goodbye hamper day

I've been getting hampers in November for eleven years. But today is our last hamper day. We decided that, while we end up with a restocked pantry and freezer, it's not the "right" Christmas stuff. And we'd be better off putting that money aside each week and having a big grocery shop in early December.

But as the boxes arrived today, Riley was so excited. I was reminded of how excited Chloe would get on hamper day, opening boxes, holding the list to make sure everything was in the boxes, finding room in the cupboards. And I'm sad that we won't be doing that any more.

Now we can make a new Christmas tradition for our food shopping.

flipping pancakes

You can often find me on a Friday morning, flipping pancakes.

It was something we started doing earlier this year, to get Nat used to mum not walking her to school - because she still cried when I left her, but was ok when Douglas dropped her to her classroom.

So the pancake bribery was born - pancakes for breakfast, and walk-to-school-without-mum.

It's been hard over the last few months to keep doing it, and Nat was ok with that - we've even resorted to buying pancakes from the supermarket some weeks, just in case mum feeding Sophie.

Now, Natalie walks to school every day, in fact she doesn't want mum to walk her!

But the pancakes have stayed, because it's a nice way to add something a bit special to the week.

100 days to Christmas | ten favourite movies

Today I have a guest post from Alison. She's sharing her favourite movies, and trying not to watch them before it's time!

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I LOVE Christmas! I love everything about it......the sparkly lights, the Christmas trees,the ornaments, the smells, the music.....I could go on, but today I'm going to share with you my favourite Christmas films (movies).

I have to explain that, in our house Christmas starts mid-November...not that the tree and decorations go up at that point.....but the Christmas CDs and DVDs are certainly out and being played. To me, there's nothing like sitting down with a cup of coffee (with the smell of a Yankee Candle burning in the background) and watching a feel-good Christmas movie!

In preparation for writing this post, I pulled out my box of Christmas DVDs and then had to force myself 

a) not to start watching them AND

b)choosing my favourites!!

 

 

 

Cate suggested I might want to do a post on 'grown-up' movies and then one on 'childrens' ones....but for me, my favourites are a mix! 

So here are my TOP TEN CHRISTMAS 'MUST SEE'S (in no particular order!)

1. THE GRINCH.....who couldn't help but fall in love with Cindy Lou Who and the Christmassy Whoville- certainly the Grinch couldn't!

2. THE PREACHER'S WIFE....the remake of the old 'classic' THE BISHOP'S WIFE. This one stars Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington and, although I like the original, it's the music in this version that makes it extra special...especially the song 'WHO WOULD IMAGINE A KING'- it has become one of my favourite Christmas songs!

3. THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL......there are lots of good versions of the Dickens book, but for us this is SO good- great humour and music...and I STILL cry at the end!

4. MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET.....I have the original, but the remake is the one I watch most often. I love Richard Attenborough as Santa and Mara Wilson as Susan, the daughter....and yes, I cry at the end of this too!

5. THE POLAR EXPRESS......the actual story is just so wonderful, as is the animation (though the North Pole and Father Christmas are not what were ever in my imagination!).....and, yet again I love the songs in it...the theme tune (BELIEVE), sung by Josh Groban is spine-tingling and has become another favourite of mine!....and yes, you guessed it- I cry at the end! 

 

 

6. ELF.....what's not to love about Will Ferrell's portrayal of the human, brought up at the North Pole as an elf who goes off to NYC to find his father!

7. HOME ALONE......a bit of a cheat here, as I've included the second one (LOST IN NEW YORK) too! As children, my  two just  loved watching Kevin ward off the 'baddies' and living it up in the Plaza Hotel in NY. Me?...I just wanted their house for that staricase!

8. WHITE CHRISTMAS....what can I say? A classic...in fact probably the first Christmas movie I ever saw....it was on on Christmas Day in the UK for years...it still should be, as far as I'm concerned!

9. THE SANTA CLAUS....I  love how the North Pole is portrayed in this - just as it has always been in my mind! 

10. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE'.....you didn't think I could miss THIS one out, did you? A real weepie, but wonderful reminder of the part we all play in so many lives.....and, of course I CRY!!

Well, now you know my favourites.....I wonder if yours are among them? I would love to know ...and if there are any I don't have and should add to my collection!

 

 

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My name is Alison McInnes....born and brought up in Scotland, but living for the past three and a half years in rural Spain. Married to my first love, and mum to Kirsty (22 and studying in Barcelona) and Stuart, who sadly died seventeen years ago.

 

I've always kept photograph albums, and discovered 'scrapbooking' in 2003. I was totally hooked!...what's not to love...all that pretty paper and embellishments PLUS preserving all these memories for future generations (not to mention myself, when I'm old and doddery!).  I started blogging early this year at   www.alisonslife-in-the-slow-lane.blogspot.com and love the blog community- there is so much support and friendship out there!

 

 Thank you for sharing your favourite movies, Alison!

100 days to Christmas | thoughts I'm thinking

While I'm away without my computer I am still thinking about Christmas.

Source: craftily-ever-after.blogspot.com via Cate on Pinterest

I'm thinking about nativity scenes (we don't have one), and explaining the real meaning of Christmas to the kids.

Source: bakelab.blogspot.com via Cate on Pinterest

I'm thinking about truffles, and gingerbread, and yummy Christmas goodies.

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Cate on Pinterest

I'm thinking about how I'd like to set the table for the day.

Source: littlepumpkingrace.com via Cate on Pinterest

I'm thinking about new Christmas traditions, Elf on the Shelf, and things for the kids.

