Guess what we forgot ?

The chipolatas of course.   

We had a lovely family day  yesterday and today.  

Hope you all had a lovely time too.

I will leave you with some funny, family snaps.  

A fabtastic family time, who could ask for anything more.

 Crikey old Twiggy has a frock on, must be Christmas.

Twiggy x

Merry Christmas

(Remember this snowy scene from 2009?)

Well here we are, Twiglet is rehearsing his lines for the Christingle.  I need to clean out the guinea pigs and we are then away to collect my Mum who is staying with us for a couple of days.

However, you choose to spend it have a lovely Christmas my bloggy friends.

I will catch up with you all after the big event.

Twiggy xx

Chrimbo Makes

Well we're nearly there and what a fun and busy day today has been.

Twiglet's Xbox gave up the ghost yesterday, so top Dad Mr Twigs returned it to the shop, then travelled a considerable distance to get a replacement !!

I realised one of the little fellas gifts hadn't turned up, so Mr Twigs sourced it elsewhere - all the fun of being  parent.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, I took Twiglet down to the village church for the Christingle rehearsal, then we came back and did a bit of Christmas crafting.

Firstly, a few reindeers for the Chrimbo table for everyone, little chocolate snowman wrapped in brown paper and reindeered up - love the mismatched eyes and interestingly coloured noses.

Some little tree made by me, I asked Twiglet to write his Grandparents names and stitched them in gold, to make some little gift tags.

Yet more mince pies.

To top it all, our lurid gingerbread house (see top of post) or the `chuffing gingerbread house' as I called it.  Remind me next year, I am never building one of these again, ever, what a pain.

Beautifully decorated by himself though!!

Right hopefully have time to pop on tomorrow, in between collecting my lovely Mum, going to the Christingle and doing last minute wrapping.  (We did a mammoth wrapping session last night and have the bad backs to prove it :)

Here are some fab Christmas cards made by the boy at his Christmas art club.

 Finally, had to share these, a Christmas gift for my chicken keeping pal.  

Aren't they ace?

Hope your Christmas preparations are going well.

Twiggy x

Winter Solstice

Happy Winter Solstice.  I can't believe it has come around so quickly.  

The above photo is the very chilly Winter Solstice in 2010 - see link for blog!!

Winter Solstice 2010

Being a Winter kind of girl, I don't long for the longer days, but I know many of us do.

Anyhoo, first day of the Christmas hols yesterday and we are very lucky that Mr Twigs has saved up his holiday entitlement and has 2 weeks off (apart from 1 day) so that is lovely.

We had a really nice day yesterday. 

 I chose not to go on my works Christmas do this year as firstly, we needed to replace our mattress and secondly I think £35 for the meal alone was a waste of money. 

 Instead I saved the cash for a family treat.  So yesterday, we went off to Xscape to see Nativity 3 (love these films, so silly) I used Tesco vouchers to pay for this, brill.  

We then went to Nandos for lunch and my Christmas do money paid for this and for Twiglet to have a go on the bungee trampoline and I had some change, so money well spent in my book.  

We then popped into Pontefract and had a look round, as Twiglet said we hadn't been for ages.

We were awoken during the night as the young man had been sick and continued to be sick for several hours - nothing to do with the trampoline, but much to do with the horrible cold/ stomach bugs that have been going round school for the last few weeks.

Ever the optimist though he said well at least I won't be sick on Christmas Day like last year - bless.

He's currently sat on the sofa watching Ice Age 4 and scoffing toast, so I think he's on the mend.

After our day of jollity yesterday, today comes a day of work, visits to the tip, cleaning out the spare room for my Mum's Chrimbo visit, shortening curtains, such fun !

Did you watch Strictly last night?  excellent final I thought.  

We also watched a programme about Rik Mayall, which is well worth watching on Iplayer if you missed it.

Mr Twigs and I commented that we still can't believe he's gone.  

We went to see Bottom Live a few times and loved it and I still think I had a touch of Rik the student about me when I was at college.  We had a good laugh about the fact I lived in a predominately white, small, Yorkshire mining village and became a member of the Anti Apartheid Movement.  

What a young idealist I was !!

Righto, another coffee and a bit of blog hopping and I suppose I better get on.

Take care

Twiggy x

Something, cheap, hot and filling on a Winters Night

Evening

That got you attention didn't it?

Well what have you been up to?  I've done a ton of housework and studying today.  Stripped the sofas, washed the covers and got the hoover down the back of the sofa.  The things I've found, mainly crumbs, a pair of little welly socks, a coat hanger, a lot of pencils and a letter L key from a computer keyboard ???

Anyhoo, got to have a tidy sofa for Christmas, it's the law, I've told the boys NOT to drop any food on it !!

Had a bit of good news today, got my first course module returned and I've passed - yay !!

2 more modules and a project to go.

Last day at school tomorrow before the Christmas break, Twiglet has been a busy bee this week, the whole school went on a theatre visit yesterday, then had a buffet lunch followed by class room parties!!

Anyhoo, back to the title.  

The young man had Cubs tonight (another Christmas party) so I wanted to make something quick for dinner for Mr Twigs and I.

Last night I bought these bargainous taco trays from Home Bargains, for an amazing 29p for 14 !!

I fried up some mince, chucked in some fajita seasoning, chopped up some tomatoes and red pepper to put on top and popped on a blob of cream cheese as we didn't have any sour cream.

Oooo it was proper lovely and another great thing is,

it cleared the dodgy sinus headaches that we both have.

Chillies are the answer !!

Catch you later.

Twiggy 

Twiggy & Twiglet makes.

Evening All.

The Twiggys have been doing a bit of making and baking.

On my days off work I do like to do a spot of baking for the boys, its lovely having something waiting for little Twiglet when he gets home from school.

Here are my very old bun tins, they used to be my Grandma's  - she died in 1977, so I love using them and thinking about her.

I loved it when I was a young  and I'd come home from school to a lovely warm house full of delicious baking smells.

A yummy lemon drizzle cake and some enormous chocolate buns.

Twiglet attended after school Cookery Club tonight and created this  Sonic the Hedgehog pizza, isn't it fab?

Tasted lovely too - I had a little nibble!!

Ooo and to finish  colourful stir fry for me and Mr Twigs, bit of turkey, whatever was in the bottom of the fridge, carrots, red peppers and celery.  Half a bag of straight to wok noodles from Aldi and half a jar of my home made chilli jam - ding dong it was gorge !!

Warming stuff on a cold Winter's night, you cant beat it.

Now LOOK AWAY ANDREA OF INDIGO BLUE BLOG.

Has she gone?

Here is the card swap I made for Andrea and posted yesterday.  

I received Andrea's yesterday( it is gorgeous), and will blog it soon as the flippin batteries on my camera have charged up they have currently given up the ghost.

Righto, quick soak in the bath then a bit of Xmas stitching and the last episode of Missing.

Have you watched it ? crikey it's gone on a bit, but although the subject matter is deeply disturbing, there are some great performances and I really do love the french policeman.

Oh la la 

Twiggy x

Twiglet meets a TV Star

Look who Twiglet fed today (only viewers of Look North will have a clue what I'm talking about).

Here's a link to his studio interview.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-30422177

Only little superstar and orphan goat Benjamin, what a pair of cuties.

Twiggy xx

Alternative Christmas Traditions

Evening all.

Twiglt has asked me to include a photo of Digger, as Digger tripped when he was walking down the stairs and is now feeling under the weather.  

Twiglet has bandaged him up with toilet roll and wrapped him in a blanket, he is a very good nurse.

Well Twiglet's Christmas play was fantastic as usual, he played a Spaniard (it was very international) and had a couple of singing solos, we were very impressed that he hit some very high notes.  

All the children did very well especially as they had 3 performances during the day and the littlies in Reception in particular, must have been very tired.  

It's Twiglet's last Christmas play before he goes up to his next school next year, awwww bless !!

Would you believe that the young man went down the pit today with his Daddy to meet Father Christmas at the National Coal Mining Museum, only in Yorkshire folks!  

He had a great time and we have a very funny photo to prove it !!

So today we did another of our Christmas traditions and took a wreath up to my Grandma and Grandad's grave in Streethouse - this is the little place my Grandma was born in many years ago.

As ever it was a crisp, sunny Winters day, twas flippin freezing and as usual I saw my first Christmas robin, having a good old shout at us as we laid our wreath.

We then popped to a nearby garden centre and picked up a few bits and bobs for Christmas makes.

As this is a yearly Christmas tradition, I was thinking about a few other unintentional , alternative Christmas traditions that I/We do every year.  

