Category Archives: Family Life

This Year’s Christmas Card Trauma…

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Xmas photos

You know the saying ‘Never work with children or animals’? Well, the first part of that statement certainly rang true last week when I spent two separate afternoons trying to get just one decent picture of the children in their Santa hats to use for a Christmas card. Despite bribing them with promises of sweets (bad mummy, I know..) getting the three of them to all look at the camera and smile at the same time proved rather challenging, to put it mildly…

If one wasn’t picking their nose, the other was sticking their tongue out or the third was tickling/pinching/pushing their siblings. It was actually easier when Clemmie was baby, as at least she stayed in one place instead of climbing all over the sofa and her brothers. I came close to giving up but I know how much our friends and relatives (many of whom live abroad) appreciate these cards. In the end it was worth persevering as I did get one (yes ONE) usable picture. Jazzed up with a bit of fake snow and a red border it does the job, even if Cameron looks like he wants to be anywhere but in the picture (that’s a pre-teen’s prerogative I suppose..)

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This year’s Christmas card from the Anderson family. I hope the recipients appreciate the hours of hard work that went into it…

This Week’s Favourites

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This Weeks Faves 8:12

I could really do with an extra five (child free!) hours in the day at the moment. Despite my best intentions I still haven’t wrapped ANY of the Christmas presents and each day more packages are arriving in the post and added to the towering pile of cardboard boxes in the laundry room. I feel like one of those compulsive shoppers who keep keeps buying more and more stuff but just hiding the unopened bags in the cupboard (except none of the purchases are actually for me). Tomorrow I really must start opening the boxes and wrapping a few each night…

But first here is a quick recap of my week:

1. I’m doing most of my Christmas shopping online but I did venture into town earlier this week and stumbled across a cute Christmas market in the church yard, complete with traditional stalls and..

2. ..an old-fashioned cart selling hot chestnuts. I’ve never actually tried them (if anyone has – are they nice?) but they smell gorgeous.

3. The advent stars in our kitchen windows are switched on every afternoon as soon as it starts to get dark. I love how they make the room feel all warm and cosy and always miss them when they come down in January.

4. It was a very busy weekend for us and one of the highlights was the Christmas concert which Casper’s Beaver Scout group put on last night. Casper and his friend dressed up as The Proclaimers and gave a sterling rendition of their hit I’m Gonna Be (500 miles).

5. This morning we got up early to go to The Swedish Church in London for the annual St Lucia celebration. The boys dressed up as ‘stjarngossar’ (star boys) and Clemmie was a tiny Lucia. We all sang Christmas songs before going down to the church hall for gingerbread biscuits, coffee and juice.

6. I know I’m biased, but have you ever seen a cuter Lucia? Clemmie was very brave and stayed at the front of the church for the whole concert. My baby is growing up!

7.. Counting down the days: We lit the second advent candle today, not long to go now!

8. My husband and I also had a taste of this year’s Glogg (a bit like mulled wine but nicer, in my opinion!) before dinner.

9. We rounded off the weekend by heading over to our friends’ house to celebrate their daughter’s third birthday with this yummy red velvet cake. The perfect end to a great week!

We also finally bought our Christmas tree today, so the kids and I put the decorations up when we got home but the lights aren’t on yet so I haven’t taken any pictures. It’s on my list for tomorrow along with the wrapping and writing the Christmas cards…

Hope you have a great evening! X

‘Tis the Weekend to get Christmassy

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Xmas 2

{A white Amaryllis from our local florist, which will hopefully flower in the next week or so}

The Friday night calm has once again descended over our house and the children are watching a DVD before bedtime. We have started to add the first festive touches to our house, keeping it fairly simple so far, but this morning my husband was dispatched to the loft to bring down five huge boxes so by tomorrow there will be no holding back on the Christmas cheer! We’re hopefully buying the tree on Sunday (a little bit late for my liking…) so that too will be ready by the start of next week.

Have you gone all out on the Christmas decs yet or are you still exercising some restraint?

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{I planted some wintery flowers last weekend which take pride of place on our front doorstep along with a small Christmas tree decked out with twinkly fairy lights}

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{White paper advent stars hanging in the windows. They look beautiful lit up at night}

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{The advent candle holder again, with some red Christmas ribbon tied around two of the candles}

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{The children’s wooden advent calendar sits on the mantlepiece in the playroom and each night a drawer is magically filled with three chocolate coins. Apart from this morning when I forgot and had to sneak the chocs in while they were having breakfast}

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

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Poor Clemmie has got tonsillitis so it was a day at home for us today, curled up on the sofa in front of CBeebies while I did my best to boost the country’s economy by pressing the ‘click to buy’ button on my computer more times than I care to remember. We did venture out to pick up some antibiotics from the chemist and I couldn’t resist snapping some pictures of the lovely Christmas displays in the shop windows. Our village is pretty all year round but it really comes into its own at Christmas time.

