Christmas 2010 in Pictures

Most of my Christmas activities included baking goodies for everyone.

{Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme}

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

TodaysMama (link to: http://bit.ly/tmwishlist) and GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family?
That we are all happy and healthy for many more years to come.

2. What is your Christmas morning tradition?
Watching the kids attack their stockings.



3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be?
An all-expenses paid month long trip to Spain.



4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?
I have the kids bake sweets with me and make gingerbread houses.



5. What games did you play with your family growing up?
Monopoly. I love that game.


6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?
We always used to be allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve and the kids continue that tradition.


7. Where would you go for a Christmas-away-from-home trip?
Skiing in Vermont -- at an Inn like in White Christmas.


8. Check out GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year?
Kinect


Wii NASCAR game


Special edition DS


To enter, link to your Mama’s Holiday Wish List post using the Mister Linky box below.

BUT WAIT. Did you think we were done? Oh, you must not know us at all.

We have another stockpile of gifts from GameStop that you can enter to win with our extra entry options.

Runner Up #1 will receive a XBox 360 250 GB with Kinect and a $250 GameStop gift card.
Runner Up #2 will receive a Nintendo Red DSi XL Bundle and a $250 GameStop gift card.
Runner Up #3 will receive a Nintendo Red Wii Bundle and a $250 GameStop gift card.
Extra Entry Options include:

“Like” Gamestop on Facebook
Follow @gamestop on Twitter
Head back to the tippy-top of this post and hit that “Retweet” button.


The deadline to post your meme and comment is Friday, December 10th (same deadline applies for extra entry methods).

* For an example of a Mama’s Holiday Wish List entry post CLICK HERE.

All I want for Christmas.....

Did you ever going rifling through your parents closets when you were a kid hoping to find your Christmas presents? Come on -- you know you did! Well, I did. And I got caught red-handed one year.

I can still remember that purple purse that I begged and begged my parents for months leading up to Christmas.


One day my parents left the house to go shopping, so me being the sneaky gal that I am, pulled up a chair to my parents closet and ransacked it trying to find that purse. I was so into the search that I didn't even hear my mom coming back in the house. Not until she walked in the room and saw me hugging, I mean admiring that beautiful purple purse.

She was so disappointed in me -- but deep down she knew I was going to do it or else she wouldn't have set me up like that. And I fell for it hook, line and sinker. And that beautiful purple purse, returned to the store never to be seen again.

At least that's how I remember the story. But in reality they may have given me a red purse and my sister the beautiful purple purse. Just imagine where my life would be now if I had that purple purse. I'd probably be living in Paris as a fashion designer with my own label -- Just Denise!

And the moral of the story kids -- if you're going to go snooping, make certain the parents leave the house, turn the corner and are gone for at least 5 minutes before proceeding.

** Note: I am positive that beautiful purple purse looked nothing like the one pictured but that's the only stylish purple purse I could find online.

Christmas 09

We had our annual family get-together on Christmas Eve.  A lot of the cousins, aunts and uncles were there.  This is really the only time I get to see a lot of them so it is a nice thing to do every year.  The food was good as usual.  My dad made the menudo and my Aunt Lola made the tamales.  Everyone brought dessert to share. We also all prayed the rosary which is another tradition.  During the rosary, Jacob (9 years old) told me "This isn't much of a party!"

New York -- December '09

I can't believe I forgot to write about my recent trip to NYC in early December. I had to go for work but was able to get in some downtime while I was there. I went with a co-worker and a donor.

One thing I haven't done in a while is eat at Tavern on the Green so it was nice to do that. We also took a carriage ride through Central Park.



The food was delicious.



This was the front of the menu.

They lit the Rockefeller tree when we were there but it was raining so I didn't go see it. Lots of beautiful decorations around the city. It is always so crowded at this time of year.










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Chicago - December '09

I won a Chicago Blackhawks and Meijer contest for a hockey 101 clinic, dinner and tix to the Blackhawks/Tampa Bay Lightening game. Since I love Chicago I decided to make a weekend of it and invited my friend Kelly to go to the clinic and game with me.

I flew in on Saturday morning and met Kelly downtown where we went to eat at Berghoff's. We had burgers and some of their famous rootbeer.





Then we went walking around Millennium Park and were able to see the ice skaters. There was a cute little future hockey player there. Too precious!





