Thrifty Thursday

I think we should gloss over the fact I've been awake since 5.30am because that cute cat from yesterday's post managed to knock over a folded up clothes airer which clattered with an almighty noise as it landed and just concentrate on this weeks thrifty finds.

I'm not sure howold this set of unopened paper plates are but the label does say made in W. Germany. Can I bring myself to use them this Christmas?


Now if there's one thing we aren't short of here it's mugs so Question: why did I buy 2 more? Answer: they are completely dotty, ginghamy and heart decoratedly gorgeous that's why.

All Decked Out

Christmas has well and truly arrived at our house.
We look forward to the advent calendars each morning.
I would like to move into the house illustrated on mine.

The pudding teapot and other Christmas china is out in the kitchen

as is my Christmas apron which was a gift last year from a far-away friend.

The tree is up decorated with a few new decorations

and a few 'new' vintage baubles.

Had to include this one of Melvyn as he looked so cute.

Another new decoration is this miniature glass tree a present from my sister T, after her recent trip to Venice to celebrate her 40th birthday.

Tonight G has gone to London to watch a metal/rock gig. The children are sat at the table writing out Christmas cards for school friends and once that's done we've got a tube of artifical snow to play with.

Later on when they are nicely tucked up in bed I'm going to sit quietly with a cuppa and read through this. Christmas is offiically on it's way once I buy the Radio Times. I'm getting even more excited!

Milk and Honey

A couple of months back I put together a Christmas present of these goodies for a chilli loving friend. The next challenge was what to give R's wife S.
S loves reading and watching movies, she and G can talk for hours about films they have both seen and then recommend to each other.
As with the Capsicum shower gel this cache of goodies started off with the milk shower gel and was quickly followed by the honey shampoo and then the milk and honey body butter. A jar of honey and mustard marinade and a Crunchie completed the food side of things. To satisfy the reader in her I choose The Secret of Bees (a book I had read earlier this year with my library book group) and on the film front a DVD of Milk which G suggested. To round it all off I found a pair of bee patterned undies! I'm really chuffed with it all. We tend to get together with these friends and their 2 children on Christmas eve and open our gifts to each other then, I can't wait to see their faces, I hope they like it all!

snow scenes

It's melting slowly but surely. With rain forecast over night I expect that by tomorrow it'll look very different out there.

All these photos were all taken yesterday as today we haven't been outside, we've just had a very lazy day indoors.

One choice

There really was only one suitable choice of board game for us to play this afternoon.
A real family favourite.
Played whilst singing the number of spaces moved, direction of travel and anything else that takes our fancy, all to the tune of 'We're Walking In the Air'.
It makes us laugh anyway!

No School Today

G has trudged into work today togged up in many layers of clothing and with his welly boots on. It's not a work day for me so I'm nice and warm indoors with T and S and that's where we'll be staying apart from venturing out for the obligatory snowball fight later.

Trees

Yesterday was on eof those lovely little family days I would like to package up and keep.
Which is why blogging is so great because it means I can record it all.
G and T stayed home in the morning whilst S and I went to a little Christmas fayre. She made a Father Christmas tree decoration, we bought a Father Christmas figure to stand by our front door and S got to have a little chat with Father Christmas too! He was such a lovely Santa and S was very keen to tell him that she also had a brother called T and he was 10 as she didn't want him forgotten!

Then in the afteroon we all went to another local church to visit their annual Christmas tree festival.
Local groups each choose a Christmas carol and decorate the theme along that theme.
These were a few of our favourite decorations.

The church was also decked out with lots of winter greenery, such a welcoming atmosphere inside and we lit 3 candles, shed a tear or two and left full of a variety of emotions.

Our destination was just along the road to Telegraph Woods. We've never been to these before and will definitely return. As well as the remains of an Iron Age fort, which we didn't discover this time, just past the entrance to the Woods is the remains of an Armada beacon in the form of a perfectly circular bank.

As we walked in S took in the open space and shouted 'I love it here, cpme on T let's run!' Those words gave my heart have a little leap of happiness. S approaches things with such vigour and excitement, it makes me so very happy that we made our family the way we did. Such a different life for them and for us too.

The floor was a carpet of leaves, perfect for running and scrunching through.

'Strike a pose' I said and that's what I got!

No idea if this little pine cone had been placed inside this tree truk or whether it has fallen there, but it caught my eye just the same.

Very obligingly this tree trunk has grown in such a way to frame this view so nicely. Our walk was nearly complete when we reached this gate, which was just as well as by then we were all thinking about cakes and hot chocolate back home.

We emerged from the woods at Hampshire Cricket Club and vowed we would be there at least once next season and hoped the weather would be much warmer!