Christmas has arrived

 I managed to get my decorations up before Sunday, again I had spare stuff which I will take to a charity shop. The only big item new this year is my poinsettia plant, and a couple little white houses. This wreath on our front door, it's not new, I've revamped it, added a few coloured lights.

Our tree is huge, it is again years old, as are the decorations, mainly glass, it's the main focus in the house. Keeping George away is a struggle, look at his smile, pure joy, Molly is much better at understanding not to touch. I do love my tree and will use it until it falls to bits, I put the real candles on again this year, I don't like tinsel so you won't find any in this house, I like my tree to look old fashioned. 

Lovely to see them all together, taken at a good garden centre just under an hour away, they do Christmas so very well, this was their winter wonderland walk, pre-booked, so plenty of space for everyone. 

The village ladies took the poppy display down, and replaced them with Christmas themed ones, our lights were turned on last Friday, I was babysitting so we did not go, we are lucky to still have a huge tree and lights in the prescient. 

Whilst I decorated listening to Christmas music, it's a playlist I made a couple of years ago, from hymns to pop and everything in between, hubby was baking, he made mince pies, using my homemade mincemeat and sausage rolls, his pastry is so good. So many of our decorations are old, I revamp them each year, I have loads of silk greenery, no sparkly colour themed bits here, our house is feeling festive, with the spices from the baking, smells good as well. 

Friday I slept over at daughters whilst she went to the local fundraise for Portsmouth Downs Syndrome Association, she stayed local to the venue and had a wonderful lazy Saturday morning. The children whilst excited to have me there were so very good, each going to bed on time, George woke at 4.30am but went back to sleep, Molly woke at 6.45am, so an early start, Will is such a good boy as well. Other than being tired by such an early start it was the easiest sleep over, as they are getting older they are able to do more for themselves and less tears, daughter was worried (as I'm not getting any younger) it would be too much, I'm happy to say I'm still able to help where I can. We also picked up all the leaves from the back garden, I had my slaves (Molly and George) putting leaves into buckets as I swept, and emptied the buckets into a bigger container.

We had a lovely Sunday roast together with daughter and little ones,  they all ate well, both Molly and George asked for more food, afterwards our house was very quiet, still and very tidy.

November round-up

 I am still using items from my craft stash, the extra balls of yarn for my brothers blanket are not on here, that was taken from our Christmas gift total, not much in the garden, which is often the case at this time of year. I have purchased a few Christmas bits, and being lazy I've not recorded my spend, nothing expensive,  just small bits, even the poinsettia blooms were only £6 each.

Household spending was OK, we had to replace our kettle, the lid was sticking and we did purchase a bigger speaker for Alexa, we both love music and our current model would not stay paired with our sound-bar, which meant switching on the TV every time we wanted music. I think we have all we need for Christmas, other than fresh bits. I paid daughter £50 for Lilly towards her vet bills.

No waste again, we even made pumpkin soup with the real pumpkin I had in my display, not many harvest from the garden, just leeks and parsnips, both are smaller. 

I've been without my fitbit, so I am trying to move as much as I can, my weight is much the same, I did have my pre diabetic and cholesterol blood test this month, both results came back the same as last year, which was very pleasing.

Soft, bubbly and fresh

Lilly with her brothers and sisters, they are all active and starting to try weaning mousse, Lilly is in the middle, the light grey kitten, next to her is a biscuit coloured kitten called Freddie, daughter is keeping him, the others all have nice homes to go to. It's a case of waiting until they can feed themselves before bringing her home, sometime between 8 and 10 weeks, they are almost 5 weeks old now. 

Hubby has started his first sourdough, he's following Paul Hollywood's recipe, just something new to try, I have everything crossed this takes off, but we are aware often they just don't start to bubble.

This week we had leek and potato soup for lunch, the leeks came out of the ground and into the soup maker in less than an hour, I said my leeks were small, but that has not impacted on the taste. With a fresh baked roll, pure delight. 

I have used my poinsettia blooms and turned them into this plant, it's a great size and tucked back it looks real, which is brilliant as the leaves start to drop the moment a real one comes into our home. I just need to add fake soil.

 

Looking back on older post my decorations in recent years been up by now, I aim to have them sorted by Sunday, daughter and children are coming for a Sunday roast after going for a winter wonderland walk, so it would be nice for them to see our tree all lit up, it will also brighten our home. I have my Christmas music list ready on Alexa, the first play is always the day our tree goes up.

Nothing much is happening here, both hubby and I have coughs and a cold each, for once not from the little ones, I am reading and sorting the edging on my brothers blanket, and I've wrapped a few gifts. I only have to find something for daughter, we don't have many gifts to get, most of the grandsons like to have money. 

I am loving the blue skies again, dry days, laundry on the line (not fully drying), nothing to do outside, just occasionally watering the greenhouse, ensuring the bird feeders are full and the water spots are not frozen. We do wake up most mornings to our roofs being white, just an air frost, nothing on the ground.

A bit of retail

 Daughter and I popped to Southampton, where they have their Christmas displays and huts, I wanted a photo here, but people kept walking through, I will stop them said daughter and she did, long enough for this photo. The poinsettia stems she is carrying are fake, I manged to get long stemmed big blooms.

It was lovely blue skies, dry and warmer than recent days.

Most of the huts were selling food from all over Europe. Visiting on a Monday, it was not too busy, daughter got the few bits she wanted, I got a couple stocking fillers for Molly. We don't often come here, preferring Portsmouth water front Gunwharf Quays.

Southampton has a huge inside shopping centre, all the main and designer brands, John Lewis over many floors, the section inside the doors was given over to Christmas decorations, they were beautiful, neither of us wanted any, I was so pleased to find the poinsettia blooms, I have been looking for a big fake plant, the blooms worked out much cheaper, plus I have a pot I can use, with a bit of florist tape, it will look good. Afterwards I popped back to daughters and had a cuddle with Lilly, I did not do the school run as George was very upset on Sunday when I went home. It was more a day together than full on shopping, daughter visits shop brands different to where I would go. 

Tuesday was a lazy day, another dry sunny day, we walked to the village, I raised the nets over my broad beans plants, I harvest a few leeks, they are not so big, but lovely in leek and potato soup. I picked up leaves, not many, I've been placing them over my rhubarb crown, I planted another Amaryllis bulb and sorted the pot for My fake poinsettia blooms. Hubby had a busy baking day, blackberry and apple crumble with custard, he has also started a sourdough mixture, I gave the Christmas cakes another drink of brandy. 

This morning I'm with Molly for an hour, it's too wet to be outside, so we can play inside, later we are bringing down my Christmas boxes, I want to redo my silk greenery displays, I rather do it early than rush it next week. With my back being so weak I will do our decorations over a few days.