Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays! Wherever you find yourself this holiday season, here's to your days being filled with hope, joy, and contentment and a new year filled with excitement and growth! 

Lots of love from South Africa,

G&E and Rolo

Christmas cheer!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! Despite the fact that South Africa does not celebrate Thanksgiving, I was able to participate in turkey-laden festivities for three, blessed reasons:

1)      My husband appreciates and goes along with all my holiday activities (I’m a lucky girl),

2)      I have friends here – both American and South African – who wanted to create a full-fledged Thanksgiving meal,

3)      And I work at an American institution, so I got the whole Thanksgiving weekend off! Hooray!

Now that Thanksgiving is over, the Christmas season has officially begun! I have always been one of those “no-Christmas-music-before-Thanksgiving” people…although the longer I live abroad, the earlier and earlier that rule bends. But especially with living in a country that is in summer during Christmas, I try to work extra hard to make the season feel festive.

Christmas music (as previously mentioned) is a must. 

Especially George Winston and Frank Sinatra (among many others).

And embarrassingly, the Chipmunks are also a must. As a kid, my mom and I would bake and dance around the house to this album (can I even call it that?), so it's just kind of stuck with me. 

Snickerdoodles. And they must have red and green sprinkles. Must. (Sorry the picture isn't great...I made these for Thanksgiving and only took a picture on my phone to send to my mom. Please ignore the plastic wrap.)

Christmas movies. Where do I even begin?

I’m trying to do more crafty things this holiday season, a) because it’s cute and b) it saves money. I’ve already started putting this garland together (above) and it’s so fun!

Also necessary: Snuggling with family on the couch, reflecting on the year passing, praying for the year to come. 

What makes it feel like the holiday season for you? And if the holiday season is not a particularly festive time for you, or you are far away from family, how do you cope? I'd really love to hear.

Hoping you are filled with lots of joy and love,

EF

the festive season

Hope everyone had a wonderful (and restful) holiday season! It’s funny how holidays are often not as relaxing and restful as you plan (but wonderful nonetheless).

We came back from our honeymoon (Cape Town) in mid-December and then took off to Durban on Christmas Eve; spending the week there. We had a wonderful and warm time in the sun, on the beach, and celebrating our first Christmas together. Everything was spectacular until the day before we were supposed to leave. In a surfing accident, my husband of three weeks tore a golf-ball size junk out of his leg and landed in the ER with 15 stitches. (At least it wasn't on our honeymoon!)

All the while, we have been having so much fun settling into our new life (and little home) together…more on all that to come!

Here are a few pictures from Durban and our honeymoon, if you’d like to see.

x,

EF (Elizabeth/Ellie/Elle Fulton...I'm still trying out all the combos) :)

Honeymooning in Cape Town - so wonderful, relaxing, and warm!

Our first Christmas tree! I can't remember why G needed a knife for this. 

Our first Christmas! Christmas after a wedding is a small but exciting affair. 

We stayed with some friends in Durban over  Christmas; this was their drift-wood Christmas tree. I love it.

Rainbow over the Indian Ocean

Honeymoon sunset

love.

New Christmas

It is just a few days before Christmas and I am finding myself desperately trying to “feel like Christmas”. Between our wedding, summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and South Africa’s take on Christmas (but mostly the wedding), it has not felt like Christmas at all. I barely got to celebrate Thanksgiving, which is always the Christmas kick-off for me, so perhaps that’s where the downfall began.  

I also have found being married to be full of surprising transitions; notwithstanding, Christmas traditions. A few days ago, husband and I went to buy our Christmas tree. They do not have real pine trees here in South Africa; so we bought a cute (and by cute I mean small) fake one. We also had to buy decorations. I think I took for granted that every year there are the same decorations at home; the same candles, the same ornaments, the same snowman holding a sign that says “Think Snow” – but now we have to buy our own, new ones. How can this be home-y and traditional?! I was getting quite emotional over this.

And then I read the blog of a friend who, after being married six years, actually shared similar sentiments. What I found so encouraging (and a good reminder!) is that we (mostly me) need to enjoy creating our own traditions! (duh!) I knew this; but somehow in the hustle and bustle of transitioning to married life, I forgot.  I want our first Christmas to be wonderful and memorable, and I want us to create our own traditions that our kids will one day feel that it doesn’t feel like Christmas without. And I want husband to feel like it’s Christmas for him as well – which means pulling in SA traditions. (pray for me!) J 

So here are a few ideas I’ve collected, or movies we will definitely be watching. What are some traditions you’ve built up over the years? If you’re married, what was your first Christmas like?

Here’s to a wonderful, festive, and new Christmas – wherever you are in the world!

Xo

Ellie

How adorable is this?! And they have popsicle sticks in SA!

My family has always watched this on Christmas Eve and last year, my husband (then boyfriend), got to join us for it. I think this is one tradition we'll be keeping.

Christmas crackers! My family never did these growing up, but started to in the past couple years when my aunt would bring them over from England. But here in SA they are a must. They come with all sorts of goodies inside - and for all budgets. We already bought ours - the least expensive ones we could find. :)

I was quite happy to learn that the "gammon" requested by my husband for Christmas dinner is basically just ham! I think I can manage this.

I'm so blessed to have a husband that understands American humor. He cried laughing the first time he saw this. We will definitely we keeping this as a Christmas Day tradition.