12 09 16 The Christmas Issue

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Editor’s Note The Santa I Don’t believe in A Time for Ever y Season The Ugly Truth About Christmas Alter native Gifts 10 Christmas Dishes fr om ar ound the world Christmas Traditions Dear Futur e Self Lacombe for Christmas?!

Christma`s Media 10 Gift Ideas $10 and Under Christmas DIY Christmas Playlist Christmas Gr oup Therapy Salvation is at your door

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editor s note So I won’t be home for Christmas…

This song was first released around Christmas in 1943 and is quite befitting my sentiment.

I won’t be home for Christmas. It has been said that the song is written from the perspective of a soldier serving overseas during World War 2. It expresses a deep longing and desire but in reality being home for Christmas isn’t quite a reality for this solider or this student (me) just yet.

My holiday memories are some of the best moments I have. Thinking about Jamaica makes me nostalgic for my childhood and moist in the tear ducts. Growing up on a sunny tropical paradise…Jamaica, has its benefits. There were countless traditions and food associated with Christmas. And oh man, I miss the heat! I miss going outside sitting on the veranda watching as each home woke up on Christmas morning. There would be squeals, shrieks, Ooos and Ahhs. Christmas is a time to leisurely lay around, in Jamaica we take our leisure time very serious. Our leisure time was mandatory family time which means you’re probably going to laugh till tears are in your eyes. Christmas in Jamaica was like a huge party where everyone was invited and could participate. It was a season where everyone became super friendly and giving. That not so nice neighbor might actually greet you with a ‘Merry Christmas’ instead of yelling ‘don’t run across my lawn’. And maybe if you asked nicely your mama might let you have an extra slice of the all spice rum cake. Wait did I mention there would be food… food and more food. Now you had to be strategic. If you had no plan but attempted to sample all the dishes this would leave you stuffed and puffed in a corner. There would be sorrel, ham, Gungo peas & rice, curry goat, oxtail, fried chicken, baked chicken, soup, eggnog, bammy, roti… believe me Jamaica is a multi-cultural country so the list goes on and on.

I’ll admit, I avoid from Christmas songs; they don’t sound the same without a remixed reggae beat. Even so as I write this nostalgic and fully procrastinate finishing papers, I pray that your Holidays are filled with rest, lots of food and you are able to share laughter with your loved ones. Christmas can be a difficult time especially when you aren’t at home or the people who are quintessentially your home, are gone. For this break I hope you take time to reflect and recuperate from your experiences this year. Once you’re through and a little bored there are tons of ways to volunteer your time at a shelter or visiting a nursing home or an orphanage.

The joy of being home and smothered in affection is one I hope you will share. As we get older and our Christmas gifts get more practical, the most meaningful gift you can give yourself is making someone who hasn’t the ability to repay you, smile. For the next couple weeks, I pray that you live in the now and whole heartedly experience the love and joy this season brings.

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ashi a lennon I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love Even more than I usually do And although I know it's a long road back I promise you I'll be home for Christmas… [1]

[1] written by Walter Kent and Kim Gannon in 1943. Credit also goes to Sam “Buck” Ram [2] http://blog.coldwellbanker.com/the-story-of-ill-be-home-for-christmas-and-thebattleship-north-carolina/

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The Santa I DON T BELIEVE IN January 12, 2003 “Do you believe in Santa Clause?” my Second grade classmate asked me. I don’t think he’s ready for my answer, I wondered. Let me start with the Santa I don’t believe in anymore.

I’ve been struggling with my belief in Santa Clause lately.

I can’t place what started it, maybe it’s just getting older, but the faith in Santa Clause that I grew up with just seems so childish. I was born into a Santa Clause fearing household, went to a Santa Clause believing school and all my friends believe the same as me yet something is different.

This last Christmas I saw a selfishness like never before in my classmates. The question of, “What do you want for Christmas?” seemed so small. I heard the songs blissfully hummed by the people next to me, drenched with guilt rhetoric and fear.

