make it merry!

I think most people fall into two camps, either they love the lead up to Christmas, or loathe it. I think I actually fall in the middle, though I used to love it perhaps it has something to do with how organised I am. 

A few months ago when Christmas felt a million months away, I was invited to take part in a media launch of Spotlight's 2016 Christmas range.  

The room was decked out beautifully! Just like an European Christmas market, think mulled wine, fur trees and all those good things.  It made me nostalgic for my one Christmas in Germany. There was biscuit decorating, flower arranging, gift wrapping and my "stall"of card making. The guests got a chance to have a go at creating too! So much fun having free reign with crafting supplies and I loved watching the different ideas come together.

Melissa from The Best Nest was my neighbour and came up with some easy ideas for making your presents look fab under the tree.

Now I'm armed with ideas for decorated biscuits, artful flower arrangements and handmade cards. Now just to find the energy to make it all! Make it merry!

forgive me

Hey! It's been a long time I know, forgive me I've been in holiday mode, easy meals, a messy house, no fixed plans and not blogging! But in order to start back in this space I need to do a quick Christmas wrap up. It's hard for me to do, seriously!  I'm the person who strips down all the Christmas decorations down on Boxing day! I can't stand them up a minute longer and the house just seems so much fresher once they are packed away, that being said the box of decorations still hasn't found it's way back into the cupboard yet! So here goes, I'll keep it brief so hopefully not too much forgiveness required!

I love now that the kids are older and we can make the most of some twilight Christmas traditions. Visiting MOTAT for their Christmas light nights, and also local houses that get into the Christmas spirit. The bonus was taking them out late on Christmas eve gave my husband and I a wee sleep in on Christmas morning too.

The Waiuku Christmas display has become a firm family favourite Christmas tradition. The Waiuku town hall, jammed packed with musical and mechanical Santa's and the biggest array of amazing Christmas decorations that you have ever seen! It's noisy and so magical.

This year I started another tradition too, new Christmas Pyjamas for Christmas Eve. I hope that some years they are homemade, this year I went with bought ones (I didn't want to start a precedent!) . They were a total hit and they stayed in them all day, convincing all the visitors that they just looked like normal clothes and there was no need to change. I think that personalised anything always goes down well, especially have a name that isn't common, if only they came in my size! Thanks Stuck on You!

I made some simple drawstring bags to put the pyjamas in, complete with their initials on them I also popped a handmade decoration in each for them to put on the tree before popping into bed. It was a lovely way to celebrate Christmas eve and I'm looking forward to doing the same next year.

So that's me all caught up now. I'm looking forward to sharing lots of things with you this year. I've got a feeling 2014 is going to be an amazing year, I hope you'll join me!

gifting

Lego Club Christmas gift! 

I really try to think "outside the square" for presents for little ones. I've given Lego club memberships for a few little people that we know for special birthdays over the last year or so. The Lego club is a one off payment and the child then gets an interactive magazine, stickers and sometimes a small Lego set several times a year till they are 11 or so (when the membership needs to be renewed annually). All for just under $20. The mum's have all said what a great idea it was and how their children have been enjoying getting something special in the mail every few months. At the time of the gift giving I wrote up a little card saying I'd signed them up and added a wee Lego minifigure. In each case I did speak with the mum before hand to make sure they weren't already signed up!

Have you seen this list? It's sixty gift alternatives to toys for children. I love it! I especially love the section on experiences. Often people with children struggle to fit admission charges into their budgets, a trip to the zoo can be really costly for a family these days. That's where Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles could chip in to buy a pass to the zoo, movie money or paying for swim lessons etc. Putting money towards experiences and creating lifelong memories must be better than toys that might not last until the next Christmas. I remember getting a Whitcoulls voucher (a local book store) when I was young, I loved being able to go in and choose a book that I really wanted for the first time ever.

Is there something you've gifted or been gifted that was "outside the square"? I'd love some more ideas!

ornamental

I often add to our Christmas decorations at this time of year, avoiding all the chain stores I head the the local op shops or thrift stores. Last year I was so lucky to pick up a number of vintage glass baubles. This year I spotted these wee candle holders, made in Germany. They have a ceramic top and a red wooden base.

I love their Scandinavian style, but once home I realised that we didn't have any candles to fit. After a rummage in the cupboard I found some cake candles, not a perfect fit, but good enough to get the effect.

I think candle light can really set a scene, don't you agree?

Do you add to your decoration collection each year?

local

I do 99% of my grocery shopping online, it helps me stick to a budget and I tend to avoid all those impulse buys that sneakily add lots of dollars to my bill. It does have a downside however, I tend not to learn about new products when they hit the shelves or new companies. So when I was contacted recently to see if I'd like to try some Donovans chocolates I had to do a little online search to find out a bit about the company and the chocolates too before I said yes.

I found that they are a New Zealand, family owned company, handcrafting chocolates since 1991. Great right? Made locally means that they employ local people, big tick from me.

