Farewell 2010

So that's another year over with - wow where did it go? Even children seem to be saying it flew past, when I was wee that was only something grown ups said. LOL

New Year's Eve will be (hopefully) a more healthy one this year as I'm not coughing up a lung like I was last year. I am also not working myself to death for minimum wage anymore either.

Anway I thought it would be a good time to reflect to see what else has been achieved this year.
I don't 'do' resolutions but I did set myself some aims for this year.

•More quality family time.
Giving up the bar job definately helped with this one. I am here when the smalls come home from school and I get to cook them proper meals every night. I'm present in the now for them and not living in my head reliving scenes from work. Money's tighter but it's been worth it.


•Making this house a home.
This year I got the downstairs bathroom refitted - there have been no before and after pics yet as I'm STILL waiting on the guy coming back to fit the extractor fan. He 'finished' the bathroom in July - yes I know! I'm going to get someone else to fit it after the holiday season and the first guy won't be getting asked back to do all the other work I need doing in the house. His loss - big mistake! LOL
I have filled bags and bags of clutter but it seems to be breeding and it's a losing battle but I'm determined to win.
As I can't afford a new kitchen at the moment and I have lived with mine for far too long (8 years but I'm not counting honest) I took the bull by the horns on Wednesday and attacked the unit doors with a paintbrush. I will post before and after pics in the new year. ;)


•Getting my crafting mojo back.
I've brought out the knitting needles and made hot water bottle covers and hand warmers and am still working on a blanket for wee one at this rate it may be finished when she leaves home. She's 10 now! Big one might get one for the birth of her first grandchild :)
I've baked a fair bit, especially when I found the whacky food colourings I'd forgotten about.

I've read 112 books this year - ok that's not technically crafty but thought I'd just tell you anyway. :)
I did a wee bit of stencilling but not nearly as much as I would like to get done.
I made a door curtain to keep out the cold that was crafty and thrifty :)
Obviously Chrimbo brings out my more crafty side - snowflakes, paper chains and baking.


•Living frugally but bountifully.
Despite losing a weekly pay packet I have lived within my means this year. I owe nobody any thing. No loans, no credit cards, no overdraft and I paid for an all inclusive holiday in the sun for me and the smalls. Yay me!


•Nuture my important friendships.
I came to realise that I am worth having as a friend and real friends don't expect me to do all their bidding. My Christmas card list changed this year but I'm thinking definately for the better. I lost a dear friend in a tragic car accident this year too and two other dear friends had breast lump scares so that also helped with the realisation that some things matter and some don't.
I have found some wonderful friends in this magical sparkle box and you all mean a lot to me, you know who you are and if you don't I'm doing something wrong. LOL

•Have a holiday even if it's only a weekend in a tent in a field with a campfire.
Not one but three and a bit holidays.
Holiday number one. A camping trip to Linlithgow in the summer.
Holiday number two. Two weeks down in Wales. One week on my own when I caught up with all my old pals and the second week when the smalls came back from their holiday with their Dad.
Holiday number three. Two weeks in Tunisia in October.
And the bit. My return trip to Wales on my own in September for an old friend's wedding.

Here's to 2011 when hopefully I will be

* beginning a new career.

* continuing to make my house a home that I want to be in.

* acquiring a social life that entails me going outside the front door, this last year I've been somewhat of a recluse so it's time I made me some new 'local' friends. Of course this wouldn't be necessary if you all didn't live so far away!

* Keep fund raising so that Big one gets to go on her Malawi trip - oh and survive having my baby in a foreign country for a month without me or her Dad or any family member for that matter!

* Help wee one finally get to grips with how a tidy room is supposed to look.

* Keep my little family smiling, happy and healthy.

Thanks to you all for keeping me company during this last year, supporting me on the days when I've needed a shoulder, a hug or a kick up the bum, laughed with me on the days when I've either been daft or life has just made us giggle and finally just for being you. You're all great.

So was it good for you?

I certainly hope so. ;)

Intentionally blurry Santa - honest. ;)

Why is it that we spend weeks if not months working ourselves up to the big day then it's all over in what feels like minutes?

Anyway enough to say Santa came, small people were suitably thrilled with their gifts, a huge plate of food was eaten and then several chocolate based treats.

The cake is yummy.

I feel about 25 times bigger than I did a week ago and I'm not talking height!

One more sleep

and Santa will have been.

Thankfully we finally got our cakes iced








and our cookies made.




I'd like to wish everyone who pops over here a very very Merry Christmas, I hope your day is happy and stress free and on Christmas Day take just one moment to stop, stand still and look around you. Look at those happy faces and hold that memory because that's what Christmas is all about. (((Hugs)))

How much!!

I went food shopping yesterday, I only needed some veg, a few bits for our meals and some things for our Boxing Day - Christmas Day Mark 2. My pal is working Christmas Day so she and her wee lad are coming round to open pressies and eat lots of goodies on Boxing Day.


Anyway I digress, so there we were with our trolley just over half full trying to avoid all the mad one's with their overflowing trolleys with enough food and booze in them to feed probably their entire street!



Maybe I'm just out of touch as I don't have lots and lots of people to invite round for drinks and nibbles but I do wonder how much of that food ends up in the bin.



Right I better go get these Christmas cakes iced, as happy as I would be with just marzipan on them I think the small people would like something a bit fancier. ;)

Not many sleeps now.

In fact so few that I thought I better start making a check list.

* Cards written and posted. CHECK
* Presents that need posting posted. CHECK
* All Santa's presents bought. CHECK
* Xmas Cake baked and marinated in lots of brandy. CHECK
* Trees erected and decorated. CHECK
* Snowflakes made and hung. CHECK

* Paper chains made and hung. CHECK



Still to do.

* Finish Santa's wrapping.
* Ice the Xmas Cake.
* Buy Xmas dinner bits and bobs.
* Buy Boxing day buffet bits and bobs for my pal and her wee son coming round.

Oh and some 'friends' say I have to make myself a Xmas jumper!! Hmmm not sure about that one.


Plus I'm sure there are other things that my brain is currently chosing to let me forget but will no doubt remind me in a last minute panic.
But I'm not going to panic I'm going to enjoy this Christmas with it just being me and my girls. Their Dad is working abroad until January and this year it is my brother's turn to have Mother for Xmas and New Year. :D
All a recipe for a relaxed, happy and stress free holidays me thinks.

We can't see the wood for the...

TREES!

Is it just me that loses the will to live after unfurling all those branches after only doing the bottom tier?


All standing ready for action. One white, one black and one green.



One set of very old lights chucked in the bin, one set of oldish lights still working and two brand new sets of cheapo Asda lights later....





Next?

You tell the small people to go crazy with the decorations. Big one has only just finished off decorating the white tree as she's had a ton of homework lately. Roll on next Wednesday when school finishes for the HOLIDAYS!!!!

Thanks for all your lovely comments about our snowflakes, it's been a tradition I've had with the smalls for a long time. They are now snowflake creator's extraordinaire. :)

We made snow

And while we're on the subject of cold things, I thought you might like to see what my bedroom window looked like during this cold snap.

Mother Nature's ice poles. :)
Keep warm, there's still a lot of winter to get through yet. x