“Watch out if I’m naughty or nice?” I’m just trying to tie my shoes every day. That’s not the Santa that I even want to come to town.

Some of the loudest believer in Santa are the most un-Christmas like. “C’mon Josh, ’tis the season to be jolly!” a friend smiled slapping my back, so black and white. I wish I could; I’m 7 years old and don’t know what I stand for anymore.

Christmas Eve came and I went with my mom to the mall for some last minute items, passing lawns with gigantic inflatable statues. Do we need to convince ourselves? Every step horrified me; expensive gifts representing amount of love, everyone just wanted money. It was so easy to act the part of Santa believer. Lights, ornaments, holly, so many external things “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

One disillusioned mother greeted her child. “Full of lies and disappointment,” I scoffed under my breath. Bells rung and speakers blared; Christmas was reduced to acting and capitalism.

Josh Bradburn

My heart sunk. Is any of this even real? I tugged my mom’s sleeve, “I’ll be right back,” and dashed into the bathroom to regain my composure. How have we so far forgotten what Christmas was supposed to be?

“Can nobody else see this?” I wondered aloud, feeling the Christmas Spirit leave me and was crushed to look to my right and see a mall Santa eying his yellowed teeth in the mirror. This monster was a cheap imitation of the real Santa, more homeless than jolly with a ragged beard clinging to his chin, not an honest fellow. We locked eyes. No. “Merry Christmas kid! He jeered, his deep sunken eyes devoid of passion, or life and, without another word, walked out without washing his hands.

“Santa Clause I don’t believe in you anymore.”

That Christmas break that followed was empty. I didn’t write my morning letter to Santa nor leave out cookies. Just think, so many people are afraid of eternal coal.

Over time, I began to see wonder again, the Christmas Spirit began to grow; I saw the power of bringing Santa to where we are, something authentic that I have a part in. I saw true Christmas in selflessness, time spent with loved ones and the message of hope to those without it. Maybe nobody has the real Santa figured out, I mused, yet that’s not a good enough reason to quit.

What does a true Santa follower look like? Maybe it’s what they do with their belief, the life they lead. Maybe it’s a people who are willing to dialog, be honest about what they see wrong, share questions, doubts even and pursue growth.

“So do you believe in Santa Clause?” my friend asked, wiping his nose on his sleeve. “I think I do,” I nodded and chuckled. Looking Northward I asked myself, “Does Santa believe in me?” That’s the Santa I want to keep believing in.

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A Time for Every Season Sarah Wallace

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Christmas is about birth and irrepressible joy: for many of us students, the first day of the holidays is like emerging out of a long tunnel and being dazzled by all the exciting, beautiful things we had forgotten about during exams. Additionally, we are often reminded that Christmas is about birth and the hope of new life. Christmas, however, is also about death.

Many of us will sit down on December 25th to crowded tables, yet feel the absence of someone who was there last year as its own kind of presence. 2016 has been a year of loss for many in this campus community and, indeed, around the world; sometimes it’s the funeral, with its order of events and line of people offering condolences, that is the easy part. Sorting through a grandparent’s possessions, hanging ornaments on the tree without a parent, or playing that game a youngest cousin enjoyed so much last New Year—these moments make loss feel real in new ways. Grief, we all know, is a process–one that too often seems utterly at odds with the lightness of Christmas, causing the bereaved to sometimes feel that they must hide their grief to fit in or be unselfish.

In the liturgical calendar, the Feast of the Holy Innocents commemorates the infants slain in Bethlehem at the command of Herod and is celebrated December 28th or 29th—a potent reminder that in the midst of life (even the birth of the Life of the World) we are in death. Too often those of us who are farther removed from a loss forget this, thinking if we speak of the dead loved one to their closest friends and family we will make the wound too raw. Rawness, a friend observed to me, is what those who are grieving experience every day. If those of us who were not every day with the person are thinking of them, how much more does the parent, child, spouse, or sibling! For the chronically ill especially, the experience of leaving this world sometimes begins in isolation from the lives lived abundantly at a distance from them.

