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November 2015

Christmas Activity Advent 2015

Snowman snowing gif Christmas activity advent 2015

Christmas activity advent 2015 – We’ve done a Christmas activity advent since 2011 and the girls look forward to it every year now. Aiden’s not so keen this year, but that’s only to be expected as he is 15!
Ella was a bit disappointed when he said he didn’t want to take part so he’s agreed to do a few 🙂

I have to admit, I do enjoy finding new activities to do each year.

Last year I put each activity in a little envelope, but Ella’s asked if I can do them as little scrolls again like I did the first year.

So, here is our Christmas activity advent 2015 🙂

  • Tuesday, December 1st – Make a Christingle
  • Wednesday, December 2nd – Make cinnamon swirls for dessert
  • Thursday, December 3rd – Sing Christmas carols at bedtime
  • Friday, December 4th – Crafting using the stuff in the wicker basket
  • Saturday, December 5th – Put the decorations up 🙂
  • Sunday, December 6th – Wrap presents
  • Monday, December 7th – Write a Christmas poem
  • Tuesday, December 8th – Make Nanny’s Christmas cookies
  • Wednesday, December 9th – Write the Christmas cards
  • Thursday, December 10th – Have dinner by candlelight
  • Friday, December 11th – Write a Christmas wish and hang it on the tree
  • Saturday, December 12th – Make paper lanterns
  • Sunday, December 13th – Go to Nanny’s party!
  • Monday, December 14th – Make placemats and decorations for Granddad’s special dinner on the 17th
  • Tuesday, December 15th – Write a letter to Father Christmas
  • Wednesday, December 16th – Make jelly baby Jesus cakes
  • Thursday, December 17th – Make a special dinner for Granddad
  • Friday, December 18th – North pole breakfast
  • Saturday, December 19th – Pyjama day and watch Christmas movies
  • Sunday, December 20th – Have a picnic by the Christmas tree
  • Monday, December 21st – Make cinnamon ornaments
  • Tuesday, December 22nd – Record your alternative Jingle Bell songs
  • Wednesday, December 23rd – Make ice cream sundaes
  • Thursday, December 24th – Throw a party

7 Weeks to Christmas

7 weeks till Christmas

7 weeks till Christmas and the Christmas CDs have made it off the shelf and into the cd player :oD

My stepdaughter bought me the Nashville Christmas cd and I absolutely LOVE it! Kaycee wasn’t very impressed when I put it on and she fetched the one she wanted to listen too.
We spent story time last night, singing to Christmas songs :o)

Ella put her Rudolph onesie on and a Santa hat to really get herself into the Christmas spirit! She got really excited when she got the Santa hat out because it had been stored in the same box as the Christmas candles and it made the hat smell all Christmassy!

We’ve watched a few Christmas movies and Ant’s had a little moan each time he’s come home to find us watching another one; he keeps telling us it’s only November!
I love that the girls want to watch the Christmas movies as much as I do :oD

Ella asked me last night if Daddy likes Christmas. I said he does and she replied, ‘he’s just not crazy about it like you are, is he mum?
She makes me smile ;O)

John Lewis 2015 Christmas Advert – Love it!

John Lewis 2015 Christmas advert

LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT! The John Lewis 2015 Christmas advert didn’t disappoint at all 🙂

John Lewis 2015 Christmas advert Man in the moon

It brought a huge smile to my face and made Kaycee go, Awwwwwwwwwwwwww :oD

I think it’s lovely that John Lewis teamed up with Age UK for this year’s Christmas advert. Too many older people are alone and lonely at Christmas.

I love the song, I always sing along when I’m watching The Royal Family!

Another big thumbs up from me, John Lewis :o)

2012 John Lewis Christmas advert

2013 John Lewis Christmas advert

2014 John Lewis Christmas advert

2016 John Lewis Christmas Advert

2017 John Lewis Christmas Advert

The History of Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly-Come-Dancing

 

With the show progressing through its twelfth series (can you believe it’s been on that long??), Great British Bingo have taken a look back at the history of Strictly Come Dancing in this cool infographic.
 
It’s the show that has the nation gripped on a Saturday night, some don’t even know why they’re watching it or that they’re even getting into it until they show their disgust at one particular pair being voted off the show, it’s actually quite funny.
 
Even some of the most die-hard anti-Strictly people have given some kind of comment about the show over the past eleven series’ with some celebrities showcasing their finest “Dad dancing” skills and others blowing even the professionals out of the water with their finest moves.
 
The show is now so popular that it is regularly beating the X Factor in the Saturday night TV ratings battle, and it is showing no signs of fizzling out like it’s pop alternative on the other channel. Instead, producers have given the show a new lease of life with the move to replace the legend that is Bruce Forsyth with Claudia Winkleman.
 
