Merry Christmas!

Look at that giant bear! That was a gift for one of my family members. And look, we now have our own Lil Bub!

I was really spoiled this year.

Ooh, it's a Funko Pop Elsa that is small! A perfect small one for bears.

Ooh, what's in this one?

Frozen slumber party things! A blanket, pajamas, robe, and a t-shirt. Wow!!!

Oh, wow! I got my own giant teddy bear! I can use it like a pillow. So cozy!

What a great Christmas!

I really had a wonderful Christmas. I ate some good foods, sweets, and had some yummy drinks. I got some great gifts and just had a wonderful day. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve

Look at that pile of presents! I did a lot of shopping, and my family was very generous.

This is my Christmas dress. I like to get dressed up on Christmas Eve, and I like to be casual on Christmas Day. I love how sparkly my dress is, and that I have a matching sequins Santa hat.

This tree is all Disney themed. That includes Muppets, Marvel, and Star Wars.

For Christmas Eve dinner, I went with my family to the Cheesecake Factory. A lot of others had the same idea because it was crowded! I thought more people would be home with their families, but maybe they wanted someone else to cook. After all of the holidays, I'm sure it's nice to have someone else do the cooking. And the washing of the dishes! This drink is the Georgia Peach. It is blended with peach flavors and rum and is very sweet.

This dish is the garlic noodles one. It has vegetable chunks and lots of garlic. It was so good and I was so full from the drinks and the food that I didn't have room for dessert. I sure wish that the Cheesecake Factory would make a dairy-free cheesecake. I'd have to bring home a slice or two! After dinner I went home and got ready for bed. Santa is coming!

Happy Bamboo

After visiting Christmas in the Park, I was ready for a late lunch. Since I was in San Jose, I decided on The Happy Bamboo which is a vegan comfort food eatery.

The vegan cheeseburger is delicious.

Lunch time!

Po-ta-toes! French fries are one of my favorite snacks. The fries here are big and the portions are generous.

I don't remember which dessert this is. I think it might have been a smores pie. It was so good! Since I have a milk allergy, I appreciate the lactose-free desserts. Unfortunately they were out of cheesecake that day, but the service was good, the staff friendly, and the food delicious so I will go back again.

Christmas in the Park

Christmas in the Park is a sort of holiday museum in San Jose. Organizations from the area sponsor trees and they decorate them and put them on display. There are hundreds of trees to admire. There are also cute vignettes to look at, festive scenes of animals getting ready for the holidays.

One of the many vignettes decorating Christmas in the Park

I especially love seeing the costumed animals.

Park ranger nutcracker

This ornament is huge!

I'm not the only bear there.

Bears! I love seeing them.

That is a train ride that you can actually ride. There are a few small carnival rides like a Ferris wheel and rides that spin.

Only two days until Christmas!!!

I was hoping this meant the road was made of candy canes. Alas, it wasn't.

This makes me think of the Matterhorn at Disneyland.

And there is a Frozen tree. Of course there HAD to be a Frozen tree.

Nightmare Before Christmas

Another Frozen tree. It's Olaf!

It's so pretty!

I love rainbows.

Oh, it's a teddy bear tree! It is perfect!!!

Oh, it was just a prop. No real presents here.

More bears!

I would love to have this bear and I would decorate my front lawn with it.

This was neat as it had a running fountain. I do love water features.

Another bear! Yeah!

More bears!!! I love this place.

Aw, it reminds me of the little bear cub in the Country Bear Jamboree.

I really like the color scheme on this tree. It puts me in mind of the ocean.

Christmas in the Park is fun both during the day and at night. At night, all the trees are lit up so you can see how pretty everything is with the lights. It really looks like Christmas. But during the day there aren't as many people so you can see the trees a bit better and you don't have to worry about getting lost. Santa Claus is there for photos, and they have food and souvenir vendors. I hear they have very good hot chocolate, but with my milk allergy I am unable to try it. But there are a few Starbucks stores in the downtown area, so I can always get a soy chocolate. Parking is easy as there are a few garages just a block or two away, and they are very affordable. The light rail also has a stop at the edge of the park. It's a fun place to spend two hours during the busy holiday season. There is also an outdoor ice rink there and a few museums. Lots to do!