* Lazylol *

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!

Handmade Goodies

I am so glad it is Saturday, I needed a bit of extra sleep!  At last I have time to do some gift wrapping. I've resisted the urge to get up early and go Christmas shopping because I really don't need to buy anything else and will only end up spending money I don't need to. Only one more week left to work and I only work a half day on the last day, Friday.  Looking forward to the X Factor final tonight - Come on Ryddian (sp?)

I wanted to show you a couple of handmade purchases I've made recently

this lovely snowman bib from this shop by Pink Petal Designs - it is gorgeous and very well made.  She also included a tissue holder in my parcel which was very generous (thanks Sarah!) and the parcel was wrapped in the most gorgeous red handmade paper which I am saving to use on my cards.

I also bought this bag on ebay for a few pounds.  It is huge and ideal as shopping bag.  The handles are big, soft and lovely to carry.  It is beautifully made from Ikea fabric. What a bargain.

Well it's time for a cup of tea & some toast for breakfast - I hope to blog more often now things are winding down at bit around here so hopefully I'll be back very soon x

I Love Ikea

I've been up bright and early this morning.  I needed to visit Ikea & Borders and didn't think I could stand the nightmare that is now in full swing, Saturday Christmas shopping. So thankfully, I was back in the house by 10.35 am, after looking for fabric.  Nothing suitable this time (I'll have to go back - what a shame!)

But I did make a few purchases.

At last I have mangaged to get hold of some ikea tiny E5 replacement bulbs to fit this.  I've had the lamp for a couple of years so have used up all my spare bulbs and slowly, one by one the bulbs have been going.  They have been out of stock at Ikea for ages so I was delighted to find a full shelf of them on display and bought plenty. Yippee - another thing I can cross off my 'to do' list.

I also bought these cute little gnome gift tags

and lots of other goodies...

..... a Christmas guest towel, storage boxes, gift bags & boxes, tea towels, a couple of throws for the recent freezing cold weather we are having in the UK!

*i heart ikea - that place is sooooo cheap!

So long, Farewell.....

So it is goodbye to 2006.  A lovely year.  I always feel a bit sad at this time of year, sad to see another year go.  Of course I am happy to greet 2007 and wonder what lies in store.  I am making the usual resolutions, lose weight, be healthier, exercise more, enjoy everyday, be thankful, visit my family more, do more sewing etc.

I am not a big New Year's Eve fan, I've done my share of partying in the past but the last 4 or 5 years we have gone out to eat or watch a movie early in the evening and then home to share a few drinks and watch Jools Holland on TV. I much prefer it now, I suppose it is all part of growing up - lol. 

I was so behind with my Christmas blogging, lots to say but no time at all to actually say any of it  it.

So here is a brief round-up of the things I didn’t get to blog over the festive period.

My mince pies were perfect this year (for the first time ever!) – I’ve spend years trying to find the best recipe and this is definitely it.

Here they are waiting to go in the oven

Mince Pies

For the pastry

8 oz Self Raising Flour

2 ½ 0z butter

1 ½ oz lard

cold water

icing sugar (and a little extra for dusting)

Filling

Jar of shop bought mince

2 tbsps port/sherry

2oz walnuts/almonds, crushed up

Also had fun with the kids making gingerbread cookies for the tree

I have really enjoyed spending time with my family this Christmas.  My parents came round on Christmas Eve, we had a lovely lunch for just 5 of us on Christmas Day and then had a house full of folk in the evening for our annual party.  Lovely.  Lots of lovely gifts received by all.  However do not waste your money on this

It is a terrible game, no fun at all and the people who produced it should be ashamed!  We have lots of interactive dvd games with we love to play but this one was an ordeal!  So slow and frustrating!

However I did get some wonderful gifts and would like to show you a few........

My pretty secret santa gift from work

Desp Housewives DVD's, GORGEOUS Vintage Belle stationery set, mug and magnets, memory stick and lovely candles.

This great cookbook that I've been wanting for ages, can't wait to make something out of it

Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did - can't wait to do it all again next year!

Happy New Year !!

