On Christmas Day, Matthew McConaughey announced that he planned to wed girlfriend of five years and mother of his two children, 29-year-old Brazilian model and TV presenter Camila Alves.

Alves and McConaughey, 44, are parents to 3-year-old Levi and 1-year-old Vida. After the Christmas proposal, McConaughey told his fans via the internet that he “just asked Camila to marry [him.] Merry Christmas.”

While the couple languished in dating land for a few years, it appears that just a week and a half after the proposal, wedding planning could be well underway. An unnamed source told Life & Style that the pair planned to wed in Brazil, perhaps lavishly:

“Camila wants to get married in Brazil with her family all around. She misses the food and the people there, so she’s planning a big, beautiful Brazilian wedding.”

The friend also indicated that Alves has been eager for McConaughey to pop the question, saying:

“She’s been asking Mateo to put a ring on it forever. She’s so happy. It’s like a dream!”

The progression of events seems to mirror McConaughey’s roles- in which he is almost always cast as a romantic-comedy heartbreaker and commitmentphobe- but in March, the actor spoke of permanence and making a home in the men’s magazine Esquire. He waxed:

“Before this, I had a super home in the Hollywood Hills that I did by myself — landscaping, detailing pretty much everything. But that house was mine. And yeah, we coulda gone in there right away. Camila would have said, ‘Fine, don’t change a thing.’”

He continues:

“But I thought, I found the woman I wanna do it with, the woman I wanna make a family with, hopefully live our life out together. She needs to have 50 percent of that. I mean, it’s a lot easier for me to be at 100 percent. I’d always been 100 percent. It’s braver for me at 50 percent.”

No word on when the nuptials could occur.

Camila Alves, Matthew McConaughey to Wed in Brazil [Report] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Here’s an odd trend for the holiday’s, people in the Southern part of the United States in 2011 spent record amounts on fake snow that covered their yards and homes.

Speaking to ABC News David Bryant president of The Ice Man located in Jacksonville, Fla revealed they had “booked” more than 230 tons of shaved ice snow, up from 140 tons in December 2011. Bryant  says of his increased business:

 ”It’s just absolutely exploded this year,” and “We don’t know why.”

Speaking about the quality of his companies snow David says:

“It’s not the white powdery stuff but for the kids down here, it’s the closest thing they’ll see to snow, It’s flaked ice. It’s not chunks of ice. It’s real, fine ground up ice.”

For anyone interested in a forced white Christmas the service isn’t cheap with costs ranging from $1,700 to $20,000 depending on the size and difficulty of the job.

As Jezebel blogger Cassie Murdoch hilariously points out:

“If you have that kind of money to shred into shaved ice, you know what else you could spend it on? A vacation to a place that is already filled with snow.”

Buyers of the larger fake snow package do receive one really cool benefit, a 70-foot snow slide that can be tobogganed down.

Would you be willing to spend $20,000 for the right to have shaved ice strewn across your yard? Personally $1,700 seems a bit ridiculous to me, for that price I could take a trip to Switzerland and enjoy some of the best slopes in the world.

[Image via Shutterstock.com]

Southerners Embrace Fake Snow, Force A White Christmas is a post from: The Inquisitr

Every lead-in to the Christmas holiday we are inundated with claim after claim that this year will be the year that online shopping with trump the good old brick and mortar purchases, and of course this year was no different.

Then following the last leg of turkey being devoured and Christmas lights turned off we start to get the inevitable bragging about who were the big winners and the big losers when it comes to the consumer dollar.

This year is no different in this aspect either as we now have a fancy Christmas color themed infographic to break all the info down into nice and easy to digest nuggets of useless information.

So without any further ado, and with thanks to the team at FastUpFront, here is your winners and losers for the 2011 Christmas buying season.

via VentureBeat

The 2011 holiday season buying spree – the winners and losers [Infographic] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Buzzfeed compiled a list of classic first world problem tweets from ungrateful skinwasters who didn’t get the right coloured iPhone for Christmas or something. The poor bastards.

Congrats mankind, another low achieved. On the bright side, only another 358 days to go. Bring it on.

[More here]

Christmas 2011: Lessons in Gratitude [First World Problems] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Santa Bieber spent big on his childhood friend Ryan Butler, buying him a brand new two-door ivory Ford Mustang convertible. As you do. Butler tweeted a picture of his new car (above), while smugly noting:

“Justin got me a present. #swag!!!”

