Belated Happy Rudy Day!

I'm a day late I know but I was just didn't get the chance to post yesterday. I hope everyone enjoyed their day and managed to get some Christmas plans/gifts completed!

With a shopping trip planned later this week I have been working on a gift list and have quite a few things on it, which should clear the majority of my gift buying if I can get everything on the list. I cleared out my 'Christmas' shelf in my wardrobe and updated my list with the gifts I already have and all the extra decorations I've picked up this year. So now I know exactly what I have in there. I keep my wrap bag in there too and know that all I need is some wrap for India's presents but I have more than enough for all the other wrapping I'll need to do.

Also been doing a few more cards as well and only have a few left to do to cover this Christmas. I might take a look at the birthday's I still have in the run up to Christmas now.

I tried out the Mars Bar Mousse recipe this afternoon. It was very easy to do and turned out looking like the picture - which doesn't often happen when I cook!


It is minus the chocolate shavings though as I didn't have any other chocolate. The mousse has gone down very well, very very nice and not too rich with it not being dark chocolate. So this is what I will do for dessert on Christmas Day. I can make them the day before and they can stay in the fridge till we need them.

I'm feeling quite organised at the moment, a lot of planning is done and I know pretty much what gifts I have to buy for people - I'm just waiting for pay day now!

Christmas Planning

I thought i'd give an update on my card making - i've made about 38 of the 50 I need to do. I am really loving making them and wish i'd started doing them before!

A lovely friend I made through the Organised Christmas Elves website visited a couple of weeks ago and very kindly brought me a very large box of craft things, which she doesn't get time to use herself. We spent the afternoon making cards (and chatting non stop!).

This was my dining table after we'd finished!!

Unfortunately I don't have any space to create my own craft area so I have most of my craft supplies in a large drawer in my bed and the rest in a large plastic tub. I just get out what I need then, though my dining table is still a huge mess by the time i've made a few cards as I never know quite what I need and bring almost everything!


I really need to remember to start stocking up on stamps now too, i'll try and get a book each time I go to the shops.

Lots of the stores have their Christmas stock out now and I really do have to restrain myself from buying more decorations - I have so many! Some of the items are such bargains though it's hard to resist - such as this cute wooden sign I got for 59p.

Of course it's not just decor that's in the shops now but gifts too. I bought a few more stocking stuffers for various people. A friend has arranged for us to go shopping at the end of the month so I have a list prepared of things I'd like to buy. I've been going through some gift catalogues for ideas for some of the tougher to buy for people on my list.

Also we shall purchase our turkey at the end of this month. I usually get a frozen one and bought a small freezer a few years back that we use just around Christmas for the turkey, cookie dough and just to stock up on food we'll need. It comes in very handy.

So far i'm quite pleased with what i've got prepared for Christmas, i'd like to have a few more presents finished but hopefully I should do that by the beginning of November.

Christmas Cake

I spent Sunday afternoon making my Christmas cake with a little help from India. She likes to help so she can lick the spoon at the end!

I use this recipe - Golden Christmas Cake - that I originally saved from their instore magazine several years ago and have used it every year. Everybody loves it especially my hubby who wanted me to make an extra one to eat right away! I didn't as I think a fruit cake matures over time plus you need time to add a little extra brandy too.

So I prepared my fruit on Saturday and the house just smelt gorgeous with the oranges, I left it to soak overnight. On Sunday I got the rest of the ingredients together and had the cake in the oven in no time. It's very easy to put together and the smell was just so Christmassy.

It's wrapped up now and in my Christmas cake tin. I'll open it up a couple of times to add a spoonful of Brandy but that's another thing ticked off my list. I don't usually decorate my cake as we just like to eat it with cheese and we prefer it without the icing.

Not the greatest photo but i'd already put the cake away when I uploaded the photos! It's not burnt it's just a dark photo!