christmas planning starts

Thank you for your lovely comments, I am feeling much better, a little dizzy sometimes but not had a stinker headache since Monday and when one seems close by still taking the painkillers.  My friend has had this for 3 weeks and she says quite a few mums doing the school run have had it or know of someone who has..  I think I must be on week 3 now as I went to the optician 3 weeks ago when I thought it was something to do with my eyesight so hopefully I am on the home run...not that I have done any running since the kids were small!!

I do like making a list.  Whether I ever get through one completely or in the time scale I hope for, well that's another matter!! Ha ha.  This morning the high winds woke me at 4am and after a hour I knew I couldn't drop off again so came downstairs, heating on so it was cosy when everyone else got up at 7.  I got my new notebook/Christmas planner out.  My old one was 5 years old and full up so I got a nice new one last time I was in Cardigan.  I love looking through old notebooks like this, remembering happy times and looking forward to another Christmas.

I usually have pages for the usual, cards, presents, wish lists, food shopping etc etc I then have pages for , fours weeks to go, 3 weeks etc and then the last two weeks are broken down into days . I have lists of things to try to get done, bought or sent and usually it works well for me.  It does help keep me focused and relatively organised and then hopefully everyone has a nice happy time, with no last minute panicking.  This year I have 4 swaps to do too , I know '!! To be fair one I enlisted for one months ago and they are such fun.  I have listed to do the swap parcels  for next week hopefully giving me 7 whole days for me to wrap and send off . Week 4 is looking exciting already !!!!
December is big for birthdays too as well as the usual you know what!  I have 4 birthdays and also 2 very early in the new year too. I have already bought or made the cards and the gifts too...I can't remember the last Christmas time I was ahead so soon..long may it continue..

I do adore Christmas.   My two still "believe" so I still have the "naughty list" to use as a bargaining
tool!!  I love more traditional decorations and colours, though Little Miss is still trying to convince
me a pink tree is the way to go! (She has a little pink tree in her bedroom) .  The decorations start going up the beginning of the month and usually take a couple of days here and there to do and "tweak" The old CDs and films start getting played and no doubt fairy light trouble!!! We always seem to have a set not working , no matter how carefully they are boxed away there is always one!! It always brings back happy memories of being small and my dad nearly always getting a shock from the tree lights...not funny really but that and going to midnight mass , well those sort of memories stay with you don't they?

This year we are home and it is just us.  I am looking forward to it .  No fussing just relaxing .  DH always cooks the dinner starting on Christmas Eve with making fresh Cranberry relish, stock, stuffing , roasting a ham and sausage rolls, mince pies and nibbles.  Usually we have a few friends over for a drink and then for a few days we just please ourselves....lovely.  This year the presents have all been purchased especially early, but even so I always seem to be wrapping presents Christmas
Eve.....another tradition it would seem!!


last week I received these lovelies in the Paper and String exchange...sadly some have no contact details

I love them all and am  going to display all things 

from swaps and swapping friends on a special tree.

This is what I sent in the swap

a few have charms sewn on the back.

Dear Diane (the Cheshire quilter blog)sent me two YES two lovelies, not connected to the exchange

She sent them for no other reason than

She is lovely.xx

Thank you again Diane .

And then yesterday the swap parcel, from Diane  arrived.. with strict instructions not to open until 25.12.2016!!!Well we exchanged a funny email about that one !!!!

Every year I get fed up with sellotape and this year I promised myself I would get a dispenser.  Well if anyone is interested Card Factory have a heavy (no slipping or sliding about) sellotape dispenser for 99p and the sellotape also 99p for 4 rolls...I love a bargain!!


Also I got 2 fab books from The Works,   Both are hardback,  and greatly reduced, great gifts for a crafty someone.  They had loads of craft books , cookery books and kids books etc etc all a quarter of
the RRP..worth a look if you are stuck for ideas.

Excuse my usual mess in the background!

It doesn't just have knitting patterns 

for hearts ..

These patterns could easily be adapted 

For cross stitch too

and yes this was only £2 

And this one £3

Well on that festive note...


                        See you soon