Journal Your Christmas 2013 - Counting Down

We are quite organised this year.  The advent calendars are up on the walls out of little fingers reach.  On one wall we have the calendars they normally have and on the other are some from Granny Joy, which means a double chocolate treat each morning.  I love advent as it makes it feel like Christmas is really on the way but it also means we  only 25 days left to get everything sorted, so the count down is really on!!

Advent Calendars

When Edward was a year old I made him an Advent calendar he could keep for years to come and maybe if it lasts hand it down to his children.  This year I made Eleanor one.  I started it back in September to make sure it would be ready by December for her.  Adam and I would watch the Tudors in the evening and I'd sit with my little pile of Aida squares ready to sew each day.  It turned out to be quite a long job but I loved making it.  I think there is something lovely about having a handmade calendar that they can have out every year for years to come and when they look back when they are older its a memory they will love (I hope).  I already have my orders from Bethany that she would like one ready for next year so I'd better get sewing.

Journal Your Christmas 2013 - Manifesto

At this time of year there is always a lot going on in our house.  The children have extra things going on at school as well as Brownies and Scouts and the calendar always looks pretty busy from the moment it is turned over to December.  As we are so busy the time just flies by so fast and before we know it the big day is here.

This year I intend to record Christmas and enjoy it at the same time.  I will be baking, making and creating all the way though December to make Christmas magical for us all.

Back in November Adam took me to the Christmas shop in Lechlade-on-Thames.  Every year I say I'd love to go but we always run out of time.   I was surprised how busy it was even though Christmas was still weeks away.  I quickly snapped this photo of Father Christmas before we went in.  I could easily of got carried away in there all the lovely little sparkling things, it was like a sweet shop for a Christmas loving adult.

Felt Christmas Decorations........Finally

I always admire the felt Christmas decorations in the shops and every year I think about making them and never do.  Well this year I decided it was the year I was going to try and make some.  I popped in to Hobbycraft and they had some felt on offer so I came home with a huge pile ready to get making.  The only problem I am having with them I am now they are addictive!!!  I cut and sew them in the day time and blanket stitch them in the evening while watching Inspector Morse (Adam and I decided it was about time we actually watched the series!!).

This little guy was the first one I made.  I didn't quite know what I was going to do when it came to the eyes so this one as a bit of an evil glare to him, but he's still lovely all the same.

Journal Your Christmas 2013 - Cover

Yay, its finally here.  I have been trying to get ahead of myself for this years Journal Your Christmas class.  I have collected supplies from years gone by and added a few more for this year but tried not to go silly.

So here is my front cover for this year.  I am using an A5 binder from Paperchase and filled it will kraft card stock cut to size.  I bought myself some divider cards which had to be cut down a little so that they fitted.

So lets see how far I get this year............

Project Life Week 2

Its amazing how many things happen in just one week.  Some weeks I look back and don't think Ive achieved anything but this project makes you realise how much you actually do.
A few weeks back Adam made corn dogs, since then he has been talking about buying a chip pan to fry them in.  We did buy an electrical one a few years back but took it straight back as it was far to small.  So I got on the Internet and found a chip pan that works on the hob.  So that night we had home made chips, gammon and peas and I must say they were very nice even if the house did smell like a chip shop afterwards.

For a few weeks now I have noticed Eleanor's been banging her feet on the end of her carrycot as she has run out of space in there.  So this week we put her cot up in our room, but we had to go and buy some new sheets as I couldn't find Edwards ones.  We popped over to Mothercare and they had a sale on so we bought her a new sleeping bag, it is slightly to big for her but the way she is growing it wont be long before shes filling it.  As soon as she was in there out went the arms in to space she had never experienced while sleeping in her bed before. 

As we were in Oxford today we thought it was the perfect opportunity to take Spike the urchin back to The Goldfish Bowl.  We bought him back in the summer but he has just grown and grown and recently he has started to attack some of the corals in the tank.  So Adam set about catching him with a couple of kitchen utensils and I got a Lock and Lock tub ready for him to go in.  While in the shop we bought a new Anemone to replace the one that sadly died.  This time it is a purple tip anemone and is huge.

For Christmas Mark bought me a book about sock creatures which came with the socks to make one of the creatures.  So I dusted off my sewing machine and set about making him. The instructions weren't really written in the easiest way but I got there in the end so here he is.

As part of my new years resolution I decided that we should eat more vegetables and I should make the effort to make meals from scratch or at least buy fresh vegetables.  So Eleanor and I drove over to the vegetable barn in Hinton Waldrist and bought some carrots, potatoes, broccoli and a cabbage.  The barn is in a really lovely location so it is quite nice to drive over there and see what he has to offer, even if the car does get covered in mud!

The highlight of the week though has to be going out for lunch to The Blue Ginger in Steventon with Adams family for Ian's Birthday.  It was also the first time we had been anywhere nice to eat since Eleanor's been born.  I had planned that she would be asleep to whole time we were there but in true Eleanor style she smelt the food and was wide awake but was no trouble at all.  The food was lovely to and were were the only people in the place for most of the time. 

