10 Things (December 2011)

This month it can only be Christmas related and as Christmas is fast approaching I am listing my top 10 Christmas makes that still need to be done:

1. Bake 2 Christmas cakes.
2. Ice 4 Christmas cakes.
3. Make 2 Gingerbread houses.
4. Finish 1 crocheted blanket
5. Finish 2 crocheted scarf's
6. Make lots of mince pies
7. Bake Christmas tree cookies
8. Bake ginger biscuits
9. Bake cookie gifts
10. Make gift tags

Any chance of an extra week between now and Christmas?

Pop on over to Shimelle to see lots of other 10 things on the 10th.  Wonder how many others will be Christmas themed?  If you have visited from Shimelle may I wish you a Merry Christmas and happy New Year.

Santa Safari

Last week we went on a Santa Safari at the West Midlands Safari Park.  Considering it is less than 10 miles from where we live this is only the second time Liam and Freya have been and neither can remember going before.  Kids under 4 are free and the last time we went was the weekend before Liam's 4th Birthday which meant Freya was 2 1/2.  They were both really excited and loved our Santa Safari family day out.  Here are a few photos of our day:

We travelled on Santa's sleigh to get to his grotto:

New this winter are the penguins:

Then we got back in the car and went 'on safari':

Obviously there are some animals that you can't hand feed, such as this gorgeous white tiger:

Some animals just popped their heads in the car much to Liam and Freya's delight:

It was too wet under foot for the giraffes to come out but you could see them outside their huts:

Even though they were not in the park I did managed to smuggle one of them home:

Then we saw the sealion show:

Off home we went via a lovely pub for our evening meal as I didn't want to spoil the fun and cook.

Journal Your Christmas 2011 Days 1 to 8

I don't really know how but I appear to be up to date on a project!!!  Not quite sure how long this will last but I have pages 1 to 8 completed, apart from the photo page which will be done in the New Year when I have printed all the photo's off.

I'll be back tomorrow with our trip to see Santa.

A Visit From St Nick

Santa landed in the UK yesterday after he had visited lots of good children in Germany.  For some very strange reason  that I just can't understand he left Liam and Freya Chocolate.

What he should have left was coal as they really don't deserve to be on Santa's good list!

Think I am being a little harsh?  Well take a look at this:

8 years old and off to a Christmas party with my eye shadow and lipstick on.  She helped herself and applied it on her own, even said she had nothing on her face when I asked her.

You don't have to tell me I know it's all down hill from here!

Journal Your Christmas 2011

Busy, busy, busy I have been and there seems to be little respite in the next few weeks.  I seem to be so busy on the run up to Christmas I feel I am having to schedule in sleep!  Why does this happen every year?  I seem so on top of everything then something just happens to throw the plans all up in the air.  This year it is me going in to hospital for tests this Wednesday under a general anaesthetic and then Freya has to go in, hopefully for just the day, on the 21st for some treatment again under a general anaesthetic.

For only the second time in my life I will not be spending Christmas at my Parents or my house.  Two years ago I went to my Brother's and his then fiancées.  This year we are spending Christmas with my Sister in Law's Mother and Sister at their house in Wales.  Last year they all came to us and Lidija has returned the offer this year.  It's going to feel strange not cooking Christmas lunch which is what I have done every year since I was 14.  Yes, I even ended up cooking 2 years ago at my Brothers.  The break will be nice but it still feels strange!

I have been working on my JYC album.  I intend to finish this years before July which is what happened with last years album.  This year I am more organised and as I have previously done this class I know what to expect with the prompts.  To be honest I am not really following the prompts to the letter this year.  If we have done something 'Christmassy' that day I am including that if not I am fitting the prompts in to fill the gaps.  


I am going to get my photo's all printed at the end which will be mounted on inked kraft and stuck on the kraft base plus a little embellishment.  I am doing a double 6 x 6 for each day except Christmas which will be more.  I am using kraft and this year's Jellibean's Christmas range.


I made up the majority of my album plus all of the numbers at Bromsgrove crop yesterday and it certainly helps the pages pull together quickly.  I did have a little scrap time last night just to finish off the few remaining pages with patterned paper.  This leaves just some kraft tags and the photo pages to make when I get the photos back.  I have completed the pages when I know we will be doing something specific on that day but I need to wait for a new journalling pen as all mine have disappeared to add the journalling to the completed pages.  Freya?????!!


Here are my first few journal pages:

Feels good to be showing you some scrapping as I seem to have just blogged about crochet lately.