Christmas Celebrations

Hi loves! HAPPY 2019! Just a quick little check in here to share some of my favorite snaps from our Christmas Celebrations 2018 (better late than never right?!). We hopped over to Portugal to spend the festivities with my side of the family. It truly sucks we can’t have both sides together, but hey, different hemispheres and all that jazz. It has been a difficult year for my family after the passing of my dear uncle and other back to back events that haven’t been easy to handle. Thankfully we were able to be there and the spirits were high for Santa! Zoe still didn’t really know what gift-opening was or that half the things were hers – she ended up playing more with the wrapping and random Christmas trinkets than her awesome gifts! We really didn’t go too many places or do too much. It was super nice to chill for a minute and take long morning walks on the beach on both Christmas and New Years Day. Seeing my sweet Grandma (Zoe’s Great-Grandma!) and spending the holidays with her was also special. I hope you all had amazing holidays filled with love and positivity! Leave a comment below and let me know how you spent it!

+ Cheers & Food

Yes, I chopped my hair short and got me some bangs! It took so much courage, I’m not adventurous with my hair at all!

If you’ve been anywhere near England over the holidays or near anyone British you probably know about mince pies. These delicious, traditional treats are a staple in the festive season. I tried making them at home last year and it was a disaster. Thankfully, my grandmother and mother are absolute mince pie professionals. DELICIOUS!

Ah, yes. The Christmas cracker. Another absolute must-have for the Christmas table. My mother actually buys more to lay out on the New Years Day table as well and they always make it look so fun and festive. It’s a lovely ritual. You hold one end and link the other to your neighbors’ and pull hard! Inside there’s a paper crown (more of these featured on my Grandmother’s head further below!), a riddle or joke and a little trinket.

Here’s my gorgeous, beautiful, strong mother. Look how cute she is! She puts her heart and soul into life and those she loves dearly. Honestly, the most generous of hearts that I just want to shower her in love and everything beautiful. She put this amazing Christmas Day lunch together. We had everything from roasted vegetables, Yorkshire puddings and roast beef. It’s not typical to have roast beef on Christmas Day but in our family, we just evolved towards eating what makes us feel good and happy. My father was responsible for distributing the alcohol (of course lol) and it was such a joyful occasion.

This is my maternal Grandmother, tough as nails and a gentle, shining soul all wrapped into one! I always joke to people and say she’s my Mrs. Doubtfire 🙂

+ Beach Walk Mornings

The past 2 times we’ve been back in Portugal for Christmas, beach walks on both Christmas and New Years Day seem to be a new tradition. I think I have to credit my brother for that – he adores the beach and is such a sand + sun seeker. The weather this year was incredible (not even cold) and the perfect mornings for beach walks with the whole family!

Here’s a photo of my brother Rui and Zoe having the best time. I’ve already printed this photo out for the albums, it’s just so special to me.

The grandparents 🙂 My dad HATES photos so for him to just relax and smile was something to be grateful for because I snapped the nicest photo. In between him running around in the ocean with their 2 big dogs and showing Zoe all about the ocean, he was in a super great mood for pictures!

We had such a great time. Family is everything. I have so much endless love for every single person in my family, they’re what really make traveling and all the sacrifices worthwhile! Please share below what kind of Christmas you had, I’d love to know. Thanks so much for stopping by!

For more travel diaries, experiences and adventures you can explore Miami, and Hawaii!