Saving time and energy at Christmas

As we all know, Christmas can be a very busy time and anything that helps is welcome. This might be a labour saving device, a favourite knife or clever gadget.  I have a variety of equipment, gadgets etc., which make life easier.  Some are relatively new, while others I have had for many years.  Some are/were expensive, some amazingly cheap; and some a complex while others very simple.

This year I plan to post one of these for each of the days of Christmas.

On Christmas Day one of the things I find invaluable is the old hostess trolley I had many years ago when I held regular dinner parties.  

You do have to be a bit careful how you use these, as some things don't do well being kept warm like this but plates, sauces and covered plates of carved meat are fine.  It is also useful once the meal has been served as a way of keeping second helpings warm and not taking up too much space on the table.

It can be used in the same way as a warming drawer on a range or the residual heat in the oven.

Christmas Eve

Time has run away this year but everything that has to be done is now in place with a few things to wait for tomorrow morning.

Our Sleigh Run family celebration took place on Saturday and in keeping with the tree theme, my nephew made this pudding:

3rd Sunday

It is the third Sunday in Advent.  The rose coloured candle has been lit and the village is now out in the hall.

Cards have been written and the first batch of present have been wrapped.

The coming week will be full of Christmas preparations in readiness for next weekend's family celebration.  The first stage of the office Christmas competition takes place tomorrow and I have one Christmas lunch and one dinner dance this week, plus a special anniversary.

Excitement begins

For me, the countdown starts properly with the first Sunday in Advent.

As a student, this was the day when I decorated my room, but that was because I wouldn't be in residence at Christmas.  Once I became more settled, this was the day when I decided who would receive which card and when I started writing my Christmas letters.  I lit the first candle of my Advent ring, ate my first mince pie of the season, drank a glass or two of Gewürztraminer and listened to the Christmas music of the Messiah, while I pencilled names on the back of cards.  

This is a tradition I continue to this day. Most of my cards are now made, and those that are have all been allocated, with names pencilled in on envelopes and the back of cards.  Letters and cards are yet to be written, but that will be the joy of the coming days.

I know that later this week, we will start decorating our offices under the direction of team members who are as enthusiastic as I am myself.

Time to start work ...

Over the last week there have been a couple of important milestones in the countdown to Christmas.

The first two of the "last posting" dates for surface mail passed at the beginning of this week.  It isn't actually called 'surface mail' any more, but so many people still think of it in this way that even the Post Office web site uses the term somewhere in the explanation!

Secondly, we are now into October and, with last week's equinox behind us, the days are getting shorter.  We are having some glorious autumn days at the moment and my journey to work has been beautiful, with the mist sitting in the low lying areas so that just the tops of the trees poke out and with a large luminous moon hanging in the blue sky.

Time to start card making ...

Preparing to Prepare ...

It may have been July and I may have been on my summer holiday, but I couldn't resist going into one of the several Christmas Shops in Prague!

I didn't buy anything there, although in the market I did buy a couple of small wooden Christmas tree ornaments.

Back home I found that in the latest craft magazine there are Christmas card designs and while I won't be making cards just yet, soon it will be time to give serious thought to whether I have all I need to get started.

Christmas 2015

It's official!  The theme for Christmas 2015 will be 'Christmas Trees', and probably a fairly wide interpretation of the theme.

With the sales of Christmas merchandise almost over, with us now into the season of Lent in preparation for Easter and with the first craft show of the year attended, I have a good haul of tree-themed goodies to add to those we possess already.  The ideas are starting to flow and notes are being made.

The photo shows a few of the paper craft items but there are candles, napkin rings and both tree and house decorations as well as all the textile and other crafts bits and pieces.

It is just as well that I've got the basics for Christmas settled as it is time to start on the Easter makings ...