TEA AND TOAST :: LUCY SPRAGGAN

Lucy was my favourite contestant on this year's XFactor. I was gutted when she opted out of the show. She's worth keeping an eye on, can't wait for an album release. 
 
Have a look and a listen to this sweet tune.
 

CHRISTMAS PREPPING

I am so ready for Christmas, I'm worrying myself. I cannot possibly be this organised, this cool and this ready to rock. Can I?

My brother, Jonathan and his delicious missus, Jaime, are arriving on Christmas Eve . With them they will bring their three children, three suitcases filled with toys and one suitcase with clothes. Clothes and a ham. Yes, a ham.

So Christmas Eve is Monday, today is Thursday. I have three days left to prepare for their arrival and I'm at a loss.

What to do? Presents. Bought, wrapped and waiting patiently to be opened and enjoyed.

What to do? Cook. I have a prepped a little. As much as I can. I made a pretty amazingly fabulicious potato and leek soup that I found the BBC Good Food website. That will be our Christmas Day starter. It just needs to be deforsted and have cream added before serving. Seriously good recipe for you to check out. My little 4 drawer freezer can't really hold a weeks worth of prepped meals so I can't really cook ahead. Besides, it's fun to cook together and Jaime is a helluva lot better in the kitchen than me. So, that brings me back to my dilemma.

What to do? Clean. I have two children under three. What's the point of cleaning!? Of course, I clean. Goodness, I clean all the live long day. Before the troops arrive, I will do the manic extra special 'we're having people coming to stay' clean. That job will keep until Sunday afternoon, giving sticky fingers {times two} less time and opportunity to undo my efforts. We live in a three bedroom apartment, cleaning isn't much of a task. So the question remains...

What to do? Bake. Waiting. Better to wait. Isn't it? I'll make Mars Bar Krispies for the kids {for me} tomorrow. They wont last long anyway! My sister-in-law Kate sent me fool proof step by step instructions after I had too many failed attempts at what should be, and is, a really easy treat to make. Turns out my patience was letting me down. Story of my life! I'll take a few pictures tomorrow and talk you through Kate's Krispie's recipe... probably pretty pointless as I'm fairly certain I'm the only person on the planet that struggles to make them! Back to the moment.

What to do? Get the groceries in? I've got all I can. I braved the supermarket this morning with Joseph and Carys and with the assistance of two pain au chocolat, we had a successful shopping adventure. One of us, as in Alex or I, can go pick up the pre-ordered turkey {actually, we just ordered a huge turkey breast with the wing and the skin still on for flavour} and last of the fresh veggies on Saturday. That's it. We don't need to shop like it's the end of time. Shops open again on Boxing Day.

What to do? Put my feet up? Well, I am 'with child' and have been feeling oh so tired as my last moany minnie post told you. So yes, I shall put my feet up and catch up on my TV recordings which at the moment consist of Jamie's Family Christmas, Christmas with Gordon, Kirstie's Home For Christmas and Kirstie and Phil's Perfect Christmas. All informative, all a bit silly and all while flicking through cookery books, writing blog posts and checking pinterest. The TV, the books, the t'interweb... all keeping me excited about the festive season and reminding me that this is our Christmas. It is what we make it. I have a feeling that this is going to be a good one.

ZONKED!

Not a particularly exciting post title but a post title it is. Totally zonked this past week. Pregnancy is catching up on me!

I got through the first 12 weeks with quite the spring in my step. Last week was my 14th to 15th week, tiredness kicked in. Sort of funny that I was expecting a sudden surge of energy having read on Baby Centre... 'You're probably feeling brighter and livelier than in the first three months, and have put the early symptoms of pregnancy firmly behind you'. This wasn't to be the case for me and with tiredness came a lack of patience, a lack of motivation, a lack of ooomph!

