Tag: Happy Holidays

  • Christmas 2018… Merry Christmas Everyone!

    christmas 2018

    Christmas 2018 is coming in quick! I tend to leave these posts a bit shorter just because the holidays are always a busy time and this year, my family and I procrastinated BIG TIME. I still have so much shopping to do for my family and our neighbors. AH. It’s fine. Anyway, I would just like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy holidays. I hope that you all enjoy time with family and friends.

    Let’s all make sure to remember the reason for the season and remember that this time of year is not about the gifts even though that does make the season much more fun. It’s more important to give during the holidays and make memories with family and friends. Thanks again to all of you for taking time to read my blog and check out my website. I really appreciate you being here and can’t wait to see where this next year takes us all! Once again, I hope your Christmas 2018 is wonderful. Have a great day! 🙂

  • Merry Christmas

    This won’t be a long post at all, but I would just like to wish a very Merry Christmas to all. I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy time with family and friends. This is a time that comes only once a year and I hope that you make the most of it! 🙂 If you’re off of school for the next two weeks or off of work for the next couple of days, enjoy the break. It’s probably well deserved!

    Thank you all for your support and time reading my blog over the years. I really appreciate it and it means a lot that you would take the time to visit this site. It’s getting close to four years on anahorvath.com and I honestly can’t believe it! I love you all and once again, Merry Christmas! <3

    merry christmas

  • What the Holidays Mean to Me

    The holidays are upon us, and I feel like every year, Christmas especially, becomes more and more commercialized. Businesses and companies press on people to buy this and buy that. There are pre-Christmas sales and after-Christmas sales, and I understand that these places have to make money, but society has absorbed the idea that gift-buying and money spending are the best ways to have a good holiday season. This, I think is wrong.

    To me, the holidays, especially Christmas, are about being with family. Since I was born, my family goes to New Mexico to spend time with cousins, my aunt and uncle, and my grandparents. We’ve always been to my great-aunt’s Christmas morning breakfast, and we always spend the morning with family that we don’t see all year. That’s really special and really important to me.

    The holidays are also about making new memories with the people I spend time with. Every winter break, I know a lot of kids take that time to sleep and catch up on their games and spend time away from everything. While that isn’t always a bad thing, I believe that it’s important to make the most out of the time we have with others when we have it. My sister and I spent time together training our bird, going to the mall, and messing around at our grandpa’s house. I enjoyed long conversations with my aunt and uncle and grandpa while in New Mexico. Some people in our lives won’t always be in our lives, and it’s crucial to take time to be with them and make the most of that while you can.

    The holidays are also a time for being outside in the cold, winter air, taking time to be in the snow and if there’s no snow (@Colorado SO FAR THIS WINTER), just the cold. Personally, I love snow and the cold and in case you didn’t know, winter is my favorite season. Going for walks with the fresh, crisp winter air is one of the most refreshing and wonderful things. Watching snow fall and seeing snowflakes melt on the warm sidewalk or on the car window is beautiful to me. Being out throwing snowballs at my sister or chasing Marty and Boo through the snow is so much fun.

    I know that we all have our different religions and traditions and ways of spending the holidays, and this is what it means to me. To those of you going through finals week, I wish you the best of luck. To those of you on break already, you’re so lucky. I wish you all a very Happy Holidays and best wishes in 2018!

    holidays

  • Some Simple Christmas Gift Ideas

    The holidays are rapidly approaching, and sometimes, it feels like gifts are hard to find! Here are a couple of simple, cheap, and always thoughtful Christmas gift ideas for the people in your lives:

    1. Self-care items. Ranging from a spa set to lotions, body washes, and soaps, there are so many options here. For those who are into bath bombs, that’s even an option. These gifts are great because you give someone the gift to pamper themselves and relax.
    2. Fuzzy socks. Some of you might be saying, “Socks? Really?” Actually, a cozy pair or two of nice fuzzy socks is a wonderful gift! They’re useful, comfortable, and perfect for a cold day to wear around the house or with a cute pair of boots.
    3. A box of sunshine. I recently found out about this and it’s a super cute idea! For this gift, all it takes is a variety of yellow items, ranging from candy to socks to candles and so on! Then you write “Box of Sunshine” on the box lid and whoever you’re giving the gift to has a wonderful and adorable little care package! This is sure to make them smile.
    4. A bullet journal starter kit. As far as I know, there isn’t an actual kit that can be bought but you can make one yourself! All you need for this gift is a journal, which doesn’t have to be freakishly expensive, some pens, and some stickers and washi tape! Journaling, and bullet journaling specifically, has exploded this year, and this would be a great gift for a friend that’s interested in it.
    5. Good smelling things. From candles to perfumes, this is always a great gift for someone. The options for scents are endless!
    6. Makeup or nail polish. For the makeup lovers and nail polish lovers in your life, this is always a good option. There are SO many options as far as colors and finishes go and you can rest assured that your gift will go to good use.

    So there’s a couple of gift ideas. Keep in mind that it’s always the thought that counts. While expensive gifts can sometimes show a person how much you care about them, it’s the time you spend with them that matters above anything else. Have a wonderful week!

