Christmas things

Pressies I'm lovin in no particular order are...

1) necklace (from little man)
2) Suzie Smith evening bag
3) Lancome perfume & smellies
4) Per Una extreme soft dressing gown
5) Joe Browns jumper
6) Next gift card
7) George chunky cardi
8) Joe Browns Bracelet
9) mega fluffy big socks
10)Groovy metal case bible with lovely message from friend
11)cat bag
12)Goddess earrings

CHRISTMAS!

Have been too busy enjoying the last few days to write so here is a catch up of our Christmas....

CHRISTMAS EVE...Little man went to nursery for the morning, which gave me a chance to blitz house with duster and hoover etc. Picked him up at lunchtime to discover he'd had a fab time as usual there, they went for a walk to the farm shop and bought chocolate biscuits. In the afternoon little man and I went to the children's crib service at church which was packed out. Put the choc biscuits we'd made for Father Christmas out in Little man's bedroom, and he went to sleep like a light, I didn't, think I was more excited.

CHRISTMAS DAY...Little man woke up at 6.30 needing the toilet, then wanted to watch tv in mummy & daddy's room. He had totally forgotten it was Christmas, even when I asked if he wanted to check something in his room he didn't click! Once he'd seen father christmas had been he was very excited about that but still didn't realise that might equal pressies! Had to turn him around for him to notice his stocking - very excited! Happily stayed in our room until 8.30 with stocking things, he thought that was christmas done and dusted then! All got dressed then went downstairs, very very very excited when he saw the pressies, couldn't believe his eyes!

Set off for mum in laws about midday, not bad timing at all considering all the pressies, excitement and making sure we had everything we needed for staying there over night. Hats off to the chef who cooked a very delicious christmas dinner for 15 people! Little man abit unsure whether his pressies there, were for him to take home to keep or not! Once little man had gone to bed and other little ones had gone home those of us left for the night played our infamous family's 'train game' - I came last.

BOXING DAY...First thing little man asked me was if he could take the new toys at Mama's house home to keep! Had lovely cooked breakfast then set off to get back in time for mum & dad arriving later that day. Did a big buffet tea, which seemed to go down very well. Played 'train game' again in the evening, Dad won, Mum came last.

SUNDAY...Took the opportunity to go to church today as plenty of peeps around for little man. Have managed 3 trips during advent & christmas due to all the snow cancelling hubbie's football. Planned to drive over to Acle for a walk, had to stop off at Sainsburys on route to buy little man a new warm coat as left his warmest and mine at mum in law's! Didn't walk for very long as very cold and took Little man's advice and granted his request to go to the pub (like father like son!) Little man then decided we shouldn't tell Daddy (who had stayed at home) we went to pub and that it should be a secret, as I'm writing this it still is a secret! Will find out if he ever reads this now :). Had scrummy cold turkey and pickle type tea tonight and played train game again this evening! Hubbie won, Mum came last, I came second but did build the longest train :)

I'm lovin...

1) hubbie's mince pies
2) my highlights
3) getting £10 Sainsburys voucher for shopping being late
4) getting £20 M&S voucher from Norwich Union for 'being loyal'
5) catching up with friends
6) celebrating Yule with a walk in lots of snow
7) that the snow is now going!
8) being a Next VIP customer (but only if it works)
9) Ruby
10)my own Longdale hoodie personalised with 'The Boss'

Meeting Ruby!

Another christmassy day, finished all my wrapping hurrah! swapped bags of pressies with a couple of friends, which made it all feel very real! Had a lovely afternoon at friend's house today, finally meeting their very pretty King Charles Spaniel puppy Ruby, who seemed to like me as she didn't leave my lap at all, even falling asleep on me for a while, was very handy actually as she was like a piece of toast.

Tonight I have chilled out watching some fools & horses while hubbie has made our mince pies, though he is taking them all to work now tommorow and promises he'll make us some more again in the evening, I hope so as I only had 1 with some lovely caramel & cinnamon ice cream and it was delicious :) Tommorow I'm helping little man to make some biscuits for father christmas and some peppermint creams for him to take to nursery on christmas eve for everyone. Feeling quite chuffed as what with the homemade soaps we are well on course for our very own 'homemade' christmas. Suppose some might call it being cheapskates though!

Holiday Time

Not back in work till new year now! Little man all better now and over his illness and tommorow I have a 'me day' to look forward too :) Despite our germs we have still managed to squeeze 2 xmas parties in and a xmas lunch, had a very nice time with the girls yesterday. A pity little man had to miss his acting debut in the nativity but hopefully next year will make up for it. We've had more snow during the night, looking very pretty out there. All football cancelled so I'm off to get ready to go to church for a change in a mo.
Here are things I'm loving at the mo...
1) central heating
2) snow
3) clear diary
4) fairy lights
5) spotty wellies
6) online shopping
7) payday
8) real christmas tree
9) Harry Potter dvd
10)Sophia's Secret

feeling christmassy!