It turned out to be a funny sort of week. We had a few of cancelled playdates with little buddies having colds and ear infections so we found ourselves at home most days last week. We had a lot of snow so didn't venture far. No further than the garden... oh, there was a trip to our local Ikea for a Swedish lunch. Loosely translated, a lazy lunch! Apart from our winter wonderland garden fun {which was delightful!} and some feasting with the Swedes, it was a bit of a flop. I felt like a bit of a flop. A bit lacking in my mummy duties, in household duties... my brain. Ooof, don't get me started on my brain. Totally letting me down. Embarrassingly so. Mixing up my days. If I don't write things down, I'm stuffed. Even when I do, it doesn't guarantee I'll get it right. Seriously. Useless!

Anyway, I digress. More sleep required. More water required. Sleep and water. Simple.

As with my first two pregnancies, I have been so fortunate to escape the perils of morning sickness. There were a couple of evenings when I felt a little below average but was able to sleep it off. My heart truly goes out to women who suffer with pregnancy sickness. I would fail at being a human being if I felt nauseous all day every day so I am so thankful to the heavens above me that I have escaped it.

Aware of my tiredness and my lack of brain power, I am coaxing myself to make each day count. I love these precious days with Joseph and Carys and don't want to lose any moments in a wave of exhaustion or self pity. I can't want to allow this pregnancy to stop my tots having me be me.

With that thought, I'm going to fulfil the more sleep required promise!

FOUR YEARS

Happy Anniversary To Us! Um, for yesterday.

Four very lovely, very busy years. I tell ya, we two do not hang about. The grass will not grow under our tootsies, that is for certain. In our four years of marraige, we've upped sticks to Switzerland {via a wee little island called Guernsey}, have had two delightful wee Trott Tots with another on the way.

We got engaged in April and married in December so had eight months to get a wedding pulled together. Easily doable. Neither of us wanted a big traditional white wedding but we did want our families there. Let me tell you, planning a wedding is a tricky business... one thing leads to another and BOOM, before you know it, you are on the road to that big traditional white wedding. We pulled the reigns in on lots of aspects and finished up with a reasonably simple day. Bigger than my original ideas, but simple, laid back and one helluva good day!

So here are a couple of pictures from the celebrations. We didn't have an official photographer. With hindsight that is my only regret. I see friends wedding pictures or pictures on pinterest of all the finer details of weddings and wish I had some of those of my own. I also haven't had any of the pictures edited or {dare I admit it} printed. Not one. We don't even have an album together. This is on my New Years Resolution List.

Just married. Alex has that 'what have I done' worried look about him!
It was December. It was freezing. With all the hype and excitement of the day, we didn't notice!

 This is a favourite... look at his face. Love that man!

Four years later, we are less fresh faced, Alex has much less hair and I have a higher BMI!


 

FRITHA'S TREE

Have you seen this cute Christmas tree on Pinterest? A great alternative if you have a small apartment, flat share or are going to be away during the festive season but don't want to miss out on the fun of decorating. I've tucked this idea away in my {tis the season} pinboard for the future 'kids trees' that I'm not so excited about adorning my living room! It would work great in all sorts of spaces. Love it.


Gorgeous!
Anyways... so great it is that our very lovely friends Simon and Fritha have used it as their Christmas tree {P}inspiration. Check out their handiwork!

The Beck's Tree
Decorations!
 


SNOWMAN GUILT

You know what? It's a big responsibility. A snowman, that is. You create this snow friend, an addition to your garden, you and your family admire it/him/her from the warmth of your home. You sit indoors looking out at your creation. You smile at how handsome your friend is but then you wonder... you think of The Snowman. Wondering. Then comes the guilt. Yes, guilt. I mean, I'm looking out at our friend Trevor. His eyes have fallen out. He's a blind snowman, all cold with a carrot for a nose {no eyes, no hat, no mouth} and wondering Did we do the right thing in making you Trevor? You're going to live out there, looking in at us, us looking out at you and then what? You'll melt. Melt! 

Alex did point out that the best place for him is in his natural habitat. Yes, I can see that this is true.

Trevor could do with a companion to be cold and miserable with. You know the old saying 'an only snowman is a lonely snowman'.No? Me neither. 