    Gifts

  • Simple Gift Ideas

    Christmas is officially a week away! When getting a gift, remember that it isn’t always about the price, but the thought. As long as it’s something that you feel can be useful and meaningful, it will be a good gift. For those of you who aren’t quite sure what to get for someone special in your life, here’s a few simple gift ideas.

    • A handmade fleece blanket. All you need for these are two large pieces of fleece, some open space, some scissors, and people to help you tie the blanket. These are always really fun to make and useful to the person you’re making them for! Finding fleece with something that the person enjoys or likes can help make the blanket a little more special.
    • A drawing or photo. For this semester of school, my sister and I took a photography class and some the pictures could make great Christmas gifts! A pretty drawing that you did or a nice picture framed can also be special and easy gifts to wrap up and gift to someone.
    • A book or movie they might like. Depending on the book or movie, the price can range, but these are always easy to find and can be used over and over again.
    • Candle or lotion. Once again, depending on where you get these items, the price can range. A good-smelling candle or some nice lotion can be a great gift for a girl or woman in your life. You can never have too much of this stuff!
    • Giftcards or money. Sometimes, a giftcard or money can seem impersonal. Sometimes though, they aren’t bad ideas for gifts because people can choose what they buy with the giftcard or given money. For someone preparing to do some traveling or a college student in need of some money, these two are never bad ideas.

    You’re definitely not limited to this very short list of gifts to get someone for Christmas. Get creative and have fun with it! When shopping for gifts, don’t get to caught up in whether or not someone will like it. That can be important but people should learn to be grateful for all that they get, even if they don’t exactly like it. Happy Holidays to everyone and have a great winter break and Merry Christmas and New Year!

  • Merry Christmas!

    I know it isn’t Sunday, but it definitely is Christmas. So, Merry Christmas!

    Christmas isn’t all about the presents under the tree, it’s about the birth of Christ and the quality time you get to spend with the people you love. It doesn’t matter how expensive or fancy a gift is, it’s the effort and thought into it that makes it special. Gifts are nice because they give you the opportunity to show your appreciation and care towards friends and family, but your attention and time are much more important and valuable.

    Today is a  great day to eat good food, make new traditions, play in the snow (if you have any), be silly, relax, play games, and have a good time. My family gets together in New Mexico every Christmas and we’ve been doing a fun gag gift game for the past few years. This year my aunt and uncle started a ping-pong tournament which was super fun, got everyone involved, and it is something we plan to continue doing every Christmas from here on out. Traditions like these are what make time with family and the holidays really special for everyone.

    Anyways, I just wanted to wish you all the best today. Stay warm, or cool (depending on where you are) and enjoy yourselves! I hope you and your families have a fun, memorable, and wonderful day. Merry Christmas and Happy upcoming New Year!

    Merry Christmas!

  • Left-Right Gag Gift Game

    Every year for the past few Christmases, my family has done a left-right gag gift game. The idea is to pass wrapped gag gifts around a table with your family or friends according to directions of a special story. Usually my sister and I find one on the Internet, but this year I forgot to find one before we left, so my sister and I decided to make one ourselves. It included family members, was definitely not a true story, and I thought it was pretty cute. Gag gift games are great for small get-togethers with family and friends. Here’s our story…

