Best Friends Make Holidays Brighter (Plus Giveaway!) :D

What a week, what a week it has been. Yesterday I finished up finals and now I'm doing extra praying about my grades. Crazy, life-changing times might be ahead of me and that's really scary. I keep trying to tell myself that God has a plan and all things happen for a reason but this particular thing has never even been in the same TIMEZONE as my plan. That's the scary part.

Anyway, I am particularly excited about this post : ) I met this wonderfully talented, hysterically funny girl last April through my roommate this year. They were friends and Amanda said "You need to meet my friend, Cat. I think you two would really get along!" Well this just so happens to be one of those friendships that must have been planned by God lol. We have so much in common and love, love, love spending time together! We're both wicked goofy (especially when studying for hours straight during finals week together, eh? ;) ) but she's just the break I always need. It's strictly a coincidence that our birthdays are also only THREE days apart :D I am so thankful for her friendship and will never take advantage of it because good friends are extremely hard to come by. So it is to my great excitement that I introduce my bestie, Catherine Coulombe!!

Hannah: My lil Cateroni, you're finally on my blog! I've been waiting for this!! When does the Christmas season officially start in your household? What is the first thing done that marks the start (i.e. putting up Christmas tree, baking first gingerbread men, etc)?

Catherine (Cat): It depends on which household we are talking about! In my mom’s household we start in the beginning of December, getting decorations out, finding the perfect Christmas tree and obviously having family time while decorating the tree and house. However, now that I am with my dad we don’t have decorations or a tree, so Christmas starts in my heart on December 1st. I start getting into the Christmas music and watching the 25 Days of Christmas!

H: Ooooooooooooooo similar interests I see ; ) I honestly cannot imagine not having a tree. That seems so sad to me :( But you helped decorate our tree at school with Manda and I :D In a Christmas fantasy land – who would be the famous figures, past and/or present, at your dinner table and why?

C: My dinner table would be full of Christmas characters and Disney characters. I’m a little girl at heart and I would love if Mulan and Cinderella would be at my table. But I would want Rudolph, Santa, and Frosty at my table! Now for real figures I would want Elizabeth Blackwell, Harriet Tubman, Abe Lincoln and obviously Jesus.

H: DISNEY CRUISE!!! Just sayin' ; ) Love the characters idea. It's like our childhood basically; all the claymation figures! Now, I'll be honest, I had to look up Elizabeth Blackwell. Had no clue who she was lol, sorry! For those of you who don't know, she was the first female doctor! Totally appropriate since Cat is studying Pre-Med : ) This girl's gonna be a phenomenal doctor! Anyway, Elizabeth is a pretty interesting gal, so check out the link if you wanna read more! What did you ask Santa for Christmas this year? *wink*

C: I asked Santa for a few things! I asked him for books, movies, money, and a case for my Kindle!

H: Ooooooooooo!! Kindle case, smart idea! What is one unique tradition for your family during the month of December to celebrate Christmas?

C: We have a couple of different things that we do every year. My Nana gave us a homemade advent calendar, and every year I put an ornament on the tree until we reach Christmas Eve. Our family also loves driving around to look at Christmas lights, normally midway through December. Finally every Christmas Eve we open one present, which is normally pajamas, so we can wear them to bed, and my sister and I always watch A Christmas Story!

H: Alicia and I get the pjs and watch A Christmas Story toooooooooooooo :D SO cool! Didn't know we had that in common too! Lol :P I absolutely love the idea of putting an ornament on your tree everyday until Christmas Eve. That is a really, really cool idea and definitely unique : ) How will you be spending your Christmas day this year?

C: I will be spending my Christmas morning with my mom, step-father and sisters, we have a family breakfast and then open our presents. By noon I will be on the road for a three hour drive heading back to my home where I will be with my dad and Sherry (his girlfriend/basically my step-mother). I don’t know if we will be heading to my memere’s but that is always a possibility.

H: You better be safe on that drive!!! I know it might be a hard day for you, but you're gonna do wonderfully : ) And you can always text me, I'll save you with laughs and smiles all day! What have been the highlights throughout 2011 for you?

