Hey ho, hey ho, its off to China we go!

Happy Holidays!

 

Don't say I never give you anything.

Since you are all on the "nice list" here is a little something for you. 

Flubber Recipe

Materials needed: glue, warm water, Borax starch (can be found in the detergent aisle of most grocery stores), paint or food coloring, 2 bowls, measuring cups, spoon.

Directions

Bowl #1
2 cups glue
2 cups warm water
A splash of food colouring or paint (just enough to create desired colour)
Mix well

Bowl #2
2 and half cups of warm water
1 Tablespoon of Borax
Mix well

Pour bowl #1 into bowl #2
Do not mix!
Count to 30 and lift out

Flubber will last for weeks if kept in a covered container.  Flubber will come out of clothes (providing you use washable paint/food colouring), but it is not recommended to play with near carpeting.  Children (and adults) can use cookie cutters, rolling pins, and various other tools to continue the fun.

They make this stuff at the Mummy & Me class that we go to at the Aquarium, its the strangest of materials sort of Jello pudding crossed with play dough, strangely strange and oddly peculiar but a lot of fun.



Happy Holidays!

Deck the halls.

And then there were none.

Turns out they weren't so wise after all.

And then there were three.

Every picture tells a story, this one is called "The Three Wise Santa's."

Father Christmas #3

Leaving nothing to chance Lulu checks in once again with the Man in Red to make sure he has her list memorized.

All aboard!

All aboard for the Polar Express


Another little chat with Father Christmas.

Flying reindeer, elves, a visit to the North Pole, a chat with Santa, hot chocolate, cookies and plenty of Carol singing - now that's a great train ride!
 

While snow lay round about.

We had our first snow of the winter last week and then more at the weekend.  The first snow of the season is always so magical and Loopy loved watching it fall.  I explained to her that it was snow and she nodded in agreement and then said in a hushed tone  "Christmas!".  I hadn't realized that she had made that connection yet but apparently watching "Noddy Saves Christmas: and "Mickey Saves Santa" on a fairly continuous loop got that all sorted for her.  Who knew that both Christmas and Santa had been in such peril that they both needed saving?   

This year we figured Loopy is more than old enough to get outside and clear the footpath and driveway for us, I mean she is nearly 3 its about time she started making herself useful.

As is so often the case with poor workmen she kept complaining about the size of her shovel, but its not like we're made of money, I told her she'd just have to make do and to be quick about it.

Here she is finally getting stuck in, "put your back into it" I shouted from inside the house, whilst I sipped my hot chocolate all snuggly and warm in my PJ's

She was pretty pleased with herself when she was finished, but I swear I couldn't even see any difference!  Honestly, child labor these days, its not what it used to be.  We're sending her up the chimney this weekend, it needs a good clean out.

Mailbox Bonanza!

  Just the other day I was mocking mercilessly commiserating with Sister Carrie about how this year there has been a bit of a drought on the Holiday cards. Then today I discover a veritable party in my mailbox with 12, count them, 12 cards!  Oh yes indeedy, irrefutable proof that S and Loopy I am in actual fact, excessively popular! One might say almost embarrassingly popular, I'm assuming that this means Prom Queen is pretty much in the bag right?

Nothing says Jolly Holly Day like a nice stack of Christmas cards and these were all filled with photos of beautiful children and "catch up" news and it was all just so deliciously festive.

And, it is with great pride, that I can announce that most of our cards have now been mailed (Loops nearly fell in the box with this little pile).  I still have a few left to send out but they are all people who I can not find addresses for, either because I've lost them or they've moved without giving me their new ones (do you think that is a not so subtle hint). 

I messed up and didn't order enough photo cards this year, I'm not sure what happened because I ordered the same number of CNY cards and I had loads of those left over so, either I forgot a ton of people that I should have sent CNY cards to (sorry), or else I've been able to stalk acquire a whole extra batch of friends since then.

I had intended to write lovely notes to include with our cards this year but that soon went the way off most of my great ideas and the majority don't even have a scribbled sentence on the back.  Next year, I'll do better, next year I'm starting to write mine in July.

