Bitten by the Christmas Bug

Because I was busy wrapping Christmas presents, the past two weeks have seen me retiring no earlier than the wee hours of the morning. Juliana’s yaya Lita, seeing the pile of gifts accumulating in one corner that just gets higher by the day, cannot comprehend why I have to do everything myself. She would always tell Juliana loud enough for me to hear, "O my God, Juliana, your mommy like the zombie even in darkness still wrapping gifts" (read: your mommy is like a zombie–even at night when it’s time to sleep she chooses to stay up and wrap presents). "Di ka napapagod magbalot, ma’am?" she finally asked me yesterday. The answer is a resounding NO. It may seem tiring and taxing for some but as far as I’m concerned, the whole process of buying and wrapping presents is so relaxing, it’s almost therapeutic. Yes, it may put a dent on the wallet but that concern is only secondary. Besides, if you shop well ahead of time, chances are you get great value for your money.

As far back February of this year I was already able to completely purchase gifts for all the godchildren that Richard and I have between us. Too early? Well, I have the upper hand now. I need not scamper, I need not be stressed. All I have to do is take my time to sort out and wrap them.

To keep things simple when I shop, I draw up two lists, one each for male and female inaanaks. I then categorize them according to age groups and get presents accordingly. So, if I find something fit for a seven-year-old girl, I check my list to see how many of them there are and purchase the right amount plus a couple of extras "just in case." Naturally, for adult friends and relatives it is more personalized (I simply can’t and won’t categorize them by age group and get gifts in bulk on that basis alone) – but my basic guidelines still hold. And for those I cannot seem to find the right gift for (read: those who seem to already have everything), I think food will always be appreciated.

On this note, you may want to try out some goodies that have become recent favorites in our household. This "cottage industry" is so new it’s practically a secret but the goodies that come from her kitchen are so good it would be selfish of me not to share her number with you. You can call or text Grace at 0917-5229781 for yummy, no-fuss brownies. Her version reminds me of the good old-fashioned ones we would have at our grandmothers’ kitchen. They have no nuts, no preservatives, no frosting – just rich, really good, moist, to-die-for brownies. Richard, a chocolate lover himself, consumes half a box whenever we have them in the house. Grace also has banana bread, carrot cake and apple crisp – the last is equally yummy served hot or cold, alone or a la mode. You have to order in advance because she doesn’t scrimp on her ingredients and everything is baked fresh – that is assurance enough that you get your money’s worth.

If you’re on the lookout for decadent chocolate cake with caramel sauce, look no further. Goodies and Sweets at the Podium and Greenhills shopping center can dish out a sinfully delicious version. Highly addictive.

Christmas may be the most expensive time of the year, what with all the presents and celebrations that come with the season, but careful planning and early shopping will succeed in not making you feel the pinch too much. Trust me. I’ve been doing it for several Christmases now and the bills may hike up but not exorbitantly so. In essence, we may still have spent a considerable sum but because they were spaced out over the past eight months, it was not be a burden.

Anyway, back to wrapping gifts. For adult friends who will really appreciate the beauty of a carefully-wrapped present, it’s gratifying to put nice trimmings on a package. This year, my trimmings of choice are matte silver and gold fabric stars that I found in a basket in one corner of National Book Store. They were actually meant to be strung on a tree but I found them so cute I decided to use them in lieu of ribbons.

As far as children are concerned I feel they really don’t care much about how well a gift is wrapped and will immediately just want to get past the wrapping and trimming straight to the actual present. This, however, is no excuse to be sloppy with your packaging. Try to use festive paper. Especially if you’re wrapping huge boxes that kids’ toys come in, it would definitely come in handy to have large wrapping paper. Luckily for me, the sister of a good friend of mine imports beautiful wrapping paper from Singapore. It has a wide array of designs and colors and comes in sheets of 31x43 inches. The best thing about it? At P10 (yes you read that right, P10 only) they are a steal. My friends and I hoarded our share but I just checked a while ago and she still has some left with a new shipment coming in anytime. If interested you can call or text 0917-8172000 or you can personally check out their wrapping paper samples at Haiku, a Japanese restaurant in Greenbelt 3 and look for Liza (call 757-4597/98). The nice thing about it is the designs are festive yet can be used for other occasions and the paper has a delicate quality to it.

