Our Christmas!

First of all, I do hope that all my readers had a lovely Christmas! I've been a bit quiet lately, this is the first time that I have actually sat down at the computer in what seems like ages! It was a strange build up to Christmas for us this year, as we spent the first two weeks of December enjoying the Florida sunshine. Then we all came back ill so it took us several days to recover and get over the jet lag. We didn't even have an Advent calendar this year as we were away for so much of Advent, and I didn't do nearly as much crafting or other festive activities as I would have done normally.

However we have enjoyed a lovely Christmas. Harry really enjoyed taking part in his first Nativity play as one of the shepherds, and I loved watching my first Nativity play - all the children were so sweet! We spent a few days before Christmas with my in-laws in the Midlands, then returned on Christmas Eve for a Christmas Day at home, before joining my brother and parents at his on Boxing Day.

We have managed to avoid filling the house with too much coloured plastic, in fact nothing was received that required batteries! We also spread the present opening over several days which I think works really well because then the children have time to appreciate each gift - they haven't even received their gift from my parents yet as some assembly is required! I'm afraid that the children's food over the last couple of days has largely consisted of Pringles and party rings - back to proper food tomorrow!

I started one new tradition this year which I've heard that a lot of people also do - new pajamas on Christmas Eve. I bought some while we were on holiday so I wasn't quite sure of the sizes, with the result that they are a little snug, but at least they are nice and warm! Harry was really into the idea of Father Christmas this year, we sprinkled reindeer food and put out a mince pie and carrot.

Our Christmas dinner is a little non-traditional - we mainly eat vegetarian food so we didn't have a turkey but we had lots of roasted vegetables and other party food, as well as a plate of cheese sandwiches for the fussier members of the family.

Although I've been away a little bit from my own blog, I've loved reading on-line about everyone elses's Christmas and all the different and similar traditions that people have. When I was little I remember every Christmas as being the same, which was wonderfully comforting and familiar (although I imagine also distorted by the nostalgia of childhood). I am expecting our family Christmases to be different every year as we visit different people in different orders and combinations, but I hope to have some continuity and develop some traditions that we can take with us wherever we are.

Now we are entering that strange time after Christmas before the shiny New Year starts. We have some decorating which has been waiting for a long time (it's now a year since we moved!) so we will spend the next few days taking it in turns to do some painting while the other entertains the children!

New pajamas at stocking hanging time!

My first Gingerbread House for Christmas

I've been meaning to make a gingerbread house for a long time. I've always been put off because I thought that they looked really complicated and would probably fall down, and also we always seem to be away in the days leading up to Christmas and I have never found the time. Then earlier this year I saw a post on The Crazy Kitchen, where a couple of bloggers were making gingerbread houses for celebrations throughout the year, and I made a resolution that I would make one this Christmas. I added it to my Day Zero Project, researched and planned, and I finally made one!

After all the agonising over it, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was all a lot easier than I had expected! I used this recipe from Tesco, which also includes a printable template for the gingerbread house. There's even a handy video which is worth watching because it contains some useful tips.

I'm not really a fan of jelly sweets so I concentrated on the chocolate - chocolate buttons, Maltesers, Minstrels and Smarties. I even let Harry help with the decoration, under my watchful eye of course. I cannot describe how proud I am of my little house. I keep going up to it and admiring it. I am also desperate to start eating it, once I've shown it off to everyone of course!

I'm linking up to The Crazy Kitchen Christmas Gingerbread House Linky!

Guest post - Memories of a 1950's Christmas

This lovely guest post about her childhood Christmas memories is from my Mum, Helen, who blogs herself at bitstobuy. Enjoy!

Taking the tiny artificial tree out of its bag and putting it up with the same old broken decorations which probably dated from 20 years before. The lights never worked first time but we usually got them going.

Making paper chains out of newspaper and flour paste.

Being so excited because it was the only day that my Dad wasn't working and he was home all day.

Not being able to get to sleep because Santa was coming. Even though someone at school told me when I was 5 that there was no Santa Claus, the pretense was kept going until I was about 10.

Seeing that lumpy pillowcase at the bottom of the bed in the early hours.

