Snippets Of Christmas 2015 - Week Four

Hello! And Happy Almost New Year.

Christmas has been and gone, and I am happy to report my jeans aren't feeling tooo tight (there's no hair bobble trick in sight!) I'm pretty sure that will change though, the pile of snacks in the kitchen aren't going to eat themselves after all ;) I'm currently nibbling bingeing on a bag of Roses golden barrels that were put out as visitor goodies - yuuuumm. 

This past week has been really, really lovely! The presents were all bought, wrapped and delivered so there was nothing more to do other than be merry with our friends and family. I even managed to sneak in some Christmas crafting. Myself and Simon made and painted some adorable salt dough paw prints as part of a handmade gift for my parents. And of course Miss Pookie, our little shadow had to be in on the action.

Nothing says Christmas like the smell of new Pyjamas! These are from Primark, aren't they gorgeous? The bottoms are a brushed cotton material and they are oh so cosy.

Christmas Eve

Since myself and Simon begun dating many many moons ago, we always had our own little Christmas on Christmas eve! So in the spirit of tradition, we got up bright but not so early to open our stockings in bed before heading downstairs to open presents around the tree.

The rest of Christmas eve was equally as lovely! We headed to our local pub for lunch with the in-laws where we stayed for hours, as we always do on Christmas eve, before Me and Simon headed out for some scrummy Italian food.   

That evening we (apparently like the whole of Instagram :P) put together and decorated a gingerbread house! I think we are going to make this a yearly tradition as it was so much fun and I for one love anything creative, and if it involves tasty treats, then all the better!

Christmas Day!

Christmas day begun with both of us at our parents houses eating bacon barms and opening presents before Simon joined me at my parents where we stayed for the rest of the day, eating good food and laughing. 

The table all set at my Parents for Christmas dinner!

And Boxing day was spent at the in-laws, building farms and houses out of wooden bricks with my nieces, and Lacey (our youngest niece) took her first steps, an utterly magical way to end Christmas!

So, that's it for my Snippets Of Christmas series for another year, I cant quite believe it's over. 

I hope you had the most wonderful of Christmases, and I wish the Happiest of New Years to you :)

Snippets Of Christmas 2015 - Week Three

Our advent candle is looking rather stubby and our calendar doors are mostly open... which means that Christmas is oh so very close (3 sleeps away to be precise)!

Since it's week three and I STILL haven't shared our lounge decor, I thought that is where I'd start this week! I LOVE how our living room looks at Christmas time, it feels super, super cosy especially on an evening when we have all of the candles lit. 

Can you believe sales have already begun? We picked up this beautiful bell jar from Tesco for a irresistible £1.75, we love it so much we went back to grab another! We plan to use them on the Christmas day dinner table, but for now one looks adorable on my bedside table.

In recent weeks I haven't quite felt so Christmassy, but this week the festive spirit came much easier, probably down to looking forward to Simon finishing for Christmas! I brought out the glittery nail polish to celebrate, if you can't wear glitter at Christmas... when can you?!

Like many others, I really feel Christmassy when the shopping comes to an end and I am spending quality time with family and friends! This week we have had much more time for things like dining out with our family, getting together with those we haven't seen in a while, baking and other relaxing things. It hasn't been a plain sailing week, but we have been better able to cope with things thrown at us!

By Snippets of Christmas Week Four, the big man will have been and my jeans wont be buttoning the same! 

So, Merry Christmas :) 

Snippets Of Christmas 2015 - Week Two

Hello, and Happy Tuesday!

Here I am once again with a chocolate chip muffin to hand and 24 hours in A&E playing in the background (my current favourite) whilst I sift through photo snippets of our week.

Personally honesty is key here on my little blog and as much as I'd love to say this week has been rainbows and butterflies... it hasn't quite been that way. Our week didn't start off too great, we were both feeling rather crap and rather Grinchy.  But once we got our tree put up we were in much better spirits, there's just something about fairy lights that makes my heart fuzzy and warm. 

Home Alone Quote Banner purchased from Darwin And Gray on Etsy

Our mood was only made better by my parents popping by to visit, bearing gifts!

Whilst kind of, sort of-ish on the topic of home decor, we had to buy some replacement Christmas bedding as ours was turning everything it touched pink! Socks, throws... you name it, they turned PINK. We replaced it with this super fun and colourful one from George. We are obsessed with it!

Whilst Simon has been working away like the little worker bee he is, I have been knee deep in wrapping paper, ribbons and bows! AKA in my element wrapping lots and lots of prezzies. Things are feeling much more organised in the Gardner/Berry residence!

My favourite moment this week has to be having my adorable nephew come and stay with us. He may be thirteen years old, but my oh my he still melts my heart! We went to see 'The Good Dinosaur' at the Odeon, and oh my - it's a good 'un. We all loved it!

Oh, and I couldn't not include our new buddy Oscar! This cutie patootie is a regular visitor to our local pub, we often find him sat underneath the seats of our usual table. Infact we are due to see him again tomorrow, when we pop out for lunch with my father in law! 

Well, thats Christmas week two over and done with! When we wake tommorow, Christmas will be single digits away.

Sweet Dreams :)

Snippets of Christmas 2015 - Week One

HAPPY DECEMBER!

That feels super strange to type, and super strange to say aloud! But it is true, December is upon us and Christmas day is merely weeks away. Last year I created and begun a Christmas series called 'Snippets Of Christmas' and I really enjoyed it! I found myself digging out my camera much more and preserving the smaller, finer details of Christmas often forgotten. 

Our house is gradually, and I mean reeeaaaaal gradually becoming festive. We have lots of candles, plaques and accessories dotted around but we are yet to put up the tree (or green scratch post in our ever so cheeky fur-babies eyes). After we finished the decorating we treated ourselves to a scrumdiddlyumtious hot chocolate, and chocolate muffin from McDonalds! 

One of the candles we are burning is the scent 'Candy Cane Lane' by Yankee Candle, it is a subtle fragrance, so it takes a while to kick in, but oh my - after a while you feel as though you are in a, well... Candy Cane Lane. 

Although i'm giving it a good old shot, admittedly I am not really feeling Christmas this year, not quite yet anyway! This past week I have been unwell pretty much everyday, I have had stomache pains that have had me doubled over, a outbreak out of no-where in hives - all over my hands and arms (still there *shudder*) a cold, and I even managed to dye myself and the bath smurf blue with a craft fair bath bomb. Its safe to say im not having the best of luck this month! 

Ailments aside, we've got lots done this week! Theres been plenty of Christmas shopping done, a smidge of wrapping and a whole lot of card writing. All in-between putting up decorations with my Nanna at the care home and helping my father-in-law set up his Christmas villages.

Here's to week two of Christmas! 

And perhaps to not turning myself smurf blue again.