Bieber and Butler have been lifelong friends, with the pair having grown up side by side in Stratford, Ontario.

Indeed, Butler has appeared in at least two of Beiber’s music videos – he made a cameo in the video for 2009′s ‘One Time,’ and in 2010′s ‘Somebody to Love,’ where he appeared alongside the Biebmeister wearing a t-shirt advertising his Twitter account.

No news yet on what Bieber got girlfriend Selena Gomez for Christmas, but he’d be doing well to top a Mustang, surely? The 17-year-old pop star spent Christmas at home in Canada without Gomez, breaking away from family festivities to post pictures of him with his family, including photos of himself with his two younger siblings (Jaxon, 2, and Jazmyn, 3). On Christmas Eve he tweeted:

“Spending time with family – feels really good. Going to get to see these smiles on Christmas.”

On Christmas Day, he added:

“Merry Christmas from the family!”

See also: Justin Bieber Tips Like a BOSS

Justin Bieber Gives Gifts Like a BOSS is a post from: The Inquisitr

I have to say, as a mother with two kids who arrived by c-section, these stories always make me feel a tiny bit deficient as a mom. (Which is not to say there is anything wrong with those of us who need a bit of surgical encouragement to bring babies into the world, just saying.)

An unnamed Tasmanian woman has made the news after she went into labor wrapping some last-minute gifts under the tree on Christmas Eve. Paramedics were dispatched to the woman’s home, where they arrived to find the patient in the early stages of labor. But for some reason, according to news accounts, the responders were unable to transport her to the hospital to give birth, and instead, the baby was delivered at home- and, quite like in a romantic comedy of some description, under the tree itself. ABC quotes Bruce Connor of the Tasmanian Ambulance Service:

“I would assume the patient was in labour to a point where delivery was imminent and rather than being able to move to the ambulance to proceed to hospital, they had to deliver the baby at the house,” he said.

(It was not clear if Hugh Grant was milling about the scene, making milquetoast jokes and charmingly impeding the labor process.) Connor adds a detail that will probably amuse men and irritate the pants off women:

“To deliver one at 12:06am on Christmas Day is a special event for us, especially under the Christmas tree at home and I believe that the intensive care paramedic was wearing a pair of antlers at the time.”

Have you ever been in labor? How much would this make you want to punch someone in the face?

[Image: Shutterstock]

Aussie Woman Gives Birth Under Christmas Tree While Wrapping Presents on Christmas Eve is a post from: The Inquisitr

A family in Texas was killed on Christmas day when a relative dressed as Santa Claus opened fire on the family before he turned the gun on himself.

Seven people were killed, including the shooter. According to police the age of the victims range from 18 to 60 and at this time they do not know what caused Santa to become homicidal.

The shooting was discovered after dispatch received a phone call from the apartment in the middle of the day. According to the police report nobody was on the line when the call was answered.

With many of the apartments surrounding the scene already empty nobody called in loud gunshots.

Police will not reveal the name of the victims until an autopsy has been performed, however they say a search is currently underway to find and notify the families relatives. Sergeant Robert Eberling says by all accounts the victims appear to be family members while adding:

“We have a petty good idea who these folks were, and we’re trying to work through contacting other family members so we can better piece together what took place and why it took place.”

Speaking about the killings the town’s police lieutenant proclaimed:

 ”Seven people in one setting in Grapevine, that’s never happened before. Ever.”

It’s still also unclear as to why the relative chose to dress as Santa Claus before carrying out the killing.

[Image via ShutterStock.com]

Man Dresses As Santa Claus, Kills Entire Family is a post from: The Inquisitr

Matthew McConaughey and his girlfriend, Camila Alves, had a very special Christmas last night. The actor popped the question to the Brazilian model last night while the two, who have been dating for five years and have two children together, celebrated Christmas.

McConaughey posted the news on his Whosays account. The actor posted a picture of him and Camilia kissing in front of a Christmas tree with the message “just asked Camila to marry me. Merry Christmas.”

McConaughey fans have been expecting to hear wedding bells for a while. Last March, the actor told Esquire Magazine that he knew Camila was “the one.” He said:

“I found the woman I wanna do it with, the woman I wanna make a family with, hopefully live our life out together.”

