hampers

Christmas actually………….

- TracyB Leave a comment

For some people Christmas begins when the decorations go up or when they have all their presents wrapped or even their cards written and sent.

My decorations went up at the beginning of December, my family presents are all wrapped and have been farmed out to the appropriate people, my Christmas food shop has been done and it has all been a last minute chuck together as usual (story of my life really).

However, I have one thing that makes me sit back and think that’s it Christmas can start. I hasten to add it is none of the above. My Christmas starts when I watch Love Actually!!

Not exactly the most Christmassy film as such but it has a great feel good factor to start me feeling the Christmas spirit. We did actually watch this film last Sunday evening with a little glass of wine when the kids had gone to bed…………….just lovely.

It doesn’t mean I’m totally ‘ready’ for the holidays, no that’s generally when my panic sets in. You know the OH MY GOD HOW MANY DAYS LEFT AND I HAVENT EVEN GOT………..

Although everything gets left last minute I always have faith it will be done. Today alone I have made 2 chocolate dipping hampers for neighbours and friends:

Not a great picture but gives you an idea of what was in it!

Included was chocolate chunks to melt, Christmas tree shaped marshmallows, strawberries, fudge and honeycomb, napkins and the skewers to dip in the bits!!

Complete with wapping!

I have wrapped in-laws, god daughters, a nan’s present, delivered them and popped in on friends for a mince pie and a cuppa. I have sorted all the family presents for the boys under the tree, cleared my table and decorated it with the Christmas stuff……….Oh and sorted the boys with thier presents for dad!! Then I made dinner and attended a Christmas carol service down at the local church.

However, we STILL have to wrap the kids stuff!! Should be getting done tonight but I think the OH will be getting instructions for that.

Tomorrow I have booked the cinema to see Nativity 2 in the afternoon and when I get home it will be dinner, then preparing the veg and stuffing for Christmas Day, sort the rest of boys presents under the tree, we still have to colour in our place mats ( don’t laugh my boys are 12+14 but if their Nan and Grandad can do it then so can we!! LOL)

But still my Christmas hols started OFFICIALLY last Sunday evening with a lovely glass of wine and Love Actually…………..

WHEN DOES YOUR CHRISTMAS OFFICIALLY START?

Hotel Chocolat at Christmas!

- TracyB 4 Comments

I don’t know about you but I do love novelty Christmas chocolates, you know the stuff I’m talking about- coins, mini Santa and Snowmen, mini Christmas puds etc. I tend to buy a lot of these in order to fill up my boy’s advent calenders each year, which they love by the way.

But as far as chocolate goes I have my favourites and I’ve got to say Hotel Chocolat is one of them! OK I know what your thinking and your right they are very pricey!! But if you receive something from Hotel Chocolat you at least know people have made the effort ( as I don’t know about you but I literally could spend hours in there looking at everything!)

However, I’m on a serious budget over Christmas and have been for a few years now after having to give up work through illness. So I have had to rethink Christmas presents especially all the added ones, such as teachers etc. I tend to go for more homemade stuff, eg: hot chocolate cones, making my own gingerbread men and wrapping  and Hampers etc.

But what I do to add a little something special is to go to Hotel Chocolat and invest in their little slabs or their mini packs of 6 choc’s to use in these. So I would put 1 or 2 mini chocolates at the top of the Hot Chocolate cone. Or a little slab inside a family hamper. I tend to find that these are on offers most of the time!

But I do love their novelty gifts at Christmas, Mini Santa’s/ Snowmen/Reindeer’s etc!

So take a look at their website for their Christmas range this year:

Christmas Gifts

Stocking Fillers

The links above cover everything from the very special and expensive to the smaller, more affordable but still very special!!

DISCLOSURE: I was sent a box of their Sleekster  chocolates to try as a gift for a sponsored post.