What To Expect When You Bring Your SO Home For The Holidays

The holidays are meant for family. You eat too much, give and receive gifts, and you enjoy being in the company of those you love- including your boyfriend.

When you first tell your family that he is coming home with you everyone is more excited as ever to meet him, but here are a few things that happen we he does come home with you.

1. Your parents feel awkward about the two of you sharing a room. 

While you have been away from home you have gotten used to having sleepovers at your boyfriend’s, but your parents are just not ready to acknowledge that fact.

After an awkward conversation, they allow it, as long as there is no “funny business”… whatever that means.

2. You end up telling the story of how you two met about 1000 times to different family members. 

And the worst part is, there is nothing too romantic about meeting each other at a party, is there?

3. You get nervous every time you look over and he is alone talking to one of your relatives. 

Immediately you wonder what they are talking about and praying that he doesn’t say anything stupid.

4. You realize sometimes you need your space.

Spending a whole week with your family plus your boyfriend can be a bit much and everyone needs time to themselves but in the end, you will cherish the time you are able to be with all of them.

5. You realize that no matter what, your family will accept who you date because they believe in your judgement. 

After all of the stressing over if they will like him or not, by the end of the week you realize that none of it mattered because they love you so they will love him.

7 Reasons Why December is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

No matter where you live or what religion you are, December is the best month of the year.

1. Snow

While living in the North, snow makes the winter just a tiny bit better. The first snowfall is flawless. Seeing the snow on trees is absolutely breathtaking.

2.  Santa is Coming

Nobody is more excited about Christmas than Buddy the Elf. Santa is coming on December 25th! Children all over the world wait for this day all year.

They all hope to be on Santa’s good list rather than naughty so they don’t get a lump of coal in their stocking.

Kids will leave cookies and milk out for Santa at night so he has a snack when he stops by. When they wake up and see that part, or all, of the cookie is gone, they know Santa stopped by!

3. And even if you’re not Christian…

The religion of Judaism celebrates Hanukkah. This holiday is celebrated on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Jewish calendar.

It lasts eight days on each day a candle of the menorah is lit. This means eight day of presents.

This holiday is very important to the people of Judaism because it commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

4. Christmas Music

‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la la. Christian or not, Christmas music always gets people in a holly jolly mood.

From Silent Night talking about the night that Jesus was born to Santa Clause is Coming to Town.

World wide, both songs are very popular. Christmas songs fill the air with joy and smiles are shown from ages one to one hundred.

5. Christmas Movies

Home Alone, A Christmas Story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown, and Elf are just a couple classic Christmas movies in the United States.

6 Winter Break

No school? For over two weeks? What’s not to like? Elementary schools get ot have winter class parties and celebrate the holidays while college students celebrate by finals being over.

Middle and high schoolers on the other hand usually have projects that are due when winter break ends which honestly, well, it sucks.

7. Pretty Lights

Lights are decorated all over trees, houses, stores, just everywhere. New York City is one of the most beautiful places this time of year.

Time Square is lit up even more than usual. It really is the city that never sleeps.

17 Things People Obsessed with the Holidays Understand

Sure, a lot of people say they love the holidays, but to you “love” is an understatement.

1. You mark every holiday, including unofficial national days, on the calendar.

There is always a reason to celebrate – literally, every single day can be a holiday if you want it enough. Especially when more than one holiday falls on the same date, like, National Drink Beer Day, for example.

National Drink Beer Day is on the very same day as National Good Neighbor Day and National Strawberry Cream Pie Day. So there’s a perfectly good reason as to why you’re standing on your neighbor’s porch, ready with a six pack of cold ones and a strawberry cream pie.

2. You have your present game ready by summertime.

You know exactly who’s getting what present, how much it is going to cost, where you’re gonna get it, and what color scheme you’re going with for wrapping paper, by mid-August at the latest.

3. Your favorite Christmas movie is ELF, hands down.

You know every single word of Elf by heart. In fact, you quote the movie on a regular basis starting on September 23rd (the autumnal equinox).

4. You purchase your Halloween outfit MONTHS in advance.

A lot of careful planning goes into choosing your Halloween ensemble. You want it to be the best Halloween outfit yet, so by January you’ve compiled a list of viable costume options and have scoured the internet for the best deal.

5. Your apartment could easily be mistaken for a Bath and Bodyworks store.

Pumpkin spice, vanilla bean, and brown sugar cinnamon scented candles? YES PLEASE.

6. You listen to holiday tunes on the reg.

Every day you are jamming out to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas.”

7. You’re a pumpkin carving champion.

You keep tracing paper, cutouts, and carving utensils conveniently packed in a portable sack, just in case there is a pumpkin somewhere that needs your amazing carving abilities.

8. Your Netflix queue is overflowing with holiday movies.

From Hocus Pocus, to The Craft, to A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, to Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, you have it all.

