Holiday Spirit: L.A. Apartment Style
December 9th, 2006 RachelThis will be our third Christmas/Chanukah together in our apartment, and the first one where we’re celebrating thousands of miles away from “home” home. Luckily, my family will be down soon. Unfortunately, that’s only half the holiday experience of the past.
Neither Adam or I are particularly religious, but the holidays remain important for the family time, everyone’s out of school, let’s eat food and be merry celebrations. As our family has expanded to include a kitty clan and seven pounds of pup, both the big traditional staples of each holiday are a tad hazardous for our household.
Christmas tree = tinsel, bulbs to knock down/break/slice paw, pine needles to eat (real or fake), water to get sick from (real).
Menorah = fire. No more needs to be said there.
So, we’ve come up with a solution. The balcony was mopped, wiped down and cleaned out (Phil, I’m sorry to say your pillows didn’t make it). Lights were strung (more will need to be purchased tomorrow), and the little Christmas tree that could was decorated with holiday lights, animal ornaments, and blue/silver garland.
Here’s the electric menorah that’s on it’s way:
And here’s our holiday sanctuary so far:
Now we get the best of both worlds in a space that we rarely take full advantage of, and there’s no risk to the animal fam. Awesome. Down the road, I’m sure we’ll find a better solution, but for now we’re experiencing one of the perks of wintering in California.
That’s just about on par with it being comfortable (and socially acceptable) to walk outside wearing a wooly scarf and flip flops.
