for a yellow green-and-red theme because I have a child now. Para mas pambata.

I bought twenty stuffed Santa Claus and Snow Man (at Php99.75 each) at SM North EDSA because I found them cute. Ford and I were together when I got them and he was a bit shocked with the price.

FORD -- Php2,000 lahat?! Ang mahal naman! Tapos isang beses lang natin gagamitin?
CES -- Haler, ang ganda naman! Ang mahal kaya nyan sa Canada! Saka hindi naman natin once lang gagamitin. Magmimix-and-match tayo in the coming years syempre. It's just that isang set pa lang ang tree decors natin kaya we need to buy more pa.

At syempre walang nagawa ang Coblancs.

I know that changing our tree's decor every year is not practical but I don't want to see same tree in all our Christmas photos noh. Syempre dapat iba-iba. Also, Christmas tree na nga lang ang bumubuhay sa pasko namin dito sa abroad kaya dapat naman gawing special kahit papano. 

Oops, I wasn't able to find a tree topper so I used the Santa hat that I also brought from the Philippines. The red and yellow green balls are from SM, WalMart, and Dollarama.


I was looking for a perfect tree ornament for Nathan and I found it the last minute. A Precious Moment again.

This was the night-time look pala:

Ford wanted to buy blinking Christmas lights but I objected. Ang mahal kasi nun, sabi ko di pa nasusulit yung binili namin last year.

FORD -- Bakit pag ako ang bibili eh kontra ka?
CES -- Live with it.

Hahaha! To be honest, I am not fond of patay-sinding ilaw. Nahihilo kasi ako.

When Nathan and I were still in the Philippines, I asked Ford to buy a smaller tree that we can just put on a side table. Gagalawin lang daw kasi ng bata ang puno, baka makuryente pa. But I changed my mind, ang mahal kasi ng bagong tree. Plus gusto ko talaga ng malaking puno. Bahala na kako si Batman.


Thankfully, Nathan has been very good to the tree. Hindi nila ginugulo. At times when he was tempted to hold the tree, he would look at me as if he was asking for permission. And when I say, "No," he will turn away. Sobrang good boy talaga!

We put up our tree very late (by Filipino standard). December 5 na nang matayo and it took a couple of days more para ma-decorate. November 25 lang kasi kami dumating at talagang nag-adjust pa kami. I hope maagahan namin next year para we get to enjoy our Christmas tree longer. Mas may appreciation na siguro si Nathan by that time.

Our 2014 Christmas Tree

I know we're already half way of January but I still have a lot of holiday posts so please bear with me.

For now, let me show you our 2014 Christmas tree...

Because of my post-CS condition, I was only able to decorate it on December 12. "Too late" in Filipino standards, I know. I have to admit that because I was in pain, I was tempted to let go of the holiday trimmings last year (haha sounds so long ago but it was only last month!). But it was my son's first Christmas so I felt that I owe him a tree.

Our tree looked so 'feminine,' do you agree? It's because I bought the decors last December 26, 2013 pa, during boxing day. I wasn't pregnant yet that time so I visualized a sophisticated tree haha!

Most of the tree ornaments were from Michaels and Walmart. It was difficult finding the "right" tree topper so I settled muna with a star from Dollarama. The blue balls were also from that dollar store.

In addition, I put up two special palawit:

This one is for our dear Chicklet...



And this to commemorate our first Christmas here in Casa Blanco (I also bought this last 2013).

Here's the day and night time look...

I honestly loved our tree. It was my first time to have a non-traditional tree (i.e. red-and-gold theme) and I was so happy it still turned out beautiful.

But would you believe that our artificial tree only costs $11+ (or less than Php500). We chanced upon it at XS Cargo's closing sale. It was the last stock left and its box was ripped. We weren't sure if the whole set is complete but we took the risk and bought it. Sabi nga ng asawa ko: "Haler, it's only $11! Kung kulang man, hindi na masakit sa dibdib." 