    The Christmas Adventure

    Christmas was RIGHT around the corner and it was time for the family to get together again. Gary’s gang packed up their things and LEFT Broomfield and Jan and John LEFT RIGHT at ten to go to Farmington to see Grandpa. The minute Grandpa heard they were coming he jumped for joy, put on his Christmas boxers, and ate his Cheerios RIGHT away. When he jumped for joy, he noticed a very special smell coming from the floor. Peppy LEFT a little gift for him that morning. Grandpa wanted the mess to be cleaned up before anyone arrived. On the way to Farmington, Gary made a LEFT LEFT LEFT RIGHT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT LEFT LEFT RIGHT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT RIGHT LEFT LEFT and then another LEFT to get there. John made a wrong turn in Cuba, instead of turning LEFT he turned RIGHT. John and Jan had no idea where they were so they stopped at Mrs. RIGHTS bed and breakfast to ask for directions. When they asked Mrs. RIGHT for directions to Farmington, she replied, “you take a LEFT at the stoplight and then another LEFT five miles down the road. Make sure you get that RIGHT or else you will be lost.” Before they LEFT, John asked if she had any cookies. Mrs. RIGHT responded by saying, “I have a huge jar LEFT, you can have them.” John thanked Mrs. RIGHT and LEFT with Jan to get to Farmington. Finally, Grandpa had the house looking just RIGHT and that’s when everybody arrived. Peppi greeted Marty and Boo with a big bark of disappointment and Boo returned the greeting, a couple of times, with a snarl, and a big jump at her face. Marty LEFT the area to greet Grandpa, Jan, and John with a wag of his poofy tail and a big bark. Jan prepared a big meal and by the time everyone finished all their food, they had no room LEFT for the cookies from Mrs. RIGHT. So they decided to leave the cookies for Santa on Christmas. The family played games including a RIGHT-LEFT, hide and seek, and how much stuff can be fixed in Grandpa’s house in one visit. Finally, Christmas came and Boo continued to bark. Grandma Luba was the first one to wake up and dashed to the living room where Gary and Inna slept with Ana and Allyson. She was so excited she jumped RIGHT on top of Inna to wake her up. Gary woke up after hearing the commotion and shot RIGHT up out of bed thinking that there was a robber in the house. Inna assured him that everything was alRIGHT. Allyson snored on with everything going on and Ana awoke to the sound of the dogs barking. Grandpa pranced into the living room with his Christmas tunes playing full blast. He was ready to open presents and spend time with the family. Jan and John went dashing into the kitchen to see if Mrs. RIGHT’S cookies were eaten by Santa. Sure enough, there weren’t any cookies LEFT and there was a little note to the entire family on the table. It read, “Thanks for the cookies, those were just RIGHT! Merry Christmas to you all, I hope you had a good night. You’ve all been real good so here are some gifts. John, I’ve got a cool sleigh, if you ever need a lift.” With the nice note read, Allyson woke up and everyone gathered in the living room to open gifts. Ana got the RIGHT kind of ankle brace for Christmas and Allyson received the only Adam Lambert CD LEFT in the world. Gary got an array of bananas and nuts and Inna got the vacuum cleaner of her dreams. Grandma Luba got a nice electric blanket to keep her just RIGHT in the cold weather. Marty and Boo received new squeaky toys for being extra good boys this year. RIGHTfully so! Jan, John, and Grandpa were the only three LEFT. Grandpa was so excited to see what Santa LEFT him this year. Was it a stay-at-home handyman? More Cheerios? A sweater for Peppi? No it was a life-size poster of John Boehner! Grandpa had never been more confused about a Christmas gift. Peppi received a fancy, shmancy treadmill to get on the RIGHT track with her weight. When Jan opened her big box, she cried ’til she had no tears LEFT. It was the Crockpot 3000, the best of the best in crockpots. John had to go outside for his gift, which was the newest and most amazing John Deere tractor of all time. The family played more games, ate LEFTovers, laughed, and had a wonderful time with what was LEFT of their time together. When it was time to go, everyone said their goodbyes to Gary, the girls, and the dogs and then they LEFT. About fifteen minutes after they LEFT, Grandpa got a call. Ana LEFT her crutches at the house and needed them RIGHT away! John offered to take the crutches to Aztec to meet up with Gary, and then drove off to quickly deliver the crutches. The crutches were delivered and when John returned, Jan and John LEFT to get home to Belen. When everyone was gone, Grandpa looked down at Peppi and told her, “That visit was just RIGHT. I can’t wait to do that again.”

    Spending time with the RIGHT people and having a good time with them is really great. You eat until you have no room in your stomach and you laugh until you have no air LEFT. You make good memories that will last with you forever. Am I RIGHT?

  • A Holiday Letter to Readers…

    It’s that special time of year! Every year my family sends out a Christmas letter to family and friends updating them on how we’re doing and our journey throughout the year. My dad always writes the letter and he does a great job making it entertaining and worth reading. I figured I might write my readers a holiday letter, so here goes!

    Dear readers,

    This year has been quite an adventure! Those adventures ranged from making new friends and being with family and old friends to having surgery on my ankle and other crazy events.

    My sister is a freshman and I am a sophomore in high school. We’re both doing well school and keeping up good grades. I’m glad to be at the same school as my sister again. Go Eagles! We are each other’s best friends and we get along well. My two dogs Marty and Boo, are still running around, barking, singing to the piano, and being the most adorable dachshunds I’ve ever met. They enjoy begging for carrots and whatever else they can get to eat from my grandma who is visiting us from the Republic of Georgia.

    My parents are keeping busy with work and running my sister from practice to practice. My mom is working as a dental hygienist and selling her children’s book Lola and Sir Germs-a-lot. There may be a few more books coming out soon, so keep an eye out on Amazon or Xlibris. My dad is working from home with business and economic research. He also coaches my sister and I in tennis and is busy working with my sister and getting her to club volleyball practices. As mentioned earlier, my grandma from Georgia (not the state) is staying with us for a few months. She is a wonderful, sweet person and it’s been great having her with us the past few months.

    This year has been filled with some lows but mostly highs. I had to have surgery on my ankle to resolve some issues I had with it and that caused me to miss another season of high school volleyball which was a bummer but I was able to really focus on school and take time to recover. Because of my ankle issues, I was able to meet some really amazing people that I now consider good, close friends that I hope I can keep in touch with for a long time. My birthday this year was my sweet 16 and it was a good, memorable day. I made some new and really good friends at school this year and I feel like I’ve been able to make a difference in my community through sports, school, and my blog.

    My blog hit over 2,500 views this year and that means a lot to me. I’m glad that people are reading my blog and I hope that you all enjoy reading it! I hope that my blog is something you look forward to reading and it encourages you to try something new or learn about something you didn’t know how to do or didn’t know about.

    My ankle is recovering well, I know the rest of the school year is going to be great, and I’m looking forward to high school tennis season! I wish you Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year.

    With love,
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    Ana Horvath