Nice day today, friend and her little girl over for coffee this morning. The little people played very nicely, making cakes out of play doh, playing dinosaurs in little man's room and completing a large floor jigsaw puzzle all on their own.

got one batch of christmas cards posted and all the parcels. :) Tonight went with a friend to a christmas fair - lovely, totally got us into the spirit of the festive season, craft goodies, mulled wine and a sing song of carols at the end. Was a little thrown by how 'structured' the whole thing was. Didn't realise the demonstrations were compulsory and not optional at first, soon got the message though. "The first demonstration 'how to wrap awkward parcels' is starting in a moment" (lady's hand waves casually towards the seated area) "oh right thank you" Few moments later same lady "The demonstration is actually starting now PLEASE!" (hand now pointing quite determindly towards 2 chairs!) I couldn't quite keep a straight face at first, thought we'd got it wrong and were actually in some WI meeting (bit scary) but I have to say it was actually fairly interesting, though my brain has already decided it does not need to retain how to wrap a tin of biscuits and a bottle properly (which by the by they pointed out would go in raffle afterwards and was a NON-ALCOHOLIC???chardonnay-WHAT THE...???!!!!!WHY?????!!!!) and my brain has completely forgotten how to turn a napkin into a boot. Oh and why is using a potato for flower/table decorations better than using that foam stuff???! Anyway with that and watching Kirsty's gorgeous prog and nicking work's new 'Home & Antiques' mag with gorgeous christmas pics I'm really starting to get into the christmas mood :)

This week I'm loving...

1) The Pink House
2) Brooke Sharkey & Hollow Tree
3) Going on a Bear Hunt
4) french fancies
5) Mariana book by Susanna Kearsley
6) Longdale hoodie
7) feeling organised
8) champney's overnight hand rescue
9) the Courthouse xmas tree
10)Inanna's Festival

so proud!

Have to mention hubby and his brillant footie team, Sporting Longdale. He has done so well, he has been manager of the team for a little while now, and they have now had 6 undefeated matches in a row woohoo! He's been working really hard with it all but has finally managed to get someone with some coaching qualifications to help him out with the training sessions which will take some of the burden off him. Yours truly is still washing the kit though!

ah bless!

So exciting, today, We tried on little man's costume for his part in the little 15min nativity playgroup are doing and I have to say he looks soooooooo cute! Though he has already complained about wearing the little hat with ears - he is to play a 'sheep in the stable'!! We even have some songs to learn, next week the pre-schoolers are visiting 'big school' (village primary) to watch the reception class do their nativity play so maybe they will be able to get some acting tips!

Little man and I are braving the 'big shops' in the morning (breaking my rule to go in unless on my own before xmas but needs must!) nearly done with pressies etc just a few more to get, spent 3 hours last night wrapping, why does it take so long?

Total Destruction!

Have forgotten to tell you that hubbie planted some bulbs in the front garden on sunday and dug so far close to Australia that it was a scene of total devastation. (I thought at first he'd decided to do a DIY driveway or something). Once I had attempted to clear and sweep the mud most of tues morning it looked a little better.

It reminded me though that at this time of year we have quite enough mud in Norfolk as it is without adding to it all and what with it being dark by 4pm these days (and I mean DARK - the stars being our only outside source of light!) So just putting up these nice flowers as it will seem a long time before I can see any round here again!

Rock n Roll!

Having a very nice evening, fish n chips, glass of wine and some sweeties :) just finished watching 'The boat that rocked' as hubbie hadn't seen it. Feeling a bit guilty (not much though!) that I haven't managed to make anything for the cake stall 2m despite buying all the ingredients.

Put the christmas decs up at work today - eek! On monday 2 ladies from the local history group are coming in at lunch to do a nostalgic Bru@xmas photo display. Funnily enough they are both ex managers of the library, one is my predecessor and the other started in the 50s driving the 'library exchange van'. I'm very fortunate compared to those before me, an old coke stove and chimney heated the building until the late 70s and the coke-hole wasn't converted into a staff room until 1986. Although the 50s van lady is aghast at my endless targets I have as they never had to worry about anything like that.

Bit disappointed I'm missing the craft fair 2m because of work, but do get to go to the playgroup fair at the end to help clear up - yeh!

Back to normal

Back to my normal sparkly, happy blog now!

