Christmas Movies

December 12, 2019

Here’s a list of some of my favorite Christmas movies to watch during the holidays in no particular order.

Mean Girls
The Nightmare Before Christmas
A Christmas Carol
Edward Scissorhands
Beauty & the Beast: Enchanted Christmas
Love Actually
A Christmas Story
The Santa Clause
Bad Santa
The Nutcracker
Yes, I know the first two are repeats from Halloween but guess what they serve BOTH holidays, fight me.

Bonus: ALL the Gossip Girl Christmas episodes since the Lotte New York Palace is the location of my favorite tree in the city, and come on, the fashion in the show is still amazing after all these years. Blair and Serena forever.

Hello Panda Festival

December 5, 2019

Hello Panda Festival is a winter lantern festival held in Queens, NY in the Citi Field parking lot. There are currently three different light festivals going on right now for the winter season (Lumino City on Randall’s Island and NYC Winter Lantern Festival on Staten Island).

Hello Panda was the easiest to access, honestly, being right in Queens, easy to get to and on-site parking adjacent to the event. I haven’t been to the other two festivals but when I researched them both, there were a lot of cons with their parking issues and extra fees and having to walk a substantial distance before even entering the event. With Hello Panda, I drove to the Citi Field parking lot, parked up front, and walked over to the ticket booth to check-in and then walked right through the gates to the display entrance right next to it. If you’re not driving, it’s also easily accessible via the 7 train. It’s literally right outside the Mets-Willets Point stop. Easy peazy. Which was a blessing because it’s winter and well, it’s brick out. Let’s be real, it’s no secret I hate the cold, it DOES bother me anyway, but I braved it tonight for the gram. BUT! I can attest that Hello Panda is pretty awesome in the fact that they take this into consideration that duh, their festival is in the winter and provide giant heated igloo tents for guests to come in, rest their feet between walking through displays, grab a bite to eat, watch performances and warm up before heading back out. They have food vendors on site for dumplings, baos, shrimp, donuts and burritos. I attended the press event so there was a limited amount of vendors this night but the event officially opens to the public tomorrow so I suppose there will be more vendors and a marketplace for you to shop and buy gifts and unique souvenirs from all over the world. There were live performances with a DJ, violinist and a drumline for tonight’s festivities to open up the event. I was also able to try a little bit of everything and all the food was hot, fresh and delicious.

But let’s get to the main attraction! The actual lanterns and lights! From the entrance, it didn’t look like a lot. But upon entering, I found that everything is really well spaced out and it’s bigger than it looks and it goes farther back. There are a LOT of displays and I didn’t even get to capture them all (due to coldness and time constraints). There were ferris wheels and lit up swings that I forgot to make my rounds back to see and gram, unfortunately. But I saw a majority of what the ground had to offer! And there is a lot. There’s plenty of tunnels spaced all around so there’s no need to crowd around any particular one. There are different themed displays so there’s something for everyone. There’s a dinosaur land, a safari zone, underwater theme with mermaids and Nemo and friends, angel wings for the Instagram hoes like me, Christmas displays, a castle channeling that of Sleeping Beauty’s castle, complete with fairy tale figures and horse drawn carriages, giant forest creatures as if you’re living through A Bug’s Life, and of course, pandas! This was my first light festival but I do have to say they had a nice eclectic assortment of displays all around and there was no shortage of wondrous color. This is a festival for the eyes.

I do have to note that I was worried that the photos wouldn’t come out as nice because the festival is at night and night photos are a hit or miss usually. But with this being in the parking lot, there is actually a lot of light available from parking lot lights all around. I would still recommend bringing your own portable selfie/ring light to light up your face/body if you’re there for the gram and want to take photos of yourself keeping the background lit as well as yourself. Otherwise, you run the risk of not showing up in your photos because you’re darker than the lanterns.

Overall, would I recommend this event? Absolutely. Tickets on Groupon are pretty reasonably priced right now at about $19, compared to some garbage pop-ups I’ve attended in the city that charge more and only have 4-5 dinky rooms to photograph, with their displays showing wear and tear and not even providing food or any extra entertainment. I also hate when pop-ups describe their experience as “immersive” when there’s really nothing to it other than taking a photo, not anything interactive, honestly. But at Hello Panda, you can touch some of the exhibits(but not all); there are 20 or so lantern sets you can touch and walk though and 10 of them are interactive for you to play on. There’s a cute light up dance board, swing sets, maze and some of the dinosaurs even move and make sounds. I think there’s also an indoor panda playground that’s going to available for kids, as I saw it getting set up but didn’t have access to view what it looked like inside.

