Hey Loves,
I’m so full with joy while writing this post. Many of may or may not know I moved into my FIRST APARTMENT this year. 2018 has been year of Major MAJOR growth for me. One of the things that I’ve always wanted to do was to be able to entertain in my own space. Every year for the holiday season my mother texts me informing me of who is host Thanksgiving and who is hosting Christmas. Typically we go to my aunt’s house in Brooklyn, because she has the most space to fit people and everyone can get to her. I was so proud when Arhaus.com reached out to me to talk all about hosting my first Christmas I my first apartment.
However, THIS YEAR!!! I told me my mom “I want Christmas” I was so bold with my statement and I said it with conviction. I’m hosting Christmas. I’m a nervous wreck because planning a family function is not easy at all. You have to plan time of arrivals, plan out décor, enough seats for people (I’m from a Caribbean family, we come in packs), plan out food; delegate who should bring what and of course have enough alcohol on hand. There’s also the anxiety of making sure my place is presentable and you know when you’re mother is coming, you have to clean EXTRA DEEP.
So Christmas day arrives, and oddly enough I wasn’t nervous when I woke. I had a list of things I knew I had to get done; prepped my lasagna, put out hand towels in the bathroom, move my filming lights & equipment to the bedroom and a few other things. I made sure to get all of these things done because I wanted time to relax and catch at least one round of A Christmas Story on TBS since in loops all day Christmas day.
My goal was to have everything done no later than 11 or 11:30am which would give me enough time to relax, pick a hallmark movie, drink conquito and champagne simultaneously until it was time to hop in the shower, get dressed and put a face on. I needed this time to myself because I knew once my family showed up, I would be in “go mode”.
I set dinner time for 5pm and shout to my family for arriving ON TIME!!! I knew I had to work the next day, my mother, my aunt & my cousin all had to work the day after Christmas so I was trying to be done early enough for folks to be able to make it home. We had a plethora of food; lasagna, roasted chicken, stuffing, glazed ham, potato salad, collard greens, mac & cheese and countless desserts. It’s such a different feeling when people are asking me if I have a certain utensil and where are my garbage bags and where are my extra cups etc.
All in all hosting my 1st Christmas was more than I could’ve asked for. I was completely drained by the end of the night, but it was absolutely worth it because I was/still am full of joy. I woke up today December 26th, I sat down to write this blog post and realized that I didn’t document a single thing from Christmas night. Not 1 picture or video or boomerang for Instagram. For content purposes, that was is a bit of a problem. However, I had to stop myself and realize how much of a blessing it was to be so involved with my family that I forgot to take pictures. I was caught up in laughing at my cousin who I haven’t seen in 2 years. I was caught up with making sure my aunt arrived with the potato salad and that I had enough alcohol for her to make her pina coladas. I was caught up with fussing at my 14 year old cousin because she was busy with snapchat lol
To say I’m grateful for being able to host would be an understatement. There is an immense blessing being able to have people come over to the place I call home. To the place I feel at peace. We often say that the holiday times are a chance for us to get together with friends & family, and on Christmas day 2018, I fully realized what that meant.
xoxo
Shay