McConaughey, 42, and Alves, 28, have been dating since 2006. They have two children together; Levi, 3, and Vida, 1. When Levi was born, the actor tole People Magazine:

“I always wanted to be a father. It just took the right woman and the right time to make it happen. [Alves] is the love of my life. Everything is right.”

Are you a fan of Matthew McConaughey?

Matthew McConaughey Gets Camila Alves an Engagement Ring for Christmas is a post from: The Inquisitr

Boxing Day 2010 was a Sunday, and laws covering Sunday selling restricted the number of stores that could open. Because December 26 is a holiday for the majority of Americans this year, people are expected to spend the day trawling stores to spend their Christmas gift cards and take advantage of discounts (a few Black Friday-esque door-buster deals have been predicted by many retail experts). As ShopperTrak founder Bill Martin told the LA Times:

“There is potential for a very significant lift. Last year the 26th was on Sunday, and Sunday has restricted selling laws. In some states there are blue laws and many stores just aren’t open.”

In fact, many industry observers say Boxing Day could be the third busiest shopping day of 2011, after Black Friday and December 23.

However, retail expert at LA accounting firm Marcum Ron Friedman predicts bargains won’t be as easy to find as they were in 2010. He says retailers have taken a slow-but-steady approach to price cuts this year, carefully clearing stock for the holidays since Thanksgiving:

“They won’t have to do severe price cutting, although sales will still be promotion driven. Discounts will continue going until the end of the year.”

Are you heading out to try and find a post-Christmas bargain? If so, leave the pepper spray at home, eh?

Post Christmas 2011 Sales Expected to Be Up 60% on 2010 is a post from: The Inquisitr

President Obama and his family have been trying to start their Christmas vacation for the last week, but the political deadlock in Washington delayed the trip for a week. The Obama’s finally made it down to Hawaii on Friday and the president started the holiday by making phone calls to several service members on Christmas Eve.

The Washington Post reports that Obama called 10 service members on Christmas eve. He talked to two members from each branch of the military from his rented vacation home on the island Oahu in Hawaii where the first family is spending the holidays.

The president and first lady Michelle Obama also wished the country a Merry Christmas with a holiday video.

Obama said:

“As you gather with friends and family this weekend, Michelle, Malia, Sasha, and I – and of course Bo – want to wish everyone Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.”

Michelle added:

“It’s such a wonderful time of year. It’s time to honor the story of love and redemption that began 2000 years ago. A time to see the world through a child’s eyes and rediscover the magic that’s all around us… and a time to give thanks for the gifts that bless us every single day.”

Here’s Obama’s Christmas message.

The Washington Post reports that the Obamas are spending Christmas morning with close  friends and family.

Obama’s Christmas Starts With Holiday Calls to Service Members [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

[Via reddit]

Portal Christmas Tree is a Triumph is a post from: The Inquisitr

As millions of Americans spend time with friends, family and loved ones in celebration of the holiday season one family has received a much needed and welcomed gift, a $20,000 gift certificate from home improvement chain Home Depot.

A military family was awarded the prize as part of the company’s first Give the Gift of Good campaign, a months-long web contest that asked DIY and military bloggers to find a military family with the greatest need for home repairs.

The eventual winners were the Dilly family. Sgt. Kevin Dilly has served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and is currently stations in Greenland while his wile Tyrena is at home with their five children, two of which have spina bifida, a disease that has confined them to their wheelchairs.

Thanks to the money the family will be able to fix the roof on their 1950s built home while adding some much needed insulation for the cold winter months. They also plan to spread the money out to help fix some flooring issues in their home while adding ramps for their wheelchair bound kids.

It’s not just Home Depot trying to help out families this year, President Obama wished everyone a “Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays” this week and then asked that Americans do all they can to help the men and women serving in uniform over the holidays by visiting the website JoiningForces.gov.

In his remarks President Obama said:

“This night let us not forget those who still stand in harm’s way far from home so we can enjoy this season in peace and freedom.”

Have you done anything special to help out a military family this holiday season?

Home Depot Gives Military Family In Need $20,000 For Home Repairs is a post from: The Inquisitr

Millions of people will exchange gifts, decorate trees, and eat massive amounts of food on Christmas. But just how many people participate in the holiday? According to an infographic from the History channel, nearly every person in America celebrates Christmas.

Here are some Christmas facts according to History.com.

