aloha friday

happy aloha friday, everyone!

in hawaii, friday is a day to take it easy and look forward to the weekend. therefore, posting should be easy too, so i'll pose a simple question with a simple answer.

my question this week: do you prefer coca-cola or pepsi?

my answer this week: coca-cola all the way! it just tastes better. and in related christmas trivia, i always look forward to the coca-cola santas on cans and bottles around the holidays.

Most people can agree on what Santa Claus looks like -- jolly, with a red suit and a white beard. But he did not always look that way, and Coca-Cola® advertising actually helped shape this modern-day image of Santa.

2006 marked the 75th anniversary of the famous Coca-Cola Santa Claus. Starting in 1931, magazine ads for Coca-Cola featured St. Nick as a kind, jolly man in a red suit. Because magazines were so widely viewed, and because this image of Santa appeared for more than three decades, the image of Santa most people have today is largely based on our advertising. Before the 1931 introduction of the Coca-Cola Santa Claus created by artist Haddon Sundblom, the image of Santa ranged from big to small and fat to tall. Santa even appeared as an elf and looked a bit spooky.

[source: The Coca-Cola Company, all rights reserved. © 2008 http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/heritage/cokelore_santa.html]

trivia thursday

a Charlie Brown Christmas is the longest-running cartoon special in history, airing every year since its debut in 1965.

pies galore

So remember while December
Brings the only Christmas Day,
In the year let there be Christmas
In the things you do and say;
Wouldn't life be worth the living
Wouldn't dreams be coming true
If we kept the Christmas spirit
All the whole year through?

i cannot believe how quickly time passes. my husband and i were talking last night about strawberry picking in june. it's right around the corner. and we are thinking about where we might want to go in the fall for thanksgiving as we need to make reservations soon.

i am going to make 4 pie crusts for the freezer - i make 4 pies a year, each after we go to a farm and get fresh produce. strawberry pie in mid-june, blueberry pie in early august, apple pie in mid-october, and pumpkin pie just before thanksgiving. it's that time already to plan my baking! i will be trying a new gluten free pie crust recipe this year from pamela's recipes. i hope it turns out wonderfully.

top ten tuesday

Susan: I believe... I believe... Even though it's silly, I believe. ("Miracle on 34th Street")

it's top ten tuesday so i am going to list my top ten favorite christmas movies, in no particular order becuase i cannot play favorites. *wink*

• A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
  
• White Christmas (1954)
  
• Love Actually (2003)
  
• Santa Claus is Coming to Town (1970)
  
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
  
• It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
  
• Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
• Dr Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
• Holiday Inn (1942)

[source: "Miracle on 34th Street", 1947. 20th Century Fox]

dreambook

i started a new yoga class last night, and it was wonderful. my intention was to be present in my practice. being present has so much meaning for me - 1, it is a gift/present to be able to soak up and enjoy every second of every minute and 2, i want to be fully engaged in what i am doing.

the christmas season goes so quickly in november and december. it is a yearly gift that i celebrate with all year 'round.

planning ahead

haven't been feeling today, so i took some time to get caught up with my rudolph day assignments.

i reviewed the hallmark dreambook! i will post some of my favorites soon.

i also looked through some recipes because i need to bake an item once a month to try it out and see if it works before i try and make it at christmas. never again will i have a christmas like this past one (my first gluten free christmas). success will be had!

so for may rudolph day, i am going to do the following

• bake cranberry orange scones
• plan menus
• buy a few christmas gifts
• watch the movie "love actually"

aloha friday

happy aloha friday, everyone!

in hawaii, friday is a day to take it easy and look forward to the weekend. therefore, posting should be easy too, so i'll pose a simple question with a simple answer.

my question this week: what is your favorite flower?

my answer this week: gardenia