Oh and remember I was telling you how I messed up the text?  Well Tiny Prints did get my email/phone requests in time and switched the two lines - yay for Tiny Prints.  However, when they switched them they didn't keep the color and font style, so the lines were in their new position but had swamped color/font.  It doesn't look bad but it isn't what I requested.  They were so lovely to deal with when I placed the order and told me not to hesitate to let them know if I had any feed back etc. so I emailed them and told them about the snafu.  They told me it was my fault hard luck.  Now I'd already decided for myself that it was too late to await a reprint and it doesn't look bad so I didn't really mind but I was pretty miffed by their curt response so I emailed again and told them so and that actually they had made the mistake.  I also phoned and left a message.  Nobody even bothered to reply - bastardos!  Then yesterday I got an email from them requesting that I complete their customer satisfaction survey, oh yeah I completed it alright.  It was such a shame because my initial contact with them had been so good and I do think their quality is great but customer service - two thumbs down.

Oh yeah and another thing, apparently the US postal service read my post complaining about the Christmas stamps and as punishment this is the 90 cents stamp I had to use for cards I sent by airmail - very seasonal!

That'll teach me to go mouthing off about lovely Knitty stamps.

Right I'm off to admire all those beautiful cards again now.

For the children.

Always being one to put "the children" first I am bravely taste testing Annie's Chocolate Bunny Grahams.  Its a tough job but, when its "for the children," I am willing to put my own needs aside.  I take my work seriously and I will be "testing" the whole box, just to make sure no bad bunnies sneaked in there.  I don't suppose "the children" will thank me but, such is the lot of selfless testers like myself, and I don't do it for the gratitude I do it for the bunnies children.

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree.

I feel I should make a public apology, to our Christmas tree, "sorry Christmas tree".  I believe last week I labeled it a "feeble specimen" or something equally uncomplimentary.  I was wrong, its absolutely beautiful, I might not even bother to decorate it "so lovely are its branches".

Short musical interlude.

Loopy sings "Twinkle, twinkle"  whilst accompanying herself on the Roll Up Piano

When there's shopping to be done . . .

you pull on your woolly hat and mittens and get going. Loopy thought the shoes were cute but . . . . . . . . . ..

they'd got nothing on the pair she was already wearing.  In true celebrity mode she insisted on the sunglasses.

Since there was nothing to hold her attention in the shoe department it was on to one of her favorite stores.

Check out the computer skilz, everything she knows she learnt from Mama.

Victoria - its back!

You know all that mess I was telling you about?  Well a large amount of it is made up of magazines, piles and piles of magazines (and catalogs too but that's a whole other addiction).  Its a weakness with me, I'm just a fool for a glossy magazine and I'm not selective.  I've got them all!

Parenting magazines - ALL of them.  Scrapbooking -not that I've scrapped so much as a single page, but the intention is there (can we say procrastinator). Cooking magazines - not that you'd ever tell from my limited culinary skills.  Travel magazines - a girl can dream.  Lifestyle magazines - a girl can aspire.  Decorating magazines - where do you think I got the idea for the bin bag curtains?

Different magazines will show up at our house depending on what my current interests are, Old House renovation mags were big for a while until our house beat any foolish dreams of renovating out of us.  For years and years Horse and Hound  and Your Horse were staples for me.  I would pour over the Horses for sale pages picking which horse I would buy that week, when I found that missing few $K down the back of the sofa.  I would dream over the Equestrian Properties and test my horse care knowledge against the various articles.  Bark and various dog magazines also used to be stacked high on the coffee table too,  but  I don't horse ride anymore and don't have a dog or the shop so they have lost their attraction for me they have become a bit like salt in the wound.

UK Hello used to be a treat/guilty secret back home and I still enjoy a good thumb through People magazine every now and again.

I did tell you it was an addiction.

