This year Christmas we made a special Filipino celebration. Our helper has been working since July without a break and hasn’t gone home nor met with her family since then because of the pandemic. For everyone’s peace of sake, the building doesn’t allow helpers to go home since March. I feel bad for her, especially because Christmas is a big celebration for their culture, meant to spent with the family. So I discussed the idea with husband and my friend colleague to host a Filipino Christmas eve dinner inviting our helpers to join us. She agreed immediately.
I brought two salads to their place: a potato salad and a quinoa salad
they are korean family, so they prepared a korean pancake and filipino vegetable rolls (lumpia)
dinner was ready
It was nice to celebrate it with our friends and helpers. They were especially grateful
main dish was filipino dish roasted pork
and adobo chicken with eggs made by our helper
desserts were filipinos too: a buko pie that I ordered (made with coconut) and puto (rice cake)
once we got home, the girls set up the tent in our bedroom, ready to sleep with us in the same room . They asked for it weeks ago.
The next morning I got up early to put the gifts from Santa under our mini tree.
girls were still sleeping
then they got up and were happily surprised for the gifts that Santa brough
we spent the morning making a lego gammi ginger bread house
girls were excited to eat a small leftover piece once they were done
afternoon was spent napping….. hahahhaa…
then we celebrated the part 2 of my 40 st birthday that I’ll post separately.
Overall, we had a great Christmas celebration, zero affected by the pandemic, and very cheerful.
Our New Journey 
How nice of you Coco! I am sure that they really appreciated the kind gesture. Do you mind me asking if the helpers live in your home or do they have separate accommodations within your building? Also, what does your helper help with as it seems like you do all of the cooking? Do you they take care of all of the cleaning and shopping or are there other tasks that they are responsible for?
What was the best thing you received for Christmas? We didn’t do gifts this year but my parents helped me a lot with my new home so I think that was a bigger gift than something for one day!
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Hi Lindsay, merry Christmas to you!
Our helper lives with us which is the custom in the Philippines. Many families have more than one, sometimes 3 or 4. Our helper does the cleaning, laundry, do groceries if I’m not feeling doing, take the girls to the swimming pool in our building, prepare the ingredients for my cooking, and do dishes. Basically she does everything I ask her to do.
My favorite gift this year for my birthday are cards I received from Sofia and husband. Husband also got me a really nice necklace but his card made me tear up a bit. 🙂
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Coco,
Life in the Philippines is so much different than here in the US (as I am sure you know). Was it a struggle to find a good helper? Maybe you could do a post about the process of getting a helper and maybe about the variations between living in the US and living in the Philippines??
I am glad that your daughter and husband wrote you sweet notes. Those are sometimes the BEST gifts!
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sure. will write about our experience 🙂 life in the US and PH is definitely very different, that’s why we are very hesitant to go back. hahah.
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