JYC 2014 - 7th Dec - Feast for the senses

Pickle can see a house full of decorations and colour, tinsel rustling as she blows on it gently, reflecting the pretty twinkly lights.

Pickle can smell and taste all the Christmas baking. Mince pies and cake and stollen all to be savoured and tested. There is also the smell of the dust from the Christmas tree and deliciously sweet holiday candles.

Pickle can hear Christmas songs. Funny ones and nostalgic ones; Traditional carols and modern pop.

Pickle can feel snuggled and warm as we huddle up close to watch festive films and read Christmas stories.

JYC 2014 - 6th Dec - Christmas Cozy.

I am glad that I am writing this a day late as we are just finishing up a proper Christmas Cozy weekend. Its a bit if a fluke, mixed in with the results of some good planning (and dare I say it) scheduling progress on my part.

Friday night I put up the decs with a little help from MiL. To be honest I had mixed feelings about sharing this job but actually it was lovely and meant that it took a lot less time than normal.

When we had said goodbye in Sat am, I cracked on with some Xmas baking but managed a sneaky nap in the afternoon. A little bit more baking early eve whilst Daddy and Pickle snuggled up and watched a film and then late evening  (amd into early hours) was devoted to picking my way through  book 3 of Game of Thrones. Perfect Sunday-ish Saturday.

Which meant that Sunday could be set aside for writing cards, an afternoon of hooky snuggled up with Pickle watching another film, roast chicken for dinner and an early evening game of horsey.

Very good for the soul (though not so clever on the knees!)

JYC 2014 - 5th Dec - Christmas Message

We wrote a letter to Santa this year. Mummy did the writing and Pickle signed her name. We addressed it and stamped it and posted it in the postbox and hopefully soon we will receive a nice letter back frim Father Christmas.

It was important to do a letter this year, as with so many of our Christmas traditions, I want Pickle to be sub-consciously aware of them so that they form a natural part of her recollections. So that in a couple of years she is asking to do them as they are what she associates with fun Christmas activities.

So we are starting them now when she hasn't got much grasp of what is happening and is really just humouring Mummy. Something else that she needs to become accustomed to in life!

JYC 2014 - 4th Dec - The greatest gift of all

In a year that I am likely to get less gifts than usual, its is fitting to think back in some of my previous presents. And especially as this is year Pickle will be getting a toy that I had at a similar age.

I remember the first dolls house that my grandad built me when I was about 4 or 5 for my sylvanian families. It had 3 storeys, with mock Tudor beams, a lovely red door (that sadly didn't last the day) and working lights that ran off 3 c cell batteries. There was some proper sylvanian furniture to match and a family of bears and rabbits.

I don't know how long it took him to make but I loved that dolls house and it had years of use before sadly being relegated to the attic. I unsuccessfully tried to renevate it later and we've had to throw it away now. But I wish that I had kept it as it was so that Pickle could have had it to play with for a few years too.

For the modern, post millennium, sylvanian things have gone more upmarket. They will be receiving a treehouse and log cabin for weekend retreats as a test before we decide whether or not to purchase the mansion. Only the best for our sylvanian family!

JYC 2014 - 3rd Dec - Party time

Now I think of it, the fact that I don't do any hosting over Xmas is a bit odd as I do love to have a good party. But we are so far away from everyone that it just makes more sense to head towards the crowds and be guests, not hosts, over Christmas.

A new tradition is for the NCT group Xmas party, and it's funny that we plan it in a way that my parents used to plan parties with their close group of friends. Everyone brings something to eat and it's all fair so that the burden for the host is reduced as much as possible.

I love this kind of party, despite the small stresses of picking what to bring and hoping that it is up to snuff\not extravagant or show-offy. But it's miles easier than doing it all yourself. And frankly toddlers aren't very fussy so long as you stick to a staple menu of bread, crisps, sausages and cake.

This year we're being extra sensible by enduring the exhaustion of the toddler party in the afternoon and then treating ourselves to a posh meal out in the evening. Fully resplendent in festive knitwear.

JYC 2014 - 2nd Dec - When do I want Xmas to start?

Christmas should start in July, November and December.

For some reason in the middle of summer (normally when it's too hot and I'm crabby) I long for Christmas and that is when the dangerous little thoughts of things that I can make start to fester and develop.

And then that feeling peters out when Autumn comes and things get just cosy enough to tide me over. I don't like thinking about it in October as I have birthdays to deal with and sometime still holiday to take. But in November I'm forced to start thinking of the practicalities and lists and presents without any of the fun and amidst a chorus of "but it's not December yet" in my mind if I'm thinking about the rubbishy parts then I should be entitled to think about the best bits too. But I have played the game too early before and it does lose the magic if it is forced to go on too long so I try very hard to wait for December 1st.

I want this year to be all about magic for Pickle, and though I have been laying groundwork and making things ready for the start of the month, I have not laboured the point. I want it all to come together in a magical harmony for her senses so that it creeps into her mind and heart and nestles in a special place for years to come.

JYC 2014 - 1st Dec - Manifesto

Merry December! And boy hasn't it taken a long time to arrive! Well once I'd gotten over the fact that the year has just zoooomed past, but the last bit of November definitely dragged!

Part of my impatience is due to the fact that I want this Christmas to be special for Pickle as she is of an age where we can begin to introduce the magic of the season. Which is also why I'm doing JYC this year. I did it for her first Christmas but in a way this is more special because I feel that it is in these early years that she will develop her opinion of the season and I want it to sparkle with magic and fun and love and laughter.

My approach this year is blog and instagram, which will be also be posted on my Twitter account. I will blog my main posts which will form as a prompt for my journalling when I put the album together. I will also be trying to take as many pictures as possible via Instagram, (which I will pop up in my posts as I'm not sure how to link it all up!) I want to try to follow the photo prompts as much as possible and then come back to the videos when the book comes together.

So happy 1st of December to all, I hope that you are enjoying the first day of advent with a chocolate or treat or visit from a mischievous elf is however you like to celebrate!

Love Elliefantasy xx