Opening my stocking and knowing that there would always be an orange and some chocolate money.

Using the front parlour room which was never used any other day of the year. Dad would take some coals on a shovel from the living room to put in the front room grate. We would get the Dansette record player out and play 'A white sports coat and a pink carnation', and Mantovani records.

Folding up the paper from presents carefully so that it could be used again next year.

All sitting round first thing in the morning to open presents. Dad usually got new vests and Mum some smelly soap.

Mum looking flustered and serving up dry turkey, mashed and roast potatoes (two different kinds of potato!) sausages and bacon, and stuffing, and thin gravy.

The Christmas pudding cooking for hours and filling the house with steam.

Finding a silver 6 pence piece in the pudding and giving it back to be used again next year.

Mum and Dad falling asleep in the afternoon.

Watching the Queen on a 9 inch screen Bush television.

I can still remember that feeling of excitement that this day was different.

How to make a Nativity Play Shepherd's costume from a pillowcase

I was very relieved to find out that Harry had been cast as a Shepherd in his pre-school Nativity play. It is the first costume that we've been asked to provide, and I think that we've been lucky. Because of this I was determined to put together my own costume. Asda sell a nice ready made Shepherd's costume for £8, so my personal challenge was to make a costume for cheaper that (in my opinion!) looks just as good.

I don't have a sewing machine, and the costume probably won't last much longer than it's needed, but I think it does the job!



Shepherd's Nativity costume from a pillowcase

Here's what I bought:

Pillowcase - 98p (£1.96 for two at Asda)
Ribbon - 50p (3 metre remnant)
Velcro 21p for 3 inches
Cord - 80p for 2 metres

Total cost = £2.49 - well under budget!

We already had a suitable checked tea towel, sandals, long sleeved t-shirt, stuffed sheep (free once when we bought a bed) and a curtain pole.

The pillowcase forms the base of the outfit. I cut a hole for his head in the top, and then a small slit down the back. I sewed velcro along the slit to fasten it. Then I cut a hole for each arm, from about an inch below the top of the pillowcase. I also removed some of the flap from the bottom of the pillowcase to make it less bulky. It is quite long on Harry but I decided not to shorten it as I thought I'd only make it look messy. I think that he looks sweet in an oversized costume anyway!

I decided to make the costume a bit more individual by sewing two lengths of ribbon down the front. It did take a while, and my stitches are a bit wonky, but I think it looks okay. I'm sure that a Shepherd would have sewn his own clothes, and he wouldn't have had a sewing machine. Then I cut my 2m length piece of cord into two, one half to tie around the tea towel on the head and one half to tie around his middle. Harry is wearing a long sleeved t-shirt underneath, I found one that had plain sleeves that matched the fabric.

The crook is made from an old curtain pole, the slim type used to hang net curtains. I fashioned the hooked end from cardboard, then sellotaped it all together firmly. I covered it with strips of plain paper and gave it a couple of coats of brown paint. I'm fully expecting the teachers to take it off him for health and safety reasons, as he does have a tendency to brandish it wildly!

What do you think, will it do?

Some themed toddler craft and activity ideas for Christmas

Over on Toddler Things, I've been putting together some themed Christmas craft and activity ideas for toddlers and pre-schoolers. I'm sharing them here, and I hope that you find something fun to do with your children in the build-up to Christmas!

Snowmen crafts, activities and resources



Reindeer crafts, activities and resources

Angels crafts, activities and resources

Robins crafts, activities and resources

Holly crafts, activities and resources

I will be away on holiday for a couple of weeks, but I have a few posts scheduled for while I am away, and I may be able to pop in from time to time. To start with, look out on Thursday for instructions on how to make a super easy Shepherd's Nativity costume from a pillowcase!

Felt Christmas stocking decorations

This week we are Counting Down to Christmas with Tree Decorations. These little felt stockings are based on some that my Mum made when we were little. They are to be used instead of hanging chocolates on the tree - they are sized to fit a funsize chocolate bar, or they can hold several individually wrapped chocolates.

I made a template for the stockings on paper by drawing around a small chocolate bar. Then I just cut out the two halves from red felt and sewed them together by hand. I cut out the trim from white felt and glued it along the top. The gold yarn has been sewn in for hanging, and the beads have been glued on for decoration.