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A double kind of death may be inflicted on the living if the dead seem to be forgotten or erased. Angels heralded the first Christmas, but sometimes the angelic work in our present world is simply to acknowledge pain, to be present, and to say the name of the person who is gone rather than making vague, round-about references.

For those who have experienced irrevocable loss this year, the best gift one may give oneself is patience.

The philosopher Jacques Derrida wrote that to lose a loved one is to have a part of oneself torn away and to see “a world that is for us the whole world, the only world ... sink into an abyss” (quoted in Stolorow).

The trauma of loss is experienced differently by every person, so being given the freedom to grieve in one’s own individual way is imperative. Yet the dead are also eternally present with us in our memories, our traditions, and the choices we make to live in a future influenced by their lives. Anne Thorn suggests finding time to “perform a small ritual in memory of your loved one” and Donna Mebane recalls her own experience of commemoration and beauty, “This year on Thanksgiving morning, I looked out the kitchen window and there were literally dozens of cardinals all over the garden and in nearly every branch of the tree we planted the first year in [daughter] Emma’s honor.” Grief and loss offer to us the difficult privileges of thought and reflection; they also call out to us to carry our loved ones with us into the future in creative ways—giving birth to new memories and deeper love.

Sources: Robert Stolorow. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-dstolorow/the-work-of-mourning-by-j_b_773518.html Anne Thorne. https://www.psychologies.co.uk/ten-tips-copingchristmas-after-loss Donna Mebane. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/donna-mebane/6-steps-to-survive-the-holiday-season-after-loss_b_6269858. html

Shenda Chimwaso

The ugly truth about christmas

Christmas smells like repeats of the same movies and shows that play every season, leaving me with nothing to watch on TV. Malls packed with bodies chaotically shuffling around as they buy last-minute presents for loved ones—oh the month where consumerism is at it’s highest. It smells like Christmas music that blares everywhere you go or the sound of carolers joyfully singing, as I am filled with rage from the annoyance of the songs. It’s the smell of the cold winter air, and the loud snow crunching beneath my feet. Oh, how I loathe Christmas.

When people find out that I don’t like Christmas, they often have many questions for me: 1. Was I hurt as a child? No. 2. Was I loved? Yes. 3. Did we not celebrate it in my family? We started when we moved to Canada in 2001 when I was at the age of 7.

Actually prior to that, my first experience of Santa Clause was in Botswana at the age of 4. Santa was a not-so-big white man with the fakest non-looking Santa beard…I was crying in the photograph. I only remember that memory as a photograph. I guess it was so traumatizing that I decided to forget my first encounter with Santa.

4. Could my first encounter of Santa be the reason I don’t like Christmas?...No. But it’s probably the reason I never believed that Santa was real.

5. Is it because I don’t like presents? No, I love gifts! That’s my love language (hint, hint, nudge, nudge)!

6. Am I an evil person? Well, it depends on whom you ask. Just joking, I’m a nice person.

So why do I hate Christmas?

Christmas is a joyful time. It is when people spend time with their families, reflect, and be thankful for the year they had. A time when you eat a lot of cookies and other sweets, food and drink lots of eggnogs without feeling guilty because New Years is around the corner, and your resolution is to start going to the gym. A time when you listen to the joyful Christmas music, watch the cheesy movies, and reflect on Christ’s birth. It’s a time when you receive many gifts or a few meaningful ones—and sometimes-useless ones (I’m guilty of this. I never know what to get for my dad, so I always resort to socks). It is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. But it’s not for many.

Researchers have found that depression is at a high during this holiday. A North America survey showed that 45% of individuals dread this holiday.1 This is because it is a time of excessive self-reflection of unachieved goals, especially in the presence of your family. Dredging the disappointments of our lives, as we compare it to others. It is completely commercialized, and people spending money that they don’t have. Feeling a sense of pressure to purchase the best gift for a loved one, often resulting in more debt. For some, they may be experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) a.k.a. Seasonal Depression, which is caused by the change in season, often the winter weather. And many often feel a sense of loneliness because of a loss of a loved one, or because they may be unable to afford to go home and spend it with their families, during the holiday season.