Have you ever been to Dapitan? It has the look and feel of a flea market and trip might prove interesting especially this time of the year. May was the last time I was there and the hopefully I will be able to find time to go back. As you will is find out, each trip there is different because they never have the exact same stuff so if you find something you like, buy it in bulk because chances are they might never have it again. They are a good source of boxes, baskets and other unique packaging materials. They have sinamay boxes in every size and shape imaginable, covered boxes that are actually export overruns, and other interesting knick-knacks that somebody with an eye for seemingly ordinary things would delight in. Friends of mine have, time and again, found wonderful home accent pieces and huge glass vases. A nice thing to remember when you go there: don’t expect much but keep your eyes open and let your imagination work. More importantly, don’t take the things you find there at face value. Use them instead to inspire you to come up with fresh ideas.

Have you put up your Christmas tree yet? In my first December as a married woman, I excitedly took it upon myself to purchase our first tree and all the trimmings while Richard was away on a fencing trip. My friend, Ana Castillo, brought me to Florasilk, this huge warehouse in Alabang filled with the most beautiful Christmas decorations. She warned me that because the tree I chose was huge (more than 12 feet tall) the trimmings I would need would have to be sufficient for that and the rest of the house. Naturally, for the quality and quantity I would be getting, it might cost quite a bit. It did cost a lot then but I did not regret a single purchase. She said that the first Christmas tree is always the most expensive but after that, all costs will be minimal. After all, you just use the same tree every year from then on and just get trimmings to update and add on to what you already have. It is an investment but one that will carry over and serve you well through the years.

When Richard got back from that fencing trip, we happily set out to put up our tree plus all the trimmings. He, together with our driver Jonas who has been with Richard for 12 years, patiently did the lights, weaving them in and out of the branches. It took practically the whole night. The day after, we continued; working on the trimmings this time. Midway through, Ben Chan, Miguel Pastor and Keren Pascual dropped by and they ended up helping us complete our tree. It was a labor of love, a bit helter-skelter here and there but it was beautiful in our eyes. The year after that, I got pregnant and busy as we were then Richard didn’t have time to put up the lights and naturally, I couldn’t trim an unlit tree. I called on a friend of mine, Doltz, to do it and I haven’t regretted that decision. He is a free-lance interior designer (he also did some of the decorations for our wedding), and you can call or text him at 0917-8999114. His schedule is always tight but who knows, he may have an opening. And he works very fast. I left the house in the morning and when I got back at around 9 p.m., my whole house looked Christmassy already. Every year, even with practically the same trimmings and just a few dozen new ones, he makes our tree look different. When Juliana was born, we wanted to put a hint of color to our crystal and silver-trimmed tree and I got pink, green, and purple-tinted glass balls. If you want to purchase or even just update your tree and Christmas decorations, you’ll never go wrong with Florasilk. Mike Sandoval, the owner, is just as delightful as the stuff he sells. You can call 800-3805/07/09; 0917-5251108 for details.

Don’t resist being bitten by the Christmas bug. It is a beautiful season and it would do all of us well to stretch the spirit as much as we can. After all, doesn’t everyone seem kinder and more gracious in December than most other months? We have all the traditions and rituals laid out before us and the best way to enjoy it is by being stress-free.

Christmas, no matter how cliché this may sound, is time to give back. It’s the perfect time to be grateful to people you may not always see and be in touch with as often as you like, yet appreciate just the same. So trim that tree and wrap that gift–or even just take time to personally write that Christmas greeting. Joy is what you make it.