Saturday Surfing, December 22nd, 2018

So, you may think that you’ve seen OTT neighborhood Christmas light displays before, and perhaps you have…but let me tell ya, you haven’t experienced THE MOTHER OF ALL CHRISTMAS DISPLAYS until someone lets you into their house, which is covered from floor to ceiling (literally) with Christmas decorations.

The Rombeiro Christmas house in Novato is kinda famous around these parts, and it might be even more famous soon because they’re going to be on ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight show when it airs in 2019.

They’re a local family in town who’ve been putting on elaborate Christmas light and music shows in their front yard for the last 27 years, but here’s kicker: The show continues inside the actual house! Yup, you walk inside and tour each room, which is decorated with a different Christmas scene.

It’s like a mini Vegas light display on a neighborhood scale (word on the street is that their electricity bill tops $4,000 every December). Is the experience over-the-top? Oh, totally, but I think it’s kitschy, sweet and fun. This is obviously a family that LOVES Christmas.

My favorite part of the tour was the Angel room. So sweet and peaceful…

People from all over the Bay Area stream through the Rombeiro’s home all holiday season long, enjoying the holiday displays and good cheer. At the end of the tour, you meet the Rombeiros, who are just as nice as can be. They hang out in the kitchen and talk to everyone who walks through. They’ll even pose for pictures with you if you want. All of the kids on the tour also get a candy cane.

I can’t believe I’ve lived here almost 10 years and only found out about it this year. There’s talk that this might be the last year the Rombeiros are doing it, so if you’re anywhere near Novato, come check it out.

It’s free to visit, but there’s a donation box at the front if you feel so inclined. The house is at 34 Devonshire Drive in Novato, and they’re open in the evenings from 6-10 through January 6th.

On that note, let’s get crackin’ on this week’s reading.

• You know I’ll always be #TeamCindy when it comes to ’90s supermodels, but I’ve got nothing but love for the new NARS campaign starring the iconic Naomi Campbell.
• Here’s how to get Jason Momoa’s hair and beard from Aquaman. Truth be told, I didn’t read squat in this article and only looked at the pictures. 🙂
• Peer into the secret lives of street cats from around the world.
• RIP, Oribe Canales.
• South Korea’s beauty market is among the world’s top 10, which is why big beauty brands are piling into the region right now.
• Meet 16-year-old Nilanshi Patel Gujarat of India, otherwise known as The Guinness World Record holder for longest hair on a teenager.
• All about the rise of micellar water and how it became the Internet’s holy grail of lazy skincare.
• How does pH truly affect skin? Here’s a closer look.
• Speaking if skin, here’s your complete guide to at-home skin care tools.
• Ah, the age old question: How do new perfume brands persuade shoppers to click the “buy” button without knowing exactly what the fragrance will smell like? It looks like Phlur, a new niche brand, is doing something right because they sold 90,000 bottles to customers before the customers even smelled the scent.
• Fake reviews on Sephora? Check. Makeup lines photoshopping arms with swatches to make them appear darker? YUP. Not everything has been beautiful in beauty in 2018, and it’s been an especially crazy year for makeup social media accounts, brands and brand founders behaving badly.
• Newsflash: Nobody wants to smell like Britney Spears anymore, as celeb scents are waning in popularity.
• The ultimate guide to sports bras for big boobs.
• In case you were wondering, this is how viking cats differed from today’s modern kitties.

I was bumping this song in the car the other day when Connor yelled “NO DANCING IN THE CAR MOMMY!” Yes, it was hilarious.

In case you need some relaxing background Christmas music to listen this weekend…

What happens when the queen dies

OH, THIS WAS SO GOOD.

I’m off to finish the last of the gift wrapping, and I may or may not make some more cookies for my neighbors.

What are you up to this weekend?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen