Oh Christmas how I LOVE you. I truly do enjoy this time of year.
Although it feels like I’ve been preparing for Christmas for MONTHS.
The girls and I have been crafting, making Christmas projects that would make good activities for kids on the school holidays. Here are just some of the craft activities we’ve been making.
I decided to put up my Grandma Jones’s Silver Christmas Tree in her honour. To be honest I love the tree. We alternate each year with a green tree or this gorgeous vintage tree.
I have fond memories of helping my grandma as a little girl, decorating this tree. When my grandma offered it to me when she and grandpa were culling their possessions I said YES!
The tree is stored in the original box it was purchased in. When we put the tree up a few years ago, Jacob looked to see if there was a date of manufacture and it said it was made in San Diego. My mum told me that my grandparents bought the tree when they lived in San Diego for a year while my grandpa finished his masters in Mathematics. My dad was quite young so the tree is over 50 years old.
We usually decorate the tree with pink, purple and blue baubles, but this year decided to go with white, grey, Tiffany blue, black and copper. We put the tree up early – around mid November to make sure we had enough decorations for the tree. We found we didn’t, so putting it up early gave me enough time to find what we needed.
I’ve been making a few Christmas presents as well. I’ve made some pom pom baskets and mini snack bars in a jar for the dads and grandpas who at times are a little hard to buy for.
There are a few exciting traditions Jacob and I do with the girls each year like taking them into the city to see the Christmas lights and parade. We also do a visit to the Myer Giftorium to ride on the Santa Express. All of these things are free to do, but we leave it to the week before Christmas.
Last Wednesday night we got to go to see a VIP preview of the Enchanted Garden at Roma Street Parklands. It’s another free event and is on every night from now until the 18th December from 6pm to 9pm. You can plan a magical night in the City by viewing the light show on City Hall and walking up to Roma Street Parklands to wander through the lights in the gardens.
Southbank Christmas Carols will be presented by my church at the Southbank Piazza from Monday 19th December to Thursday 22nd December at 6:45pm and 8:15pm. Another free event you can take your family to if you miss the Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols on Saturday night.
In the next week or so, there will also be a lot of baking happening. I’m very excited to share with you this FREE 12 Days of Christmas eBook that Amanda from Cooker and a Looker compiled together from a selection of bloggers (me included). In it you will find 12 popular recipes, as featured from our blogs. My Chocolate Nativity Scene made the cut. Not only can I hook up plumbing, I can cook! If you want to download it, head to this post.
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed this Christmas, take time to BREATHE. Enjoy the joy that’s around. Yes there can be so much to do before Christmas but take heart and know that you will be able to get your to-do-list done before Christmas. And if you don’t, accept it wasn’t meant to be completed this time of the year anyway.