I am planning for a kiddie-themed Christmas tree this year. Para bagay naman kay Chicklet. But I might use a different tree, a smaller one that we can place by the table para hindi maabot ni Nathan. Our son will already be one year old come December 2015 so for sure he's into walking and grabbing things mode na.  Haha, sana lang may budget! =)

Christmas in my Me Room

I was feeling blue today so I decided to cheer myself up by fixing my "Me Room." Yep, I have my own room in this house. Actually it's more of a 'work/craft area' where I store all my nonsense (but kawaii) stuff like pens, papers, and other stationery. I have a huge shelf here (I'll have to show it to you later, when it's already filled up haha!) and a computer table. I also have a white couch which can transform into a bed in case we have additional house guests.

The theme of the room is white and pink but since it's only fifty days before Christmas, I decided to temporarily replace the pinks with the reds.

This couch (or sofa bed) was bought in Ikea. 

It now looks Christmasy noh? And oh I really really love my Hello Kitty Santa! I feel a lot better now.

We only have three bedrooms in this house and I know that in a few years, I would have to give this room to Chicklet (unless we move to a bigger home?). We have a guestroom but we have to reserve that for guests, especially my in-laws who I know will often come to visit us (they are just 3-hours plane ride away). So for the mean time, let me enjoy my Me Room first.

Finally, My Hello Kitty Santa!

Last year, we saw this big Hello Kitty Santa at Walmart. I (of course) wanted to buy it but we were still living in Pod's tiny studio suite then and I had no choice but to content myself with "minimalist living."

Yesterday, while I was 'strolling' at Walmart Stony Plain and browsing through their still raw Christmas shelves, I saw this Hello Kitty Santa again. Just one piece, mind you.

I clearly remember last year' design and I knew it looks exactly the same. "Tira lang kaya ito last year?", I asked myself. I looked at the tag and it states 2014. So they just replicated last year's Christmas design? Parang hindi naman nag-uulit ng design ang Hello Kitty. I doubted din naman kung tira lang ito kasi sobrang in-demand ang Hello Kitty (meron din silang Valentine version na ganito kalaki) at siguradong nauubos.

Oh well, enough of my questions. The plushie looked clean naman so I grabbed and gave it to Ford para bayaran. That  might be my last chance na na makabili nito this year kasi malapit na akong ma-house arrest nang matagal.

Kitty and the Beast

POD -- O ano na naman yan?

BIM -- Hello Kitty Santa Claus haler! 

POD -- Eh aanhin mo naman yan, lalaki naman ang anak mo?

BIM -- Para sa akin yan noh. Pagbigyan mo na ako sus. After ko makapanganak eh hindi na nga ako makakapag-shopping eh. 

POD -- Hay naku, gastos naman!  

That's my husband, makasalita lang haha!

Anyway, the stuffed toy only costs $21 (+5% tax). Not bad for a huge and authentic Hello Kitty item!

I am so excited na picturan si Chicklet sa tabi ni Kitty. His mom is a die hard Hello Kitty fan so he better learn to live with it haha! 

Chicklet's first Christmas tree ornament

I found this Precious Moments' Baby's First Christmas tree ornament  the other day at Walmart. It only costs $4 (+5% tax) so I instantly grabbed it.

Every year, I'll get a tree decor that will commemorate my son's life. Oh, I am so excited!

I've always felt that Christmas is only for kids. This year, I am finally gonna have one -- exciting, eh! I will make sure that all the Christmases of Chicklet's childhood will be special and memorable. As a new family, we'll build lots of Christmas traditions together. We will all have fun, I promise!

Going nuts with nutcrackers

Whew, I couldn't contain my excitement. Why, it's only 99 more days before Christmas! Christmas mode na talaga ako haha! I was even listening to Christmas songs yesterday.

Anyway, I think I made up my mind. I am done with Santa Claus. I will now be collecting nutcrackers!

My interest in nutcrackers started last January 8, 2014 when I saw these "Nutcracker Fashionistas" at Shoppers Drug Mart in WEM. Haha, they look "ugly" and "gayish" I know but I was really drawn into them! I asked Ford to buy one for me (the one with the red bag and beanie) tutal sale naman.