Here we go:-

1.  Carry around a handful of Christmas cards in my bag for 2 weeks that need posting, forget to post them.

2.  Find Christmas cards under car seat that were addressed and stamped but have managed to fall out of my bag and remained hidden until February.

3. Always receive a card from someone I've either forgotten or lost their address.

4. Find a gift, usually a book for some reason, I've hidden away for Twiglet, a couple of months after Christmas.

5. Buy the same annual twice by accident as I've seen them at a bargain price and stashed them somewhere, forgotten and bought them again.

6. Find chipolatas in freezer on Boxing Day OR alternatively cook chipolatas and forget to serve them.

7. Admire Mr Twigs way with sprouts, he always does something creative, last year they were stir fried with pancetta and chestnuts.

8. Buy a Christmas pudding, then everyone states they are too full for pudding.  Eat pudding 3 - 4 days after Christmas Day.

9. Say no, no I won't drink anything much on Christmas Day, then burn the vegetables a bit cos I've had 3 glasses of sherry while cooking.

10. Only drink three glasses of sherry on Christmas Day morning and then leave sherry bottle on top of fridge for a year.

11. Get peeved at naughty Mr Twigs eating After 8s and then PUTTING EMPTY PACKETS BACK IN THE BOX !!

12. Completely forget to finish off something I'm making for Christmas, finish project in January instead. 

Last year it was a cake band with reindeers on it, this year it will be a fabric advent calendar.

13. Say I'm definitely going to make lists and plans and prepare for Christmas throughout the year next year.  Leave everything until December again the following Christmas and do everything exactly the same way.

14.  Have a really lovely time with my fantastic family and that is what it's all about !!

How about you? what are your alternative Christmas traditions?

Twiggy xx

Cripes !!

It's blowing a gale up here and bucketing down with rain - just started as I walked back up from the school run this morning - urgh!!  

It's that nearly Christmas time of year so I have my traditional pre Christmas cold, smashing.  I was going to clean the guinea pigs out today but think they might have got away with it for another day.

We are due to do our weekly grocery shop at Aldi tonight but after walking down to school and back this afternoon, I think I might want us to put our jim jams on and hibernate instead!!

Oooo did anyone watch the final episode of Remember Me on Sunday night?  I thought it was great, I love a good ghost story. (Managed not to jump and throw tea down myself this time too).

So are you getting into the Christmas groove?  although I'm a miserable git today, I've done a bit of Christmas stitching and made a batch on mince pies, written some more Christmas cards and we are looking forward to the Christmas play at school tomorrow.  

I suppose I should beggar off  and do some studying now, which is what I'm supposed to be doing !!

Keep cosy.

Twiggy 

Less is more...................

Well not in our house.  

(photo heavy post)

 Ha ha we overload the Christmas tree every ear and I flippin love it.  

You can keep your colour co-ordinated designer Christmas trees, fancy a trip around our mostly homemade and very colourful tree?

 Oooo firstly here are Marcus the urbane fox and Bob Ambrose having a seasonal snifter, note empty sherry glass....

 Knitted guinea pig, doesn't everyone have one of these?

 Twiglet made this salt dough ornament at school this year, just lovely.

Gorgeous handmade tree from lovely Vicky at Anglesey Allsorts.

 

 A bit of festive stitching from a few years ago by me on the left, and a snowman made by Twiglet when he was in Year 1 - awww....

 A lovely little dangly from Jennie @ Falling Down the Rabbit Hole, where have you gone Jen, we miss you ????

And another pretty tree from Vicky !!  lucky me!!

 A gorgeous peg fairy from another lovely blogger.

 A little fleecy heart I made from one of Twiglet's baby fleeces.

 Twiglet's baby mittens and a pom pom decoration he made at school this year.

 Some more decorations he made, the one on the right way back before he started school, we made it from a crafting kit that came with his CBeebies comic ;)

 Another Year 1 Christmas decoration.

 A peggy fairy that I bought from our village church Christmas Fair last year.

 And R2D2, I wonder who put him there :)

Well, I hope you enjoyed the trip around our tree.  

Homemade by us and our very lovely friends, I love getting all the decorations out and remembering the memories attached to them at this, my most favourite time of  year.

This for me, is what Christmas is all about.

What objects do you have,that recall special memories at this time of year?

Twiggy x