My reason for not liking Christmas is stemmed in the consumerism aspect of it all—the over-expectation of nice gifts to please people who are hard to please. It is because I watched my parents, with their tired eyes, trying to make Christmas the best time of the year for my sisters and I. Buying us the things we had wanted all year, while they tried their best to muster up a smile on their stress eaten faces, wondering where they would get the money to pay their next bill. Giving us what they never got. I was always grateful for the sacrifices they made but often felt guilty because we didn’t need it. _____________ 1 Williams, Ray. "Why People Get Depressed at Christmas." Psychology Today. Last modified November 28, 2010. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201011/why-people-get-depressed-christmas.

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Alternative Gifts Talia Smith Are you going to feel empty after this Christmas season because you’ve contributed a bit too much to this consumer driven society? Are you wanting to feel a little better about yourself and console your selfish soul? Here are some great organizations and causes that you can put your money towards that will not only make you feel better, but that will contribute to the work these organizations are doing, or land you with a wicked trip that will have you working directly with non-profits around the world.

1. A Better World Canada - make a donation to help further the work this organization is doing in various countries by going to www.abwcanada.ca/giving.

About this Organization: “We work with community leaders in the recipient countries for typically 5 to 10 years. Our goal is to ensure that the community has the necessities to sustain health, education, water supply, basic agriculture, and economic growth. We partner with government, local agencies, and the people living in the community to manage and operate the projects, ensuring they become permanently independent.”

2. Students For A Free Tibet - donate towards this non-profit activist group or buy merchandise from their online store, which goes directly towards their cause. You can do this by going to studentsforafreetibet.org or indiemerch.com/sft.

About this Organization: “Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) works in solidarity with the Tibetan people in their struggle for freedom and independence. We are a chapter-based network of young people and activists around the world.

Through education, grassroots organizing, and non-violent direct action, we campaign for Tibetans’ fundamental right to political freedom. Our role is to empower and train youth as leaders in the worldwide movement for social justice.”

3. Honey Love - Make a donation towards saving the Honey Bees either by shopping at their online store or by donating directly at HoneyLove.org.

About this Organization: “HoneyLove is a Los Angeles based non-profit conservation organization with a mission to protect the honeybees by educating our communities and inspiring new urban beekeepers.”

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Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts - Janice Maeditere

CHRISTmas 10 Dishes f f f f f

3. Feast of Seven Fishes Italy

1. Sorrel

ka g n i b i 2. B nes

Jamaica

pi

Philip

6. Bean and Plantaine Pottage

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Nigeria

n jo d n jo d k a i r i D .

7 Haiti

f f f f f

from around the world Celebrating Christmas Dinners and Diversity

5. Hallaca Venezuela

4. Lebkuchen Germany

9. Mince pie England

8. Holopchi Ukraine

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10. Kulkuls India

Christmas Traditions

Ambra Greaves

The Christmas tree was always the best thing about Christmas for us. My sister and I; once we were old enough, were in charge of decorating the tree. Mom and I hauled the big box of decorations up the stairs then set up the pieces for the old fake tree we had as long as I can remember. Honestly the worst part of it was deciding where all the little ornaments should go because it always took forever and we had to cover the thing from head to toe. It was awful. But when it was set up‌. When it was all put together, just as the last bit of light left the sky when the night fell, it was our favourite room. The way the lights twinkled through the white chiffon curtains with dimly lit light, and boxes of presents everywhere made it a room we place we could sit quietly forever.

But traditions sometimes change. While we don't set up the tree anymore (mostly because we're lazy and the decorations are in storage in the next building over), we have lamb instead of turkey. Just to make things different and special. Whatever your holiday tradition, enjoy the moments it brings your loved ones. Take second to remember all the stories it created this year as you make new memories. Happy Holidays!

