A touch of Christmas – Part 1

With just 2 days left til Christmas I realized I haven’t shared many Christmasy photos and none of our decorations. I even missed doing the Christmas Tour of Homes this year because it was a particularly crazy week. It’s been an especially busy month and I’ve spent a LOT of time out of the house (which I don’t like and am not used to), so I’m looking forward to our small relaxed Christmas Day, followed by a few days of not doing much… besides splashing around the pool and eating leftovers:-). I haven’t even taken many photos but here’s a sample of what been happening around here. And I’m so behind on Journal Your Christmas it’s not funny.

This is my favourite photo so far this season…

Picture the Holidays - 4th Dec

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Reflections… a prompt for Picture the Holidays…which I am also behind in :-(.

Picture the Holidays - 8th Dec

Plenty of shopping – love using my Christmas bags.

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Flowers in Christmas colours and my new tablecloth by Dandi (a new discovery – great quality)

Picture the holidays - 11th Dec

Christmas albums – love getting these out and reflecting on past Christmases.

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The print and wooden reindeer are two of my new purchases this year. Both were bought in Canberra.

Picture the Holidays - 2nd Dec

And a scene from our Christmas village.

Picture the holidays - 6th December

The internet is painfully slow this morning so I’ll share some more later.

20 Christmas Questions

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Saw this on Rachel’s blog (think it’s doing the rounds) and thought it a fun idea.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper, though sometimes wrapped presents will get put into gift bags

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artifical – always has been. It would be fun to have a real tree – they sure do look great – but I’d feel bad about killing the tree :-).

3. When do you put up the tree? The last few years it’s been mid-November

4. When do you take the tree down? After boxing day – which is why I put the tree up so early 🙂

5. Favorite gift received as a child? Toss up between Baby Alive, a guitar, trampoline and roller skating (the daggy kind that clipped on to your shoes).

6. Hardest person to buy for? My Mum or Dad – they seem to take turns each year. Mum’s birthday being in December doesn’t make it easy.

7. Easiest person to buy for? ME!!! I never have trouble buying a present for myself :-). The kids are pretty easy as well, though it’s getting harder as they get older.

8. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail and it’s still homemade for me

9. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas with the Kranks. Love the Santa Claus movies too.

10. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually October – just buying things as I see them. Most is done in December.

11. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably.

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? It was Santa Mallows until they stopped making them. Now it’s shortbread and Gingerbread muffins.

13. Lights on the tree (colored or clear)? Clear – white, definitely not blue.

14. Favorite Christmas song? Driving home for Christmas – Chris Rea

15. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home – ever since Amy was born

16. Angel, star or ribbon on top of tree? A silver star, though I like the idea of ribbon

17. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning, with PJs given to the girls on Christmas Eve.

18. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? How crowded the shopping centers get. Luckily I’m a morning person and can organise to get their early. We also have end of school year so it’s a very busy time socially.

19. What do you want for Christmas this year? To enjoy our first Christmas Day without any extended family.

20. Traditional colors (red and green) or other colors? Uusally red, white and silver – but this year I’m going silver and purple for xmas lunch.

Please let me know if you do this. It’s a fun way to think about the season.

An early Christmas present ….

to me and from me :-). Ordered from my favourite shop in the UK – Whittards.

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Best of all, nothing arrived broken. They won’t replace any international breakages and last time I had a tea pot break. This time it was packed much better.

Three beautiful Christmas mugs… how will I choose which one to use each day….

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a very cute tea pot for one…

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a large Christmas tea pot…. to serve tea to guests….

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a tea pot cossie….I’ve never owned one before but this was so cute…and it actually works… great for a big tea drinker like me 🙂

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some cookies I couldn’t resist buying… being that chocolate and orange together is my very favourite combination.

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and another jug to use as a vase…

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There was also 2 Christmas towels :-). Indulgent yes, but they are making me so happy….and they were on sale :-).

It’s that time of year….

with just over 6 weeks to go and a couple of presents bought or ordered….it’s time to break out the Christmas planner.

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When I was getting the planner out the Anthea Turner “The Perfect Christmas” fell out and almost hit me on the head :-). Totally forgot I had that book so I look forward to reading through it again.

I also discovered I hadn’t yet shared my Christmas note book with you so I decided to make a video. As you’ll see I had a bit of fun trying to work out how to show it to you – with everything being reversed in the camera :-).

Here are the resources I mentioned in the video.

Flylady  Holiday Control Journal (free)

Organized Christmas (free)

Cut the crazy out of Christmas (blog that accompanies paid class)

Get Organized for the holidays (paid class)