9. You force everyone to get in the spirit, including your animals.

Your dog has been dressed as a pumpkin since September first.

10. You enjoy buying and wearing ugly sweaters.

Your closet is full of light-up reindeer sweaters, and you freaking love it.

11. You make it a point to incorporate peppermint into every meal.

Candy Canes and peppermint mocha lattes is all your diet entails from the time October begins to the end of January.

12. You call your grandma at least twice a week to make sure of any menu changes.

You enjoy talking to your grandma, really. But, when the holidays come around it’s strictly business.

We’re still having mashed potatoes, right?

Okay. Good. Expect a call same time next week.

13. You have decorative bowls of candy just sitting around.

You channel your grandparents by filling your apartment with several decorative glass bowls full of candy.

14. You have boxes and boxes of decorations.

Each box has a date and time at which you must unpack its contents and DECORATE!

15. You bake more than Betty Crocker.

Sugar cookies are your b*tch.

16. Your social media accounts are covered in snowflakes and all things seasonal.

Your Facebook cover photo fluctuates from pumpkins to snowflakes to candy canes to snowmen to tree ornaments.

17. Your holiday lights are up and running a week before Thanksgiving.

Your electric bill is through the roof, but it’s holiday season, so YOLO.

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9 Things Single People Hate About the Holidays

The holidays were practically designed to cater to all of the lovey-dovey couples of the world. Where’s the love for us singles?

1. When you’re single, family is the pretty much the only option.

We’re talking every holiday dinner including New Year’s… that is four or more occasions in which you will be asked several times over and over again why you haven’t found that special someone yet.

Just a constant reminder that you are absolutely alone in this world.

2. As if that isn’t terrible enough, they try to help you.

Now you not only have to listen about your single AF status, but you have Aunt Gertrude trying to explain why you’re single… “Oh, honey you need to be more social”… and “What about the nice little Jewish boy down the street?”

And it’s so great because who doesn’t love to be reminded of their imperfections, especially the ones you didn’t even know existed.

3. You leave dinner early only to watch holiday movie re-runs alone in the dark.

Holiday movies are a wonderful, stomach-warming thing – if you’re in love that is. Without love, holiday movies are pointless, which is why you are now flipping through the channels mindlessly to find anything else.

4. When you try to escape from sappy holiday movies, all you find are Kay jewelry ads.

Oh isn’t it lovely, all the snow, sparkles, and unicorn magic that left you cold, single, and alone during this glorious season? Who doesn’t love those Kay Jeweler commercials? Next time you hear “Every kiss begins with Kay” you might just punch someone.

5. Receiving cheesy Hallmark postcards from your coupled-up friends.

What’s in the mail? Bills. Bills. Bills. Oh and a stack of beautiful postcards adorned with photos of your closest friends and their boyfriends snuggled up on sleds, kissing in a pumpkin patch, and building a snowman together.

6. You see mistletoe literally everywhere you go.

It’s in the doorway of the coffee shop, the archway of your favorite store, and the doorjamb of the freaking bathroom. When does the madness stop?

What even is mistletoe? And who made it a kissing plant, anyway? Whoever it was obviously wasn’t single.

7. Your only food option for weeks is leftover pumpkin pie.

All of your friends are happily canoodling at all of the best, super hard to get into without a 2 person minimum, restaurants… so going out is obviously not an option.

If you can’t join them, out eat them. After all, the best part of the holidays is the food, right? #LeftoeversForDays

8. You’re forced to come to terms with holiday weight gain.

The holiday depression mixed with too much egg nog and a pound of the sweet ham your grandmother made is pretty much a permanent part of your stomach now. But to you it doesn’t matter because you have no one to look cute for, so more whip cream on top of whip cream it is!!

9. Waking up hungover and alone.

There is nothing worse than waking up completely alone on Christmas day. Who will open presents with you? Oh… wait. What presents? And what about the Christmas brunch that follows the present opening?

Being single has not only ruined two of the best things in the world – brunch and presents, duh – but being single has also destroyed every day in between October and January.

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Twelve Earth Friendly Holiday Gifts To Give This Year

Believe it or not, Halloween will soon pass us by and gift giving holidays such as Christmas, are around the corner.

This year we have seen the destructive forces of climate change. Year over year, temperatures are rising, deforestation continues, overfishing is now a global threat and wildfires, hurricanes and other natural disasters are taking a daily toll on our existence.

In order to maintain earths resources, we must change the way we use them. And we must work harder to reuse, consume less and behave more efficiently.

Here are twelve earth friendly gifts to give your loved ones this year.

1.) NordGreen Watch – Every watch sold contributes to a meaningful cause, you choose the charity and a portion of each watch sold is equally distributed between their partner NGOs. Watches are sustainably crafted with eco friendly materials and there are wood based and vegan bands too. Check them out! 

