friDIARY #7 is extra festive and full of Christmas cheer!
I love this time of year for many reasons, and I love that celebrations last for much longer than just a day or two. I’ve definitely been taking advantage of getting into the holiday spirit with some fun and much needed Christmas cheer and festivities over the past week.
WORK CHRISTMAS PARTY
Going to a work Christmas party was the perfect way to end my very first week at my new job. I’ve been loving my job so much. The childcare facility I’m working at is absolutely incredible and top notch. There are so many resources to help the teachers help the children succeed from months of age all the way up to a private kindergarten classroom. My co-workers have been super helpful in making sure that I fit right in and that I can be a helpful member of the team. It’s been a huge transition going from being a lead teacher working with 3-5’s to being an assistant teacher working with children 12-18 months, but I’ve been enjoying the learning process.
The work Christmas party was so much fun. It was hosted by the director at her house, which was awesome because we got to meet and play with her two sweet puppies. Plus ones were invited, which was awesome because Kyle got to make some local friends too. I love that it was held at her house and not at a restaurant because it gave us the opportunity to walk around and mingle, which was perfect for me because I hadn’t met a lot of people and the people I had met were either just through training or saying “hello” in the hall.
They provided dinner for us. Everyone on staff went home with a gift card and a gift. We also played white elephant, which was hilarious and fun. Kyle was the first to steal a gift, and after that, it turned into dirty Santa really quick. Kyle and I went home with a new copper frying pan and two mugs. I’m pretty happy with that.
CINCINNATI ZOO LIGHTS
On a random Wednesday night, Kyle decided we should go see the Cincinnati Zoo Lights. I’m so glad we went during the week because it was still relatively busy. I can only imagine what it’s like on the weekends.
Side note: One thing I thought was interesting is that the bigger animals were kept inside. I’ve never been to a zoo that wasn’t in the south, so making sure the animals are kept warm was never an issue. I never really thought about how zoos worked up north (or in the midwest), and this was just interesting to me.
The Cincinnati Zoo did an incredible job with their lights. There were lights strung up literally everywhere, and there were little special areas that you could go to, like a Frozen section, a rainbow tunnel, a Christmas train, a place with gingerbread houses and reindeer, an area where you could meet Santa, and so much more.
We made sure to see as many animals as we could since this was our first visit to the Cincinnati Zoo. The first ones we saw were the elephants. We also saw giraffes, gorillas, reindeer, and way too many snakes.
I high-key love carousels because I’m such a big kid. We made sure we took a ride on the carousel. I rode a rhino, and Kyle rode on a gazelle. Right next to the carousel was a rainbow tunnel, which was so neat that we walked through it many, many times.
I love going to see Christmas lights in all capacities, and this was the second time Kyle and I had gone to see zoo lights together. The first time was in Houston. This may end up being something we do every year when Christmas season rolls around. Hopefully we’ll have even more time to spend there next time.
STRAIGHT NO CHASER
When I heard that Straight No Chaser was coming to town, I was determined to convince Kyle that we needed to go, and I’m so glad that he agreed. I can’t remember the first time I heard them, but I do remember that the first song I heard was their rendition of “12 Days of Christmas” so naturally I was most looking forward to seeing that live. They ended up doing it as an encore, and they switched it up for one part to sing about Hanukkah because there’s one Jewish guy in the group.
This particular tour was called the “One Shot” tour after their latest album release. At the beginning, you get to learn more about Straight No Chaser’s story and how they got started. I loved it because I honestly didn’t know anything about the group apart from them being an a cappella group that started in college.
They split the show up into two sets, and the first set was mostly a capella renditions of popular songs and mash-ups that you can find on their albums. The second part was mostly Christmas songs, which was incredible and perfect to get into the Christmas spirit. It was such a great show, and I’m so glad that we decided to go see them.
We also got to meet them after the show. Honestly, that part wasn’t super exciting because most of them didn’t actually really talk to us. They were still talking to the people ahead of us, so they signed our poster (that we paid extra money for just so we could meet them), and then just passed it along while they were still talking to the people before us. It was a little frustrating. The exception to this was Jerome, who is officially my favorite and arguably the most talented guy in the group. He complimented Kyle’s outfit, which was pretty ridiculous in the cute way that only Kyle could pull off.
There’s still 11 days until Christmas, so I’m sure there’s more Christmas cheer to come.
How have you been getting into the holiday spirit?
friDIARY is a weekly series where I share tidbits about my life along with [probably too many] unfiltered photos and random thoughts, including the not-so-happy ones. Check back every Friday for a new post! Click here to read my friDIARY.