There are lots of ways that you could decorate these simple stockings - perhaps with scraps of fabric or ribbon, embroidery, sequins or buttons. You could also make up some blank felt stockings and let your children decorate them by sticking things on.

 

 

This Tree Decoration post is part of the Counting Down to Christmas Blog Hop which is being co-hosted by the following blogs:

Rainy Day Mum ~ Mummy Mummy Mum! ~ Life at the Zoo ~ The Fairy and The Frog ~ Jennifer’s Little World ~ Making Boys Men ~ The Boy and Me ~ Mama Pea Pod ~ Here Come the Girls

You might also like some of my other Christmas posts:

Ways to fill a wooden Advent Calendar
How to make a simple Advent Calendar
Reindeer handprint Christmas cards

Make sure to have a look at some of the other brilliant ideas linked up below!

Reindeer handprint Christmas cards

This week, the theme for the Counting Down to Christmas Blog Hop is Cards. One of the first Christmas tasks is sending out the Christmas cards, and as we are going away for two weeks during the build up to Christmas I need to start thinking about them early this year.

I must admit that this handprint reindeer Christmas card is not an original idea. Harry brought one back from nursery last year and I fell in love with it, so much so that I kept it close by all year long. I decided to replicate it this year, this time with Mia's handprint and Harry's help for the details.

All you need to do is make some handprints with brown paint onto coloured paper or card. It's worth making far more than you need so that you can choose the best. Then just add two googly eyes and a red nose! I cut out the reindeer and Harry helped me to glue them onto some contrasting coloured card, this way you don't need to worry too much if you end up with some duff handprints. We used different sized googly eyes for some variety. They are so easy, and I think they look really sweet!

This Christmas card post is part of the Counting Down to Christmas Blog Hop, which is being co-hosted by the following blogs:

Rainy Day Mum ~ Making Boys Men ~ Here come the girls ~ TheBoyandMe ~ Life at the Zoo ~ Jennifer's Little World ~ Playful Learners ~Mummy..Mummy.MUM!!

Make sure to have a look at some of the other great ideas linked up below, and do link up your own Christmas card crafts below! And if you like reindeer, here are some more reindeer crafts.

Easy homemade Advent Calendar to make with kids

It might seem early, but it won't be long until Christmas is upon us! Today I'm sharing how Harry and I made a really simple homemade Advent Calendar. This is a really good project to do with children, as they can do a lot of it themselves, and it's a good way to begin the Christmas crafting. This post is also part of a Counting Down to Christmas Blog Hop, so if you have an Advent craft of your own to share then please do add it to the linky at the bottom of the post.

The template for the Advent calendar is made using Microsoft Word or similar. Firstly set up the page so that the margins are much smaller than usual, then use the drawing tool to make 24 rectangles in various sizes. Try and leave a reasonable gap between the boxes. Then print out two copies - I printed out one copy onto white paper and one onto green paper. The white piece is the background, so it needs to be strengthened by glueing it onto a sheet of thick card. The green piece will be the front.

Then you need to collect together some Christmas images. I mainly used my collection of cuttings from old Christmas cards, which I also use for gift tags. The cardboard meant that they made the Advent calendar a bit sturdier. You could also look for pictures on Christmas wrapping paper, Christmas catalogues and gift guides from shops, magazines with Christmas articles or just use Google images to search for Christmas pictures which you can print out. Cut the pictures to the sizes of the different rectangles and stick them down on top. Try and let them overlap the sides of the boxes a little.

While they are drying, use a craft knife to cut out the windows on the top (green) sheet of paper. Make sure that you have both pieces of paper the same way up, and cut along the top, bottom and right hand side of each box.

Then glue the top piece of paper down onto the background. Only use a minimal amount of glue, you don't want the windows to end up glued down! Make sure that the windows are lined up with the pictures underneath.

When it's all dry, you can use felt pens to write on the numbers for the doors, and bling it up with some glitter glue and sequins. Harry loved helping with this bit, your child can really get involved with personalising their own Advent calendar.