I love them all, with their front covers promising all manner of goodies inside, but I rarely read them from cover to cover.  I'll flick through the pages stopping to read an article or two and then put it aside till I have "more time".  At least once a year I will have a brutal culling where I throw them out by the box load knowing that "more time" is never going to appear.  Yet they are soon replaced via my mailbox or from a browsing session at Barnes & Nobly.

My favorite, my absolute favorite was always Victoria.  I loved that magazine, the photography was so beautiful and I loved the stories they did on women business owners and the wonderful specialty stores they would find.  I loved the "Calling Cards" page and the all the talented artists they would feature.  Then suddenly without warning it stopped being produced, gone over night.  I couldn't believe it, a friend who owned the store over the road from mine was a fellow devotee and we mourned its passing together, shaking our heads in disbelief and moaning over and over "but why, why, how could they stop publishing, it was my faaavorite."  Then last month it suddenly reappeared on the magazine racks.  Such a nice early Christmas present!  My old friend has returned, long may she stay.

Top Trolley #3

The "Driving Trolley" - always a popular choice.





I know Trolleys may be a bit snoozeville but you should consider yourselves lucky, I could be forcing you to view my collection of plastic milk jugs.

Top Trolley #2

Up next in a short series entitled "Trolleys we have known and loved" I present Top Trolley #2 a great favorite with the Loopster.  Loved not only for its excellent seating arrangement but also for its built in hanging bar.

Cookie art - and we're not talking Oreos.

Earlier in the year when I was searching for Lunar New Year gifts I stumbled upon Six Persimmons Inc. these are such beautiful cookies.   I don't think I could ever bring myself to eat them and you know that's saying something!

Its not a dilemma I'm expecting to face anytime soon since they are bit out of my price range ;)

Slim pickings.

Today was "Pick and fell your own Christmas tree day". Well, it was in CT, I don't know about all you other States but here in CT that's what everyman and his dog was out doing, and they all got there before us!  "There" being the "Pick your own tree farm" as opposed to the "Pick your own nose farm" as S insisted on calling it, repeatedly.  I am subjected to such school boy humor several times a day and I gratefully accept your sympathy.

Trees there were plenty of but, if they were tall, they were thin and scraggly, if they were thick and bushy then they were too short.  We wandered around the fields rejecting one tree after another until finally, too exhausted to care we settled on a particularly feeble specimen.  I'm going to cover it in so many lights and baubles you won't even be able to tell if there is a tree under there, in fact I probably could have saved the $45 and just decorated the ironing board that is currently standing (and has been for several weeks) in the designated "Christmas Tree spot".


This is one we rejected early on in the search, when we were still starry eyed and determined to find THE tree.  Its actually nicer than the one we finally dragged home.

Loops spots a potential candidate for the chop and proceeds to measure for its "right sizeness".

I've not seen this method employed by other lumberjacks but S and Loops like to lie on the ground whilst sawing and then shout "timber" at the top of their voices - for safety you know.

And after all that hard work a Christmas cookie is in order.

Negotiations declared a total success!

Working in a organized and logical sequence Loops first ascertained the make and model of TV she would be requesting from Father Christmas.  Then moved quickly on to Potty Barn, where the much harder question of "which kitchen?" had to be answered

Model numbers safely memorized it was onto see the Big Guy himself.  The line wasn't too long and gave Loops plenty of time to work on her opening argument "reasons I need a TV bigger than me and why the sink is no use to me without the oven and fridge too."

Apparently Santa was most understanding and delivery of all items on the 25th was agreed upon.  The man in the red hat he say yes!

Thanks a lot Santa Baby, that's another fine mess you've gotten me in to! Previously, Loops list consisted of a watch, a snack and a magzine.  Three items I felt confident of being able to produce.  I mean have you see the price of those kitchens?

I say trolley, you say cart, lets call the whole thing off.

Usually falling asleep on the way to the supermarket (Loopy not me) is a bad sign.  Of course if I fall asleep on the way to the supermarket its a REALLY bad sign.

Luckily, one of her favorite trolleys was free, so the day was saved and we only knocked down 3 innocent bystanders this time - boy, those trolleys are swines to steer.