Source: younghouselove.com via Cate on Pinterest

I'm thinking about other ways to bring Christmas into the house.

Source: smallfineprint.com via Cate on Pinterest

I'm thinking this is the closest we will get to a snowman at Christmas time.

100 days to Christmas | lunch traditions

Growing up with an English heritage during the 70s and 80s meant that Christmas lunch wasn't complete without a roast turkey, veg and plum pudding. Fortunately, spending many years in Melbourne meant that it often rained on Christmas Day, reducing the heat! Since moving to Queensland and having my own family I've established my own Christmas lunch traditons.

{2007}

Cold ham, cooked prawns with dipping sauces, roast veg and green veg and turkey with gravy.

{2008}

Pavlova with (or without) fruit, depending on your age.

I've recently realised that none of my children have ever had Christmas pudding.

(although I usually make a sticky date pudding, as well, which is loved by all!)

{2009}

The only photo of food this year, I must have been enjoying myself too much.

{2010}

The first year I served hot ham. Well-received by all, having another go at it this year.

{2010}

The first whole turkey I have cooked for almost ten years.

And this year it was averting a frozen-turkey disaster at 8pm on Christmas Eve!

What does Christmas lunch look like at your place?

 

100 days to Christmas | ornament traditions

For as long as I've had my own place with my own tree, I've added a new ornament for each person in the house to our tree. I still have all the ornaments, but I can't remember who they were placed for.

{2007}

When Steve and I got married, I asked those who came to lunch with us each year to bring an ornament to hang on the tree. But I can't remember who placed them on the tree.

{2008}

I do try to take photos of the kids decorating the tree and placing their special ornaments on the tree.

{2009}

But sometimes I get better photos than I planned. {She was singing "oh, swissmas tree, oh, swissmas tree!"} But the memories are no good to the kids locked up in my head.

That's one of the reasons that I love this ornament album created by Monika Wright (inspired by Stacy Julian) I'm going to forget about the old ornaments, and start by putting this year's memories into an album. Then next year, I can display them, just like Melissa suggested.

How do you remember the special ornaments?

 

100 days to Christmas | childhood traditions

Today I have my very first guest post - from my mum! I've been hassling asking her for weeks to write something for me, and she finally caved came through.

{source}

I grew up in the 50s & 60s in Melbourne.

The build up to Christmas always started in September every year. The mums and aunts would gather at our house to make Christmas cakes and puddings. There would be huge vats of fruity batter fermenting, then the boiling of the puddings and baking of the cakes. 

The finished cakes were usually wrapped in greaseproof paper and layer upon layer of newspaper then tied with string before storing in a dark cupboard until Christmas eve. Decorating would be simple, a sprinkle of icing sugar over the top just before serving, sometimes slathered with real butter.

The puddings were given special treatment. Hung up in the laundry for months, they would swing there terrifying the little ones at night looking ghostly in the moonlight. It was not unusual to cut the mould of the outside before re-wrapping for the Christmas day 4 hour re-heat.

Pudding on Christmas day was always a treat. Three and six pence coins then were made mostly of silver. Coins were actually cooked into the pudding so one never knew if they would get one coin or a number of them. It was always fun eating right to the bottom of the bowl dreading that you might swallow one of the precious coins. The problem was not that you might choke, more that you wouldn’t have money to buy sweets.

{as you can see, Mum is used to Christmas starting in September!}

Thanks for sharing, Mum!

Do you make Christmas pudding, or is store-bought ok?

 

100 days to Christmas | breakfast traditions

Chloe was about 4 when she started spending alternate Christmases with her dad. That was about the time we started doing double-Christmases, and to give her something to look forward to she helped me plan our first menu. She chose buttermilk hotcakes with blueberry sauce, and it's something that we've eaten for Christmas breakfast every year since.

{this is the only photo I have in five years of scrapbooking of our annual Christmas breakfast}

Last year was the first time Steve actually said "I don't really enjoy Christmas breakfast", and Natalie and Riley don't eat pancakes ever, so this year I think I need to expand the breakfast menu to include eggs of some sort. And remember to take a photo!

Do you start your day with a special meal?

I don't want to say something silly like "winner, winner, chicken dinner", but it's singing in my head

Thank you for everyone who took the time to comment on my stocking giveaway!

random.org chose number 13

I've emailed Isabel, hopefully her parcel will arrive before December 25th!

Someone asked in the comments "do I think there are people who don't use stockings?" Well, the short answer is - yes, because we don't! I'm not sure if it's unique to my family (because I know both my parents did it when they were children), or if it's an Australian thing (my dad is English, didn't come to Australia until his late teens), but we've always used pillow cases/slips/covers. When I was a child I had a special cover that I used, but these days we just seem to use whatever is handy. I do want to make a special just-for-Christmas bag/pillow case/stocking for each child, but it won't be this year. The one year I purchased stockings all the traditional in-the-stocking gifts didn't fit!

traditions

We have lots of traditions at Christmas time... most, in fact all, of them are traditions that I bring to our family, or we have started doing since we've been together. Little things like choosing a new ornament for the tree each, or eating the same breakfast (buttermilk hotcakes with blueberry syrup), making fudge that mum forgets to put out on the day and then everyone eats through the holidays, but the most visible tradition before anything else is the tshirts. Every year, we all get new tshirts, and take photos in them. Steve and I have a large pile of tshirts to wear, he tends to wear his all year round, but the kids outgrow the tshirts each year and need new ones (although there is a light bulb going off in this hoarder's brain saying "wouldn't a Christmas tshirt quilt be an awesome present to hand the little boy/girl for their 18th Christmas?")