The chocolates look handcrafted too, almost so handcrafted that you could pop them in a jar and pretend you handcrafted them? OK I don't think I could quite pull that off, but they do look lovely for a quick and easy gift.

In the top photo I took the one pound box of Peppermint delight, which Donovans have specially released for Christmas, and turned it inside out and glued it back together. Tied with some red string and a wee Christmas decoration and you have a lovely gift!

Did I mention they are quite delicious too? Try and support local businesses this Christmas, I am!

*thanks to Donovans for supplying the chocolate - all words and opinions are my own, but you knew that already right?

reliable

OK there is no ignoring it now, the growing to do and shopping lists, busy social calendar, it all points to Christmas! I always try and be organised, even planning a few extra gifts to have at hand for those surprise extra guests or last minute invites. Even with all that organising I still sometimes fall short, so it's good to have something reliable in mind for a last minute gift or "bring a plate" emergencies.

Last week I was sent a delicious parcel of goodies from Bakers Delight. Some fruit mince tarts and a Christmas fruit cake. You might remember last year I was lucky enough to try their Christmas cake, but this was my first time trying their fruit mince tarts.

I loved how the tarts had a little foil base, made them look just that bit more special than the supermarket ones, I think they would look sweet in cellophane bags tied with a handmade ornament. They were tasty and full of fruit, they disappeared quickly.

Look at that cake! Argh I wanted to keep it just like that and present it at my Christmas table passing it off as my own, shameless right? But alas in the name of giving a thorough review we cut into it. It was moist! Just how I like a Christmas cake to be, full of currants and sultanas. You can buy a large Christmas cake or Bakers Delight also offer single servings! But why would you just want a little bit? Am I right?

What is your favourite baked treat at Christmas time?


*Just in case you are wondering, Bakers Delight supplied me with a box of fruit mince tarts and one Christmas cake. All the words and photos and opinions are my own. 

ornamental

It's that time of year again to sign up for the Kiwi Christmas Ornament Swap!

Click on the image to take you to Sew Funky to find out all the details. I've participated over the last three years, my kids love finding the little ornaments in the letterbox to hang on our tree. Handmade decorations are so much better than store bought don't you think? Will you join me?

another green

Today in the "a handmade Christmas"  seriesI am having a chat with Clare from Green Valley Crafts.I'm sure you already know her, right? If not you should head on over to check it out, her blog is a lovely read, Clare has mad speed knitting skills, shares some great recipes, she does all this and more with two small daughters. If she lived closer I'm sure I'd be sharing a cuppa or two with her on a regular basis! 

Instead pour yourself a cuppa and enjoy this little chat........

So Clare, do you have a favourite thing to make and give at Christmas? 

It's hard to chose a favourite, but I do like to make fabric bags to pop other gifts into.  More useful than wrapping paper and less cleaning up!

image source: Green Valley Crafts

image source: Green Valley Crafts

Do you have any favourite Christmas traditions? Any that you will do when your children are older? 

 I like to make a new handmade decoration each Christmas, usually out of felt.  I add one as part of the wrapping (or gift bag - see Q.1.) onto the gifts of close friends and family.  My eldest daughter and I bake and ice biscuits, and she wraps them and makes cards and then gifts them to family, friends and teachers.  Also, we get a new Christmas themed picture book to add to our collection each year.  These books are only out in December, and then put away for the rest of the year so they are that bit more exciting and special.

Ooh I like that book idea! Have you received a handmade present in the past that really stands out in your mind? 

 My mum makes me a tiny Christmas cake all of my own every year (no one else in my house likes traditional Christmas cake!  What?!)  I love this and look forward to it all year!  Yum yum!!

I was wondering, do you have a gift making/buying philosophy for Christmas? 

 In our family, we mainly give gifts to the children.  They get a sweet selection of wants and needs, usually a mix of handmade and bought items.  Adults exchange small gifts (our max spend would be about $15-$20 per adult), and we try not to buy each other 'stuff' we don't really need.  I usually turn to our fantastic Saturday market for the adults gifts, or online (felt or etsy) and those hard-to-buy-for-blokes usually get yummy food/drink type treats.

image source: Green Valley Crafts

What is on your making list this year?

 This year I have to make my baby her Christmas stocking, that's priority number one!  I'll make a set of decorations for the year, I'm thinking this year will involve a bit of cross stitch again, like last year.  I'd also like to make my girls new outfits for Christmas day (maybe matching, maybe not!).  There will be some kind of foodie gift for the kindy teachers.  If time allows, I'll make gift bags, otherwise we'll paint/stamp some brown paper for our wrap.  I would like to make an advent calendar with pockets, but I don't think I'll have time for that this year.   Whatever happens, there will be peppermint bark (probably at least two batches, cause I usually eat at least one!)

image source: Green Valley Crafts

I think there will be several batches of peppermint bark here too! So have I missed anything? Last thoughts?