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This Week’s Favourites

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This week's faves 1:12

Finally December is here and the countdown to Christmas has begun in earnest. I have vowed that this is the year I am going to be organised and on top of things – no more frantically running around crowded shops the day before school breaks up or sitting up until 2am wrapping Christmas presents on the 24th. I have one friend who had already finished her shopping (including all the stocking fillers) and wrapped it all by mid November! Well, that is never going to be me and in some ways I think it would take the fun out of the run-up to Christmas to be finished so early on (or maybe I’m just jealous that I will never attain that level of organisation) BUT I am working my way through the mammoth list of presents (every year we say we’re going to cut down on the number of gifts and then still end up thinking ‘oh well, just one more won’t hurt..’) and even plan to do some wrapping this week which is a definite first for me.

Here are some pictures and a brief round-up of the last week of November:

1. The boys are on their best behaviour at the moment, knowing that Santa is watching every move. Cameron was being extra helpful this week and even helped to brush his little sister’s teeth.

2. He also read a bedtime story to both his siblings. Believe me, bedtime is not usually this calm in our household!

3. On Tuesday I went to the Swedish shop in south west London with my mum and Clemmie to stock up on Christmas essentials like saffron, gingerbread dough (so much easier than making your own) and glogg.

4. Just like the September issues of the fashion glossies are a must-buy, I think interior magazines really come into their own in December with each sumptuous cover outdoing the next in terms of Christmas decadence. Living Etc is hands down my favourite any time of year.

5. With two older brothers, I thought Clemmie would turn into a little Tomboy but at the moment it is all about dolls, princesses and pink everything.

6. We had some friends over for dinner last night and couldn’t resist cracking open the champagne while we were waiting for them to arrive.

7. Their daughter is Clemmie’s best friend so she had been asking all day when they coming. I bought this dress for her this week from Zara – so cute, I wish it came in an adult version!

8. The first of December and the first of Advent today so we lit a candle in the Iittala candle holder. Let the Christmas countdown begin!

Have a wonderful evening. X

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

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Chanel

{I love this quote by Coco Chanel – picture from Pinterest}

Hello! It’s only 4.30pm and it is already getting very dark outside. Time to call in Cameron and his friend who are playing football out in the garden – how they can possibly see the ball I do not know. Pizza and hot dogs for dinner followed by ice cream and hot chocolate – it is Friday after all.

My advent candle holder arrived in the post today (just in time for Sunday, phew!) so I’ve been busy getting that sorted and hanging up our white paper stars in the windows of the conservatory. I will try to take some pictures tomorrow when the light is better to show you. Otherwise, there is not much planned for tonight – just a movie with the kids, an episode or two of Breaking Bad (we have just started the second series) and maybe a glass of mulled wine. My kind of Friday night 🙂

What are your plans? X

 

This Week’s Favourites

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This Week's Favourites 24:11

Happy Sunday everyone!

We’ve had a lovely day with a trip into town to buy a new coat for Daddy and shoes for Cameron followed by a visit to the school Christmas fair, where the children managed to spend their allocated £4 in about 10 minutes flat. Once we were back home I cooked a big cottage pie (comfort food at its best!) which we ate after the boys had finished their homework, with a large glass of red wine for the grown ups. We’re just about to round off the evening with a game of Cluedo before bedtime but I thought I’d get a quick blog post in while the boys are setting it all up. It’s been a quiet week so not too many pictures this time…

1. Clemmie enjoying a cake pop at the cafe while we’re waiting for Casper to finish his piano lesson.

2. A leisurely breakfast after the kids went off to school and preschool. I love my grey and pale pink Mateus china (hope to get some more from Father Christmas..)

3. I FINALLY ordered the pictures for my picture wall which has now turned into four photos propped up on a picture shelf from Ikea (but hey it’s better than nothing and easier than trying to line up all the frames evenly on the wall)

4. The children were all playing quietly while I was cleaning the house. I went upstairs to find Clemmie sitting in Casper’s toy box reading a book. She looks very pleased with herself!

5. I can’t even begin to tell you how long my list of things to do before Christmas is, especially now that all three of them have their own Christmas plays/concerts. Much of this week was spent preparing for Cameron’s school Christmas fair – all the parents are asked to donate tombola and lucky dip prizes, buy raffle tickets, bake cakes and then help out on the day.

6. If we didn’t know already that Christmas was just around the corner Clemmie was happy to remind us, dancing around the kitchen this morning in her little Santa outfit. The cutest elf in the house!

Right, they’re calling me now so I’d better go downstairs. Have a good night everyone! x

Let the Christmas Countdown Begin

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Only five weeks to go until Christmas and I for one Can. Not. Wait. There are so many things to look forward to – putting the decorations up, buying and wrapping the presents, the school Christmas concerts, our village Christmas fair, all the yummy food… I could go on and on, and no doubt I will be doing just that, right here on this blog, over the coming weeks!

