Christmas traditions...

Growing up, our families celebrated Christmas in very different ways. Hubby's family had a Christmas Eve celebration with presents and food into the wee hours of Christmas morning while my childhood Christmases were very different. It has become very important to me to build some traditions into the family we've created. Here are some of my favourite things to do at Christmas:

1. Christmas lights drive - Our very first date, we went around town to look at all the lights. We make sure we do it each year. Sometimes it's on the anniversary of our first date, sometimes it's Boxing Day (although we do usually try to get there before Christmas day)

2. Decorating the tree - one person picks the colour scheme, we all decorate while listening to Christmas music, being silly and having fun. This year Mr Z picked the colours and we were able to use the very first decorations we ever bought, 13 Christmases ago (blue)

3. Gingerbread - Whether it's trees or men, N and I have come to enjoy doing this job together. This year we made some for Z's classmates, next year we'll need a whole lot more!

4. Church - this year we went to Christmas Eve Mass with Hubby's family.

5. Food! The kids each get to choose something to eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Miss Piggy chose kiwi fruit and chocolate cake, Mr Z wanted pancakes and blueberries.

6. Recording our memories - the kids line up so we can mark their height on the pantry door, and everyone gets a picture taken under the tree.

7. Our new tradition - now we're a complete family of five, I want to choose one special decoration to hang each year. This year we went out and bought a silver snowflake - after much umming and ahhing (and bickering). Not quite the relaxing experience I was looking for, but you have to start these things and let them settle in to tradition... or not! We'll see!

Sometimes it's easier just to give in

I cloth nappied both my bigger kids. Terry nappies, snappis and covers (more or less) all the way. I've always been a big fan of reducing waste so it made me feel good to be doing something good for the environment, and saving money to boot! I always wanted to get around to making my own fitted cloth nappies but despite having fabric and patterns, I just never got around to it.

This time round, it's been a bit harder to do the whole folded terry towelling thing. For one thing, I'm not (yet) organised enough to be getting all of that ready and still get out the door to drop Number One at school. Secondly, it's just been harder and harder to find pilchers/covers  (and clothing) to go over the bulky folded squares and lastly I've just been kind of lazy!

Lucky I found these - I loooove them! Totally waterproof and very, very cost-effective. I ended up importing them myself and saved a fortune :)

If I had time...

I would try this:

and this:

and this:

and this:

You can click through to a DIY tutorial ;)

Christmas Treats!

I love gingerbread men. I think everyone does! I remember one magical day in primary school when everyone in our class was given a gingerbread man to celebrate a classmate's birthday. I remember thinking how lucky that boy was that his mum had/took the time to make something special for each person in our room. So last night I made gingerbread Christmas trees for Zander's class. It was going to be gingerbread candy canes, but I know how much Zander likes green. And smarties :)

And here is what I made for his teachers (will make more 'layers' next time to make it more tree-like)

Can't believe it is my boy's last day of kindy tomorrow (sigh)...