We went to the Chicago Pier because I had never been through there just drove by it once. That is probably better done during the summer. Saw some of the lights before my hip gave out and we went back to the hotel. After a short nap we went to have a late dinner at Miller's Pub which was really quaint and cozy.

Sunday was the big day. We went to the ESPN Zone for lunch and were surrounded by both Bear fans and Green Bay fans. Good food there too. Only bad thing was I lost one glove that belonged to a co-worker.

Then we went to see the window displays at Macy's. There was a couple at one of them that had just gotten engaged. The guy had Macy's put his proposal in the form of a letter to Santa in the window. Then he popped the question. Too cute. Everyone was oohing and awhing.

Then it was time to head to the United Center. We got there and they signed us in and then took us upstairs to a conference room. We boogied to the front row where our goodie bags were waiting for us. A cap, mug, bobblehead, puck and much more. SWEET! You know I love me a goodie bag!





Then the instructors came in. Eddie Olczyk who is the tv color analyst was one and then also Annie Camins, the Director of Youth Hockey was the other.

We got to ask questions and when it came my turn he asked me how I got into hockey and how did I hear from them that I won the contest. So I told him that I went to Chicago last October and went to my first hockey game. I fell in love with the sport and the team. Then I entered and won and couldn't believe it because I never win anything. He was impressed that we flew from TX just for this. So we had the clinic and leaned so much about the rules. It was great. Then they had a drawing for a hockey stick signed by all the players. When Eddie read off the numbers and he took his time saying the last one I screamed when he said 9. I was like "No frickin way!" When he had started to announce the numbers I said I can take it on the plane. But they offered to ship it for me.







We then all got pictures and autographs from Eddie. Then they took us in to dinner. Unbelievable. I was thinking hot dogs and chicken strips. Not for this first class organization. They served roast beef, turkey, chicken Marsala, fish, fettucine Alfredo, roasted potatoes, grilled veggies, salads and more. They also had a mean dessert bar -- cheesecake, lemon bars, brownies and so much more.

One of the employees asked if they could interview me since I won and came from TX. I know I looked like a fool and my eyes were probably popping out of my eyes from the excitement. I can't even remember what they asked but I remember telling them I wouldn't pass up a chance to see the Hawks or Patrick Sharp!

Next it was off to our seats. They were pretty good seats and everyone who was around us were contest winners so it was like a little family.





Jim Belushi threw down the first puck and Toews and Vinny Lecavalier (#4 hottie from TB Lightning) were the ones out there with him.

Some of the gals around us got text messages from family members that said we were on tv. Then they texted again and said they had mentioned us an said we had come from TX for the game. How cool is that!!?!
Thank you Eddie!

It was a great game (Hawks won 4-0) and fantastic day of events.

Thank you to the entire Chicago Blackhawks organization and to Meijer's for sponsoring the contest. It was unbelievable!

** Updated with pics from my Flickr account of the trip. **



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

New York in December (2008)

It's no secret that I am a big NASCAR fan - I happened to be in NYC in December '08 when I noticed a race car on a side street in NY. I did some research and found that it was NASCAR Week. WooHoo. I stood outside Cipriani while the top 12 drivers had lunch. Saw so many NASCAR related folks. Met some great folks while waiting in line. One of those gals, Terrie, emailed me to let me know I had made it on to a NASCAR blog (see photo below).

I am a huge Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan and when I found out that you could meet him by purchasing some of his new glassware at Macy's I jumped on it. I was sure my family wouldn't mind getting Dale Jr. beer mugs for Christmas. It was a mob scene there but by golly I did it. Met him and he was very nice.

I also got lucky that the Rockefeller tree was being lit while I was there! Bonus! I headed out there and it was FREEZING!!! I couldn't hang. I ended up leaving shortly before it was to be on TV so I could catch it at the hotel. I have never been so cold in my life. I think I still have a chill from it -- come to think of it I was awfully sick last Dec/Jan and missed so much work.....connection?

I also went to a show of the Radio City Rockette's. It was quite a show. I am so glad I was able to share the show with Sydni in Austin on New Year's Eve.

I also went on a little tour of NYC so I could see all the holiday lights. NYC is beautiful at Christmas!!

You can see all my Christmas in NY photos here. And all my Nascar week photos here.