In which I crack under Christmas card anxiety

Yesterday we received our first Christmas cards, I absolutely LOVE getting cards especially if they have photos!!  These two both had photos - can you say adorable? Yet, despite the festive cuteness, they caused me much anxiety because I had done nothing about getting our own cards ordered.  Why, oh why, do I do this? I love choosing cards almost as much as getting them and yet every year I procrastinate until I'm in such a blind panic that even Smurfs in Santa costumes start to look like an elegant and classic card choice.

Last year was the same, I was so excited to finally be sending a card featuring our very own child (!!!) that I thought it was going to be a slam dunk.  I booked the photo session, admittedly a little late in the day, but I felt confident of success.  Sadly, it was very disappointing, the photos were filled with stupid props like giant sunflowers and teapots, here is where I whined about it at the time, so no Holiday photo came out of that.  Instead, in desperation, since time was running out we stuck the Santa hat on Loops took a photo and called it good.  The card and photo weren't quite what I was imagining but the end result was suitably jolly and hopefully nobody noticed that Loops pose bore a slightly worrying resemblance to the Hitler salute.

The main thing was they were done and mailed before December 24th, not something I have managed every year.  On several occasions our Christmas cards have morphed into Happy New Year cards and, on one particularly shameful year, they became our Easter cards - oh yes they did!

So yesterday, happy as I was to receive the lovely cards, I sensed doom!  This year I had intended to get a fabulous photo of the Loopster but I was waiting to take her after I had taken her to get her hair cut.  Since there has been no cutting of hair there has also been no taking of professional photos.  Determined not to admit defeat with out a fight I snapped some pics myself and hit the photo card websites. 

Turns out its a good job no one has ever put me in charge of any major decision making because I suck at it.  The cards that looked best with the photos I snapped were all flat and really I wanted a folded card but I duly uploaded the photos and they did look sweet.  I found one card that was in the right colors and folded but it only had space for one photo (and one inside) and really, because my pics weren't great, they looked better when I used more than one.  I added and deleted, switched designs, saved and started over again and again.  My problem was I didn't have one really good shot and what I had didn't work well on a red or green background.

When S got home I showed him the fruit of my labors and charged him with picking his favorite.  His first mistake was to not pour copious amounts of praise on my photos, just because they aren't fabulous does not mean he shouldn't SAY they are fabulous.  Next mistake was he didn't pick my favorite card, even though I had told him I didn't actually have a favorite, the moment he didn't choose it was the moment I realized it was my favorite.  His protests that actually he also really liked this one were all for naught.

Being a glutton for punishment I decided the only solution was to start all over again and I went trawling through old photos trying to find something that would work on a red background.  I now had 10 different cards/photo combinations saved on the website.  I was pretty sure I was going to go with the red design but in light of my indecisiveness I figured I'd better sleep on it.

This morning, there were two clear front runners, the red and the original favorite.  Which to pick, which to pick?  I mean this is serious stuff, this is The Holiday Card, the health and happiness of millions of people all hang on me making the right choice, or is that "an end to war, starvation and a cure for aids and cancer" that I'm confusing it with?  Anyways, I knew it was time to bring in the big guns and so emailed the proofs to my Mum.  I have learned never to ask my Mum for advice on anything of importance with the one exception being photo cards of Loopy.  When it comes to Loopy and photo cards, my Mum knows her stuff.  The verdict was . . . . . . . . . . . the original one, isn't it always?

Oh the sweet relief, I placed the order, payed the various "fees for foolish people who don't get their act together in November" and felt the delicious smug calm of a woman who knows that, even though half her Holiday cards have to be sent overseas, they will still be received before Christmas day.  Yes, I am golden!

Well, I was for a full 10 minutes before I got a phone call from the card company.  An exceedingly nice and helpful lady asked in the most tactful way possible did I really mean to lay the text out in the way I had?  The thing is I had played around with so many cards (card wh**e that I am) and changed the layout so many times that I had ended up with a layout that reads

with love

Wishing you Happy Holidays

S,D & Loops xxx

Which reads a little strangely!  Very helpful card lady wondered if I might want to switch the top two lines.  Which would of course have been much better, except I'd got it stuck in my head that between different font size, colors and styles the way I had laid it out would be best.  Slaps hand to forehead, as soon as I put the phone down I realized I was wrong, wrong, wrong.  I called back and left a message and sent an email but I haven't heard back so I'm pretty sure its too late to change.