Nutcrackers are not that "uso" in Pinas. This is my very first nutcracker item.

And then we were at Michaels (South Edmonton Common) just last Saturday. I found these nutcracker stuff in the $1.50-bin and I felt so happy! Gusto ko pala talaga ng nutcrackers!

Ayan, nagsisimula na naman ako! Sabi ng ni Pod, ang lahat ng equivalent ng ideas ko ay gastos haha! But what can I do, I have a manic tendency to collect anything and everything I fancy. It gives excitement in my boring life eh. But again, with limited budget (and now that I am about to become a mother), I know it will take time before I could build a nutcracker collection.

A Dollarama Christmas

I was in Dollarama WEM yesterday and was happy to see that they are already starting to bring out their Christmas merchandise. Ahh, "the most wonderful time of the year" is coming!!!

If only we could skip halloween haha! I love halloween but this year, I am associating it with the anticipation of painful childbirth so sana Christmas na nga haha!

Last year, I feel that I was Christmas-deprived because we were living in Pod's small studio-type suite and we couldn't even put up a tree. So I had high aspirations for Christmas 2014. I even started buying Christmas decors as early as December 26, 2013!

We have all the ingredients to have a special and memorable Christmas this year -- we have a new house, my parents-in-law will be spending the holidays with us, and Chicklet will finally be here by that time! I am just not sure though if we can decorate the house fully because aside from not having a budget anymore for whimsical stuff (shopping for Chicklet already cost us a fortune!), I might not have the time and energy to do so.

But one thing is for sure, we are getting a tree. I want our son to have a picture by our Christmas tree every year.

I better start scouting for cheap Christmas decors now or else I will lose my chance. With a limited budget, thankfully there's Dollarama. You can find nice and sosyal-looking decors naman in dollar stores so doon na lang muna siguro ako bibili.  =)

Shopping EARLY for Christmas decors

It was so fun shopping for Christmas decors on the 26th of December! Everything came at 50-80% off!

Ford and I were at South Edmonton Common yesterday for the 'Boxing Day' and I couldn't help but grab some Christmas tree decors. Honestly, I was so overwhelmed with the many possibilities of Christmas themes next year. Sa dami ng nakita kong Christmas tree designs in Facebook, na-lost na ako!

While at Michael's, I tried to remember my 2014 Christmas tree peg so I got variations of yellow greens and pinks and blues. Pero walang white! Hmm, mukhang malabo ko ng ma-attain ang blanco-themed tree for next year ah.

Anyway, I was happy naman with my color choices. It's a deviation from the traditional red and gold trimmings that I always dress our Philippine home with. Yun nga lang, hindi na ako pwedeng magbago ng isip kasi nakabili na haha!

I observed that many Canadians were shopping "early" for Christmas ornaments, too. Akala ko ako lang ang interesado because deprived ako ng Christmas decors this year because we haven't moved to our town house yet. Walang space dito sa maliit na lungga namin.

We're going shopping again later this afternoon after our bank appointment.I am hoping to find more nice and cheap Christmas decorative pieces. At sana makabili na rin kami ng tree haha! =)

Peg for 2014 Christmas tree

Too bad we can't put up a tree yet this year because we're still "homeless." Sayang, akala namin aabot talaga. Pero sige, tiis muna. We'll buy Christmas decors na lang by January para sale na.

I am glad though that I saw a picture of this Christmas tree on Facebook a while ago. Ang ganda! I instantly fell in love with it that I have to blog it! Now I know what decors to buy. Para hindi sabog-sabog.


picture taken from Facebook (credits to the owner)

I've always been a red-and-gold-Christmas kind of girl. Very traditional. But now that I have a new life here in Canada, I can be more adventurous, right? And since having a white-themed Christmas tree is a no-no in the Philippines because of the famous Pinoy dust, this is my chance to have one.

Also, this tree would rhyme with the house interior motif that I have in mind.

I have a year to prepare for our very first Christmas tree. I want it to be nice and fabulous. Wish me luck!