* Lazylol *

Snowed in

I ventured out of the house today for the first time in almost a week.  The snow made it impossible to get out of our street in the car.  I walked to work last Tuesday and then we were given the rest of the week off so we've been all snug indoors ever since.   The snow really helped to get me in the mood for Christmas. I've been cleaning and painting like a mad woman.  Now the tree is up and I feel pretty organised.  Back to work tomorrow and this week I am going to write cards and wrap prezzies in the evenings.  While watching Christmas movies of course, it makes all the Christmas tasks more enjoyable, don't you think? Tonight I am ironing and watching Fred Claus :)

Vince Vaughan always makes me laugh :)

 

 

 

Festive Round Up

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas! Did everyone  enjoy the festivities?  I did but, my, doesn't it go by so fast? New Year already!

 

I spent the week leading up to christmas cleaning, writing cards and wrapping - all the usual jobs.

On Christmas Eve we had a small family get together.  My parents, and my sister in law and my little one-year-old niece Emily who are over visiting from Germany. My brother is in the Falklands so couldn't come over with them, he was missed but it was lovely to spend some time with his little girl who I haven't seen since May.  She has changed such a lot, walking, talking, dancing and laughing.  Lovely to have a little one in the family again especially at Christmas time. I made Nigella's Ham in Coca Cola.  I know it seems a bit weird to cook your gammon in coca cola but do try it, it's delicious. This will  be my preferred method from now on.

On Christmas Day we had our lunch in the pub with all the family - our homes are just not big enough to accommodate us all so we usually go out - plus it is a lovely treat and so nice not to have all the work involved with cooking a large christmas dinner.  Although I do have my work cut out because we throw the family party at ours on Christmas Day evening - so instead of getting to vegetate on the sofa (I leave that until boxing day!)  i have food to prepare followed by lots of booze and dancing! A great time was had by all!

The rest of the week was spent visiting and in between, relaxing in pj's and watching TV.

All the best for 2010 - how are we staying that anyway? twenty-ten or two thousand and ten?? A new decade -crikey that last one went by so fast. 

Hey it's snow again!

Belated New Year Greetings

Happy New Year!

I had this post half typed on NYE, ready to post on the 1st but was struck down with the lurgy.  It knocked me out and I've spent the last 4 days in pyjama land - and as lovely as it was, I am up and about today which is a good job seeing as I am back at work tomorrow.  eek.

I hope you have all had a good Christmas.  I certainly have.  Time well spent with family and friends.  We've eaten too much, drank too much, laughed a lot, hugged, partied, felt all warm and cosy, played lots of games and quizzes, sung, danced, watched lots of TV, shopped and enjoyed each others company.  We've spent a lot of time lounging around in our PJs or wrapped up outdoors in lots of layers, scarves and gloves.

My dad celebrated his 60th Birthday - Happy Birthday Dad!

We should have spent New Year's Eve at home with a small family get together.  Mr Fuzz's family are Scottish so I made Stovies and Scotch Broth to eat. I couldn't face any more Christmas food or chocolate.  Some of us (me) have eaten so much we should feel ashamed. However, seeing as my Vodka bottle was all dressed up it was invited to the partay. The party was a great flop! Everyone had the lurgy I had and went home early.  When the house was empty me and Mr Fuzz both got on a sofa each to watch TV and fell to sleep only to wake up at 11:58! At least we didn't miss the bells.

Best Wishes to all my bloggy friends for 2009 - may it be a year filled with peace, love and craftiness!

there's a moose, loose, about this hoose......

When I picked out these gorgeous Elzybells stamps for my Christmas cards this year, I had no idea that I would have been visited over night by the real thing.  It's been years since I've had a problem with mice because I have always had cats. Now we are a cat-less family once more, they have moved back in!  We aren't having much luck catching them either.  Last night they stole a chocolate Santa from the Christmas tree and ate its head off!  I am freaking out a bit over this, cos I'm a bit of a fraidy pants...eek! and I can't stand the thought of a mouse party going on, while I'm tucked up in bed!

 

I need a Wee Wonderfuls lovely tree mouse, not the real thing!

 

(photo from the BBC Good Food Website)

To cheer myself up, I decided to make some more mince pies, but using this recipe. Wow - they are GOOD! I altered the recipe slighty and added a beaten egg so they would roll out easily.  If you make these, whatever you do, don't try to remove them from the baking tin until they are completely cool. Otherwise they will fall apart.  And you will have to eat all the broken ones before anyone notices.

Did I mention these are seriously GOOD mince pies?  I had to use a photo from the website and I was going to blame the light on this wintery day for lack of a picture of the actual pies.  But the real reason is that we are greedy and they were all eaten before I had the chance :)

 

Prep

For some strange reason I've been awake since 4:55 am this morning and although I do love to be up early, I think my usual 6:10 is early enough.  So seeing as I have some spare time until I go to work I decided to have a quick blog!

   

My plans for the weekend are

• go to B&Q for new christmas tree lights, paint and a mouse trap (don't ask!)
• paint the living room (it's just a freshen up job so won't take long)
• clean ready for trimming up next week
• make our first mince pies of the year (my family suddenly love mince pies!)
• make family cards and start wrapping prezzies

There are some great offers and vouchers in the newspapers at the moment.  Yesterday I got a voucher for 15% off at B&Q, there is 60% off trees and lights at Focus.  Asda are sellling some mobile phones for £8 and have 17.5% off TVs and DVD players.

How Long?!

Don't panic but it's only........

 

I've spent the weekend at home so I made the most of it by starting the christmas clean, you know, the one before trimming up.  I can remember helping my mum do it all those years ago! 

Another thing my mum did at Christmas was make a trifle and seeing as today I was in the mood for trifle, I decided to make one (just like Mother used to make - lol)

 

I sliced up a strawberry swiss roll and placed it in the trifle dish with some tinned strawberries.  Then I drizzled some brandy over the swiss roll (ok - maybe my mother didn't do that but OMG it is so good with brandy!) I then poured a strawberry jelly over it.  When it was set I topped it with custard and  lightly whipped double cream.  To decorate I sprinkled over some crunchy chocolate bits (Asda).

So easy.  So good.  So 70's!

Happy 2008!

Happy New Year !

We had a lovely quiet New Years Eve - phone calls from most of the family, nice food and a few drinks to see in the New Year.

Earlier we saw St Trinians at the cinema - I loved it (and not just because it had my fav man, Colin Firth in) but J thought it was rubbish! Well you can't please everyone can you.

I am going to the seaside for a couple of days to relax and catch up with my Christmas magazines that I bought in November and still haven't read!

Hope you are all enjoying your Christmas break.

xx

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year to you all - and a BIG thank you for reading my blog in 2007 and giving my so much enjoyment with your own wonderful blogs.

Not long to go now.....

I bought myself this cute little Christmas tree oil burner & some gingerbread oil during my last shopping trip yesterday.  I finished my gift shopping a couple of weeks ago but I always like to go and browse the shops near to Christmas.  I was a bit miffed in Sainsbury's though as some of the gifts I bought are now half price!

We had a couple of family trips out in the evening this week to eat nice food and watch these...

Enchanted.....great family movie!

And our all time favourite movie, enjoyed each year. We certainly weren't going to miss the opportunity to see on the big screen...

It's a Wonderful Life....not a dry eye in the cinema!

Today I am finishing off some bits and bobs, wrapping, baking mince pies, having my hair done and then my youngest son and I are planning on watching the movie we always watch together, Scrooge with Albert Finney.  It has been his favourite since he was little and we'll be singing along to all the lovely Christmas songs!

Oh the joy of being at home for two whole weeks with the family - what bliss!