Christmas Eve & Morning

YAY the final Christmas blog.

Don't get me wrong I love Christmas but I also love when it's over.  I like to get back to my normal eating habits, no more junk and also the clutter of Christmas once it's over drives me insane...I don't mind everything in the lead up but afterwards I almost can't stand to look at it.

So anyway this was our Christmas Eve and Christmas morning

Christmas Eve both in their Christmas jammies and both looking and smiling at the camera.  Rat_boy was extremely tired and on his way to bed.

Photo taken by Rat_girl, her santa table.  Milo and Christmas goodies for Santa and some water and fruit and veg platter for the reindeer, all her idea and doing.

Santa has been!!  Mind you only a few presents are from him the rest were hiding in the back room from the Southern Counterparts

Christmas morning, the present opening frenzy begins!

 Thanks Nan! Such a big rat.

 My lame attempt to get her to eat her Christmas breakfast, Christmas tree egg, santa and bell shapped toast.  Didn't work!

 This is what she looked like all Christmas day.

 And the finale to Christmas my first ever home made pav.  Apparently I nailed it.  I wouldn't know I hate the stuff...blurgh but now that I've made 1 Concrete_man expects it more often.

 And finally a couple days later all packed away.  I love these boxes from Big W very cheap even before midnight sales.  I also got a big wrapping paper one that has lots of little nooks and crannies to stors cards, tags, ribbon, tape etc..it's massive!

 Labelled LOL love my label maker!

That's it Christmas is over now until next time.  I have so many idea and plan for next Christmas I probably need to start in January!

Oh 1 last one, my present from my sister in law

Christmas, more of

I guess you could say that this year our 'theme' for Christmas was 'handmade.

We made some Christmas decorations and I made quite a few gifts and cards.  Mind you I can't say if I'll do it again.  I put a lot of effort into some of the gift yet of Christmas day when the southern counterparts spoke to Concrete_man on the phone they didn't even mention if they received them let alone say thank you!  And when he had a more in depth converstaion the next day he waited until the end of the conversation and when still nothing was said he asked and got the response "oh yes we received them, very nice thank you"  That was it.  Yet when Rat_girl didn't want to speak to her autny on the phone on Christmas day she chucked a wobbly staing "well after all that effort I went to with her present and I don't even get a hello or a thank you" and was upset that we didn't force her to speak to her.  And don't eve get me started on the present.  She gave her a Cabbage Patch Doll, yess very lovely and obviously she spent a fortune.  But a) Rat_girl is a little young and doesn't quite understand how special these dolls are and b) that is what I had already planned for her 5th birthday and I really would have rathered something special like that come from me or someone she actually knows not an aunty she never sees or speaks to.  Anyway just gotta let it go whats done is done.  The auntys kids all they got was gift cards from me, I tried to put the effort in and ask what they actually wanted or needed but she just sais gift cards...I tried.

Anyway some of our handmade items...

Our tree decorations.  I let Rat_girl run with these, I did the mixing and kneading and she rolled out and cut the shapes.  Then her and a friend painted and decorated. I think they turned out great, not sure if they will last for next year but you never know.  OH and the smell, I put some christmassy spices in and they smelt good enough to eat.

Christmas Decorations

The Christmas puddings that I posted earlier, these are just delish and so easy.

A couple things I made for myself.  We did a photo shoot with the kids early Nov especially for Christmas gifts and cards

Hanging frame

Start brag book

And another little glitter picture that the Rat_girl made

The presents I made for the inlaws on the Gold Coast

Hanging frame for 10yo nephew, from his trip here earlier in the year

Hanging frames for Brother in law and Sister in law

And a could star brag books for Nanny (mother in law) and Nanna (grand mother in law)

And the little gift bags I made to give out to some neighbours and some friends.

So there is still more to come on Christmas, I guess the next post should be about Christmas eve and preparing for Santa's arrival.

Christmas

We have done so much this Christmas in the way of gift and decoration making and baking etc that I just don't know where to start posting.

So i think after the BIG even tomorrow I'll post it all then and do a big Christmas wrap up.

But here is a preview of a couple of the things we did.

Mini Christmas Puddings for Kindy

Awesome little glitter pictures made by Rat_girl

Christmas decorations handmade and painted by Rat_girl, baked by me

Lots more to come...it's been very exciting this year getting in to the hand made suff for Chrissy but I do need to start and plan earlier next year.  I just got carried away and kept adding more things to my list this year.

Anyway speaking of getting carried away, I'm just doing up some more lil puddings, some green and red cake mix biscuits and some christmas bark....I'm searing for these recipes I'll link you up when I find them.

Merry 1st of December

YAY so many things to achieve today but the biggest of all...get up the tree and decorate the house..

Pictures to come!!!

*sings "And so this is Christmas...."

Giveaway - test to see if I have any reader I guess!!

This year was my first year ordering Chrisco and it was so exciting when the boxes arrived.  Oh and if anyone is keen for next year, I'm an agent so yell out.

Right so for the giveaway if anyone is reading this, I'm going to throw up photos and lists of what I received, a winner will be randomly selected from anyone that posts a comment with receipe ideas from what I received.

An extra entry into the draw  if you become a follower of my blog.  Don't forget to make sure there is a way for me to contact you.

As you can see Rat_girl was very very excited...

And when all the sweets and treats were right on top of the box she thought it was Christmas that DAY!!!

So here we go, sweets and treats

Snacks, breakfast and beverages

Cans, jars, past, rice, dressings, noodles etc

As for the meat this is what we got

1 kg of chicken breast

2 x 500g Prime rump steak

500g bacon

500gm pork loin steaks

1.6kg celebration ham (thinking glazed ham)

500gm lamb forequarters

500gm beef schnitzel

500g Porterhous steak

2 x 500g Mince

500g Pork Sausages

500gm BBQ sausages

1.5kg Roast Beef

PRIZE is a gift card from Coles/Myer

YAY & BOO

BOO - Haven't been able to log in since Monday, no idea why

YAY - Finally logged in today

BOO - Have to clean the house and get everything off the floor for pest control tomorro

YAY - No more ants or roaches

BOO - Need to sort the fridge, freezer and pantry to make room because.....

YAY - My Chrisco hamper is arriving today!!!!!  The hardest part of this is, when I ordered it we had just purcahse a chest freezer for extra space.  But then before we got to use it we had to ship it out to the Islands as Concrete_man needed to use it on a job.  It never ended up getting used but now lives permanently in his work container to be shipped around the Islands 'just in case'.....so what this means is I HAVE NO WHERE TO KEEP ALL THE MEAT I ORDERED!!!!

Christmas Gifts

This, or something similar is what I plan to do for Christmas gifts this year.

Plus I am thinking, we're having a little disco party for Rat_girls 4th birthday in December.  I might do one for the parents of each child along with some home made playdough as party favours.