Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! I hope that everyone had a wonderful day. Today is the best day of the year in my mind, because there is so much to it. You get to spend time with your loved one's and exchange presents. Who would not like that? I went to 4 Christmas's today and they were all amazing. I had two yesterday and one the day before. I love Christmas and everything about the preparation. I hope that everyone kept their positive attitudes going all day and enjoyed themselves. New Years is right around the corner, so make sure you keep your glass half full and get ready for a great 2010
Year. Once again, " Merry Christmas!"

" Enjoy today, and worry about the next day tomorrow." -Brandon Zornado

It's almost time!

Today is Dec 24Th, which means that it is Christmas Eve and tomorrow is Christmas! The weather channel said that there is a very slight chance that we will have a White Christmas, but we can still hope for it. I know everyone is probably getting off work early today if they even have to go in. Many people get together with one side of the family tonight and then the other side tomorrow. My Christmas's started last night! My girlfriend and I did our X-mas together which was absolutely fantastic. Now today we will be going over to my Mom's house to do Christmas with her and my Step-Dad, then later tonight we will be doing it at my girlfriend's parents house, then tomorrow we will wake up and I go to Christmas at my Dad's then we go over to my Grandma's in Estacada then my girlfriend will meet back up with me at my Aunts house on my Mom's side and we will do Christmas with the whole family there, then tomorrow night we will do Christmas at my other Aunt's house on my Step-Dad's side. It is a very jammed packed couple of days, but we are ready for it. I hope that everyone enjoys their time with their friends and family tonight and tomorrow. Remember it is not about the presents, it is about spending time with the one's you love and giving back.


" Smile big, be thankful, show your love, and thank the Lord." -Brandon Zornado

X-Mas Parties!

It is the time of the year when we get together with friends, family and co-workers for Christmas parties. I know a lot of people dread going to them, but everyone should be thankful that they were even invited. We should not tell ourselves that we don't want to go and that it wont be any fun. We should be positive and take a side dish to the party and maybe have a drink or two and have a wonderful time. Tonight my mom, girlfriend and I our going to a Christmas party in Jansen Beach then we are going to watch the X-mas ships on the water. I am very excited to share the evening with my two favorite girls! If you are invited to a party this year,don't be a grinch, go and enjoy yourself.

" If you hold back on something, you will never know the outcome."
-Brandon Zornado

Hope!

Hope is defined as, " the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best." I'm sure that a lot of people in their lives have lost hope along the way. Sometimes things don't turn out the way you want them to, but that is life. Just because something has not happened exactly the way you want, doesn't mean that you give up on hoping and trying. The simplest thing can make a big difference and when you realize that you can change an entire outcome for the better. People need hope so that they know everything will be ok. The Christmas season is the perfect time to give someone hope and show them that they have something to look forward to.

" Life doesn't always go the way you want, but if you have hope there is always a chance it may." - Brandon Zornado

Wishful thinking!

Tonight my girlfriend and I watched a Christmas movie called, "Christmas Clause." It is about a hard working lawyer who is a wife and mother of three. She does not have enough time in the day to get everything done and she is so focused on everything else in life but her own. She runs into an old friend who is very successful and seems to have a wonderful life. When she is at the mall with her girls, they go to see Santa and she is asked what she wants for Christmas. She wishes to have the life of her friend that she ran into. Her wish is granted and she is forced to find the true meaning of her old life and what is important in it. The movie is great and I suggest watching it.
Don't get caught up in everything else in life. Of course we all want to have a good career, but work is work and it should not take over who you are. Family is the important thing, and being there for your kids and spouse is what it is all about. I know that when I am married and have kids I will always put them first because I will love them and want to be involved with them as much as possible. I don't want the important things in life to pass on by.

" If you only focus on one thing, other great one's may slip on by."

A work of art!

Today after a work promotion I met my girlfriend downtown and we went to the Benson Hotel. The Hotel is decorated to look just like Christmas. At the hotel there is a Gingerbread display done by Chef Dave Diffendorfer. He has done this annual display different every single year for 15 years. This year was a replica of the Benson Hotel. The display took 300 work hours,and was made up of 75 pounds of gingerbread, 25 pounds of marzipan, and 20 pounds of chocolate. It was absolutely beautiful.
It is amazing what skills people have. To think that this gingerbread display was done by just one person is insane. Every little detail was outstanding and it is truly worth seeing.

" Use the skills you have to make your own masterpiece." -Brandon Zornado

Holiday Cheer!

It is the Holiday Season, which means it is the time of year to be thankful and celebrate. It is now time to put up Christmas lights and decorate the inside or your house. Make it a fun night with the family and get everything done. Some fun things to do during the Holiday's are: drive around and look at Christmas lights, go to a play, tree lighting event, get some coffee or tea and walk around downtown, watch a Christmas movie, have a party, make a gingerbread house, bake some treats, get a bottle of wine and go in the hot tub. The Holiday's are filled with many fun things to do, so make sure that you enjoy yourself this year and bring some, " Holiday Cheer."

" Celebrate the wonderful things in life, they are all around you." -Brandon Zornado

Make a list!

The holidays are here and there is something different to do each day. With the amount of things that need to get done and so little time it can be very hard to be productive. I was very persistent this year and got all my Christmas shopping done early. Usually I go out and buy gifts that catch my eye and remind me of the person that I am buying for. I did it different this year, and I planned out what I was going to get for each person, then I went out and found it. By doing this I did not make impulse purchases and I stayed within my budget.
Something else that I find to be very helpful, is to make a list when you first wake up of all the things you want to accomplish during the day. This way you have some direction and when you finish something you can cross it off your list. You will feel way more organized and I find it to be very productive and less stressful. It is ok if you do not get all the things accomplished on your list, but I guarantee you will get more done than if you did not do it.
" Being persistent will allow you to reach greater heights of accomplishment."
-Brandon Zornado

Black Friday!

Today is the biggest shopping day of the year. All the stores open around 4 to 6 am and there are hundreds of people waiting in line to rush through the door to get the big sales. I love this day because the focus is now directed towards Christmas. Everyone is up bright and early and the day if full of chaos and excitement. We were at the stores today at 3am and we got some amazing deals. The stores only have their huge sale event for the first 4 or so hours, so it is best to get there first thing when they open.
This year it was not as busy as previous years, probably because everyone is trying to cut back and not spend as much. The holidays are not a time to see how much you can spend on a gift. They are about spending time with the ones you love and giving something meaningful. It doesn't matter the price of your gift, the thought is what counts. Enjoy yourself this holiday season and be thankful for everything that you have.
" The best gift is one given from the heart." -Brandon Zornado