This would be a cute event for a family to explore or even a date night. I do recommend to go on a warmer night if you’re lucky during the winter season so that you’re not freezing for a pic for the gram, but remember, warm weather means more people and crowds so you might have a harder time getting that shot for the gram. So pick your poison.

Tickets are available on their website, as well as updates in case of inclement weather, but I also saw Groupon selling discounted tickets as well. You can check their Instagram from time to time for discount codes. Tickets are also conveniently sold at the door which is nice since a lot of pop-ups and event nowadays do not and only sell tickets online. I also found my own experience communicating with them via email very efficient and responsive, compared to the other light festivals. From emails to even the staff and vendors working tonight, everyone was friendly and welcoming and eager to help you have a fun night! Hello Panda officially opens to the public Dec. 6 in time for the holiday season. If you’re looking for something away from the Rockefeller and Times Square crowds, this is definitely something.

Santa Baby

December 6, 2018

My hubby always asks me for a wishlist for Christmas because he hates trying to think of things I might want, especially when I buy everything I want for myself anyways. He also would rather I have specifically what I want, than watching me open my gifts with a half smile, hahaha. Unfortunately for him this year, I don’t know what the hell I want. But I figured I’d make a list of all the things I do love in case you guys needed any ideas for the special people in your life. I’m pretty multi-faceted, I’d like to think, so hopefully there’s something on this list for each type of person in your life.

For The Makeup Lover Friend

Anastasia Beverly Hills - From their glow kit highlighters to their palettes, you can’t go wrong. I use almost all their products because they’re such great quality. They’re a little more of a splurge than your average drugstore brand, but trust me, they’re an absolute worth-it investment. And they have a lot of holiday deals going on currently and you can purchase them straight from the website, Sephora or Ulta. My favorite glow kit is the Nicole Guerriero (unfortunately discontinued now) but I have owned and used basically all their glow kits and love them all. Sugar, That Glow, That Gleam, Sun Dipped, Aurora, Moon Child and Dream; you just can’t go wrong. I’ve tried other brands of highlighters and I’ve always found ABH to be the easiest to apply, versatile based on if you want to be sutble or blinding, and it lasts all day without needing reapplication. It's basically a holy grail item for me.
- As for their eyeshadow palettes, I own almost all of those as well and love every single one of them! While I do tend to prefer bright colors, I do love the wearability of nudes and browns and how classic looks can also easily be made from them. ABH makes such beautiful colors in both matte and shimmer shades and the quality of their shadows is truly unmatched. Everything blends amazingly well and looks amazing. My current favorite palette is Sultry and Norvina. I would highly recommend those two for holiday palettes if you’re looking for something that will stand out for your makeup friend, but if you’re looking for something a little less glitzy, Modern Renaissance, Soft Glam and Prism are just as amazing. That is, unless she’s like me and already has all the new new from ABH. If she doesn’t, ABH is offering an amazing deal for 4 of their best selling palettes in a set for just $90. Two palettes alone is already about that much. But seriously, the price of one palette alone is already a steal in comparison to other garbage palettes out there on the market. Even some higher end names that are priced higher are not even that great compared to the price and quality of ABH. They’ve easily become my favorite brand in recent years. I swear by their brow wiz for my brows, that’s for sure.

2. For the Gym Rat Friend

For your friend that loves to work out or lives at the gym like it’s their second home, there are a few things I can suggest. You can always get them a gift card to help towards their gym membership for the next coming months (since a year membership is probably way pricier than you’re looking to spend). This is something that would probably be highly appreciated as the price of gym memberships is what hinders some people from joining or continuing sometimes.
Blender bottles! I personally don’t drink any protein shakes as I prefer water to everything and hate the texture of anything besides water anyway, but I still love the durability and ease of my blender bottles at the gym. I’ve dropped and broke so many water bottles in the past and I’ve always found the blender bottles to be pretty strong and leak proof, even when dropped. I also prefer this reusable water bottle storage as opposed to wasting money on buying water bottles from time to time. I carry my blender bottle everywhere, to the gym, to work, on vacation, etc. They’re pretty plain but they come in different colors and sizes and combos of colors. There are even some nerdy ones out there if you want to rep your favorite fandom. I bought mine at Marshall’s instead of my local GNC and found they had a great selection and a lot of colors, as well as better deals. But if you’re not near a Marshalls, TJ Maxx or anything, you can also easily find them on Amazon and other stores.
If your friend lifts, I would suggest lifting gloves. I don’t have a particular brand I can recommend, my trainer got me a pair of Shiek gloves earlier this year and they’ve helped a lot since I started using them. I actually used to have calluses on my hands prior to working out, I’m not really sure from what but probably from working retail and opening medicine bottles all damn day, but since I started using gloves, I don’t know how either but they’re all gone! The lines in my palms are all soft again.
If your friend runs, maybe a new pair of running shoes if you know their size, favorite brand and favorite colors. Although this requires a little more snooping to find out and of course, is trickier since some people are particular to style and color if your friend happens to be picky like me. But if you have a friend who generally likes everything and is easy to please, this would make for a nice gift.