Soooooo when you finally get our card and wonder if the design company made a mistake because surely anyone in their right mind would have put

Wishing you Happy Holidays

with love

S, D & Loopy xxx

well, just remember my mind hasn't been right for many years now!

Up next - Will we manage to purchase and install our Christmas tree before Valentine's day?  Currently the clever money is on us purchasing, but then leaving outside in a bucket until it goes brown.

p.s I meant to say that prior to living in the US I'd rarely seen a photo card.  I think back home they are generally considered to be a little bit too much like showing off, something no self respecting Brit ever wants to be accused of.  Personally I LOVE them, so clearly my Americanization is progressing well.

p.p.s This is the red one that didn't make the cut its from Tiny Prints. I do NOT want to hear that you prefer it to the one your actually going to get.

Elfing around

I just had to join in with the elf fun

To watch Loopy elf click here

This is the photo I used for Loopy Elf, its from Christmas last year when she was having so much fun with puddles outside Granny's house.

I'm not feeling these Christmas stamps

Is it just me or are Christmas stamps getting more and more blah?

I hate these new "knit" design stamps, I like puurty, I like gorgeous colours, I like jolly holly but these, well these, are just dull, dull, dull.  I suppose I should be more appreciative of Luini's Madonna of the Carnation but its not really to my taste and baby Jesus looks too big to still be wearing a dress.

I thought maybe the British ones would be better and while they are more colourful and aren't quite so frumpy as the US "knit" ones they still don't really do it for me.

The Madonna of Humility on the UK 2nd class stamp is probably my favorite but really I prefer baby Jesus in a manager with Mary in blue and sheep all around and a star above.  What I'd really like is a happy little Robin or a Christmas pud or snowflakes, crackers, carol singers, snow, church bells and mistletoe, maybe next year.

Oh and I was pleased to discover that I am apparently keeping up a long and cherished tradition by slagging off the Christmas stamps

Its starting to feel a lot like Christmas.

This afternoon S took Loops to the work Christmas party or rather the party they have for the children of the people who work there, not the works Christmas party - are you following?  Loops has only fairly recently cottoned on to what a party is but now she had got it sussed she is all. for. parties!!!

I'm not a big one for going to stuff where S works, any of the places he has worked, so I opted out of the party.  I did of course supervise the party outfit.  I bought this dress and coat set with no justification, no party on the horizon and really it was an outrageous waste of money but she looks soooooo cute.  It had one prior outing for Thanksgiving and I was thinking she would have outgrown it before there was another excuse to wear it but then I remembered the party.   Completely changes things,  I  mean no longer are you looking at an extravagance, now you are looking at a little "work horse" of an outfit, that has been worn not once but twice!  Actually considering the size that might be "work pony" but that is a mere technicality.  The important thing is I am no longer an irresponsible spend thrift but a frugal and wise shopper.



Much as Loops loves a party dress, and she does love a party dress, she is also keen to get out of a dress once the party is over and make like a monkey on the "swing bar" or in the absence of a swing bar, Daddy's hands will do. 

As an added bonus there were some photos on the camera that I hadn't down loaded from earlier in the week.  I think this one in particular speaks to my lightening fast reflexes.  As you might imagine the train was absolutely speeding along at least 12 foot an hour so obviously a less skilled photographer than I might not have been able to catch that split second when Loops "sped" past me but I did myself proud.

Look closely she is in the shot I promise.

Door number one.

Great excitement here that we finally got to open door number one on the Advent calendar.  There was some slight disappointment that there was no chocolate behind the door but you can't have everything.  I did try to get Loopy to help me take a photo of the calendar to post here but she didn't quite get the idea. 

What do you mean, I didn't have to post today?