I am proud of myself for remembering to light the candles every day this Hanukkah! I had some ups and downs over the 8 days of Hanukkah, but I got through and ended on a good note! Lets just say a lot happened over the holiday….my sister and good friend had their baby girls on the same day, I broke my computer and had to get a new one, I finished my last master’s class, I went to my first ugly sweater party, and the list goes on!

Like I mentioned in my previous post about Hanukkah, I was giving gifts to myself and others on the eight days of Hanukkah! Check out my 8 gifts of Hanukkah!

Day 1: 

I made a donation to New York Cares to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. This specific charity was brought to my attention by Foodie Pen Pals, which I have been participating since October. I thought this would be a great way to give hope and faith to the victims who unfortunately lost their belongings, jobs, and loved ones in this natural disaster. A small donation can go a long way! Sadly, natural disasters happen all the time and you will never know when you will be need of help to get back on your toes!

Day 2:

I treated myself to a much needed  hair cut! I lifted my head a little higher, as I walked out of the hair salon! I feel more refreshed and a bit more confident with my new do!

Day 3:

My niece, Olivia Jane, was born! A Hanukkah gift was given to my entire family! A December baby like me!

Day 4:

I had no choice today, but to buy myself a new computer! It is a long story, but my computer fell and my hard drive got damaged. Luckily, I backed up my computer two weeks ago, so I didn’t end up losing that much data on my computer. I got the new Mac Pro Retina! I love it! I was told it was a Ferrari when comparing the quality of cars to computers!

Day 5

I gave a Road ID  to one of my friend’s for her birthday and Christmas gift! She is running the Disney half marathon in January and I thought  Road ID would be perfect to wearing during her long runs! You never know when something might happen to you! I also purchased one for myself as an early birthday present in an effort to be more safe as I will be running and biking more in the next few months preparing for races.

Day 6

Flowers always put a smile on my face! I was given a poinsettia to put in my office, which is now on my kitchen table! Red gives every room a pop of color, especially around the holidays!

Day 7

I enjoyed a lovely cocktail with girlfriends at Taste in Saint Louis CWE! My cocktail was called FAR AND AWAY:  Fiji Apple Infused Hendrick’s Gin, Cocchi Americano, Lemon, Smoked Rosemary, Don’s Spice! Not a typical drink I would order, but it was quite flavorful and spiced up my night!

Day 8

I had a relaxing girlie day, which included a manicure! You bet I painted them red!

I wonder what next year’s 8 Hanukkah gifts will be!!!! To be continued…..Hanukkah 2013

What did you get and/or give to others for Hanukkah?!?