Lifestyle, food and drink, and our family life and travel adventures.
I have been tagged by fellow Notts blogger – Jane, at Maflingo to answer some Christmas questions. After a really crappy and difficult couple of weeks I’m not really feeling very Christmassy yet, so hopefully this will get me into the Christmas spirit!
Ooh, maybe Love Actually – it’s just so sweet and lovely to watch, especially that bit with Keira Knightley and Andrew Lincoln (“To me, you are perfect”) – oh so cute.
I also love The Snowman growing up and Miracle on 34th Street – I need to watch that with Ava this year. I haven’t seen it for ages.
I have but I have no idea when; I think probably it was when I was a lot younger. Although I’m sure there was a sprinkling here a few years ago.
We usually alternate between where we spend most of the day each year – either with my family or his. We’ll see the other side in the morning, and then go for Christmas dinner and the rest of the day with the other side of the family.
As it’s my side of the family this year and my mum and step-dad are currently travelling round the country in a motorhome, we are actually having the whole day at our house and people will be coming to us, which is nice not have to go anywhere for once.
It’s one of those difficult things isn’t it, when two families combine. It always involves lots of compromise and slightly altered family traditions.
Fairytale of New York and All I Want for Christmas is You – I’m sure AIWFCIY is nearly always the first song I hear each year, and it’s just lovely and fun.
I have hardly heard any Christmas songs this year yet (nor seen a single Christmas ad!), so I need to rectify that.
Not really, no. I have started buying Ava a new pair of Christmassy pyjamas each though, for her to wear on Christmas Eve. Although this year they’re not Christmassy because I got a bit annoyed at spending quite a lot on Christmas pyjamas that she only wears for a short time. So I just chose some really pretty ones from Next.
I don’t entirely understand the whole Christmas Eve box thing that gets more popular every year – I think it can be sweet if you’re just giving a few bits for enjoying on Christmas Eve – PJ’s, a DVD to watch and some hot chocolate treats or something, but kids tend to get so many presents on Christmas Day anyway, I don’t really get why they need (or should have) a load more the day before.
Yes! Dancer and Prancer, Donner and Blitzen, Comet and Cupid, Dasher and Vixen, and Rudolph!
Last year Ava jumped in bed with us and opened a few presents which was lovely. I’m looking forward to my scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on muffins for breakfast.
I’m looking forward to giving people their presents and watching Ava unwrapping all of hers.
I can’t wait for Christmas dinner and pulling crackers and then setting fire to the Christmas pudding and eating it. And then not being able to move after the big dinner.
And then lounging about and eating some Christmas chocolates.
Real! For the very first time ever I considered perhaps getting a fake one, but that only lasted a few minutes. I pondered the idea because it’s been a hellish few weeks with illness and so I’m so behind with everything that I thought maybe I couldn’t be arsed with the hassle. But I just love real trees far too much. The wonderful smell as I walk in my living room makes me happy.
Ooh that’s so hard! Pigs in blankets are up there, Baileys, Christmas pudding and fresh custard. Until a few years ago I hated Mince Pies, but I really wanted to like them as they’re always so readily available around Christmas! Now I love them, particularly warm with a dollop of creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream. Yuuuuum!
I really love to give, I also love receiving. *snigger* I really love giving people presents that I know they’ll love, it really makes me happy, and I love seeing how excited Ava when she opens her gifts. It’s always nice receiving a present though, especially thoughtful ones that you haven’t asked for, or super-duper expensive ones 😉
Probably my DSLR – actually no that was a birthday gift! Ava was actually originally due on Christmas Day, so I’m going to be massively, massively cheesy and say her!!
I’ve been in Thailand at Christmas before, and it was very weird being on the beach on Christmas Day wearing a bikini, Santa hat and tinsel round my neck, but was lovely to try it. I do love winter being cold and potentially snowy though.
I’ve always wanted to spend Christmas in New York as I think that would be amazing. I was in New York when the Christmas tree and the ice rink were there at the Rockafeller Center and it was beautiful. I’d love to go there right near or over Christmas.
I’m awful. It makes me really cross and I hate it; I just don’t have enough patience for it. I like the idea of giving people beautifully wrapped presents, but unfortunately it never happens. My sister on the other hand is brilliant at it and puts loads of time and effort in. She has been known to wrap mine for me before. Sometimes I wish we still lived together, only very, very occasionally though…. hi sis!
Probably just being on the beach in Thailand because it was so different, but I did miss my family loads not being with them on Christmas Day, and felt like I was missing out a bit. The sunshine and cocktails made up for it though.
Generally though it was just Christmas morning as a child. The feeling of seeing a sack full of presents at the end of your bed and how magical it all was was wonderful. Me and my sister would climb into my mum’s bed and we would open all of our presents there, just the three of us.
I really can’t remember when I found out. I think I’d maybe suspected for a little while, but I’m not sure whether I ever asked my mum for definite. I remember being aware that it was my mum bringing my sack of presents in and I remember being awake as she dragged the heavy sack in! I think for a while though she told me that she brought them upstairs for Santa because he was busy and worn out, obvs.
Just plenty of special time with friends and family – everyone being off at the same time and being able to relax, as well as the general Christmas spirit that I love, plus FOOD!
I’d like to tag Stacey at Nobody Said it Was Easy; Rachel at Coffee, Cake, Kids; Zara at Mojo Blogs, and Kerry at Noah and the Girls if any of them weirdly have some spare time today!
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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