After the meal we all came back to ours for puddings.  I have been dying to use my cupcake stand since I was given it last Christmas.  I made what I thought would be enough cupcakes on the Saturday but needed to make a few more on Sunday morning so I had enough to fill the stand as I was very pleased with how hey all looked when they were on the stand.

They had forecast snow this week and it finally arrived in the early hours of Monday morning,  I had a sneaky peck out of the window after feeding Eleanor at 3am so I knew before the children but as soon as they knew they leaped out of their beds, came down ate their breakfasts, got dressed and went out to play in the snow before school.  Sadly for them by the time they came home the snow had all melted.

 

Journal Your Christmas - 2nd December

Adam and I decided we would do a spot of Christmas shopping today.  We had picked up a few things in the last few months but hadn't thought about it since.  So we headed off to Witney and started off the morning with a lovely cooked breakfast in the local cafe.  Now ever time I look at the picture I want to pop over there again, it was the perfect way to start the day. 

We popped in to the book shop to get a few ideas as well as the toy shop, clothes shops and any other shops that a few Christmas nic nacs.  We finished off in Marks and Spencer to pick up some dinner and I picked us up a cake each to have with a well deserved cup of tea when we got home.

Journal Your Christmas - 1st December 2012

Last year I started this project with every intention of completing it but I failed.  Its now sat in a box under my desk.  So this year I'm hoping to complete it even if it takes me until next Christmas!!

Here is my manifesto.  Ive included a few photos from last year and a list of all the bits and pieces I'm going to need.  The page protectors aren't quite working out as I hoped though  they don't hold things in without having to tape them up.

Journal Your Christmas - Album Cover

This year I am determined to complete this project.  Last year I seemed to run out of time and then the memories disappeared with it.  So this year I have my note pad at the ready so that I can record all the memories and goings on so that even if I don't get an entry done straight away I can look back in my note book and compose a page (that's the plan anyway).

I have bought myself a selection of multi pocket page protectors so make it a little bit more interesting.

 So here is the front cover, I decided to keep it simply and included a few of the snowflakes that I used on the date tags and my latest purchase.....bakers twine, I love it x

Project LIfe Week 1

This year I plan on taking part in Project life.  I've not ordered my core kit yet as I can decided what one I want.  So while I'm still in the planning stages I'm keeping a journal off all the things that happen in the week as well as making sure I have my camera with me where ever I go.

I decided this year I was going to do more cooking from scratch.  Adam was given a sausage cook book for Christmas so I had a flick though and found a recipe for sausages, sweet potato, basil and goats cheese. I changed it ever so slightly by adding spinach instead of basil and it tasted lovely.  I'd only ever had goats cheese once before and that time it tasted and smelt like a goat.  So my tastes must have changed as I really enjoyed it.

Adam decided to start the new year off with a nice clean van.  The pressure washer needed a slight repair before he could really get going.  I'm not sure I've ever seen it done like this before but it did the job and it is now parked out side gleaming white. 

The schools went back on Monday.  Even though it was sad that Christmas was all over it was nice to get back to normal an know that all the jobs that needed doing could now be done with out the children getting in the way, I could pop to the shops rather than having to plan a military style outing. 

We also went out for a walk (a little one as it was quite muddy) on Greenham Common.  It was lovely to see Adam pushing Eleanor along in her pushchair, normally we are in the super market and I don't get to see it.  Eleanor was awake the whole time and really seemed to be enjoying being out in the open and fresh air. 

The best day and worst day of 2012!

The best and worst day of 2012!

 2012 was an odd year for me.  I spent the first 9 months of it pregnant which I loved every minute of and wished now that I hadn't wished it away as I did, I miss the excitement of the planning it all and the unknowing what baby was going to be.  But then on the other hand I have the most gorgeous baby girl to be thankful for.  The birth may not have quite gone to plan, I didn't get to use my tankini I'd bought especially for the water birth I'd planned and I lost my car all in the same day but I still have my baby girl to cuddle and kiss when ever I like.

Its taken my quite a while to get over what actually happened on the way to the hospital.  I think to start off with I thought it was all a dream and nothing really happened.  I thought Adam was going to go over to collect the baby's bits out of it and say it was fine. I didn't look at the car as we left in the ambulance so it was a bit of a shock when he came back and showed me this photo.

 


I know it probably sounds crazy but all I could think about was my lovely car and how much I loved it, still do!  I now look at it and realise how luck we all were.  Adam walked away with a broken collar bone and I was just badly bruised.  But most importantly baby was fine.

 

Poor Adam couldn't pick Eleanor up to give her the big cuddle he wanted to but hes making up for it now.  His shoulder still causes him trouble but its getting better.

Eleanor is now 4 months old and we couldn't ask for a happier baby, she is perfect in every way.  Having four children in the house took a bit of getting used to but we are coping quite well and it seems to be working.

So this year I would like a normal, boring year please!  Maybe a few surprises along the way but all good things!