2.) Surfrider Foundation membership– Non profits such as Surfrider work globally to help preserve ocean health. Why not get your loved one an annual membership? Show them you care about the ocean and their love for it by encouraging them to help keep their local beaches healthy and clean.

3.) Consigned Clothing- check out your local clothing store and there you will find a plethora of used handbags that are designer and dazzling, amazing jackets, and jeans, jewelry and more. By shopping in a second hand store you are bringing a second life to an item instead of contributing to more resource depletion.

4.) Hand Me Down Technology. Have an old iPad or IPhone that you no longer use? Selling it for cash then using the money to gift give or simply gifting a barely used device is a great way to break the cycle and save money while saving the planets resources when gifting for your loved one.

5.) Charcoal Water Filter Sticks –will turn any ordinary water bottle into a filtration expert, naturally, and is the perfect stocking stuffer.

6. Bake Vegan Snacks You may think its trendy to be vegan. And Celebrities are often bragging about their no meat diets. In addition to a vegan diet promoting heart health, a vegan diet also helps the planet. Because animal agriculture is one of the main pollutants to our earth and its resources.

7.) Sustainable Jewelry– timeless pieces made from times past. Materials such as recycles metals, plastics and glass are used to make one of a kind jewelry pieces that not only cost less but prevent more landfill waste.

8.) A home cooked meal. Why not treat your loved on to a home cooked meal of their choice? Skip the restaurant, the commute and the wrapping paper. After all, we all know that the way to someones heart is through their stomach. And for dessert? Netflix and chill.

9.) Take An Eco Trip together. There are so many eco travel tours, hotels and excursions that will help keep the carbon footprints to a minimum while offering maximum adventure and downtime.

10.) Support local artists that support the planet. Ocean lover artists such as Wyland and Andy Davis support the ocean while providing beautiful art.

11.) Buy Cruelty Free beauty products and makeup. Vegan beauty products are good for the planet, and the animals.

12.) Invest in a bike for your loved one. Bikes are an eco friendly form of transportation and are a great way to stay fit. So gifting a bike is an excellent way to show your loved one that you care about them.

Why Give Earth-Friendly Holiday Gifts? 

Giving environmentally-friendly holiday gifts, such as the meditation pillow made from organic buckwheat hulls and the ones mentioned above is getting trendy nowadays. And anyone who’ll receive gifts such as the ones mentioned in this article will surely have a merry Christmas. Below are the reasons why these items are perfect as presents:

  • Unique: You probably noticed that eco-friendly holiday gifts are unique pieces. It creates an impact on the planet and makes a bold statement. Once you’ve found the perfect gifts that suit your loved ones, they’ll indeed have big smiles on their faces. 
  • Brings Unforgettable Experience: The best eco-friendly gifts discussed above promote health, comfort, and general well-being, providing the recipients with an experience that can be memorable and useful.
  • Preserve Mother Earth: Aside from being sustainable and functional, you can help reduce the waste generated from synthetic materials being disposed of in landfills, like plastics. 

Takeaway

Have you decided on the best earth-friendly presents for your family and friends? You have countless options to choose from. The best gifts are unique pieces based on the recipient’s personality and your inspiration in choosing them.

The spirit of Christmas comes from your genuine love and concern, not just for your family and friends but also for the planet. This year, try choosing earth-friendly holiday gifts for a change. Whatever you choose for your loved one this year, make sure it is a thoughtful gift that also has compassion for mother earth.

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Five Things You Should Do After Halloween

Halloween is definitely one of the holidays whose roots are buried the deepest in popular culture. As such, it is significant like no other holiday (aside from maybe Christmas and Thanksgiving). Still, whereas the latter two are holidays that you’re supposed to spend in a family dinner, Halloween has always been a bit wilder and more reckless.

Naturally, this means that afterward, you’re left with a bit of a mess, both in your head and in your home. Here are five things you should do to sort it out.

 

Turning a New Page

Halloween is not the part of the year during which we lead the cleanest, healthier lives. The fall depression often kicks in early October, which makes a lot of people engage in comfort eating, potentially even drinking more than they should. While it is supposed to be a joyous festivity, Halloween is usually the culmination of this slow process.

So, instead of waiting for your next New Year’s resolution, what you need is to turn the page right away. However, before heading to the gym, you might want to deal with the hangover and overall detoxification caused by the previous period. Here are some habits you need to change right away for maximum effect. You need to:

● Start drinking more water (even if it means forcing yourself to do so).
● Cut down on your sugar intake (you’ve had enough already).
● Take a couple of days to rest (from all the partying, possibly even party planning/preparation).
● Eat quality food (whole foods that provide real nourishment, as opposed to fast food).
● Get your metabolism going (you don’t have to run straight away; you can just walk more).