• 95% of Americans say that they celebrate Christmas but only 65% attend a religious service.
• 25 million people will use a real tree for their Christmas tree while 10 million will go the artificial route.
• Over its 80 year history, New York Rockefeller’s biggest Christmas tree was a 100 ft Norwegian spruce in 1999.
• Troops overseas receive 30 million pounds of mail during the holiday season.

What do you think of these Christmas facts? Do 95% of Americans really celebrate Christmas?

Christmas By The Numbers [Infographic] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Hollywood power couple Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes have teamed up with Jim Carey and others to bring you a Very Drunk Christmas!

The stars all join host Allen McLeod in a drunken reading of the famed “Twas’ The Night Before Christmas”

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling Bring You A Totally Drunk Christmas (VIDEO) is a post from: The Inquisitr

Anyone from the North East remembers this holiday classic!  There is a reason why it has over 2 million views on YouTube!

Hey New York, Dominick The Donkey Is Here For Christmas! (VIDEO) is a post from: The Inquisitr

As you consider the next proffered glass of egg nog, remember drunk pug and reconsider.

Pug of Shame is Shamed is a post from: The Inquisitr

The print version of In Touch Weekly claims it was passed a copy of Suri’s list (hmmm), and the five-year-old’s pressie demands do indeed add up to the the price of a small apartment.

Top of the list is, inevitably, a pony. And ITW reports Tom Cruise has already located a stable for the beast to stay in near their home in Beverly Hills, at least until Princess Suri gets bored and Daisy/Star/Lucky/Sugarcube is carted off to make Pritt Sticks.

Diamond earrings and gowns also appear in Suri’s modest demands – apparently she’s after stuff that will make her “look like a fairy princess.” Cruise and Holmes are said to have splashed out willingly on everything their child has asked for. A source close to the couple told In Touch Weekly:

“Tom and Katie love the holidays and always go overboard. [...] They are buying Suri absolutely everything she asks for.”

So again, that’s $130,000 on a five-year-old. This should end well for all involved. How much are you spending on your kids this Christmas, readers? Is it more than, er, $130? Perhaps as much as $1,300?

Suri Cruise’s $130,000 Christmas list is a post from: The Inquisitr

Because it’s not fun unless it’s mandated, wacky-tie, off-the-clock fun.

[via]

If Work Christmas Party Invites Were Honest is a post from: The Inquisitr

GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul will spend part of Christmas holiday with 500 students in Iowa and New Hampshire. Dubbed “Christmas Vacation with Ron Paul” the students will help Ron Paul by heading door-to-door on behalf of the Texas congressman.

In an email to his younger supporter base Ron Paul wrote:

“I firmly believe the next generation needs us to fix our problems now, so there will be a great country left to give them.”

The move to court younger voters is nothing new for Paul who has “Youth for Ron Paul” chapters at universities all over the United States, including one chapter at Cornell University that current has 1,370 members.

The cost of the campaign is expected to be $600,000, approximately $45 per young campaigner. In realizing the cost Ron Paul has reached out to his supporters, writing:

“Although this program is very cost-effective, it still costs money. And that is something our campaign will need much, much more of in the coming weeks.”

According to the Houston Chronicle:

In the most recent Real Clear Politics average of polls in the Iowa Republican presidential caucus, Paul is fourth with 13 percent, behind former Speaker Newt Gingrich (24 percent), former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and businessman Herman Cain (tied at 15.8 percent).

It’s not exactly “spending time” with 500 young supporters but it’s a great way to get them involved in the political process on a more intimate level.

Do you think hiring younger voters to spread the word about his campaign will help Ron Paul?

[Image via Albert H. Teich / Shutterstock.com]

Ron Paul Spending Christmas With 500 Students is a post from: The Inquisitr

In the movie A Christmas Story little Ralphie is told by Santa Claus that he can’t have a Red Ryder BB gun because “you’ll shoot your eye out kid” but now a Santa Clause in Arizona is changing that thought process by posing for children’s pictures with gun toting kids.

Santa is currently sitting at the Scottsdale Gun Club where non-members can pay $5-$10 to have their picture taken with Santa and some heavy ammunition.

As you’ll notice in the backdrop Santa isn’t holding back as he displays a Garwood Minigun that can fire up to 6,000 rounds per minute.

You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out. Santa Claus Poses With Gun Toting Children is a post from: The Inquisitr