If you have a wooden Advent calendar with boxes, don't forget to have a look at my post with ideas for gifts to fill a wooden Advent calendar!

This Blog Hop is being hosted by the following blogs:

Rainy Day Mum ~ Mummy Mummy Mum! ~ Life at the Zoo ~ Here Come the Girls

The Fairy and The Frog ~ Jennifer's Little World ~ Playful Learners

Making Boys Men and The Boy and Me

There are lots of other fantastic ideas in the linky list below, and don't forget to link up your own Advent crafts!

Boxing Day

When I was little, Boxing Day was an extension of Christmas Day, for staying at home, playing with new toys and eating up the chocolates. The January sales completely passed me by until I met my husband and discovered a new way of spending the days just after Christmas.

Before children we used to get up at the (at that time) hideously early time of 5am and head over to Southampton, stopping at Marks and Spencers on the way then heading on to Next before ending up in the city centre. We never bought a huge amount, but we usually came back with some bargains. When Harry was born we had a year off, but last year, as he was getting up at that time anyway, we bundled him into the car and set out with the pushchair. We managed a limited trip, but he got stroppy very quickly so we weren't really rating our chances when this year we decided to attempt sales shopping with both baby and toddler.

We usually get on quite well with the Marks and Spencer's sale, and as this year the store just down the road in Shoreham has been extended we didn't have to travel too far. We each took a trolley and a child and sped round. We didn't get a lot but were pleased with what we did get. I always get slippers as I wear them out so quickly, and I needed new pajamas. I also bought some festive silicone cup cake cases and chocolate moulds for next year.

On the same retail park, the old Homebase was recently changed into a Next store, so we pushed our luck and pushed over a pushchair. We couldn't believe just how big the store was, and also how empty of people it was. I don't think it was just because of the size, but it was well after the early opening, and there was plenty of stock left. Perhaps the large areas marked out for queuing had been full earlier in the morning, but when we went there were no queues whatsoever and plenty of space to walk around and have a good luck round.

Now we will be continuing our sales shopping from home through the computer!

Our little family Christmas

So this year is probably one of the few that we will spend at home with just the four of us. Mia's first Christmas, and our last Christmas in this house. I really tried to keep things simple this year, as things are hard enough with a baby and a toddler already! In previous years I have gone a bit mad with Harry's stocking presents and he has still been opening gifts days later. This year they each had a small stocking with just five or six small gifts inside, and the family presents will be spread out over a few days as we get round to visiting everyone.

For Harry's main present, we scooped a massive bargain on eBay. He loves his wooden train track, and for just £10 we won an enormous amount of more wooden track, along with trains, tunnels, bridges, stations and accessories. It also included some wooden roadway with cars, trucks, emergency vehicles and an overpass. We emptied the dining room on Christmas Eve once Harry was in bed, and spent the evening putting together a huge layout before papering up the door. Harry spotted the door first thing, but we let him open his stocking first, and then we all had breakfast before we let him go in.

Well, to say he was thrilled was an understatement. He has so far spent most of the day playing with it. His particular favourite is the electronic level crossing, which lowers automatically when a train passes.

We managed to tear him away briefly to open a few family presents.

 No-one noticed that some of Mia's presents were Harry's old rattles wrapped up.

She sat happily in her play ring with her new toys while Harry helped her with the unwrapping.

Our Christmas lunch was also very simple and far from traditional, but took hardly any time to prepare, suited us and was very toddler friendly!



Happy Christmas everyone!

Christmas Eve thoughts

For the first few years that we were together, my husband and I spent Christmas apart, at our respective parents' houses. The first year we spent together was in 2008, when I was heavily pregnant with Harry and didn't want to be too far away from home. Since then, Harry's first two Christmases have been spent at Ram's parents.

This year, and for Mia's first Christmas, we have chosen to spent it just the four of us at home. A little selfish perhaps, but I think it's important that we are able to develop our traditions as a family, and of course we will see the other relatives over the Christmas period. Because it's likely that future Christmases will be spent in various places, I've been trying to develop family traditions which can take place wherever we are.

