the 12 ways of christmas (part 2)

It's beginning to look a whole lot more like Christmas! Here's hoping these snippets will help you feel it a whole lot more, too. In other words, here's, Part 2 of our 12 Ways of Christmas entry...

#5 give special presents I’ve always loved giving gifts. Whether it was the local chocolate I'd get my mom from our neighborhood grocery store on Mother's Day, or the pair of Kashieca shoes my sister really wanted when I was in high school, I'd try to see what would make people happy, then go to great lengths to come up with a way (not to mention the money needed) to surprise them with it. These days with my company Great Ideas, I get to exercise so much more creativity in gift giving since I work with so many talented suppliers. One of this year's discoveries was engraving images onto inexpensive palo china wood (my first foray with it was a tote for a beach party). My kids have also become my little helpers in this exciting new stage in my life.  It brings me so much joy and I feel Christmas even more when I see them participating in my love of thoughtful gift giving. – Cay R. Araneta

#6 play up the mood It's the little, personal rituals I've created over  the years that make me feel the Christmas spirit. I love to listen to She & Him's Christmas album while wrapping my gifts early in December. There's nothing like seeing a bunch of boxes wrapped with pretty bows and tags to get me into the gift-giving mood! I also line up the movies come Christmas time. The days leading up to the 25th are never complete without a dose of "The Holiday," "Serendipity," and of course, "Love Actually." Christmas Eve and Christmas day itself are full of the usual family parties and traditions—it's funny how, as a kid, I always looked forward to opening gifts, but now that I've gotten older, I get my kicks from the yearly spread! I try not to binge at the buffet to make room for some rich, hot chocolate paired with Cunanan ensaymada. And for after-hours festivities, I take up an extra piece and an extra cup up to my room so I can enjoy one last warm fuzzy hurrah while listening to Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" while looking at my pile of unwrapped presents ;). – Chinggay Labrador

#7 create christmas moments To take the focus away from gifts and materialism, my husband and I try our darnedest to make the holidays a time for special family traditions. To start with, there’s our nativity set—which is actually a playmobil—so our son and daughter are in charge of setting it up. Then we make it a point to put the tree up together.  Ours isn’t glam, but it’s filled with decorations that are meaningful to our family. Old favorite toys turn into décor, and every year, I have the kids paint an ornament. When they’re done, I write their name and the year on it. It’s really nice to look back and see how far they’ve come. We also hang photos of all our family members. I think this reminds my kids that Christmas is really about spending the season with our nearest and dearest. My kids love what we call the 12 Gifts of Christmas, which starts on December 12. The presents are usually super small (things they need like books, socks, or their favorite shampoo) but their simplicity doesn’t seem to dampen their spirits. For them, it’s really all about the anticipation, excitement, and appreciation that comes with the tradition. And last but not the least, we visit the animated display in Greenhills every year. This reminds me of my growing up years when my family would trek to C.O.D. to watch something similar. It’s almost like passing down the memories from one generation to the next.  – Mia Fausto Cruz

#8 change perspective Maybe it’s age, but as one gets older big, glitzy and expensive gifts matter less and less—though I’d never refuse a Deuter Futura Pro 34, a week-long stay in Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como, an Omega 2500 Caliber and a lesson on how to make the perfect martini. I’ve come to realize that Christmas is so much more than just a date. Corny as it may sound, it is a state of mind—and not about buying this year's gifts with next year’s money. 
– Mariano Garchitorena

Cheers!

tata & anna

To view Parts 1 and 3 click here:
http://thegrosgrainribbon.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-12-ways-of-christmas-part-1.html
http://thegrosgrainribbon.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-12-ways-of-christmas-part-3.html