Thanks for having me Louana!  I can't wait to follow your Christmas series, and get some new ideas and hear about other people's family traditions!

No thank you Clare! It's been great gaining a little insight to your Christmas traditions, I hope you share some pics of your baby's stocking once it's done - no pressure or anything! I think I'm going to steal that Christmas book idea too. I love that you consider you mum's Christmas cake a stand out handmade gift, it goes to show that you don't need to spend a fortune to create a really good memory for someone near to you. Don't you think?

and to all a good night!

last batch of peppermint bark

lovely handmade ornaments from swaps

toadstool from Lisa of big little - thanks Lisa!

a runaway Shepherd

Merry Christmas! Thanks for stopping by this year and for all the lovely comments. Wishing you and your family all the best for this festive season! May it be a happy and safe one!

( I've added comment moderation due to the HUGE amount of spam that's started, thought it might be easier than word verification)

bah humbug!

It's been a busy week! All the posts I had planned haven't eventuated and I'm not feeling in Christmas spirit just yet. I've wrapped only a handful of presents, spurred on by the fact a dear friend called in to see us and I hadn't wrapped her presents! EEEK! (one of the presents was even for her birthday earlier in the month!). So I'm in a mad rush now to finish everything off and wrap it all. Not how I like to spend the lead up to Christmas - I'm terribly disorganised this year.

We travelled south this afternoon to the Waiuku Christmas display. It's been a few years since we have been and the kids just loved it! It was nice that they are at that age where after being told once "not to touch" - we didn't have to tell them again! I was looking at all the other parents with younger children as they chased them around, trying to keep them (mostly in vain) from touching everything - and I remembered it wasn't so long ago that was me. The display was truly magical and it was hard not to start to get into the spirit of things. So I'm off now to make my last batch of peppermint bark, wrap the last of the presents and finish off a couple of things - and enjoy it too! Hope all your last minute preparations are well under way!

village

Last Saturday night we visited the Howick Historical Village, it was their twilight Christmas market night. The atmosphere was lovely and the weather couldn't have been better. A beautifully warm soft sun, slowly sinking making all sorts of lovely shadows in the houses. All the cottages and houses were decorated for Christmas, parcels were stacked ready to be taken to the post office, stockings hung and tables set for special meals. It was a great way to spend an early summer's evening.

quick ornament tutorial

When I was busy covering jam jar lids last week, trying to make my recycled jam jars look a bit more Christmas-like. I thought that the lids could easily be converted into ornaments. It could be a great way to save some special wrapping paper after Christmas is over, you could make some each year with the wrapping paper that you use, to look back on in years to come. So you will need .......

*Jam jar lids, or any jar lids really. You need two lids the same size for each ornament that you wish to make.
*Glue gun
*scissors
*Mod podge and a paint brush - no Mod podge? Use a 50/50 mix of PVA and water
* Wrapping or scrapbooking paper
* Braid or ribbon (I used giant ric rac, cause that was all I had!)

Place the jam jar lid on the wrong side of the wrapping paper and draw a circle around it. Leaving around a 2 -3 cm allowance. Cut the circle out.

Paint some mod podge on the top of the lid and stick it onto the wrong side of the paper. Cut some slits all around the edge, you need to cut close into where the lid is glued down.

Paint some mod podge on all the slits, making sure the mod podge goes right to the edge. Fold over all the slits, covering the lid completely with the paper. Set aside and repeat with the other lid.

Once you have two lids completed. Put some hot glue around the edge of one and pop the other on, making a jam jar lid sandwich!

Then glue the ribbon or braid over the "seam", leaving a looped bit at the top.

Try not to put too much hot glue on at this stage - um like I did! It will ooze out the sides of the braid.

Hang it on your tree! 

nz style

This Christmas I'm trying to stay away from snowflakes and other Northern Hemisphere type Christmas decorations. It's time to adopt a more "Kiwi" or "NZ" style of Christmas, including how I wrap my presents.

My local $2 shop sells large squares of woven flax and I picked one up wondering how I could make something out of it. (I'm pretty sure these woven squares, and the kete that the shop sells aren't made in NZ *sad face*, how could they be if they are selling them for $2? ). So this is the result of a bit of playing around on a Friday afternoon (procrastinating over market crafting I really should be doing!)

Draw a square on the woven flax with a fabric marker (the kind that disappears without water)

Stitch along the lines of the square. Use a jeans needle, loosen your tension and choose a longish stitch for 

best results. Try stitching a little section on the edge first to check it's sewing properly.

Cut around the stitching, leaving approximately 1cm allowance.

Fold one corner to the opposite corner, then stitch along that line to create a cone shape.

Give it a squish in the middle and along the sides, or not, it will be more "rounded" if you don't "squish" it

Ta da! Add a little present inside, or some Christmas baking and top it off with some tissue to keep everything in place. Add a ribbon to brighten it up a bit if you want!

You can make them any size you like. Try small ones to hang on your tree, just attach a ribbon to the top.