Before and after........

 Before:

After: 

We were forecast for snow, rain and freezing rain on Sunday, so it sounded like a day to hibernate, and put all the Christmas decorations away for another year.  I generally do it on Boxing Day but we were at our daughter's on Boxing Day.

The one thing I left up is this wreath which I got from Ikea, which will stay up until the 12th night.

Now granted I am going to be hoovering up glitter and bits of tree for the next few weeks 🤨  I am glad though to get everything back to normal.

When do you take your tree down?

Christmas Tree's..........

Now that it's November everyone is starting to think about Christmas.  

Our daughter puts hers up the afternoon of Remembrance Day, as she is off that day and our Grand daughter loves to have the tree up for her birthday for the 16th of November.

I am holding a Christmas get together on November 30th for a group of ladies.  So the house will be all decorated the week before.  Last year we didn't decorate at all as we didn't come back from the UK until December the 1st from a funeral, so the mood was sombre around here last year.  

We will get our Christmas lights hung up outside if not this week, then next week; weather depending.  I will also put together two planters for outside at the same time.  We will not turn the lights on until the middle of November though.

On our way home on Sunday evening, I saw a couple of Christmas trees in people's windows, and that was November 2nd.

So the million dollar question is when do you usually put up your Christmas tree?

Now you see it......

 Now you don't........

I had a couple of jobs to do on Boxing Day and one was to dismantle the tree.  Hubby wasn't working and I knew I would struggle to carry that tree downstairs, so I wanted that put away while he was home.  The rest of the decorations will be taken down through the rest of the week.

Another job was to strip the turkey and make stock.  We had our Christmas meal at our son's house.  I always bring the turkey carcass home with us, as they would just throw it out.

The little red man really works, it saves the pan from boiling over.

I plan on doing diddly squat now for the rest of the day!!

Thank you all for the Christmas wishes and I hope you all had a lovely Christmas.

Bit of a mystery that needs solving?

Why is it when you put up the Christmas tree and decorations, you end up with bits of tree, glitter and Styrofoam from one end of the house to the other?

You then spend the rest of the day looking like this:

(image credit)

It's as though the glitter takes on a life of its own and multiplies and spreads at a rate of knots?

It's a mystery that needs solving...........

Talking about glitter, you should take a look at this post from back in 2008, still as funny now as it was then!!

Nothing better in my opinion......

than turning on the Christmas tree lights in a morning when it's still dark and eating my breakfast and checking my email:

I love the warm glow of the lights coming from the tree.  Makes the room feel really cozy.

Of course we had to have a tree themed song today:

Some random photos.....

I was sitting by the fire in the living room looking at the Christmas tree and thought the room looked nice so took a photo.

Just before dh started caulking the tiles, thought they looked good.  Will show more kitchen photos in the next day or two, as it is 95% finished now.

 Miss Nora's head is growing and this little hat finally fits.  No idea who she looks like in that photo, she changes every time I see a photo of her.

 

One of my all time favourite Christmas Songs:

Christmas Tree and painting....

Got the first coat of paint on the kitchen walls.  Can't say it looks much different to me; hopefully will look better when I do the second coat today.

I decided to decorate the Christmas tree on Monday after I finished painting.  This is my new ornament from my mother.  It's by Belleek and it's a snowman holding an umbrella.

 My first ornaments to go on the tree are all my Wedgwood and Waterford ones.

 Here it is in all it's "frothy" glory!!!

Can't wait for our Little Princess to see it, as they don't have a Christmas tree at their house.  Miss Nora will probably be asleep so she won't care!!!  And yes the Christmas crackers are huge!!!  The one small present under the tree is for Miss Nora it came in the mail on Monday.

I thought this song was appropriate for today's post:

Thanks for your opinions yesterday.......

I will catch you up with what I changed out etc., in a day or two's time.  Got a busy couple of days ahead of me painting the stair treads and painting the kitchen.

We got the tiling finished in the kitchen, only have to put the silicone around the edges now.  Got the Christmas tree up, but not decorated.  Have decided to down size the Christmas tree if we move as it is so bloody heavy that tree, even when it is splint in three each piece is heavy.

Did want to ask you all something else.  Is anyone still on allergy pills this time of year and do they know why they need them?

I went off my allergy pills the middle of last month. as I ran out and as the weather had turned cold and we had snow figured I was fine.  Three weeks later my poor nose is itching again and is full.  Under my eyes are sore, as though I have a minor sinus thing going on.  My ears are filling up and I feel as though I have allergies again?  I have no idea what too though?

Is anyone on allergy pills year round?  I am on blood pressure pills so I cannot take any sinus medication.  I really don't have the time to go back to the doctors, but don't want to go back on allergy pills again if I don't have too.

One of my step-father's favourite artists, Doris Day:


Also stumbled upon this video, what a beautiful voice this girl has:

Home of the Week......

I managed to get the Christmas tree up the other day.  I am up to ten Wedgwood Ornaments now.

I made Baked Bean Lasagna on Thursday night and it was so good.  It's been a while since I have made it.  The recipe is here.

This week's "Home of the Week," is very, very nice and very, very expensive at $3.5 million.  The maintenance fees on this place, as it is a townhouse, is over $2,000 a month; who on earth can afford that?  Also I see "R's" kitchen stools again in picture six, and here was me thinking they were very shi-shi!!!  Every fancy house seems to have them; though not in orange like "R!"  Such a shame there is very little outdoor space also.  Love the staircase.

I LOVE this week's "Condo of the Week."  Love the finishes and the layout.  It doesn't feel like a condo, and I guess with it being on the first floor it doesn't look like a condo either.  It feels like a well loved home and one where you can make a mess in without being afraid too.  Don't love the $1.2 million price tag, but you have to admit it does have curb appeal.

Thought I'd share with you Wales own version of Elvis in this Christmas song video.  Love Shakin' Stevens:

It's a start I guess.........

Dh hauled up the Christmas tree from the basement for me.  It still needs to be "fluffed out."

The one ornament on the tree is my new Wedgwood ball for this year:

I will decorate the tree throughout the week, when I have more energy.

My mam brought over some Cadburys chocolate decorations for the tree.  Mind you just discovered that the strings are to tie on them, so those will have to wait until I get my cast off. Or should I just eat them?? Decisions, decisions.........

Things are improving with my hand.  Still can't do a lot of things, and when I do too much my hand tells me!!!  Only 10 more sleeps and the cast will be removed!!!

Don't have my tree up yet so here is dd tree......

They live in a condo 21st floor and they don't have too much room.  She changed her colours this year, and got all her decorations and ribbon at Michael's for at least 70% off, she is a good shopper!!

She even decorates all her presents and colour co-ordinates them, you don't want to open your gift as it is so pretty.  By the look of it, she has made her gift tags as well.  I wonder who that big present is for on the top left hand side?  Actually I think it's for her in-laws as I know what she got them.

If you have your tree up, let me know and post a photo on your blog.

Winter has arrived...........

Well winter has finally arrived and it snowed for quite a bit on both Saturday and Sunday.  Mainly streamers off the lake but enough that dh had to blow out the driveway with the snow blower.

I managed to get the tree up on Sunday.  Moved it to a different place this year in the hopes my chocolate decorations don't melt this year!!!

A fine Welsh man in honour of John. Shakin' Steven's "Merry Christmas Everyone"




Must say I think this is a good cookie recipe and one that is so simple to make.  Not sure though if you get the sugar cookie dough in Britain though?  Here is today's recipe Raspberry Cake Bars   For those of you who can't buy the dough here is a sugar cookie recipe.  I haven't tried the recipe, YET, but will give it a go when I have a few minutes to spare.