Heeey people!! We're nearly there, just a few more days to Christmas! I am a Christmas fanatic and have just had great fun wrapping gifts, yes cute shiny bows and name tags, the whole lot, please do share all your plans for the special day, I want to know everything from gifts, food, what you are going to watch and who you will be celebrating with!
Ok, the plan at the moment for my group is to go over to my dad's girlfriends place (chosen for logistics of the UK 3 households maximum rule), so it will be me, my dad, his girlfriend, her son, and my brother and his finance, then joining via webcam on a large TV on either side (hopefully giving the impression of a window into another room) is my sister, her husband and our aunt.
We will do the usual Christmas challenge organised by my brother, this time is a thrown together one as Covid ruined his plans (he spends months on these usually), it looks like he is going to have us play "Would I Lie to You" at some point. After the challenge, we will have a meal and then presents. I am not sure what the meal is, as it is provided by m aunt (via post) and will be cooked by my dad's girlfriend and brother's fiancé, long story short, I am too removed from the food process atm to know what it is going to be, except excellent.
As for presents, I got some OK ones for a few people, but the ones I am proud of are these:
- Brother in law gets Bose headphones worth over £200 (me and my brother pooled and via a deal managed to get them for £130ish)
- Brother is getting a toolkit he wanted, but the present isnt the proud moment here, the wrapping is, because it is CHALLANGE WRAPPING!!!
My family occasionally do challenge wrapping, to explain, I will tell you how I am wrapping my brother's present. I am cutting sections of stiff packing foam to shape to obscure the shape of what I got him, then super-gluing it closed around the present, not sure whats its made of, but it seems to be OK with superglue.... then I am going to put it in a box and duct-tape it, then I am going to weave several layers of green and red zipties together to encompass the entire box, then I put it in wrapping paper. He is NOT allowed to use scissors. Just to add insult to injury, his fiance will get a neatly wrapped present with a "pull here" tab which allows the wrapping to just fall open (already devised how this works).
I am going through a tough time at the moment (not with MH) and I'm just grateful I can enjoy Christmas day with those I love so dearly! I'm sorry if you are also going through a tough time, for me, I'm being optimistic, it will pass and I'm being grateful, appreciative and keeping a positive attitude, I hope you will too?!
Hang in there, and
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
1. Have Christmas at home or in a new destination, what would you choose?
I would choose to have the [[My Family Name]] family christmas over in Norway, we have some family there and snow would be nice for a change.
2. Only have one Christmas song available to hear over the Christmas season, which one would you choose?
Something choral, traditional... "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" would get me in the mood
3. Start a new tradition, what would it be? (Use your imagination
)
Invite family who cant make it to video chat for the entire evening, put webcams on the TVs of each place, so we can just talk and interact naturally on big screens, similar to what we are planning to do this year.
4. Spend Christmas at the beach or in the mountains, what would you choose?
Mountains, hands down. Nothing christmasy about sand and sun-tans, I would much prefer snow and wide open views of mountains
5. Plan your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals, what would you plan to have?
Christmas Eve - Norwegian Christmas (they celebrate on christmas eve, being half Norwegian, so do I)
:
Main:
Portions in the centre of the table, help yourself:
- Roast Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Mashed swede
- Mixed Vegies
- Tender Ribs
- Julepølse (Norwegian Christmas Sausage)
- Generous amounts of gravy
- Wine and Harmar Julebrus to drink.
Desert:
- Ice Cream and Krumkake
- A cake tray containing Kransekake, Sirupsnipper, Smultringer, Lefse, and other great goodies (Google these)
- A MASSIVELY overdone gingerbread house
Christmas Day- English Christmas (they celebrate on christmas day, being half English, so do I)
:
Portions in the centre of the table, help yourself:
- Roast Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Yorkshire Puddings
- Mixed Vegies
- Roast Turkey
- Honey Roast Carrots & Parsnips
- Mini-sausages wrapped in bacon
- Generous amounts of gravy
- Cranberry Sauce
- Wine and Coke to drink.
Desert:
- Christmas Cake
- Yule Logs
- Gingerbread men
Boxing Day
- LOTS of antacids and maybe a salad.