Ram is vegetarian and I don't really eat much meat, so there won't be a turkey tomorrow. Instead we have stocked up on 'party food' and we will probably just graze throughout the day with perhaps a homemade pizza for dinner. Because we don't intend to be driving we can open a bottle of wine. It would be nice if it's dry enough to get out for a walk, otherwise the little ones will have plenty of new toys to occupy themselves with, and of course there will be plenty of festive television to watch!

Tonight we'll sprinkle reindeer food on the grass and leave out a mince pie and a drink for Father Christmas. We'll hang up the stockings by the fireplace, and tuck up the little ones in bed, knowing that they won't sleep any worse than usual, as Harry is still (just!) too little to be up all night with excitement! Then Ram and I have a bit of work to do in order to get Harry's main Christmas present ready for him tomorrow morning!

Early Christmas and Father Christmas #5

We spent the weekend at Ram's parents in Warwick to celebrate an early Christmas, as we are staying at home for Christmas this year. Grandad took Harry into town to see Father Christmas. Unfortunately Harry clung tightly to me and refused to even look at him. He did ask beforehand where the reindeer were though (in the coffee shop apparently) so he was interested, just terrified.

Harry's favourite present was a doctor's kit which was a big hit, we've been playing with it constantly since with various bits of plastic stuck in our ears and mouth.

Mia got lots of gorgeous clothes and some sparkly hairclips. We finished the day with a bottle of champage (to celebrate our upcoming house move) and a lovely dinner.

Listography - Top 5 things that make Christmas Christmas

This week the theme for the Listography hosted by Kate Takes 5 is the top 5 things that make Christmas Christmas. Here's what makes it Christmas for me:

1 - Opening a big box of chocolates

Boxes of chocolates are usually the first sign of Christmas in the supermarkets. Not branded with anything Christmassy, and not even displayed in a special Christmas section, but everyone knows that their appearance means it's time to start thinking about Christmas. It was always a special moment when I was little and the tin of Roses was opened on Christmas Eve. It's not quite the same these days now that I can just go and buy a box of chocolates whenever I want, but it wouldn't be Christmas without a big tin of chocolates somewhere in the room.

2 - Stockpiling (and eating!) yummy food and drink

We are having a tiny family Christmas this year, no entertaining and no guests. We are also moving house just after Christmas so we are trying to keep purchases to a minimum. Yet we still have a massive pile of chocolates, biscuits, crisps, wine, beer, mince pies, sweets, chocolate bars, crackers...with more party food still to be purchased! It will all get eaten though!

3 - Listening to Christmas songs

We have a collection of Christmas music in various places - the car, the computer, to play through the television, through the iPod dock. Not to mention on the television, radio and in shops. I love listening to Christmas songs, and because you only listen to them at this time of year and not through the rest of the year, they really do evoke Christmas.

4 - Watching television

I remember the excitement surrounding the Christmas Radio Times, and checking to see which new films would be shown and which classics would be repeated. Along with the cold weather and shorter days, Christmas is about sitting in front of the television, watching Christmas specials of your favourite shows, re-watching the classics over again, and sharing them with the next generation.

5 - Dressing up

Dressing a bit more smartly and maybe even putting on some make-up for the work Christmas do, dressing the babies and children in silly outfits and Santa hats, wearing Christmas tree earrings and musical ties, and spending Christmas Day itself wearing a poorly fitting hat from a cracker. And lots of sparkles!

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree Blog Party

It's party season, and Mum of All Trades is hosting a blog party so that we can all share our Christmas trees! I've posted before about how our tree is a bit of a "chuck it all at the tree and hope it doesn't fall off" sort of tree. Sometimes I envy those lovely colour co-ordinated trees that you see in garden centres, but the trouble is that I would get bored with the same colours year after year, and I can't imagine starting again each Christmas. Our tree has decorations that we've made and collected over the years, and it's full of memories.

Our Christmas tree 2011

The gold ornaments were an Ikea sales bargain, I think that they were something like 5p for a box of 50 ornaments. The tinsel dates back to Ram's very first Christmas tree when he moved out of home. I made the felt stockings (which are not quite as stuffed with chocolates as they were a week ago...). The cardboard bauble at the bottom was made by Harry last year. The tree has coloured flashing lights on it and underneath are a collection of small Christmas stuffed toys. I think that the star on top was from Sainsbury's a couple of years ago, it replaced a hideous plastic angel that came from one of those cheap Christmas shops that pops up in town.