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Dear Future Self Liliet Ramirez Dear Lily,

Did we make it? Did we do all that we wanted to do on our bucket list? I hope so,

I hope that we travelled across the states, from California to D.C. seeing the beauty of it all. I hope we ski dive and felt the rush of the wind and the butterflies in our stomach. I hoped that we ran a marathon and cursed because it was hard and exhausting, but at the end felt like we accomplished our goal. I hope that we fell in love and gave it our all and had our heart in our hands and also, I hope that we cried and felt the pain when it was over. Did we finally decorate our classroom like doctor seuss, like we planned to when we graduated? Did we graduate? Were we able to touch our student lives and help them see what they are capable of? Was our goal met? Did we grow to be a leader? Can we say that we have finally become like our mother, her strong will and her courage to be able to stand for what is right even though other disagreed with you? Did we? Did we chase God and finally found that love, that peace and kindness that he have so hardly try to give us and we so desperately tried to find in other and oneself. Did we find God? How many time have we failed? I hoped we failed, I can’t imagine living with regrets, did we try everything that was new and scary? Did we look at the world and see it like our dad sees it “full of possibilities.” Did we? did we finally do it. Become everything that our parents prayed for us to be. Become everything we prayed to be.

So, Dear Lily. I hope that we lived and hoped that we were able to look to the past and smile because we did everything we were meant to do. And if for some moments you seem that maybe you missed out on something while look forward. Because you don’t know what the future holds. So, i suppose whatever has happened from here to there the future me is simply living life to it should be. With so many possibilities.

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Lacombe for Christmas?!

Kaylie Copeland

As I prepare to spend a Christmas away from my mother’s cooking and the Christmas tree decorating tradition; it’s hard not to feel a little bit discouraged. When I talk to my fellow classmates about their last push to get through the semester their focus seems to be on “going home” as the reward. Unfortunately, for whatever reasons, not all of us are going home this Christmas. Although staying in Lacombe for the holidays may seem like the bleakest thing you could possibly tell someone, I’m here to inform you that there is hope! For one, I will be here and I am great.

Second, I’ve made a list of some fun things you could do over the break on a student budget!

1. Christmas Light Exploring: Get in your car, drive around Lacombe or even to a distant city and take in the pretty lights that decorate the houses you drive past.

Maybe bring a friend, plug in your favorite album (Pentatonix Christmas album anyone?). To make the whole thing better, get yourself some candy cane peppermint hot chocolate! This is literally the most magical experience in the world. If you don’t have access to a car, hit me up and I will gladly embark on that adventure with you!

2. Calgary Zoolights: Granted, getting to Calgary may not be the easiest thing in the world – but with the amount of people staying here this break I’m certain rides can be arranged. The Calgary Zoo lights are a spectacular array of pretty Christmas lights, outdoor skating, and cold frosty cheeks. Tickets are only $15, perfect for a student budget!

3. Skating/sledding at Bower Ponds: I’ve been told that Bower Ponds is the place to skate this Christmas break! They also have a great hill for some wicked sledding if you’re into that! Bring a few friends and make a day of it!

4. Dose: Honestly, an article about being in the Lacombe area that doesn’t include Dose doesn’t make sense to me. If you like great coffee and being in a great atmosphere, hit up Dose to caffeinate yourselves and feel a little less homesick this Christmas break. Definitely one of my favorite things to do!

5. Ginger Bread House Decorating: This is perfect for those of you who love to get into the Christmas spirit. Throw on your favorite Christmas movie for some background noise and invite all your friends to compete in who can get the most candy on the houses without eating it all. Don’t forget to invite me over to eat it after!

Finally, as mentioned before there will be a lot of us here this Christmas break, so let’s make the most of it! I am totally down for some wicked adventures and would love to embark on any of these mentioned Christmas activities with you! Merry Christmas, my friends!