It was a move that may not have gone down too well with those who have followed the history of Strictly Come Dancing over the series’, but sometimes you just need to have a change for the good of the show in the long-term.
 
In the Great British Bingo graphic, we can see that there have been some winners that we didn’t even know took part in the early days! Some won’t remember the show being on much before the year that Alesha Dixon blew away the competition to such an extent that she landed a role as a judge, but Natasha Kaplinsky won the first ever edition back in 2004.
This year’s show has got some great dancers, especially some of the pop stars who have got their natural dance moves – and it’s hardly surprising that Peter Andre is already the favourite to win. Who knows, there could be another outsider who comes through in the next few weeks as a dark horse – we’ll see in a few weeks!
This is a collaborative post

Christmas Gift Guide from Red Candy

Christmas gift guide - header

For those of you who haven’t done all your Christmas shopping yet, (I’m 99% done…yay!!) I’m sharing a few ideas with this Christmas gift guide from Red Candy.

Christmas gift guide - red clock

I thought this Koziol Pip Red Wall Clock was a fun gift and if I got this for Christmas, I’d be delighted!

 

Christmas gift guide - Mister Wonderful mug

This Mister Wonderful mug is the perfect gift for the Super Wonderful Husband!

Book Lovers

Christmas gift guide - shelves made from books

 

Christmas gift guide - shelf made from books

We’re both book lovers and I’ve been hankering after these Umbra Conceal Bookshelves for a while; they would look so nice above our bedside tables 🙂

Family Photos

Christmas gift guide - hanging photo frame

Don’t you just love giving photo gifts at Christmas? I do and I know any of the grandparents would love to receive a gift like this Umbra Hangit Photo Display with photos of all the children and grandchildren.

Christmas gift guide - photo frame

Another photo gift I really like is this Umbra Thinker Frame. It would like nice on the super wonderful husband’s work desk 🙂

Retro Gift

Christmas gift guide - retro phone
This Wild and Wolf retro phone in phone box red has to be my favourite, though because I’m transported back in time when I see them!
When I was in my teens, my best friend’s mum had one. It had the proper rotary dial and she used to have a little lock on it.  My friend didn’t like not being able to use the phone when her mum wasn’t home!
I hope I’ve given you a few ideas if you’re maybe struggling to find a gift for that special someone 🙂
Please note: We were provided with our own gift from Red Candy in return for sharing our favourite things from their wonderful site 🙂

Weekly weigh in – November 4th

November 4th weigh in – After a really lovely holiday in Mablethorpe with Ant and the girls, I only put 1.5lb on. I was very happy with that result as I’d eaten everything from fish and chips and hot doughnuts to oreos and ice cream!

It’s nice to be home and back to eating healthily. I love having a break from Slimming World but I do like how nice it feels when I get back on track!

I’m still on track to get my 8.5 stone award back for Christmas 🙂 I might not get my 9 stone award as planned but I’m not worried if I don’t as it will come eventually!

Me at 31 stone in August 2012 then me at 22.5 stone in August 2014

 

Things I’m doing now to make December easier!

December - Will Farrell as Elf
Yes, I know it’s the 2nd today and not the 1st but I was too busy to blog properly yesterday!

People mainly the super wonderful husband, when I put the Christmas movies on! keep telling me that it’s only November and Christmas isn’t until December, but if I want to enjoy December, I need to start preparing early!

I shop all year for Christmas gifts for the kids then I start my Christmas lists for the rest of the family in September, as soon as the kids go back to school. I really ramp up the preparations, though, once November gets here 🙂
I’ve just done my Tesco order for the last of the gifts, using the Clubcard points I’ve collected all year. Their Clubcard boost starts today and I had £100.50 in vouchers. I placed an order for £200 and it was lovely not having to pay a penny!
We got the Christmas decorations down from the loft last night and checked to see what we need to buy. It’s not much, thankfully, as I stocked up on wrapping paper and Christmas cards from Asda in January so all I need to buy are gift bags and crackers 🙂
We’ve got my lovely mother in law coming for Christmas dinner and the girls are very excited. We made lists for Christmas dinner and the buffet tea we have for the family on Christmas Eve.
I have to make the list of the activities we’re going to do for our activity advent and wrap all the books for the story advent!
Kaycee wants to make a Christmas cake (but not a fruit one!) so we’re going to look through the Christmas recipe books we’ve got to find an alternative.
All these little things don’t take long to do but doing them now will mean I can spend time with the kids, doing the activities and enjoying them rather than getting stressed because there’s still lots to do 🙂
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