TREVOR

Snow is all around us. The village looks beautiful with its Christmas tree and festive lights. Really Gorgeous. Our lovely garden looks so dreamy, a real Winter Wonderland. My very favourite way to enjoy the snow is from indoors. Yes, in the warmth, gazing out of the window. Feeling incredibly blessed with my lot in life today. This view. Yes, this one.  
 


So, Joseph and I ventured out to the garden today. We had a lot of fun out there. I surprised myself with that what with me being an indoors kinda gal. Getting myself and my two year old dressed to brave the elements wasn't top of my to do list today. I'd hoped he'd want to build Duplo, read stories or dare I say even watch CBeebies while Carys had her nap. Yesterday when I took them both outdoors, they couldn't get back in fast enough! So this morning when a little voice announced 'I want go outside in my snow boots 'gain' I put on the best happy voice I could muster and said 'oh that's a great idea... shall we build a snowman?' Yes, he did. So, we got bundled up and out we went.

And look what happened... we built a rather dashing snowman.

His name is Trevor.


So proud!
 

Joseph and Trevor
 

 
Thankfully the snow continued to fall and Trevor looks like he's had a good three course dinner... all plumped up and looking much smoother. I think a nice hat would set him off. 

OH YE OF LITTLE FAITH

Well, he showed me. Tree success. He listened. He heard my words. He found us the very most utterly perfect tree. Cheers of delight bounced around the walls our apartment as we unleashed those branches from their netting. Cheers, I tell you. Cheers of surprise. Cheers of excitement. Cheers of Christmas Joy. Oh Christmas Joy!

Decorating the very most utterly perfect tree was a pleasure and a delight. It would have been a greater pleasure and a greater delight had I not had to string 110 gold baubles before I could get started but Mr 'Very Most Utterly Perfect Tree' finder man stepped forward and lent a hand on that task too.

 


So yes, 110 baubles {plus a load more we already in our 'bank of stuff'} and lots of lights {although I would like some more lights. Alex thinks not but I'll sneak them in} and a 'that'll do' gold star topper later and we have a festive delight in the corner of our living room.



Joseph and Carys love it. After the initial excitement, they seem to have got the idea that touching it is not an option. We've had a few test runs with toes reaching to touch a bauble ever so slowly with eyes looking every which way to see if they're in the clear. Even teddy had a go but he got a firm telling off 'No, teddy! You mustn't touch the Christmas Tree. You must be a good boy, just like Joseph. Joseph doesn't touch mummy's baubles.' At that, Joseph puffs his chest out with pride at being a 'good boy' and drops naughty teddy like a hot spud! Carys has lost interest after several 'don't touch mummy's bubbles Cawus' from her big brother. She just likes to see her reflection in the shiny 'bubbles'.

Here's the sideboard complete with our glittery gold reindeers Dasher and Dancer from Graham & Green a couple of years ago.

Aren't they handsome little fellows!?

 
Upon what shall I serve my afternoon tea now?
 
Sideboard complete with fairy lit garland.
 
 
Oh! Almost forgot about this little chap!
 
 
I got the idea on pinterest {of course!} and reworked it with what I had in my craft box. I used a canvas {painted cream} and gold pin fasteners. I just free hand copied the outline of the image on pinterest and got pinning{!} with the fasteners. Antlers are a little wonky but hey, who's perfect huh?!

 
Only afterwards did I check out the pinterest link which sent me to Just Daisy Dreaming blogspot where she has an excellent tutorial on this chap... meet 'Glitter Reindeer' my inspiration!
 
 
 
 
Well look at me, third post and counting...
 

DECEMBER SMILES

It's the first of December and in our household that means Christmas is here! Bonus that it just so happens to be the weekend too. Oh Lord, I love weekends! As I type, Alex is out picking a tree. Yes, I trust him {sort of!} to remember our conversation about the very most utterly perfect tree.

Today's agenda involves decorating, pottering out and about {me dashing in and out of a few shops while Alex sits in the car with sleeping toddlers}, cooking, Christmas tunes, Christmas movies, dinner with friends and chocolate!

Happy Weekend!