C: I have done a lot during 2011. It has been an amazing year, but I am always ready to move forward. Some of the major events were;
~ Surviving my freshman year of college, where I met a wonderful girl named Hannah : )
~ Going to Florida for 10 days!
~ Getting a job for the summer and making many new friends.
~ Spending time with one of my best friends.
~ Watching my cousin get married!
~ Finally, I started my sophomore year of college!

H: D'awwwwwww ^_^ highlight of my year too, sexy legs! I love this picture of you and your cousin (the cousin mentioned above's new wife!) and you're even in front of a Christmas tree; how appropriate! You've had an eventful year, I can't believe it's almost over already! Do you have any New Years resolutions for the upcoming 2012?

C: Of course I have some resolutions : ) I am going to start out slow! First I would like to start a diary where I will write in it about every night for the entire year! I want to work on being a healthier and better person! Finally I want to spend more time with my family and friends!

H: Oh Cat, you're already started on these! I love that, girl. And I know you can do it too because you're strong and can do anything you put your mind to. I can't WAIT to spend MORE time with YOU :D

These are some “short answer” questions. You can answer them in as few words as possible, if you want.

Favorite Christmas book read this year? Movie seen? The Night Before Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Last Christmas song you heard? Silent Night!

Favorite food to make or eat during the season? I love baking sweets, of all kinds! I love Christmas Eve dinner which is filled with scallops, kielbasa, ham, cheese, and crackers.

Briefly describe your favorite ornament. My favorite ornament is my ‘Baby’s First Christmas’ ornament. I love it and always will!

Anything else you would like to say? : ) I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas : )

CAT! Thank you SO, SO much for coming on my blog!!! This has been super exciting for me : ) You are an amazing person and I really do think it was fate for us to meet up! We have our squabbles as all friends do lol but I think it keeps us in check and on our toes ; ) You make me laugh and I mean really laugh! You can help through the tears, fears, and insecurities that life bears. Yet you make it so fun and worth living for me. You love to cook and eat food with me, which is actually such a good thing in my book! LOL! From stalking me and watching me sleep :P to Disney cruises, sexy legs, pranks on Shannon, pranks from Amanda and I ON you ; ) we have had some fun times! I just know they're not going to stop anytime soon. It'll be even more fun when you become a doctor and cure me ; ) That's the plans, ladies and gents! Isn't she awesome!? Lol! There aren't enough words to talk about one of my best friends and yet I've tried and failed miserably. Here are just a few that I think sum it up at least somewhat:

You're my friend, my companion through good times and bad. My friend and buddy through happy and sad. Beside me you stand; beside me you walk. You're there to listen; you're there to talk. With happiness, smiles, with pain and tears, I know you'll be there throughout the years! ~ The Notebook

It's GIVEAWAY time!!!!!!!!!! Today, I'm giving away a friendship picture frame : ) It is pretty simple, 4x6 silver frame with the word 'friends' in block letters across the top. No, it won't get to you in time for Christmas unfortunately, but that's ok : ) Who said you need to give your friend a present just on a holiday or birthday!? Lol or you can keep it for yourself to smile when you see the two of you together. Your choice, but it's up for grabs!

Rules:

~ Leave a comment for Cat

~ Must have a US mailing address for this giveaway

~ Make sure to leave a valid email address so that I can contact you if you win!

+1 If you become a new follower of my blog

+1 If you become a follower of Cat's blog

+2 If you're an old follower : )

Contest is open until December 27, 2011. Winners will be drawn randomly from the List Randomizer at Random.org by December 30, 2011.

Last night, Alicia, Mom, and I saw the Christmas Revels again! Though I know this is more about Winter Solstice, there are still many references to Christmas. This year Dartmouth's took place in a little village outside of London, England. Queen Elizabeth I gets stranded from bad weather and needs to spend the night in a commoner's home which is lively with festivities for the Christmas Revels. Through exuberant dances, songs both somber and cheery but always well sung, and humor, these masterful storytellers create a perfect allusion. From the start, the audience participates by singing the choruses and dancing in the aisles with the cast. It's a fun time for all! Due to this, I chose to play a song from that for you all : ) Enjoy!

Have a GREAT Thursday and take the time to thank a good friend for all they've done for you : ) See you tomorrow!!
Hannah