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Christmas Media Rechelle-lee Smith

ONE TWO THREE FOUR

Baby its Cold Outside

by Ray Charles and Betty Carter. While it can be argued that what she was tasting in her drink was probably a roofie, this song is one of the things that make it Christmas to me. But while we are on the subject, Ray sounds like the guy your parents warn you about when you’re leaving the house.

You know, the guy who seems like he gives two cents about your well-being but really wants somewhere warm to rest his hormones for a moment.

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It’s a Wonderful Life Starring James Stewart and Donna Reed. It’s one of those black and white movies that stay with you, the kind that remind you that your life is truly worth it. And who can forget Georges charming romance with Mary?

Filiz Navidad by Jose Felciciano. I have no idea what is being said. At all.

Never have. But trust me when I say I’m the fool singing Spanish song like a drunk person who has never stepped foot in any foreign country and dancing like its 1995. P.S. I know there’s English in the song. The Spanish parts are just more fun.

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Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt. One of those songs dedicated to any female who would love to slay like its 1953 or has wished that she was a Hollywood scarlet in the 50’s… You know. Minus the racism.

Happy Xmas by John Lennon. Cue the sad children who are too sickly to swat the flies away. Cue the big sad brown eyes begging you to send them a sizable fund that will probably be placed in the pockets of some rich individual laughing because they’ve had us duped for almost ten years with the same stupid commercial.

Be sure to include the guilt you push away when you change the channel, even though you know it’s the same one from last year.

SEVEN Santa Clause Is Coming to Town by Bruce Springstein. This song will have you laughing and screaming on the top of your lungs with complete strangers. And Bruce Springstein barely making it through the last chorus because he was wheezing with laughter makes you want to laugh too. Plus, lip sync battles to this song are infinitely fun and are the stuff of legends.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas starring Jim Carrey and Taylor Momsen. THE GRINCH IS MY SPIRIT ANIMAL. I used to pity, even hate the Grinch. BUT HAVE YOU SEEN HIS SCHEDULE? Its beautiful. But on a more serious note, this movie sneakily explores the dangers of labeling someone as a monster because they happen to be different than you.

EIGHT The Christmas Song by Nat King Cold. Has anyone actually ever eaten a chestnut that has roasted on an open fire? If so, let me know what that tasted like… This song literally jams everything that everyone who loves Christmas loves about Christmas.

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s a e d I t f i G 0 1 r e d n U d n a 0 1 $

Codrina Baston

With these suggestions, you shouldn’t have any excuse to treat at LEAST one deserving person in your life this season! You don’t even have to get off the couch or out of your bed. Hello ONLINE SHOPPING! But if you’re leaving the house, some of these stores suggested might be a great place to start! Here’s just a few suggestions for different types of people in your life.

Hope this helps some of you. Happy Shopping! ;) *Disclaimer for online users: The links provided take you to the product page! Feel free to browse around other options as well!

1. Compact Planter (ikea.com)

This is a great piece for those plant loving friends and family. It’s a great kick-starter for those family members always talking about starting a little herb garden. ÄGGPLANTA: $9.99

2. Succulents (ikea.com)

For your hipster, cactus obsessed friend. These are so cheap you can get them at least two! (P.S. you’ll totally get tagged in appreciation in their next insta pic ft. new plant friends) You’re welcome.

CACTACEAE: $3.99

3. Bathbomb (lush.ca)

You got a friend? Girlfriend? Mom? Aunt? Colleage? Give them this little treat that will get them excited for some relaxing bath time! They’ll love seeing their bath turn into a psychedelic, cosmic sky or a pretty pink. Also, they’re all-natural and smell AMAZING so what’s not to love? (Check them out online or instore, the options are endless!)