Penguins

I was so busy last week that I wrote a post and forgot to post it - derrrrrrrr

Anyway here it is, better late than never....

Things are getting pretty hectic around here but I am staying calm under pressure.  Actually I am quite pleased with myself I’ve done all the wrapping and delivered all the cards.  I wrote a list of all the food I need to buy and all the baking etc that I need to do on Saturday. I even made a list of jobs that need doing around the house before the big jolly man in the bright red suit heads this way.  I think they should ban working on the week before Christmas. I have so much to do and so many lunches/dinners/drinks after work to attend that I just haven’t got time to squeeze in 40 hours in the office.

In my ideal world I would only work in Spring and Autumn.  That way I could spend lazy days out in the garden all summer and hibernate in the winter.  I would be so happy if I didn’t have to step foot out of the door for the next month.  I would stay all cosy inside, crafting, baking and admiring the pretty twinkling Christmas lights.

The kids made me laugh yesterday.  I came downstairs to find them giggling on the sofa

Me – What are you all laughing at?

JB – We are watching Home Alone 2

Me – Why are you all squashed up on one settee?

JB – We are keeping warm like penguins

I know it sounds like they are little tots but they are actually 18, 17, and 15. (The 17 year old doesn’t belong to me BTW)  They used to love the Home Alone films when they were little and watching it again made them all giddy for Christmas!

Season's Greetings!

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. 

May your home be filled with love, warmth, friends and laughter. 

Eat, drink and be merry. 

There was so much I wanted to blog about this week, but as usual I have been too busy getting ready for the big day...sigh.  However, I have enjoyed the preparations and have had time to do other things too for a change this year. I feel calm and happy and for once I have a Christmas Eve filled with family and good things instead of the usual chaos!  Going to the cinema to watch a christmas movie and then to wonder around town to soak up some of the wonderful festive atmosphere.

See you in a day or three!!

Nigella

OK panic over, I managed to cross some things off the list.  Spent all day catching up on jobs around the house and wrapping a large mountain of gifts.  Just about all done now so i can start my favourite job of preparing the Christmas Food. Over the next few days we will be eating from the freezer which is almost full and I desperately need to make some room in there.  I've been checking out lots of recipes on the internet and watching all the food shows on TV. 

Love Nigella Lawson's new show.

Especially this recipe (my kind of recipe)

Serves 6

Christmas in a Glass

Ingredients
1 bottle of gingerbread flavoured syrup (or cranberry flavoured syrup)
1 bottle prosecco, or other sparkling dry white wine, well chilled

Method
1. Pour the prosecco into glasses. Add a capful of the syrup to each glass of the prosecco, to taste.

Bottoms Up!

We have a big family party on Christmas Day night so that will be perfect!  One thing that is concerning me is that all the party food I seem to see now is served warm.  I only have an average size oven so that would mean me standing there half the evening, putting things in and out of the oven.  I don't mind a few warm things though.  Is in NAFF to serve cold food now??

Christmas Rush

The Christmas Rush is beginning - I can feel it.  I am so calm and organised (or so I think!) and then all of a sudden I realise how close it is and PANIC...

OK, I know I still have lots of time.  Here is my list of things to do

• Finish shopping for my 15 year old ( I have every other gift I need to get but he is so hard to buy for this year and hasn't really asked for anything in particular, oh dear)
• put up tree and decorations
• Wrap gifts - I have already started (see pic) but only done a few.  Plan on doing a few each day rather than a lot in one sitting
• make a list of food needed for Christmas lunch and for our annual Christmas day family party
• shop for non perishable food and drink
• write cards
• post cards
• post last few presents going by mail
• go on a crash diet so can fit into new skirt - no more Turnocks Teacakes whilst wrapping (see pic)
• bake gingerbread house and cookies for tree

Tree is up.

J loves the decoration pictured below. I hate it but I haven't got the heart to tell him.  I actually like the wreath and sentiment but I don't like the angel.  Would it be terrible of me to give it a makeover before next year?  I was thinking of a softie angel or similar.  He has just been admiring it, oh dear.....