3. For the Jet Setting Friend

For the friend who loves to travel, one great item is a travel hair dryer. I never trust other people’s or hotel hair dryers since generic or cheap ones can easily damage and fry your hair. A few years ago after college, I splurged on the T3 hair dryer at Sephora during a Friends and Family sale. And it changed my life. My T3 dries my hair pretty fast as well as always leaving it nice and soft. I found they made a travel version last year when I was looking for one to bring to Japan with me. In comes the T3 Compact! It works basically the same as my full size one but small and travel friendly for your carry on. It comes in white, black, red, pink and purple depending on where you buy. Ulta carries the pink and purple, Macy’s has the red, and Sephora has the white and black.
Passport holders! I bought one for my Paris trip and I’ve actually been using it since as my regular wallet. I’ve gotten used to carry very minimal cards with me as of late and the passport holder is great for making sure you carry the essentials with you. I got a simple glittery one off Amazon, but you can find one based on your friend’s favorite luxury brand, or find a cute customized one off Etsy. They’re are so many different colors, combinations, designs and textures no matter where you look. You can even buy your friend several ones if they’re cheap enough so they have a collection of them to interchange with traveling outfits, occasions, or even coordinating with what country they’re visiting next.

4. For That Extra Friend

Ok, so there is no rhyme or reason for this gift. It’s just fun. I got a HUGE jumbo plush Panda last year for Christmas and it literally just sits in my house being cute but I still love waking up and seeing it in my living room every morning. My husband got him from BJ’s on sale for the holidays and it was a steal considering the FAO Schwarz bear is $600-1000 based on where you buy it from. But all the bulk stores like Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s have them and different jumbo plushes. And Walmart has a lot of different types of jumbo plushes from holiday to holiday as well for decent prices. I’ve seen unicorns, monkeys, dinosaurs and bears. My baby sister found a cute dog last year. BJ’s had both the brown bear and the panda, but I found the panda more fitting because my husband has always called me a panda based on my laziness, eating habits and cause well, Asian. And then a few years prior, I also got Pokemon jumbo plushes for my birthday. They’re not as huge as my panda, but they are still huge. Anyone who’s visited my house will tell you my collection is excessive. And recently, one of my best friends added to my obsession with the cutest adorable Pooh bear in a bee costume from the Tokyo Disneyland. I love them all. So based on your friend’s favorite creatures and fandom, an oversized plush would be an absolutely unnecessary but adorable gift they’re bound to love. Next on my jumbo list is the jumbo Baymax and the jumbo Despicable Me unicorn.

5. For The Practical Friend

For the practical friend, here are some quick easy gifts besides your default gift card to their favorite store like Sephora, Macy’s, Forever 21, etc.
Umbrellas - A simple gift but always a gift I’ve actually liked receiving. There are so many unique ones and I’m always in need of an umbrella for my car, in my house, my purse/backpack, etc. My favorite are clear, big domed umbrellas so I can see where I’m going. My favorite one actually got stolen years ago and I finally received a super cute one this year to replace it. I received a holographic umbrella for my birthday this year and I’m excited to finally use it one day when it rains, as well as do a really cute shoot with it with fairy lights draped under it.
Sherpa hoodies - I bought one on sale back when Gilly Hicks was still around and it’s my favorite hoodie due to the warmth of the sherpa lining. Gilly Hicks is long gone but these hoodies still live on through Hollister. They’re great for winter and being comfy and cozy around the house. I snagged a cute bear one too from Black Friday sales before it sold out, but I’ve also found similar cute ones at Forever 21.
Over the knee boots - These have become a staple for me this fall. I love how long and lean they make my legs look, and regardless of how basic they are, they really help pull a simple outfit together. I live near an Aldo outlet store and they had a sale going on with all boots being $35. They had different heel heights too for their OTK styles. I wanted to go with a high heel but I also wanted it to be wearable for all of winter since I wanted to be able to wear them to work as well as around the city so I opted for a nice chunky mid length heel. I’ve worn them for almost 3 months now and I love them. They go with almost everything I wear and last all day with no discomfort.

Hope these gift ideas helped someone. What about you? What are some items you’ve received over the years that you found was a great gift that should be on a must have list? Let me know in the comments! Happy shopping, bitches!