Do pop by to Mum of All Trades to see the other Christmas trees and read the fascinating stories behind them.

The everlasting Santa outfit

Surely one of the great pleasures of having children has to be the opportunity to dress them up in silly costumes. When we bought Harry this Father Christmas outfit back in 2009 for his very first Christmas, we had no idea what a bargain it would be.

Christmas 2009

Christmas 2010

Christmas 2011

Another Christmas and the outfit is still going strong! Will he still fit it next year, or will it be Mia's turn?

Father Christmas #4

I concentrated a little more on the build up to Father Christmas for this baby group Christmas party, with the result that Harry was asking constantly through the morning whether Father Christmas was here yet and whether he was coming on his sleigh or walking. There was a slightly sticky moment when I heard that Father Christmas might be ill and not able to make it, but luckily he rallied round and appeared on cue. Harry predictably retreated behind the nearest chair, so I took Mia up by myself.

At least I got a picture of one of them with Father Christmas

They got some lovely little presents and sweets from Father Christmas. They also put on a puppet show for the little ones, Harry had a blue monster puppet to dance along with.

Dancing monster puppet

We had a lovely morning, the helpers really put in so much effort to make it special for the little ones.

A reply from Father Christmas!

A reply from Father Christmas from Royal Mail, and in good time too! Harry was thrilled. He has been role-playing Father Christmas all day, with a sack of presents which he gives out to me and Mia. He also made me "talk" to Father Christmas on the phone to thank him for the present that he received earlier today when he was too shy to actually talk to Father Christmas himself.  

Father Christmas #3

Eagle eyed readers will note the absence of Father Christmas #2. This was a charity visit in the town centre at the weekend, accompanied by Ram.

Today was the first baby group Christmas party, with lots of fun activities (make reindeer food, scatter glitter about, ice gingerbread men). At the end Father Christmas made his appearance, and Harry retreated behind a row of chairs at the back of the room. He told me that he couldn't move because he had broken down and his wheels were stuck. So I had to go over to Father Christmas and ask him if I could possibly have a present for Harry. There was a glimmer of excitement as Harry unwrapped something pink, but it turned out to be a bottle of bubble mixture which Harry promptly upended on the laminate flooring, sending toddlers skidding and sliding off in all directions.

We have another chance for Harry to meet Father Christmas tomorrow at the next baby group party.

Writing the Christmas cards

I know, I'm really late with writing my cards this year. Especially as in the interest of being frugal I prefer to send them second class. I tried to make a bit of a stand this year, as in the past I feel that I have spent a lot of time effectively exchanging cards with the wives of my husband's friends. This year I told my husband "I've got the Christmas cards out for you so that you can write them to your friends". Of course I know that I'll end up writing them out anyway as I'll feel bad when they don't get done. 

Not being at work does mean that my list has reduced this year. I do like to send them to my mummy friends at baby groups, which means I have to try and remember the names of their husbands to put on the card, to avoid writing "Dear X and family" when they have managed to remember mine.

At Harry's nursery, they distribute a list of the names of all the children in his room to make sure that you don't miss anyone. As he only attends for a day and a half a week, I'm sure that he never meets most of these little ones. Today he was delighted to come home with two cards (especially the one that contained a chocolate coin), but when I asked him who the two little girls were that had sent them whose mother had sent them he didn't know! 

I used to make a special effort with each card and include an extra handwritten greeting, or even enclose an individual letter with our news. But then I discovered that most people just sign their names. Especially with everyone being so connected on Facebook and the like I tend to know what everyone else has been up to anyway. 

I wouldn't want to stop sending cards altogether though, it's always nice to have a reminder of a friend pop through the letter box and I appreciate every one that I receive. I just need to get together the motivation to get on and write them!

 

Not just any cards, these are M&S Christmas cards (bought in the sales last year obviously)

The singing reindeer at Center Parcs

These must surely be the highlight of any trip to Center Parcs at Christmas time. Enjoy!