INTERGALACTIC BATH BOMB: $7.75

4. Candles (chapters.indigo.ca) 16

Ok yea this sounds super generic, BUT someone who loves amazing scents and warm glows of flickering light will appreciate this. You’ll be on their mind every time they light it and the scent envelops their living area. Warm scents are more cozy for the Christmas season so check out any local home décor store for a good quality, affordable candle. *pro-tip: check out winners because they always have sales on good quality candles for v affordable :)* MINI MERCURY CANDLE – SNOWFLAKES & MORNING FROST: $10.00

5. Cube Clock (amazon.com)

Yes, we all have our cell phones that we mostly use for alarm clocks. However, this could be a great alternative for someone wanting to leave their phone away from their bed and get woken up by a real clock that also makes their room look cute. It displays time, date, and temperature alternatively, and can be battery operated.

GENERIC CUBE WOOD LED ALARM CLOCK: $6.59 + $1.95 SHIPPING

6. Pop Art (allposters.ca)

I would recommend this for someone you know quite personally. If you pick the right print, this could take someone’s room or living space from drab to SUPER fab. Pick anything from cute patterns (I recommend checking out chapters and etsy online), art prints of real artists (check out society 6 for real!), to classic album covers for the music lover (like this one below).

THE BEATLES POSTER (91 X 61 CM): $6.99

7. Beanie (forever21.com)

You can never have too many beanies. We live in Canada and winter is cold here-that’s guaranteed!

Anyone would appreciate a cute new accessory to wear for winter 2k16. There are SOOO many options available, but I recommend something a little fun. You can find beanies ANYWHERE, just go look around!

FLEECE NAVIDAD SHEEP BEANIE: $9.90

8. USB (amazon.com)

If you know another struggling, hard-working student that appreciates cute little technology here’s a special option for you. USBs are generally kind of boring, so have a little fun. Check out amazon for some unique, fun ideas! This one is great for that avid Star Wars fan.

STAR WARS 4GB USB: $8.50

9. Colouring Agenda/Book/Postcards (walmart.com)

Adult colouring is getting more and more popular. Why not give someone the treat of an artistic outlet this Christmas season? Colouring is relaxing and fun for many individuals. These colouring pages come in all different forms nowadays. I think coloring agendas are super cool too and could be a new resolution for the new year!

ART OF COLORING FLOWERS: $5.99

10. Tea mug (chapters.indigo.ca)

A cute statement mug would be nice, but how about a little spin on the typical mug? These tea cups are perfect for steeping that holiday loose-leaf tea. They come with an integrated infuser and there are multiple designs available. It’s the season of friends, family, love, and hugs. Spoil someone with a cute “hug in a cup”. If you’re still not sold, this was one of Oprah’s favourite things in 2011. Yea its almost 2017, but tea never stops being soothing and comforting.

TEA FORTÉ KATI CUP - TEA IS A HUG IN A CUP: $10.00

Christmas Zahara McGann

With Christmas around the corner, many of us will be going back home to spend it with family and friends. Buying “meaningful” gifts for everyone can be a daunting task on a college student budget.

Here are some in-expensive gifting crafts that your friends and family will love and so will your bank account.

Marble Mugs This mug design is for any artsy individual or modern lover.

With colourful swirls, or just black and white these mugs can be gifted to anyone and are a 100% aesthetic booster.

You will need: * Disposable Container ( I used an empty mushroom grocery container) * Plain white mug * Sponge Brush * Nail Polish (three shades of the same colour work best) * A Toothpick * Acrylic Sealer

1. Fill up a disposable container with warm water, drip nail polish in sparse layers on the surface 2. Expand the pockets of nail polish with the tooth pick to create a swirl design 3. Dip the bottom half of your mug into the water.

It doesn’t matter if it’s asymmetrical or not, just do you :) Once done slowly take it out.

4. Let it dry.

5. Once dry either use spray acrylic sealer, or dab the acrylic sealer on via sponge brush. http://www.thesweetestoccasion.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/ Step-3-Nail-Polish-Watercolor-Mug.jpg

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DIY Make It Your Own Mug Everyone loves getting a customized gift, because it the thought that someone thought of them, all the way down to their favourite hobby, sport, or even word. This in-expensive gift idea captures their favourite moment and reminds them of that whenever they have a hot drink.

