I have always worked in the childcare sector, the excitement of the children only serves to further my enthusiasm for the holiday season. I love the build up to the big day, the santa letters and decorating the tree. This year I am working in a soul sucking paper pushing job. The benefits are great, and I am very, very grateful for my job but there is not an ounce of christmas cheer to be found. It was ruining my christmas buzz, so I decided to inject a bit of christmas sparkle into my life...
Thats right, I worked a couple of shifts with the big man himself. I signed up as a volunteer elf at a local Santa's Grotto at Hillside Garden Centre. The grotto was run by CLIC Sargent, a very worthy cause doing fantastic work. In fact only this month they opened a new home from home centre next to The Royal Victoria Hospital. This provides a place to stay for families who have to travel miles and miles for their child to receive treatment. As Santa's helper I got to see children's reactions to seeing meeting Father Christmas. It restored my christmas cheer to see this magic at work and even more so to know that every smile that came through the door meant that a donation had been made to a great cause doing great local work. I only worked 2 shifts at the grotto but I will be back again next year!!
Topped up with festive cheer I was ready throw myself full pelt into traditional christmas preparations!! Mum and I got together for our christmas baking day. We whipped up a festive frenzy in a domestic goddess way and made yummy gifts for family, friends and neighbours. We made cranberry sauce, apple and onion chutney, cranberry and pistachio biscotti as well as spiced chick peas (a wee idea I found from Mrs Thrifty.)
We bought jars from Ikea to put the cranberry sauce in. A little fancy curly ribbon and they looked lovely as a gift!
The apple and onion chutney made the kitchen smell like window cleaner. I expect it was something to do with the entire bottle of red wine vinegar in the recipe. I am yet to get any feed back from anyone who received this as a gift from me, perhaps it has just ended up in the bin!!
I also managed to whip up a few knitted christmas tree dish cloths as gifts too, here's the pattern. Dead easy, if I can do it anyone can!
I continued my domestic goddess streak with wrapping all my presents that night. Yes I am one of those people who love wrapping presents, twirling ribbon and making gift tags. It makes me giddy, get over it.
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Dancing with daddy at the santa band in Hillside Garden Centre.
Sussing out this santa bloke...
Look at him, we packed in so much christmas cheer he's all drunk on festive-ness!!
Mesmerised by the dancing snowmen in Auntie Chloe's christmas garden.
Last year I was served my christmas dinner with my feet up. I savoured my dinner, had a selection of deserts followed by a wee snooze and then more treats, mince pies and tea. It was a day of relaxation and over indulgence. This year however I was running after a very energetic 11 month old, stuffing my dinner into me before he got fed up in his high chair and juggling nap times and family commitments. I wouldn't change it for the world. I am a very lucky girl who's mum and dad cook the christmas dinner and all I have to do is turn up, but boy christmas day has never been so tiring!!
It was wonderful to create new traditions as a family.
Dressing silly for christmas dinner.
Taking the new wheels for a spin, in his new threads!
Adding the new 'Baby's First Christmas' decoration to the tree.
And what was my favourite present I got on christmas day? A tin of beautiful handmade mince pies. Baked by two of the main men in my life, my husband and my son. These photos were stuck to the tin..
P.S I know I haven't blogged in a while. But I'm back! 2014 will be a year of continuing to document all our new discoveries...
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