Keep in mind that all of this sounds simple on paper, but in practice, it’s not so easy to pull off. Give yourself time and don’t start too ambitious in order not to get discouraged. The sooner you start, the better.

 

Plan a Quiet Day

Before you start this major transformation and take actions to deal with all the leftovers from Halloween, you could plan one quiet day at home. Stay in bed the entire day and binge-watch your favorite show. Don’t answer your phone and try your best not to leave the house. You can spend this day listening to your favorite music, playing video games, or enjoying some other indoor hobby of your own choosing.

Keep in mind that both during the preparation stage and during the party, you probably spent a lot of time with more people than you’re accustomed to. Therefore, your social energy might be depleted. Doing something opposite might help recharge it a lot sooner.

Sure, you may not want to be alone the whole day. After a massive party, there’s nothing wrong with inviting a couple of your closest friends and looking for some brunch party ideas. This is a perfect compromise between socializing and doing something quite the opposite to the previous wild party.

 

Clean Your Home

After a successful Halloween, you are inevitably left with the scariest part: a mess to clean. It is still a tedious chore, whether it’s a mess left by the tricksters or the aftermath of your own party. But there is no need to get spooked out as there are a lot of tips that can make it at least a bit less painful. So, after you’re well-rested, you should probably get to it as it will be a lot easier to clean while the pumpkin stains are fresh.

First, you’ll want to deal with the trick part of the trick or treat. Removing the residue toilet paper, and you want to do this before it rains, can be done by wrapping the end of a stick in duct tape. If there was egging involved, pick up the eggshells and hose the place down.

Now there is the treat part. Candy can leave sticky stains on walls and furniture. Instead of scrubbing it, you should soak a rag in hot water and press it to the stain. Humidity and heat are supposed to loosen it, so you can just wipe it afterward.

In the end, you are left with the mess in your own house. Vacuum glitter, confetti, and feathers left from the costumes remove pumpkin stains with dish soap, use rubbing alcohol to clean fake blood, and you’re all set to start thinking about fall decorations for Thanksgiving.

 

Decide What to Do with Your Costume

While a Halloween costume is an incredibly important part of the tradition, it does have one major flaw – you’re unlikely to wear it again (at least anytime soon). Even if you and your friends organize a masquerade every year, you can’t just appear wearing the same costume time and time again. So, what are you going to do with the costume? There are several options.

● First, you can sell it on eBay. Especially if it’s a costume you’ve made, the chances are that it’s completely unique and will attract a lot of attention. This way, you solve the issue and buff your budget a bit. After Halloween, you might need this.
● You can start a family costume closet. Here, you will keep all the costumes you and your family have worn over the years and turn it into yet another tradition.
● One more thing you could do here is try to merge two costumes into one. There are often elements of a costume that could, if repurposed, become something else entirely. This will help you be ready for next year’s Halloween costume.
● Donating them to charity is always an option. This way, you get to do something humane just as the holiday season is about to arrive.
● If you’ve never attended a Comic-Con, now might be the time to consider it. After all, you have a great way of blending in.

One last thing worth mentioning is that these costumes are also great for cosplay, prank video calls, and similar other events. Moreover, costume swapping is a thing worth considering—all in all, plenty of options.

 

Reuse Pumpkins

A lot of people carve pumpkins prior to Halloween as a decoration. Now, while fresh pumpkins are a delicious treat and a universal ingredient, the last thing you want is to eat a pumpkin that has been sitting outside for God knows how long. So, what do you do with them?

The first thing you want is to save the pumpkin seeds. When roasted properly, these can turn into a proper treat. All you need to do is sprinkle them with salt, add a bit of olive oil (or butter), and there you have it. Instead of turning them into a snack, you could also use them to make pumpkin seed pesto or topper for guacamole, etc.

pumpkin stock is another fantastic idea. Why? Well, mostly because you can freeze it and keep it somewhere safe so that you can reuse it in one of your post-Halloween recipes.

Just because you can’t eat the pumpkin after it’s been outside for a while, this doesn’t mean that the local critters will be as picky. You can cut it into small pieces for the foraging animals. If you know a farmer, you can ask them to take the pumpkins off your hands. For pigs and goats, a pumpkin is one of the best treats there is.

Lastly, if you’re dabbling a bit in gardening, you can process the pumpkin in question and turn it into compost (or at least add it into a compost).

 

In Conclusion

Keep in mind that your post-Halloween activities will greatly be determined by the type of Halloween that you have. Therefore, if you have a kid-friendly party, you might not have a hangover to deal with. If this year passes without neighborhood pranksters, the cleaning part will be a lot simpler. All in all, you now know what you’re up against and can proceed to make necessary plans.

About The Author

Stacey is a freelance writer living in Minnesota with her cat, and she’s passionate about yoga, languages, home improvement, and drinking strong coffee. Find her on Twitter @StaceyShann0n

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