You will need: * Sharpie (oil based paint sharpies is preferred for longer lasting results results) * Design of your choice * Plain White Mug

1. Brainstorm and pick your design. It might be your friends favourite NBA team or your favourite coffee brand. Let your imagination go wild.

2. Practice your design on paper before drawing it on your mug. When you’re ready, go at it!

3. Let the design dry out for a few hours before baking it.

4. Once dried, place in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 F. Make sure to place it in the oven before it’s turned on and after it’s completely cool so it won’t crack.

5. Make sure to only hand wash your mug to keep the design intact longer.

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Christmas You’re sitting at home, Christmas lights line the windows, the smell of cookies fill the air, you’re in an eggnog coma, and those big fluffy snowflakes that seem to weightlessly fall from the sky, blanket the ground. There’s only one thing missing from this perfect scenario: the ultimate Christmas playlist that will have you filled with nostalgia, make you slide across the floor in your socks “dancing”, and sing at the top of your lungs. Lucky for you, I’ve got that covered. I have compiled 20 songs that will make you sing along, dance (even if you can’t), and reminisce on past Christmases, getting into the Christmas spirit, one song at a time.

Playlist Talia Smith

1. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee 2. Frosty The Snowman - Ella Fitzgerald 3. Up On The Housetop - Pentatonix 4. What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong 5. Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! - Frank Sinatra B. Swanson Quartet 6. Baby, It’s Cold Outside - Dean Martin 7. Jingle Bells (feat. The Puppini Sisters) - Michael Buble, The Puppini Sisters 8. White Winter Hymnal - Pentatonix 9. Run Rudolph Run - Chuck Berry 10. White Christmas (Duet With Shania Twain) - Michael Buble, Shania Twain 11. Silver Bells - Stevie Wonder 12. Linus and Lucy - Vince Guaraldi Trio 13. Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes 14. You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch - Thurl Ravenscroft 15. I’ll Be Home For Christmas - She & Him 16. Santa Baby -Eartha Kitt 17. I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas - Gayla Peevey 18. Winter Wonderland - Bing Crosby 19. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Jackson 5 20. It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Andy Williams

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*You can find this playlist on 8Tracks.com by searching “Your Holiday Mixtape” or by searching THECUCCHRONICLE*

DEVOTIONAL // ANGELICA CORNEJO

“Salvationyour is at door...”

In a few weeks the holiday season will begin. The Michael Buble Christmas album will be on repeat, the ugly sweaters come out, and the frantic, last minute gift shopping will be the reason for the influx of people in shopping malls. Nevertheless, as Christians we know and have heard the saying “Christ is the reason for the season”.

Truth is, as amazing as Christmas is, recalling the reason why we celebrate Christmas in the first place is significant to our faith. Of course, it’s the celebration of the birth of Jesus our Redeemer but have you ever stopped to think about the purpose of His birth in the first place?

In Joshua chapter 2, we are told the story of Rahab who is delivered from the destruction of her city because she chose to protect the Israelite spies who came to her home for safety and protection. She easily could have ignored their knock on the door, but the moment she allowed the spies to enter into her home she welcomed salvation into her home as well.

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Because of this noble act Rehab along with some other amazing women were listed in Christ’s genealogy.

Christmas isn’t just to celebrate the birth of Christ but, it is also a time to recall His primary mission which was to bring salvation to us. In descending from His throne Jesus withheld nothing and gave it all up for you. The most beautiful gift we have been presented with is this very thing--salvation.

This year, as you celebrate Christmas with your family, take a moment to pause and to reflect on His birth and His sacrifice. He came down for you; to provide you with salvation. And like the story of Rahab, Salvation is knocking on your door … will you open?

Wishing you Happy Holidays, Angelica

I S S U E

[ I s s u e 6 Vo l u m e 6 4 ]

Christmas

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