Had a brillant day at work today SOOOOOOO busy, loads of people, and the most kids we've ever had, this is mainly thanks to our school visits this week. We had 2 adults join today and 4 children, all 4 had been on the school visit on weds as well which is brillant. One boy was there with his Grandad (who is a regular of ours) and Grandad had been instructed to take him to the library asap! This boy must've been about 10yrs old and has never owned a library card. The tragedy is I am shocked how often I see this, the amount of kids we get that come in through no help whatsoever from their parents is truly shocking.

We had loads more kids in, I had been left a book by Nikki which she said she was leaving with us as the kids had been so inspired by it that she had told them the first one in on thurs could have it, everyone else would have to request it. Well, we must've have had about 8, 9 kids running in trying to get this book and the girl who did get there first took much pleasure in telling all her school mates! Was an absolute joy to see them all and to see them so excited about books :)

While I'm on a booky theme, thought I'd just share with you my current loans, now as staff we are allowed 20 which is why its such a long list...

A gentleman of fortune: Ana Dean
Mariana: Susanna Kennedy
The Mozart Conspiracy: Scott Mariani
Better late than never: Len Goodman (one for you Zoe!)
A Hapeless romatic: Harriet Evans
Red sky at night: Jane Struthers
Light a penny candle: Maeve Binchy
The book lovers' appreciation society (various)
The Lady Elizabeth: Alison Weir
Green Darkness: Anya Seton
The Glorious Revolution (1688 etc): Edward Vallance
Wedlock: Wendy Moore

Needless to say I won't read all of them, I am enjoying Light a penny candle and a gentleman of fortune at the mo.

I am loving....

1. getting some more christmas shopping done
2. maltesers
3. new christmas decs! (I chose a dragonfly dec - yes I know that hasn't got anything to do with it, Little man chose sparkly bright red tinsel and hubbie chose practically anything and everything else red in the shop that the rest of us hadn't already chosen)
4. still loving Garrow's Law BRILLANT!
5. Tinkerbell & the lost treasure
6 Merlin
7. mini weetabix ad & findnigel.com LOL
8. fastforward button on toy adverts

Strange!

Little man and daddy have munched their way through the cakes we made on thursday Weirdly little man, takes all cream etc off and will only BY CHOICE eat the sponge bit ONLY??????!!!!!! What is that all about???? Good news for mummy though as she can still continue to nab extra icing and cream forever more aha :) :) Wasn't allowed to decorate our latest batch so I'm sticking pic of our previous lot on to dribble over instead, still need to work on the presentation somewhat!!! Perhaps thats why the sponge bit is so much more appealing.....?!

Thursday 19 Nov 09

Up through most of the night with little man, think I went to sleep in little man's bed while he patiently waited for mummy to agree it was morning and we could go watch tv in mummy's bed. watched postman pat, made breakfast for all, played train races, did 2 loads of washing, packed football team kit up, made butterfly cakes, made lunch, made packed lunches, went to work, came home, little man very hot, runny nose and eyes, made tea, washed up, carried sleeping little man up to bed. msn..ing friend, trying to sort work cover out for 2m, sorting out paperwork, watching tv, bath, bed, sleep. zzzzzz.

Norfolk Mud

Our church from the field.

Went for a muddy, splishy, splashy walk this afternoon across the fields on our way to the library. Got some good books and some scoobie doo dvds..again.

Ophelia setting

I took this pic a while ago, near my old home, of the Hogsmill river, Surrey. Its where the painter Millais painted his gorgeous Ophelia painting.

play time!

Ah Bliss!

Blissful start to the day today, little man sleeping in till 8am hurrah! Wasted on poor Daddy though, who had to leave at 7.30am anyway to get to Newmarket. Even better is I'm actually at home now during little man's weekly stint at pre-school and I'm actually relaxing, like really properly! Just gonna sit down to a cup of tea and a brunch (missed out on breakfast) of waffles and eggs yum yum. While I was in the kitchen now, just thought I'd take a pic to show little man's creative flair which helps keep my kitchen bright and colourful :)

Craft Therapy

Favourites of the week

My favourites this week are....

1. having ma & pa to stay
2. finishing my Daisy D mystery book
3. Garrow's Law
4. sleep
5. sylvanian families
6. cream cakes
7. an abundance of chocs
8. pay day
9. the pink house
10. my blog!

The Start

Hello! Thank you for visiting my blog. I'm a thirty -something happily married working mum, living in Norfolk. I love looking after and spending time with my family, crafting, reading, making cakes, and collecting pretty sparkly things for my home. Hopefully it will give you a flavour of the little things in my life that make my days bright and happy xxx