The boys have been busy writing their letters to Santa this week. Casper has rather optimistically asked for a Play Station, an X Box and an iPod so I had to explain that it is unlikely he will receive everything on the list. For the first time Cameron has been expressing doubts about the existence of Father Christmas (he is ten so I guess it is to be expected..) but he is under strict instructions not to voice these in front of his younger siblings unless he wants to find an empty stocking on Christmas morning! He didn’t want to take any chances so his letter is also winging its way to the North Pole as we speak…

Nothing beats the magic of Christmas morning even if it does tend to start at the ungodly hour of 5am in our house. This year we’re actually away on Christmas Day (it’s my dad’s 70th birthday on the 25th so we’re going to stay in a country hotel for three nights) but that won’t stop me from decking out the house in its festive finery. I love these inspirational pictures from Danish brand House Doctor, especially the big paper stars and the illuminated snow sign.

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The Great Outdoors

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One of my best purchases over the last year was not a new bag or a pair of shoes, but a family membership to the National Trust. So far we have enjoyed a Boxing Day walk at nearby Claremont Landscape Gardens and an Easter egg hunt at Ham House as well as trips to Petworth House and Uppark, both in Sussex.

The staff are great at engaging the children with stories of what life was like in ‘the olden days’ and there are usually little activity stations and play areas dotted around the houses. What my three enjoy most, however, is exploring the often vast grounds and gardens – climbing trees and rolling down hills, things they don’t really get to do on a day to day basis. And best of all, once you’ve paid for your membership, if you bring a picnic it’s virtually a free day out and all that fresh air is sure to guarantee sleepy children by bedtime.

Yesterday we spent the morning at Bodiam Castle in Kent, about an hour away by car from where we live. We had promised Casper that we would go there before Christmas as he missed a school trip to the medieval castle when he had his operation a couple of months ago. It was a grey and drizzly morning but we had lots of fun exploring the castle which was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dallingridge, a rich soldier. As it wasn’t quite picnic weather, we warmed up afterwards in the National Trust cafe with home baked scones slathered in butter and jam and cups of tea and hot chocolate.

A lovely day out.

{Bodiam Castle viewed from the courtyard}

{Bodiam Castle viewed from the courtyard}

The children contemplating whether or not to roll down the muddy hill outside the castle. Luckily they decided not to!

{The children contemplating whether or not to roll down the muddy hill outside the castle. Luckily they decided not to!}

Listening to a talk about the history of the castle

{Listening to a talk about the history of the castle}

There were lots of nooks and crannies to explore

{There were lots of nooks and crannies to explore}

Cameron looks rather pleased to see his brother in the stocks!

{Cameron looks rather pleased to see his brother in the stocks!}

This Week’s Favourites

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This weeks faves 17:11:13

Sunday night again. The kids are in bed and I’m waiting for Homeland to start but first a quick update on another week that flew by.

1. I took all the children to have their hair cut at the start of the week – the boys’ fringes were getting so long they could hardly see! Clemmie and Casper were happy to just let the hairdresser get on with it but Cameron had very specific ideas about what he wanted – short back and sides (using the clippers) and longer at the front. He spent most of the journey home admiring his own reflection in the car windows!

2. Thursday morning saw the much-anticipated launch of the H&M collaboration with French designer Isabel Marant. As sod’s law would have it, the online shop opened at 9am which is the same time that Clemmie’s preschool opens. As my husband refused to take the kids to school and be late for work so that I could get first dibs on the highly coveted collection (men, eh?) , I had to race home after dropping them off only to be greeted by this message on my computer screen…

3. Until finally, after pressing the ‘Try Again’ button a million times (it seemed like it at least), I was in! Sadly, most of the items on my wish list had already gone but I managed to get my hands on these stunning shoes and also a grey jumper (rather nondescript in the picture but, hey, it’s Isabel Marant at less than £40!).  I have since read that it was one of the fastest selling collaborations of all-times – not surprising I guess, given all the hype surrounding it – so I think I was very lucky to get anything at all.

4. To raise money for Children in Need, Cameron’s school invited all pupils to dress in their pyjamas on Friday while Casper’s school asked them to wear polka dots. The first one was easy enough but as Casper was not keen to wear his sister’s spotty pyjamas (I can’t imagine why!) we ended up cutting out sticky-back felt circles and putting them onto an old plain T-shirt.

5. Finally Friday and candles lit for a cosy night in..

6. ..and a glass (or two) of bubbly to celebrate the end of the week.

7. A very dear friend gave me these four Mateus cups as a belated birthday present. Definitely worth waiting for!

8. Despite the grey, drizzly weather, we went on an outing to Bodiam Castle in Kent this morning. It took just over an hour to get there but it was well worth it.

9. We wrapped up the weekend by having dinner at Pizza Express with the grandparents.

And that’s it. Another week done and dusted! Have a great Sunday night. X