There is magic in the air

Our tradition of how to send letters to Santa has evolved over the past 11 years. The first time Fraser was old enough to understand the concept, we didn't have a fireplace or Chimney in our house. Fraser's solution was to send his letter up the chimney at Granny Mary's house.
He couldn't bear the thought of the letter being burned so he layed it in the fireplace and then we waited for the magic. This has now continued on year after year and this will be the first year that Kirsten will really understand what is going on.
Last night the magic happened, we were upstairs in Granny's house, Grandad Jimmy was helping us print out pictures of Santa from his computer.
Fraser went back down stairs and started shouting for us to go down!
Sure enough the letters had disappeared! The only evidence was a healthy sprinkling of magic dust! Or as Fraser calls it "sparkle moss" he has called it that since the first time he watched Santa Claus the movie. He has called the magic sparkly food that the reindeer eat, Sparkle moss.
K's little face was a picture! So full of wonder! Although she was quite worried about where the letter had gone. So when we got back home we showed her the bit on Santa Claus the movie where you see the letter zoom up the chimney in a flurry of sparkles and magic. This seemed to ease her mind a little.
This afternoon we are going to watch the whole movie, in our festively decorated house.
Ah my most favourite time of the year x

Here is my favourite bit of the movie, the first take off of the first Christmas that Santa ever was Santa Clus the movie I remember going to see this in the cinema when I was only 3 or 4. I wish they would show it in the cinema again, it would be magical to be able to take my kids to see it

Iced ginger cookies

These cookies are yummy , not very crunchy but a bit softer in the middle.

makes 16

1/2 cup soft brown sugar
1/2 cup soft margarine
pinch salt
a few drops of vanilla essence
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp ground ginger

1- Preheat oven to 190C / 375F / Gas 5.
Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets or I use baking paper.

2- Cream together the sugar margaruine, salt and vanilla essence until very soft and a bit fluffy.

3- sieve in flour, cocoa powder and ginger , combne it together using a wee bit of water if needed to bind the mixture

4- Knead lightly on a floured surface until smooth

5- Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters

6- Bake the cookies for about 10-15 mins until lightly firm when lightly touched. Leave to cool on the trays until totally firm and then cool completely on wire rack and then ice.

Paying it forward

I have just come across this idea on Sami's fab blog  

Basically the first 3 people who are interested will receive a hand made gift handmade by me! I  have up to 365 days to make it and send it to you, you will not know what it is or when I am sending it until you receive it! In return you have to pay it forward and add this idea to your own blog and you will send a handmade craft/gift to the first 3 people and so on.

Sound good?  If so leave me a comment and a link to your own blog where I can go and find your post about paying it forward! Also if I don't actually know you if you could send me an email with your address that would be awesome!

This sounds fun and challenging! woo hoo!

Let's get started!

xx

Every Picture tells a story

Inspired by week 7 of  12 weeks of Christmas I decided to turn one of my favourite photos into a Christmas accessory for my home.

This picture of my babies was taken last year, we had a lovely day strolling through the woods collecting pine cones and enjoying each others company. Originally this pic was to be our Christmas card last year but I just couldn't let go of my favourite pic from the year before! LOL

However the best laid plans and all that. I sweated blood and tears over editing this pic! I bought a lovely silver frame flecked with black. I bought some  black satin ribbon that would be used to hang the frame and maybe create a little bow for the top edge of the frame.

Just as I was getting ready to go print out my masterpiece my baby girl came to me asking for me to help put on her knickers (such is the glamour of my life ;) )  I laid the frame on my knee and leaned over to help her out. CRACK! I must have leaned on the glass with my ahem .... assets ;) and smashed the glass to smithereens.

I haven't had time to replace the frame yet but I will share the pic anyway.

Stay tuned for the finished article very soon!

*ps- you may need to click on the pic to make it a bit bigger*

That's it!!

 I can't do it any longer! I am full on, high pitched shriekingly,  song singingly, properly Christmasly excited now! I have declared it is now officially Christmas time!
 I am busy fluttering and dancing around the house getting it all spick and span ! If I succeed in getting it all done I am putting up our Christmas decorations on Sunday!! oooooooh! I can't wait!
We have a christmassy day planned on Saturday, christmas fair at Fraser's school and then up to see the Christmas light switch on in St Andrews.

We have to wait another week until the tree goes up but that's ok! I can manage that! I will just have to content myself with pics of last years tree and so long as I am surrounded by all my other things! Yay!!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Love is......

Being the one to get out of the car to fill it with petrol,  on a cold rainy November day. Even though I was driving.

Thanks Babe xx

Christmas shopping

I have just found the most amazing blog! It is called Red writing and she is doing Twelve weeks of Christmas. Every week for twelve weeks she has a chosen Christmas topic. She is already on week six and one of the biggest Christmas nuts EVER has only just found her!
So as far as I can gather she has a topic for each week, you blog about it and then link your post to her list on her blog, you are then entered into a giveaway which happens every week! Following? No? oh well you can go check her out and she will prob explain better than I can lol

This week the  topic is shopping. Oh how I LOVE Christmas shopping! The damage I could do with a real Christmas budget! Although having a smaller budget means more thought has to go in to the buying of maybe one special gift, it has to be something the recipient will love!

This year we are doing mostly hand made / home made. This was decided even before the Meatball Chronicles and thank goodness it was!

I like to shop at Christmas, I don't like to be involved in the rushing around  frantically at the last minute trying to just buy anything! I like all of my gift buying to be done by Dec 1st. This leaves me plenty of time to do enjoyable shopping. Wandering around actually looking at the twinkly lights. Stopping in coffee shops to have a festive drink and a yummy!  Taking the kids to see Santa , the queue doesn't seem so bad if you haven't the deadline of finding 50 gifts by the end of the day! I love singing and dancing around the shops to the Christmas music that plays. Yes I do this and yes my kids will probably divorce me for it when they are older!

This year I have a lovely shopping day planned with my Mother in Law and Sister in law. We plan on wandering, gossiping and laughing our way around Edinburgh city centre 2 weeks before Christmas.

I am sure plenty of festive eating and drinking will be added in. On our shopping lists is nothing more than maybe a special tree ornament or maybe something nice to wear on Christmas day.  We will be able to stroll throught the winter wonderland and enjoy the festivities without the stress. I think I will draw the line at the ice skating though! I have famously weak wrists and we do not need a trip to Accident and Emergency on the way home!


I can't wait!

wireless

Well Murray set up our wireless internet this week. So for the first time here I am sat on my bed , with my laptop, blogging.

Unfortunately it is becuase poor K is sick :( I think she may have yet another ear infection which is causing her to vomit. She is a bit subdued and miserable so she is getting a special treat of lying in Mummy's bed and watching DVDs. which in itself proves she is sick! She never lies still. Ever!

There is only so much lying in bed you can do when you aren't sick, so I have brought the internet with me. I don't want to leave her up here all alone and I was disturbing her by busying around doing things so, here we are.

Hope she is feeling all better soon xx

Jack Frost nipping at your nose...

We awoke this morning to a beautiful crisp November morning. The frost was sparkling and shimmering and the crunchy ground made the morning playgroup/nursery run very pleasent.

I love this weather, the tingles on your nose and fingers. I enjoyed seeing the faces of the two pre schoolers I was walking with, who must not remember this from last year. They were wondering who had brought the magical sparkles in the nighttime?

The sparkles trully are magical

HO HO HO

in 49 sleeps!!!